I have been really busy that's why I have neglected posting something on my blog. My last post was when, about 2 months ago? Wow. That should give you an idea of how busy I am. I really should be busy studying right now. But I have this habit of trying to not study when I am really supposed to! Computers are evil. Anyway, I should get back to my studying. As always, I will be busy again until forever. I am taking a whole lot of classes, but physics is taking up wayyyy too much time. Until next time.
Oh and I made the folk dance back-up team! (for two months now).
Saturday, October 17, 2009
Wednesday, August 19, 2009
Nocturnal
I will admit that I'm not as enthusiastic about blogging anymore, but this is just temporary. In a few months, my enthusiasm will be back up again.
I'M DONE WITH SUMMER TERM! SINCE LAST WEEK! AAAAHHHH!!!! Overall, I think I did a good job on all of my finals, but my chemistry isn't still looking fine. Heck, I'm retaking the class. Right now, I'm spending my free weeks in my apartment... lame. I'm still figuring out where I'm living for the fall semester. Long story as to why it has taken me so long. In the meantime, I have become nocturnal.
Before finals came, I would go to bed really late--like 3 am. I had a final test at 7 am last week, and fortunately, my roommate gets up at 5:40 am. So I had him wake me up, although I only had less than two hours of sleep. So the following night, I went to bed at 10. I was so excited to get up early the next day, which was the start of my vacation. Right around midnight, my roommate turned the lights on--unaware that I was already in bed--while having a conversation with my other roommate. Light and noise. I am usually a heavy sleeper, so it takes a lot to wake me up; but it was this one particular night that all that could go wrong went wrong. Apparently I wasn't sleeping so deep, and the light and noise triggered me to wake up. I didn't get back to sleep until 6 am, despite my efforts to prevent this from happening.
So yeah, I was instantly nocturnal. So one night, after all but one of my roommates were checked out, I decided to pull an all-nighter and just go to bed early the next day. It worked well, and I kind of enjoyed it. I fell asleep for two hours in the process, but all that it did is that it delayed my sleeping time. Not bad, really. The night after, I went to bed at 10 again, only to wake up for some unknown reason at 11:30 pm. ARGH! I was feeling all cozy in my bed, it was pitch dark, the apartment was as silent as a library---I'm not exactly sure what caused this. I have rituals before I go to bed and I didn't do them, maybe that's why. I don't know if it's just me, but whenever I don't do them, I get worried at the back of my mind. I didn't get back to bed until 6 am again, and I was back to being nocturnal.
So here I am again, pulling an all nighter to "reset" my body clock. I'm not really sure if this is the effective way, but it seems like it.
Anyway, my roommate did get married.
Happy rest of the summer.
I'M DONE WITH SUMMER TERM! SINCE LAST WEEK! AAAAHHHH!!!! Overall, I think I did a good job on all of my finals, but my chemistry isn't still looking fine. Heck, I'm retaking the class. Right now, I'm spending my free weeks in my apartment... lame. I'm still figuring out where I'm living for the fall semester. Long story as to why it has taken me so long. In the meantime, I have become nocturnal.
Before finals came, I would go to bed really late--like 3 am. I had a final test at 7 am last week, and fortunately, my roommate gets up at 5:40 am. So I had him wake me up, although I only had less than two hours of sleep. So the following night, I went to bed at 10. I was so excited to get up early the next day, which was the start of my vacation. Right around midnight, my roommate turned the lights on--unaware that I was already in bed--while having a conversation with my other roommate. Light and noise. I am usually a heavy sleeper, so it takes a lot to wake me up; but it was this one particular night that all that could go wrong went wrong. Apparently I wasn't sleeping so deep, and the light and noise triggered me to wake up. I didn't get back to sleep until 6 am, despite my efforts to prevent this from happening.
So yeah, I was instantly nocturnal. So one night, after all but one of my roommates were checked out, I decided to pull an all-nighter and just go to bed early the next day. It worked well, and I kind of enjoyed it. I fell asleep for two hours in the process, but all that it did is that it delayed my sleeping time. Not bad, really. The night after, I went to bed at 10 again, only to wake up for some unknown reason at 11:30 pm. ARGH! I was feeling all cozy in my bed, it was pitch dark, the apartment was as silent as a library---I'm not exactly sure what caused this. I have rituals before I go to bed and I didn't do them, maybe that's why. I don't know if it's just me, but whenever I don't do them, I get worried at the back of my mind. I didn't get back to bed until 6 am again, and I was back to being nocturnal.
So here I am again, pulling an all nighter to "reset" my body clock. I'm not really sure if this is the effective way, but it seems like it.
Anyway, my roommate did get married.
Happy rest of the summer.
Monday, August 10, 2009
This week
is exciting.
For one, I will be a free and a happy man by Thursday. I would have to go through finals first (not exciting at all), but there is light at the end of the tunnel. Chemistry is clearly the biggest hurdle for me right now and once I get past that, then I can sing, "Happy day! All is well!".
This week could be exciting for one of my roommates. His name is Mac, and I haven't seen in a while. More or less two weeks. Yes, two weeks. I used see him at least once a day when goes to his room to get something and back out into the world again (he has friends and a girlfriend too). But recently, I haven't seen him AT ALL. I didn't know why until a girl from my ward told me something: Mac is getting married soon.
WOW.
I don't see my roommate for two weeks and there he goes, getting hitched to his girlfriend. I was just totally surprised to hear the news. If the rumor is right, Mac is getting married this week. His girlfriend's profile picture on her Facebook looks much more like an engagement picture. Hmmm. I should text Mac to confirm this rumor. So maybe that's why he hasn't been around.
For one, I will be a free and a happy man by Thursday. I would have to go through finals first (not exciting at all), but there is light at the end of the tunnel. Chemistry is clearly the biggest hurdle for me right now and once I get past that, then I can sing, "Happy day! All is well!".
