Big Events I've Witnessed Since My Birth

1987
I was born

1989
First episode of The Simpson airs
Fall of the Wall of Berlin
George HW Bush elected as US President
The Little Mermaid is released

1990
First WWW page is ever written
West Germany wins FIFA world cup
Costa Rica plays for FIFA world cup
Gulf War starts
Home Alone is released
Edward Scissorhands is released

1991
Sonic the Hedgehog game is released
Bangladesh cyclone kills 130,000+
Beauty and the Beast is released

1992
European Union is formed
Last episode of Cosby show airs
Aladdin is released

1993
Bill Clinton elected as US president
Nightmare Before Christmas releases

1994
Brazil wins FIFA world cup
Forrest Gump is released
The Lion King is released

1995
Pocahontas is released
Toy Story is released

1996
First cloned sheep, Dolly

1997
Buffy the Vampire Slayer airs
Mother Theresa dies
Princess Diana dies
Titanic is released
Bill Clinton re-elected as US President
Hercules is released

1998
Google is founded
iMac is introduced
France wins FIFA world cup
Mulan is released

1999
Columbine High School Massacre
World population hits 6 billion
The Matrix is released
Tarzan is released

2000
Y2K

2001
9-11 terrorist attacks in New York
iPod is released
First Harry Potter movie is released
George W Bush elected as US President
Shrek is released
Monsters Inc is released

2002
Brazil wins FIFA world cup
Costa Rica plays for FIFA world cup

2003
Space Shuttle Columbia crashes
Arnold Schwarzenegger is named Governor of California
Lord of the Rings is released worldwide
Myspace is founded
Finding Nemo is released
First Pirates of the Caribbean movie released
Big Fish is released

2004
Last episode of Friends is airs
First episode of Lost airs
Martha Stewart goes to jail for insider trading
Indian Oceanic Tsunami kills 200,000+
Facebook is launched

2005
Pope John Paul II dies
Hurricane Katrina hits US Gulf Coast
Corpse Bride is released

2006
MacBook is introduced
Italy wins FIFA world cup
Costa Rica plays for FIFA world cup
The DaVinci Code is released

2007
Sweeney Todd is released

2008
Baraback Obama is elected as the first US black president
The Dark Knight is released

2009
Michael Jackson dies
Avatar is released

2010
Haiti earthquake kills 310,000+
iPad is released
Eyjafjallajökull, Icelandic volcano erupts
Spain wins FIFA world cup
Inception is released

2011
Japan earthquake kills 15,000+
Last episode of Oprah Winfrey show airs after 25 years

End of the world

So it's May 21st, 2011, past 6pm, time when Harold Camping has predicted the rapture. Or Judgment Day. Or the end of the world.

As far as I know, I am still alive. No zombies roaming around. And everything is perfectly just like any other day. Only that a volcano in Iceland started to erupt (you know what? that was basically around midnight or past midnight, so it doesn't count as May 21st.) and today has been sunnier and warmer than any other day of the year.

I spent 6pm on a subway with no one else but other strangers. Wouldn't be a nicest way to die. Of course, my imagination took it to a whole new level starting to think that the subway will blow up or like a giant monster will wiggle it's way through the trains like in Men In Black. Or that the ceiling of the subway tunnel will suddenly collapse. I took a look at every person on my train and thought about the subway getting stuck underground for hours, days, or even months. Started to think who will die first, who am I going to be friends with, who will be the enemy, who will be the leader. Just like in LOST when the plane crashed on the island. Yeah, my imagination is kinda powerful and crazy.

Speaking of which, I'm not very religious, even less of a Christian. But I've been to Catholic school and I started recently to believe again in an omnipresent and omnipotent being called God. Anyways, I have always imagined Judgement Day like this:

It will be like a movie theatre, but with lots of light, white lights. There will be billions of seats (for us humans). In the front there will be Jesus and God, sitting on chairs with a table. They are facing the 'audience'. Behind them, there is a huge big screen (just like theatres but lot larger cuz there are billions of people looking at it). And Judgement Day will commence by starting to roll on screen the entire life of a person, from birth till today. After the endless 'movie' finishes, Jesus and God talk to each other for few minutes, assessing all the things that the person has done in his or her life, and then they decide if they go to hell or to heaven. Then the next person's life will roll on the screen. Then all repeats. So it's basically endlessly watching the lives of every single person that exists on earth and wait until yours is run on screen and God and Jesus decide if you go to heaven or hell. Oh yeah, your whole life will be watched by EVERYBODY else and judged in front of everybody. It's gonna suck for the last person.