This week could be exciting for one of my roommates. His name is Mac, and I haven't seen in a while. More or less two weeks. Yes, two weeks. I used see him at least once a day when goes to his room to get something and back out into the world again (he has friends and a girlfriend too). But recently, I haven't seen him AT ALL. I didn't know why until a girl from my ward told me something: Mac is getting married soon.
WOW.
I don't see my roommate for two weeks and there he goes, getting hitched to his girlfriend. I was just totally surprised to hear the news. If the rumor is right, Mac is getting married this week. His girlfriend's profile picture on her Facebook looks much more like an engagement picture. Hmmm. I should text Mac to confirm this rumor. So maybe that's why he hasn't been around.
Wednesday, August 5, 2009
Hello world!
I have been very busy lately because my family drove all the way from Maryland for two holy camoley long days to come see me! And to do other things, of course. We stayed at their friends' houses up in Salt Lake City and had parties with them every night. Literally. I would have to put up some pictures of what we did while they were here. Since my camera sucks and I couldn't find it anyway, I didn't use it. I would have to wait for my sister to upload her pictures. I definitely had a great time with my family and I wished they stayed longer in Utah. Oh well. For one more time, I must say that all good things come to an end.
As for school, summer term is winding down. I can't believe this is happening so fast! I would be scholastically free in a week! (So says my roommate Andres). I'm really looking forward to the break. I hope I've broken the Last Week of Semester Curse. It's when things do not really work out right at the last week of the semester, like some computer crash while writing an important paper. For some reason, it has happened to me since I came to BYU. I feel that it's not going to happen this time, but we'll have to see about that! Let's keep our fingers crossed, and to add more power to that, our knees bent to the ground as well.
Tonight we had folk dance recreational night ("rec nights" for short) at BYU. It's when we folk dance lovers gather to... folk dance! In case you think it's weird, I could tell that you are totally wrong. Everybody who comes to these things will absolutely love what we do here. This is folk dance, and folk dance is generally a social thing. And this social aspect of folk dance makes it more fun. I have always enjoyed rec nights and tonight was no exception. I was sweating like never before but I could say that this sweating was one of the most awesome I have ever had. I was dancing for about two hours, and at the end of that my legs were ready to give up. I didn't stop though, so tonight I'm going to ice my legs. Think of it as my legs being nice to me and not giving up so I have to reciprocate by being nice to them too. Right?
As for school, summer term is winding down. I can't believe this is happening so fast! I would be scholastically free in a week! (So says my roommate Andres). I'm really looking forward to the break. I hope I've broken the Last Week of Semester Curse. It's when things do not really work out right at the last week of the semester, like some computer crash while writing an important paper. For some reason, it has happened to me since I came to BYU. I feel that it's not going to happen this time, but we'll have to see about that! Let's keep our fingers crossed, and to add more power to that, our knees bent to the ground as well.
Tonight we had folk dance recreational night ("rec nights" for short) at BYU. It's when we folk dance lovers gather to... folk dance! In case you think it's weird, I could tell that you are totally wrong. Everybody who comes to these things will absolutely love what we do here. This is folk dance, and folk dance is generally a social thing. And this social aspect of folk dance makes it more fun. I have always enjoyed rec nights and tonight was no exception. I was sweating like never before but I could say that this sweating was one of the most awesome I have ever had. I was dancing for about two hours, and at the end of that my legs were ready to give up. I didn't stop though, so tonight I'm going to ice my legs. Think of it as my legs being nice to me and not giving up so I have to reciprocate by being nice to them too. Right?
Monday, July 27, 2009
Dreams
I dreamed that I was free falling from a high altitude. I was scared until I looked around the blue sky and the vast range of clouds around me. That's when I felt it was really fun! But the problem was I had no chute with me. Luckily, they were floating somewhere and I had to pass through them and quickly grab on the way down. The chute-grabbing part was pretty odd, but everything else was so much fun. I landed somehow and ended up in a pool party with some people from high school.
I looked up the meaning of my dream on the Internet and I got pretty interesting answers:
SKYDIVING
To dream that you are skydiving, represents your high ideals. Sometimes you may need to compromise these ideals and be more realistic of your expectations (dreammoods.com)
Taking a risk, facing or conquering a fear, accepting or succeeding at a challenge (thecuriousdreamer.com)
PARTY
To dream that you are at a party, suggests that you need to get out more and enjoy yourself.(dreammoods.com)
Recent or imagined interactions with people around you. (thecuriousdreamer.com)
The skydiving interpretations really got me thinking. What are my high ideals? Med school? Folk dance touring team? Straight As? Are they really that high? I'm not really sure about that. And I did succeed in a challenge lately. I did pretty well on my Spanish dance test, which is by no means an easy task. As for other succeeding other challenges, I can't remember any.
As for the party interpretations, the one from Dream Moods was really fun. Is my social life really that bad?! (Haha) Yeah, maybe that's right. I've been hanging out with my friends more often now, but maybe I need a better social life? I am inclined to say yes. The Curious Dreamer's is quite true because sometime I think about seeing my high school friends again. But they just cross my mind every now and then, so I can't say that I mean to think about them.
Don't you think there's some sort of connection between these two? There could be, but I don't what it is. Help, anyone?
Sunday, July 26, 2009
Exciting week!
I'm back from Salt Lake after a couple of days of taking a break from good old P-town. I was going to work on getting better arguments for a little debate I'm doing tomorrow in one of my classes. Since it's basically going to be a political debate, I am not very much interested in it. I am probably the most politically apathetic person.
This week is bound to be exciting for many reasons.
*drum roll*
1. MY FAMILY IS COMING OVER FROM MARYLAND!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! They tried to keep it from me until they actually get here, but my sister unintentionally spilled the beans. They won't be here for long, though, but at least I get to see them this week!!
2. My dad's best friend's daughter is getting married. This is actually why my family is coming over. I can't say I love weddings, but I like them. Weddings give you those I'll-make-it-to-that-point feelings, which actually feels good. One more reason why I like weddings is that I get to.. well.. eat free food :)
3. My friend, Preston, is getting hitched! I knew him from a Tagalog class at BYU thatI used to visit. He's marrying a nice, modest lady from the Philippines. They were in the same mission. Why their wedding makes my week exciting, I have explained it in #2.
4. There's this World Folkfest up in Springville. It's a folk dance show where the dancers come from all over the world, so they do the dances from their own country. Which makes this whole thing a lot more excitinggggg!!!
5. And this week is my self-imposed deadline for watching Harry Potter 6. I seriously have to watch it now!
Happy last week of July! (Could you believe it's been that fast already?!)
This week is bound to be exciting for many reasons.
*drum roll*
1. MY FAMILY IS COMING OVER FROM MARYLAND!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! They tried to keep it from me until they actually get here, but my sister unintentionally spilled the beans. They won't be here for long, though, but at least I get to see them this week!!
2. My dad's best friend's daughter is getting married. This is actually why my family is coming over. I can't say I love weddings, but I like them. Weddings give you those I'll-make-it-to-that-point feelings, which actually feels good. One more reason why I like weddings is that I get to.. well.. eat free food :)
3. My friend, Preston, is getting hitched! I knew him from a Tagalog class at BYU thatI used to visit. He's marrying a nice, modest lady from the Philippines. They were in the same mission. Why their wedding makes my week exciting, I have explained it in #2.
4. There's this World Folkfest up in Springville. It's a folk dance show where the dancers come from all over the world, so they do the dances from their own country. Which makes this whole thing a lot more excitinggggg!!!
5. And this week is my self-imposed deadline for watching Harry Potter 6. I seriously have to watch it now!
Happy last week of July! (Could you believe it's been that fast already?!)
Friday, July 24, 2009
Pioneers Day!
Hello world!
This week has been busy, and a little frustrating. I had two tests this week--chemistry and Spanish dance. My chemistry did not go very well. I hate how the tests have twenty questions worth five points each. You miss a few items and you can forget getting an A in that class. Some questions are not as hard as the other questions, and yet each is worth five points. I don't think that can really show how well I know the material. I know most of the material well, but not so much the others. I think it's unfair and that my teacher is too lazy to write better tests. On the brighter side, my Spanish dance test went really well, a complete contrast to my chemistry test. I should get a B+ or an A- for that one.
It's Pioneer Day in Utah right now. This is to remember the faithful pioneers who journeyed about 1300 miles from the East Coast to follow God. Whenever I think about these pioneers, I always feel so much gratitude for what they have done so that I can have the true Gospel to bless my life, which situation is shared my millions of other people around the world. I am absolutely grateful for what they have done. I am forever indebted to these mighty pioneers. Yesterday my ward had a Pioneer Day Activity. It was a fun and relaxed night of clean fun, games and food! I did enjoy the three-legged race and volleyball. I pretty much forgot about my horrible chemistry test after the party.
We have this Friday off from school so this means we get to have a three-day vacation! My dad has many friends up here in Salt Lake, so I'm staying at Tito Chito and Tita Joy and their kids' house for the weekend! They really are an awesome family and they take very good care of me when I am here :) My dad, Tito Chito and Tita Joy all served a mission together in Cebu and they have managed to keep in touch. It's really awesome to take a break from my virtually monotonous apartment life and stay in an actual home.
HAPPY PIONEERS DAY!
P.S. My former roommate John Nuttall received his mission call and he's going to Anaheim California Mission and he's going to speak Spanish! YAY!!!
This week has been busy, and a little frustrating. I had two tests this week--chemistry and Spanish dance. My chemistry did not go very well. I hate how the tests have twenty questions worth five points each. You miss a few items and you can forget getting an A in that class. Some questions are not as hard as the other questions, and yet each is worth five points. I don't think that can really show how well I know the material. I know most of the material well, but not so much the others. I think it's unfair and that my teacher is too lazy to write better tests. On the brighter side, my Spanish dance test went really well, a complete contrast to my chemistry test. I should get a B+ or an A- for that one.
It's Pioneer Day in Utah right now. This is to remember the faithful pioneers who journeyed about 1300 miles from the East Coast to follow God. Whenever I think about these pioneers, I always feel so much gratitude for what they have done so that I can have the true Gospel to bless my life, which situation is shared my millions of other people around the world. I am absolutely grateful for what they have done. I am forever indebted to these mighty pioneers. Yesterday my ward had a Pioneer Day Activity. It was a fun and relaxed night of clean fun, games and food! I did enjoy the three-legged race and volleyball. I pretty much forgot about my horrible chemistry test after the party.
We have this Friday off from school so this means we get to have a three-day vacation! My dad has many friends up here in Salt Lake, so I'm staying at Tito Chito and Tita Joy and their kids' house for the weekend! They really are an awesome family and they take very good care of me when I am here :) My dad, Tito Chito and Tita Joy all served a mission together in Cebu and they have managed to keep in touch. It's really awesome to take a break from my virtually monotonous apartment life and stay in an actual home.
HAPPY PIONEERS DAY!
P.S. My former roommate John Nuttall received his mission call and he's going to Anaheim California Mission and he's going to speak Spanish! YAY!!!
Saturday, July 18, 2009
Interesting Saturday
I actually had a fun Saturday in a long time without my laptop having anything to do with it.
This morning, my friend Kyle and Yu picked me up to go to the Oquirrh Mountain Temple open house up in West Jordan. We had to pick up her sister first from the airport (she flew in from Texas), then we had lunch with his grandma, aunt and cousins. His aunt has all girls--about six of them, I was like, WOW. Kyle, Yu and I were actually the only guys there. As for the temple open house, it was my second to go through it. I can't describe it well, but it was so peaceful and beautiful! Truly a house of God, eh?