And speaking the end of the world, let me show you my fav cartoon animation:

Dear 16 year old me

I came across a video called "Dear 16 year old me" which is an awareness video about Melanoma, a sort of skin cancer. It portrays several people, from their mid twenties to maybe fifties, giving life advices to their younger versions (like 'don't get that perm. it's not as awesome as it looks"). But then we realize they are actually Melanoma survivors, and they try to get their message across young teenagers or even older people, about Melanoma, the causes, the symptoms, treatments for it, and how to prevent it. It actually got me thinking about protecting my own skin. I'm glad I don't go to tanning beds and makes me think I should put on sunscreen when I go out. It's a very moving video. Watch it and get informed:




But on other note, it makes me think if only I could make a video to my younger me. Doesn't have to do with Melanoma, but since I was 16 years old, I've done things I regret. I was probably in grade 9, just starting my new school, where I didn't know anyone and there was a culture shock since I used to feel comfortable speaking Spanish in my other schools but in this one, the predominant language was English, and I did't feel comfortable with that. At the same time, I was becoming more of an adolescent, with all the hormone thing and going guy-crazy lol. I'm not gonna make a video, but I'm sure to write a note, with the same title.

Dear sixteen year old me:
Just be yourself. You don't need to impress people and you don't need to deliver a certain image of yourself to prove that you are cool because you are already naturally cool. So weather you are in your surfer phase, or skater punk phase, or even the country phase; there is no need of labeling what you are: dressing a certain way, own certain stuff, etc. You can like them all at the same time and still be you.

Dear sixteen year old me:
You should also go to college instead of university, because having an university degree doesn't guarantee you a job after graduation, but there are higher chances after college. Or you should take the field course in communications, so you can get an internship while you study. It does exist!

Dear sixteen year old me:
You should become more active during high school so you get more experiences for university, like participating in drama, sports and other stuff. You should also become even more active during university by being active member at clubs and make connections, then you can put that in resume.

Dear sixteen year old me:
In most social situations, just go with your gut. If your gut tells you not to do something, it is probably right.

Dear sixteen year old me:
Whatever you do, don't do online dating. Just...just don't even bother. Bad idea.

Dear sixteen year old me:
Don't be shy. Talk to people. You are likeable. Don't let anything on your way to be social because the more people you know the better. Extend your social network. Nurture those relationships. You never know who might be able to help you when you need it. There are lots of good people out there. Also bad people, but your guts can tell the difference.

The Voice

These past two weeks I've been hooked on this new reality TV show called The Voice, it's kinda like American Idol, but a bit different. If you haven't head of it, it is a singing competition. Carson Daly hosts the show and the 'judges' or 'coaches', how they call it, are Adam Levine from Maroon 5, Cee Lo Green, Christina Aguilera, and Blake Shelton (a country singer).

The first two weeks were the 'blind auditions', where the coaches will be sat on chairs turning back to the stage, so that the contestants will be singing to the back of their chairs. When one of coaches hear something they like, they will push a button by the chair and will turn the chair that says 'I want you' at the bottom facing the contestant. Each coach gets to recruit 8 contestants, to train them to become 'The Voice' in the end. If more than one coach push the button, the contestant will decide which coach will be training them.

It is a cool concept that the judges actually judge on the contestants through their voice and not their appearance, like what we see a lot on American Idol. Some people have great voices, but might not be the greatest looking person. While it is true on The Voice that some contestants' appearance might not be the greatest looking person, I feel like almost all contestants have a fair look. The contestants were selected beforehand, based on their singing before they can audition for the show. Now, I am not certain if appearance was a factor that decided who can audition for the show and who cannot. I was hoping to see, maybe, a midget, or someone big, or someone who looks awkward to come on the show, but have a great great voice. Susan Boyle-style, y'know. But no, they are almost all decent looking to very good looking.

I heard one of my fav youtube artists, Brad Doggett auditioned for The Voice, and I go really really excited to see him on TV. Unfortunetly, on the second part of the auditions, there was a time constraint and they didn't show all the contestans singing on stange. I think like in total, counting during the show and previews, I saw Brad for like 2 seconds. Or a second and a half. Just a quick flash of his face. That's it. So, guess unfortunetly Brad didn't pass the auditions =( Which I am very dissapointed, because I think Brad is an amazing singer and music player. He has amazing talent, but it's a shame that none of the coaches could see that. Not counting the fact that there are crazy talent there too!

The blind auditions have passed. Next episode will be, in each team, people will be paired up to sing the same song on the same stage. But one will stay and one will leave. See how's that gonna be.
From team Christina I like: Raquel Castro.
From team Cee Lo I like: Curtis Grimes, Kelsey Rey, Tori & Taylor, and Vicci Martinez.
From team Adam I like: Jeff Jenkins, Javier Colon
From team Blake I like: Patrick Thomas, Xenia, and Elenowen



And in case you were curious about Brad Doggett, here is one of his videos on Youtube:



Check out Brad at 6:06


Yeah there he is, so cuuute!