I got on Facebook as soon as I got back at 4:30 and I was planning to go to a movie with my roommate Andres and another friend of ours, Andy. They planned to go to party first, and they sort of dragged me into it. Andres' friend, Jessica, was in the live Mexican band playing there so we came to see her (although Jessica is Chinese). They weren't really bad. I wish they played some more! While the party was wrapping up we were hanging out with Jessica, her sister, and her friend Emily who was also in the band. They invited us to a dance but because we had plans for a movie we sort of declined. I know that's lame! But I wasn't really in the mood and that's not yet the end of the story!
Jessica invited us to an ice cream party, and this time we agreed to go. Now that's not lame! Except for Andy, because he had to run. Not run as in to go home, but actually run because he and Andres are running in a marathon next week. So Andres and I walked with Jessica and her sister to their home where they changed for a while. While we were waiting, I asked Andres what else his other interests are except for getting healthy, marathons, working out, biology and The OC. He said skiing, snowboarding, hiking... he's definitely an outdoor kind of guy. I was hoping he'd say more random things but that's about what I got from him.
After a short drive, we finally got to the ice cream party. The house was owned by artists, so it was an artsy house. They had interesting paintings and designs all over the house. And it was mostly light colors, so there was a nice cozy feeling in the house. It was totally astounding how creative the parents are (they were the artists, although the kids were too). Even the bathroom was amazing! I had to go the bathroom and I stayed a little longer than I needed to look around the bathroom. It was that amazing. There were surprises everywhere, and to sum it up, it was a different house but in a quirky and amusing way. Art was literally everywhere.
I don't have as much to say for the ice cream party. I didn't really meet anyone new except for the few who I didn't even talk to after I found out their names. Haha. Oh! Except for the girl named Talisa who lives in the house and I told her how much I liked the house and what I specifically liked about it. I should be more sociable than this. So it was a little awkward but I'm sure the people would've been nice if I talked to them.
Everything that I ate today was free! Yay! And Harry Potter already came out, and I have yet to watch it. I have waited for this for a looooong time (a situation in which, I'm absolutely sure, every Harry Potter fan had to go through). I'm just trying to find time that's most convenient by way of scheduling and not having too many people in the theater.
To keep things more interesting, here's a video I found in a friend's blog. The song is very catchy.. I would actually find myself singing a few lines from this song and then just humming to the rest. You'll see why.
Happy weekend!
This morning, my friend Kyle and Yu picked me up to go to the Oquirrh Mountain Temple open house up in West Jordan. We had to pick up her sister first from the airport (she flew in from Texas), then we had lunch with his grandma, aunt and cousins. His aunt has all girls--about six of them, I was like, WOW. Kyle, Yu and I were actually the only guys there. As for the temple open house, it was my second to go through it. I can't describe it well, but it was so peaceful and beautiful! Truly a house of God, eh?
I got on Facebook as soon as I got back at 4:30 and I was planning to go to a movie with my roommate Andres and another friend of ours, Andy. They planned to go to party first, and they sort of dragged me into it. Andres' friend, Jessica, was in the live Mexican band playing there so we came to see her (although Jessica is Chinese). They weren't really bad. I wish they played some more! While the party was wrapping up we were hanging out with Jessica, her sister, and her friend Emily who was also in the band. They invited us to a dance but because we had plans for a movie we sort of declined. I know that's lame! But I wasn't really in the mood and that's not yet the end of the story!
Jessica invited us to an ice cream party, and this time we agreed to go. Now that's not lame! Except for Andy, because he had to run. Not run as in to go home, but actually run because he and Andres are running in a marathon next week. So Andres and I walked with Jessica and her sister to their home where they changed for a while. While we were waiting, I asked Andres what else his other interests are except for getting healthy, marathons, working out, biology and The OC. He said skiing, snowboarding, hiking... he's definitely an outdoor kind of guy. I was hoping he'd say more random things but that's about what I got from him.
After a short drive, we finally got to the ice cream party. The house was owned by artists, so it was an artsy house. They had interesting paintings and designs all over the house. And it was mostly light colors, so there was a nice cozy feeling in the house. It was totally astounding how creative the parents are (they were the artists, although the kids were too). Even the bathroom was amazing! I had to go the bathroom and I stayed a little longer than I needed to look around the bathroom. It was that amazing. There were surprises everywhere, and to sum it up, it was a different house but in a quirky and amusing way. Art was literally everywhere.
I don't have as much to say for the ice cream party. I didn't really meet anyone new except for the few who I didn't even talk to after I found out their names. Haha. Oh! Except for the girl named Talisa who lives in the house and I told her how much I liked the house and what I specifically liked about it. I should be more sociable than this. So it was a little awkward but I'm sure the people would've been nice if I talked to them.
Everything that I ate today was free! Yay! And Harry Potter already came out, and I have yet to watch it. I have waited for this for a looooong time (a situation in which, I'm absolutely sure, every Harry Potter fan had to go through). I'm just trying to find time that's most convenient by way of scheduling and not having too many people in the theater.
To keep things more interesting, here's a video I found in a friend's blog. The song is very catchy.. I would actually find myself singing a few lines from this song and then just humming to the rest. You'll see why.
Happy weekend!
Wednesday, July 15, 2009
Not made for sports
This week, I've been doing a great job at getting up for my 8 am chemistry class (*applause*). It feels really awesome... until my eyes get heavy and my head droops to my desk. Then I am asleep for about an hour, waking up once in a while for a few seconds. So my getting up early is basically nullified. I might have as well stayed in bed.
My racquetball class is fun. I was actually excited about this class because I've never done it before and hitting balls with a racket sounded like fun to me. However, I wasn't zapped with the magic wand of sports skills, so I really suck at this. My dad envisioned my future with sports in it, so he tried to get me into sports for a long time. Unfortunately however, I would always run away from balls coming at me. Back to racquetball, I always make it ridiculously easy for the people I play with. We quickly finish a game because my opponent scores three points in a minute. I actually want to have someone take me a video while I'm playing. I think I make different sorts of weird movements while playing. And as far as I can remember, there's only one other person in the class who sucks as much as I do.
Hey, at least I can dance!
P.S.
HAPPY BELATED BIRTHDAY TO MY DEAR FRIEND CLARINEL WHO I HAVEN'T HEARD FROM IN A LONG TIME.
My racquetball class is fun. I was actually excited about this class because I've never done it before and hitting balls with a racket sounded like fun to me. However, I wasn't zapped with the magic wand of sports skills, so I really suck at this. My dad envisioned my future with sports in it, so he tried to get me into sports for a long time. Unfortunately however, I would always run away from balls coming at me. Back to racquetball, I always make it ridiculously easy for the people I play with. We quickly finish a game because my opponent scores three points in a minute. I actually want to have someone take me a video while I'm playing. I think I make different sorts of weird movements while playing. And as far as I can remember, there's only one other person in the class who sucks as much as I do.
Hey, at least I can dance!
P.S.
HAPPY BELATED BIRTHDAY TO MY DEAR FRIEND CLARINEL WHO I HAVEN'T HEARD FROM IN A LONG TIME.
Monday, July 13, 2009
Making pancakes like a German
Any tips on how to stay awake for a chemistry class that goes from 8 to 10 am? Apparently this was what was happening while I was listening to a lecture about ionic bonding and the VSEPR theory. Don't get me wrong, I love chemistry. But being a hardcore night person, it's so hard for me to function at that time. Add the fact that I was totally light-headed for some reason today (maybe lack of sleep?) so I spent most of my time in my chemistry class taking a nap. Which didn't really make things any better.
My roommate Andres and I were watching the Cash Cab just a while ago. For those who have been living under a rock, it's "a game show that takes place right inside a cab". The driver (who is comedian Ben Bailey) asks the gamers general knowledge questions worth some money (it starts from $50 and goes up to $100, $200 and so forth). There's a catch, of course, but I'll leave it up to you to find out. Not that it's a secret. Anyway, my roommate and I were trying to answer the questions and hey, guess what! We did a pretty dang good job at it. If we were in the Cash Cab, we would have probably won enough money to pay a semester's worth of apartment rent! We should go to New York and hunt for the Cash Cab.
Rewind to last night. Andres is currently taking a German class. Today they had everyone bring German food. He didn't remember that until about 10-ish last night so we had an impromptu bonding moment making German potato pancakes. It was pretty simple and it was the best we could make without having to go to the grocery. The first batch was quite a mess but the next batches got better. As luck would have it, his classmates liked it.
Here's the recipe if anyone's interested. I suggest adding a little more seasoning to that, because that would really make a huge difference!
Glückliches Kochen! (That's "Happy Cooking" in German, right?)
My roommate Andres and I were watching the Cash Cab just a while ago. For those who have been living under a rock, it's "a game show that takes place right inside a cab". The driver (who is comedian Ben Bailey) asks the gamers general knowledge questions worth some money (it starts from $50 and goes up to $100, $200 and so forth). There's a catch, of course, but I'll leave it up to you to find out. Not that it's a secret. Anyway, my roommate and I were trying to answer the questions and hey, guess what! We did a pretty dang good job at it. If we were in the Cash Cab, we would have probably won enough money to pay a semester's worth of apartment rent! We should go to New York and hunt for the Cash Cab.
Rewind to last night. Andres is currently taking a German class. Today they had everyone bring German food. He didn't remember that until about 10-ish last night so we had an impromptu bonding moment making German potato pancakes. It was pretty simple and it was the best we could make without having to go to the grocery. The first batch was quite a mess but the next batches got better. As luck would have it, his classmates liked it.
Here's the recipe if anyone's interested. I suggest adding a little more seasoning to that, because that would really make a huge difference!
Glückliches Kochen! (That's "Happy Cooking" in German, right?)
Saturday, July 11, 2009
Ningas-kugon
Literally "burns like cogon grass," it is an idiom used in the Philippines to describe someone who is enthusiastically engaged in something for a short period of time. That's like me with blogging.
When I discovered the joy of blogging in my senior year in high school, it thrilled me. It created a humungous fire in me. It was exciting for me to talk about whatever I wish and post it on the Internet where everyone can potentially see it. After a while, the fire burned out. I rekindled it when my family moved to America and I didn't go to school for almost three months (I was waiting for a new semester to begin). I was bored and so I resorted to blogging. As you may have guessed it, the fire burned out again. I had this goal that I would write on my blog everyday, but apparently, the fire didn't last as long as I had expected.
Because of this, I have come to admit that I am not a blogger. Sure I can write, but maybe not for blogs. That's why I would only post something every now and then, or, as we Filipinos would call it, lulubog-lilitaw (sink and float).
So, while I still have the fire going on right now, I would like to tell the world what I have been up to lately. As always, I've been busy with school. I figured I won't be taking any break until December although you would hear me complaining about not having any break when I could have had it this summer. I thought about getting a buzz cut, but I chickened out. I wasn't sure how it would look on me so I decided to stick with the faux-hawk I have had since November 2006. Maybe I'll think about it again when it's time for me to get a haircut in at least six weeks. I have been thinking so much more about dancing lately. It's something that I absolutely love to do, and the more I think about it, it seems that I'm starting to see it in my future. Hopefully, the fire that I have for dancing will never burn out.
Keep the fire burning homies.