WOW! what a week, eh? William and Kate got married at the Royal Wedding, Pope John Paul getting beatified, Osama Bin Laden was announced dead, and today is the Canadian Elections Day. And on a personal side, I have moved to a new apartment in Scarborough. So much going on this week and May has *just* started. Seems like it's gonna be an interesting month (especially because my birthday is the end of this month, of course).

Royal Wedding
Good for William and Kate. What a lucky girl she is. It amazes me that someone, a common person who has lived on a house on sme street in Englad, went to University like a normal person can get so lucky to catch Prince William's eyes. Not only that, but but made him feel like she's the one for him to spend the rest of his life with. What a lucky girl. But of course, everything comes with a price, and for her, her new role as the Duchess of Cambridge, brings a lot of responsibilities. Good luck to the couple! Hope they last a long time together. As a little girl, I always dreamed about marrying Prince William, like every other girl I know. But now that he's all fully grown, and seems like he's becoming bald and looking more like his father, I'm not upset I didn't marry him.



Osama Bin Laden
And Osama Bin Laden has been claimed to be dead. The funniest comments I have seen on Twitter and Facebook were:

- Hussein - √....Bin Laden - √.....Waldo- you are next!!! (which made me think about changing the last bit to 'Carmen Sandiego - pending' instead of Waldo and posted it on FB and Twitter)

-Who would've thought that Osama Bin Laden would turn out to be the world's Hide & Seek Player. Game over biiiicaaaatch!!

- Osama Bin Laden is now dead until Donal Trump sees his death certificate.

Glad he was finally found and killed. Like Obama said "justice has been done", for all the people who died in the 9/11 incident ten years ago. (wholy! ten years already!) I'm sure there is a big party in the US today. At this height, seems like Obama could be re-elected as president.



Canada Elections
Now on to Canadian elections. In one hand, I could care less about it because I can't vote and whoever wins the elections won't do much for immigrants like me. In the other hand, it's an event that shakes the whole country and I wanna be informed about it. Wish I knew about Canadian politics more, so I know what's going on and what kind of leader will make a better Canada. Jacob is a smart man and he's with Liberals, so I'm supporting Liberals too. Apparently Harper doesn't do much for Canada. The fact that he wanted to call Canada a 'Harper Government' kinds shows me that he's a very self-centered person and he could care less about Canadians in general. It's interesting that I did a test online to see which political leader thinks like me, and most of my beliefs (which leans more towards Liberals). Fair enough. If only there was a political party leader that makes it easier for immigrants to find jobs and stay in the country that'd be awesome. Who are YOU going to be voting for today?



Apartment
The new apartment I have moved to isn't the best. There are several reasons why I don't like it:

1) I don't like the location at all. First, it's so far away from downtown. I have to take buses to go to subway station. I definetly live in like the new Chinatown because there are lots of chinese people around, which makes me feel uncomfortable because I never liked living with so many asians because I'm not used to it (no offense to Chinese people, I am Chinese too, and so are my family). But I find lots of Chinese adults very sloppy, dirty, and don't care about anything. I don't know. They live simple lives and don't bother to make places smell nice, look nice or anything like that. Like they don't decorate houses, maintain a clean living space, and for some reason houses always smell like fish. That's my personal opinion through some observation, and it's very general. Don't mean to offend anybody. That is also kinda stereotypical. Might not be true on some Chinese people.

2) The basement is SUPER COLD too! The floor, when you step on it, it's like freezing! I have to wear socks or slippers at all times. I have my heater set to the highest and I rarely turn it off during the day. I have also turned my oven on and leave the oven door opened so the heat will go to the living room/kitchen.

3) Upstairs is so loud! Because the house is so old, and the floor is made of wood upstairs, I can hear everytime people walk over. The other day, when I first moved in, the people upstairs invited people over and all I could hear was people dragging furniture all over, heavy things falling all the time, and long and loud conversations as if some mafia people were arguing and fighting. Horrible! And happened late evening. I should buy some loud speakers and blast it on at night to some electronica music. Make a discohouse in my room. At 1am.

4) It's so far away from supermarkets and restaurants. Have to take a bus to everywhere. Unlike my other house where I could just walk to campus to use the bank or buy something to eat on campus. Maybe meet some friends on the way. Or if it's nice I could just sit by the fountain while I enjoy my lunch.

Other than that I enjoy a lot having a clean kitchen where I don't have to deal with dirty dishes in the sink that have been sitting there for two weeks, and my own fridge where people won't steal my food.

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I know it's kinda odd to fit very different topics in one blog entry, but oh well.