When I discovered the joy of blogging in my senior year in high school, it thrilled me. It created a humungous fire in me. It was exciting for me to talk about whatever I wish and post it on the Internet where everyone can potentially see it. After a while, the fire burned out. I rekindled it when my family moved to America and I didn't go to school for almost three months (I was waiting for a new semester to begin). I was bored and so I resorted to blogging. As you may have guessed it, the fire burned out again. I had this goal that I would write on my blog everyday, but apparently, the fire didn't last as long as I had expected.
Because of this, I have come to admit that I am not a blogger. Sure I can write, but maybe not for blogs. That's why I would only post something every now and then, or, as we Filipinos would call it, lulubog-lilitaw (sink and float).
So, while I still have the fire going on right now, I would like to tell the world what I have been up to lately. As always, I've been busy with school. I figured I won't be taking any break until December although you would hear me complaining about not having any break when I could have had it this summer. I thought about getting a buzz cut, but I chickened out. I wasn't sure how it would look on me so I decided to stick with the faux-hawk I have had since November 2006. Maybe I'll think about it again when it's time for me to get a haircut in at least six weeks. I have been thinking so much more about dancing lately. It's something that I absolutely love to do, and the more I think about it, it seems that I'm starting to see it in my future. Hopefully, the fire that I have for dancing will never burn out.
Keep the fire burning homies.
Sunday, April 12, 2009
Super Fun Picture Meme
So I found this in my friend's blog and I thought it was fun.. so I decided to make one for myself too. Usually the memes only have words. This one's got pictures, which makes it really fun. It was a lot of work, though.
A picture of you in your room
I have more of this in my computer but you only get to see a few. haha
A picture with someone you don't really like
Go figure :)
A picture of you very drunk
Disclaimer: I've never been drunk before and never intending to. I just like this photo.
A picture of you on your birthday or your favorite holiday
Your youngest picture you can find in digital form
A picture of you in one of your favorite outfits
That's really me in the red circle, I just wasn't looking at the camera. I was trying to reach my toes, which I couldn't do even without the sumo suit on.
A picture of you making a goofy face at the camera
For the record, I've made all sorts of faces at the camera..
A picture you miiiiiiiight have edited to make yourself look more attractive
I have more pictures that would need more editing, but you probably don't want to see them.
A picture of a night you regret
You could tell that by my face. Long story.
A picture of you being truly yourself
Ambitious and gutsy :)
Most recent picture of you
A picture of you being absolutely ridiculous
You would not believe how many ridiculous pictures I have in my laptop ;)
A picture of you showing off a new haircut/color
I was obsessed about getting haircuts so finding pictures was easy but picking just one was tough. Ha!
A picture of a time in your life that's over, but you wish it wasn't
Performing folk dance for BYU has been on the best things that has ever happened to me. I will miss it so much until I get to do it again :(
A picture of a time in your life that's over, and you couldn't be more thankful that it is.
That dance was kinda lame. haha
A picture of you when you were anything but happy
The picture says it all :)
A picture of you that you had no idea was being taken
Just a side note, I love airports.
A picture of you when you were a different person than you are now
Well, duh. (I'm the one in the middle)
A picture of you with someone you love
More like the someones I love :)
A picture of how you'd like the world to see you
High-flying :)
A picture that describes how you'd like to spend everyday
Eating Pinoy food. Nakakamiss eh.
A picture of a time when everything was changing
The picture does not really show how everything was changing. First, that was the very first time I've had my hair like that. Second, that was when my family just came to America, which was a huge change in our lives.
A picture that makes your heart hurt.
That's a billboard from the Philippines, as you could probably tell. I put a white circle around the billboard that says "Welcome home!"
A picture that makes your heart smile
This picture always does make my heart smile. (Hoy, nagbigay na ko ng pasalubong)
A picture of one of the best days/nights of your life
I couldn't even tell you how happy I was that night. I had to hold back my tears when we separated :(
Tuesday, April 7, 2009
Seek ye first the kingdom of God
One of my favorite scriptures is Matthew 6:33 which says:
"But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you."
The first time I took this into heart was when I was in fourth grade. I was preparing for a quiz competition (think Jeopardy) and I had to meet up with the trainer on a Sunday for a big review. It was a tough decision, but eventually, I apologized to my trainer because I could not come to the review. Consequently. I did not win the quiz competition. But I actually felt good and I did not regret my decision at all. I still felt it was worth missing that big review, because I know I chose to follow God.
A more interesting experience with this scripture was when I was looking for a job last year. A restaurant had some job opening and because I thought it was the coolest thing to work in a restaurant, I applied and came in for an interview. One of the first things that the interviewer asked me about was if I could work on a Sunday. This was an even tougher decision that the big review, because I had to make the decision right away. With the scripture in mind, I gave up my little dream of working in that restaurant and walked away feeling good about the decision I made.
This time, you could really see how it was worth it. I got a job at the college bookstore where I earned more money that I would have had I worked at the restaurant. Pretty amazing, huh?
I know I've been talking about keeping the Sabbath day holy, but I have made other decisions based on that scripture. Truth be told, I don't do it all the time but I am working on it. I find that I'm always blessed when I choose to follow God over my own will.
"But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you."
The first time I took this into heart was when I was in fourth grade. I was preparing for a quiz competition (think Jeopardy) and I had to meet up with the trainer on a Sunday for a big review. It was a tough decision, but eventually, I apologized to my trainer because I could not come to the review. Consequently. I did not win the quiz competition. But I actually felt good and I did not regret my decision at all. I still felt it was worth missing that big review, because I know I chose to follow God.
A more interesting experience with this scripture was when I was looking for a job last year. A restaurant had some job opening and because I thought it was the coolest thing to work in a restaurant, I applied and came in for an interview. One of the first things that the interviewer asked me about was if I could work on a Sunday. This was an even tougher decision that the big review, because I had to make the decision right away. With the scripture in mind, I gave up my little dream of working in that restaurant and walked away feeling good about the decision I made.
This time, you could really see how it was worth it. I got a job at the college bookstore where I earned more money that I would have had I worked at the restaurant. Pretty amazing, huh?
I know I've been talking about keeping the Sabbath day holy, but I have made other decisions based on that scripture. Truth be told, I don't do it all the time but I am working on it. I find that I'm always blessed when I choose to follow God over my own will.
Tuesday, March 31, 2009
We did not have our usual lectures again last week in my New Testament class. Instead, we had a Bible Manuscript Seminar. The seminar was about how the Bible came to be. It wasn't so much about the books of the Bible, rather, it was about how the Bible came as a large, hand-written book available only to the affluent to a smaller, machine-printed book that is available to everyone that it actually became the best selling book in history.
I learned that the early Bibles had their pages made from animal skins and some used parchment. Much has been done to preserve the Bible and to have the ordinary folks read it. The invention of the movable press by Johannes Gutenberg and the English translation of the Bible by John Wycliffe, among others, have helped accomplished this. Back then, these were very risky moves that if they got caught, they could be sentenced to death.
After the seminar, I have honestly a greater appreciation for the Bible. This was a book that people have sacrificed their life for just so the words of God will be made known to all the world.
I learned that the early Bibles had their pages made from animal skins and some used parchment. Much has been done to preserve the Bible and to have the ordinary folks read it. The invention of the movable press by Johannes Gutenberg and the English translation of the Bible by John Wycliffe, among others, have helped accomplished this. Back then, these were very risky moves that if they got caught, they could be sentenced to death.
After the seminar, I have honestly a greater appreciation for the Bible. This was a book that people have sacrificed their life for just so the words of God will be made known to all the world.
Tuesday, March 24, 2009
The power of symbols
Taking a break from the usual lectures, my New Testament professor decided that we visit the Museum of Art (or the "MoA") right here in the campus. Before we came in on Thursday for the tour, he had a woman from the MoA come in to talk to us about the paintings we were to look at at the museum, and most especially, about the symbolism of these paintings and how symbolism itself is a powerful tool in conveying the artist's messages.
She talked about Christian paintings and how the artists put these seemingly minute details in the paintings that actually means something. I am choosing not to give examples this time, but what I want to say here is what I really got out of it. I usually look at paintings just for the sake of looking at it, but I have never really looked at paintings before in a way that I would pay attention to the symbols that they would carry. For me, looking at paintings while paying attention to the symbols give them a more aesthetic value, and, more importantly, we get to see how these painters perceived their subjects.
She talked about Christian paintings and how the artists put these seemingly minute details in the paintings that actually means something. I am choosing not to give examples this time, but what I want to say here is what I really got out of it. I usually look at paintings just for the sake of looking at it, but I have never really looked at paintings before in a way that I would pay attention to the symbols that they would carry. For me, looking at paintings while paying attention to the symbols give them a more aesthetic value, and, more importantly, we get to see how these painters perceived their subjects.
Saturday, March 21, 2009
Active day (I did ju jiutsu today for the first time...)
Dear Journal,
I feel so proud of myself today because I had been pretty active. Well, I wasn't quite proud of how I started the day, though, because I slept through my alarm and I declined an invitation to compete in an ultimate frisbee competition (which, you'll later see, is the irony of the day).
I got up at about 9:30, an hour and a half past my alarm, then someone in my hall asked me if I wanted to compete in a frisbee competition in my dorm. I said no, because I was going to go practice clogging. I had a test coming up in a few days, so I really needed that practice. I practiced with two other girls in my clogging class,. We didn't quite get to what we were expecting to accomplish. It somehow helped, though, so it wasn't really a waste of time.
Just as I was getting to ready to leave, this group of guys came in the room. I'm not sure if I asked them this, but they I found out they were Ju Jiutsu club. I impulsively asked how I could join the club, and then they said that I could just join them and I could be a member at that very moment. Sounds like fun, I thought, so I decided to try it out. Besides, I've never done this before so this should be interesting. Heck, I'm not even sure if I spelled the name of the club right.
The ju jiutsu club was definitely the highlight of my day. I did it for a more than two hours, and I must say, I really had fun. I met new people who were really nice about me being so lame (hey! it's my first time). They had demonstrations on different attacks and escapes which were all interesting. It felt so.. manly. I was a little uncomfortable with the nature of ju jiutsu, because you get a lot of body contact with guys. Basically, ju jiutsu is pretty much like lying on top of another guy and getting into the most awkward positions (if you know what I mean). And I had to keep myself from laughing for a couple of times. I didn't know jju jiutsu can be pretty funny... Anyway, it was fun and it felt so fulfilling. I felt like a real man! Haha! I would definitely come to the practices again.
After my de-virginization from ju jiutsu, I headed to gym to work out. I didn't do much really, I got on the stationary bike for a little over 10 minutes and I worked out mostly my legs. I really have to find new routines for the gym, because the ones that I do are getting boring. After working out, I came back to the room where I was clogging and I started, well, clogging again. This time, I did more clogging. As always, it was fun.
So that was my day. It didn't really end at clogging, but the rest of the day was not really interesting.
Later,
Levin
I feel so proud of myself today because I had been pretty active. Well, I wasn't quite proud of how I started the day, though, because I slept through my alarm and I declined an invitation to compete in an ultimate frisbee competition (which, you'll later see, is the irony of the day).
I got up at about 9:30, an hour and a half past my alarm, then someone in my hall asked me if I wanted to compete in a frisbee competition in my dorm. I said no, because I was going to go practice clogging. I had a test coming up in a few days, so I really needed that practice. I practiced with two other girls in my clogging class,. We didn't quite get to what we were expecting to accomplish. It somehow helped, though, so it wasn't really a waste of time.
Just as I was getting to ready to leave, this group of guys came in the room. I'm not sure if I asked them this, but they I found out they were Ju Jiutsu club. I impulsively asked how I could join the club, and then they said that I could just join them and I could be a member at that very moment. Sounds like fun, I thought, so I decided to try it out. Besides, I've never done this before so this should be interesting. Heck, I'm not even sure if I spelled the name of the club right.
The ju jiutsu club was definitely the highlight of my day. I did it for a more than two hours, and I must say, I really had fun. I met new people who were really nice about me being so lame (hey! it's my first time). They had demonstrations on different attacks and escapes which were all interesting. It felt so.. manly. I was a little uncomfortable with the nature of ju jiutsu, because you get a lot of body contact with guys. Basically, ju jiutsu is pretty much like lying on top of another guy and getting into the most awkward positions (if you know what I mean). And I had to keep myself from laughing for a couple of times. I didn't know jju jiutsu can be pretty funny... Anyway, it was fun and it felt so fulfilling. I felt like a real man! Haha! I would definitely come to the practices again.
After my de-virginization from ju jiutsu, I headed to gym to work out. I didn't do much really, I got on the stationary bike for a little over 10 minutes and I worked out mostly my legs. I really have to find new routines for the gym, because the ones that I do are getting boring. After working out, I came back to the room where I was clogging and I started, well, clogging again. This time, I did more clogging. As always, it was fun.
So that was my day. It didn't really end at clogging, but the rest of the day was not really interesting.
Later,
Levin
Oh, those quirky little twists
So things have been pretty funny lately. You know those quirky little twists that just come up when you least expect them to? I think that's heaven's way of helping me keep my sanity. Every night, I pray for help all the time. And only now have I realized that these funny twists are the answers to my prayers. These things somehow keep me from living a monotonous life. Every single day, I try to get up early, I go to class, I dance, I eat, I try to stay awake in my classes, I try to get through any school work I have on my plate, I deal with my roommate's stench. While having dance classes was initially a new thing for me this year, they have became quite routinary. Don't get me wrong though, because I absolutely love all my dance classes and they even more fun now.
Lately, I've been running into people I haven't talked to for a while. It's always fun to catch up on things, although there's not always much to catch up on. And then I've spent more time with people I don't know very well and now I know a little more about them. And then there are some new interesting people. If you're a people person, BYU can be a good place.
Now this is totally off-topic, but I've almost decided to live in an apartment next semester. Rates are a lot cheaper in off-campus housing than that on-campus housing (it's 50% cheaper). And besides, I'm totally sick of the view from the dorms. And it would be nice to have a bigger space, and to room with upperclassmen. I do appreciate maturity a lot. Sometimes, guys my age are too immature that it becomes totally annoying.
Lately, I've been running into people I haven't talked to for a while. It's always fun to catch up on things, although there's not always much to catch up on. And then I've spent more time with people I don't know very well and now I know a little more about them. And then there are some new interesting people. If you're a people person, BYU can be a good place.
Now this is totally off-topic, but I've almost decided to live in an apartment next semester. Rates are a lot cheaper in off-campus housing than that on-campus housing (it's 50% cheaper). And besides, I'm totally sick of the view from the dorms. And it would be nice to have a bigger space, and to room with upperclassmen. I do appreciate maturity a lot. Sometimes, guys my age are too immature that it becomes totally annoying.
Tuesday, March 17, 2009
"Between the Testaments"
For the midterm exam for my New Testament class, our teacher had us read a book he co-wrote with someone else, and the title of the book is Between the Testaments. It is about the events that took place between the period time which is called the "intertestimental period" which covers the five centuries from the end of the Old Testament up to the beginning of the New Testament.
The book first talks about the colorful history of that time period, starting from the return of the Jewish exiles, to Hellenization as brought about by Alexander the Great, and then the Roman occupation and finally during Herod's regime, around which time Jesus was born. The book later talks about the scriptures, the groups pf people and beliefs and traditions that have emerged during this huge space of time. One who reads the book will notice that same things are repeated over and over again, as all the things in the book are all connected to each other in one way or another.
I highly recommend this book. This is quite a history book by itself, but it does provide insights as to how people in the Old Testament have become a lot different than those from the New Testament. It is also a one-stop resource for basic information about the many things that we hear about, like the Pharisees and the Sadducees,, the Apocrypha, and many more.
The book first talks about the colorful history of that time period, starting from the return of the Jewish exiles, to Hellenization as brought about by Alexander the Great, and then the Roman occupation and finally during Herod's regime, around which time Jesus was born. The book later talks about the scriptures, the groups pf people and beliefs and traditions that have emerged during this huge space of time. One who reads the book will notice that same things are repeated over and over again, as all the things in the book are all connected to each other in one way or another.
I highly recommend this book. This is quite a history book by itself, but it does provide insights as to how people in the Old Testament have become a lot different than those from the New Testament. It is also a one-stop resource for basic information about the many things that we hear about, like the Pharisees and the Sadducees,, the Apocrypha, and many more.
Tuesday, February 17, 2009
Reflections on the Prodigal Son
From my previous New Testament class, we talked about the parable of the prodigal son. Besides talking about how the name of the parable is inaccurate, we also talked about it in a different light, in such a way that I realized that it was a lot more poignant than I thought it was. Okay, I knew it was about repentance and that a loving Father in Heaven always has his arms wide open when we come back to Him, but the parable just effectively amplifies this truth.
The part of the story that touched me the most was when the father ran to his prodigal son. I did not think it was a big deal during the time that Jesus told this parable until my teacher told us that rich men (like the father in the parable) had servants to run and go get something for them. Of course, in these modern days, who would think that rich men are not supposed to run? If I were much more in the mood, I would have cried.
I know for sure that Heavenly Father loves each and everyone of us. The more that I study the Gospel, the more that I see that He really does. He really does love us, and because of this, we are always welcome to return to Him if we repent of our wrong ways. How grateful am I for this knowledge. I am human so I am prone to mistakes (we all are) and this knowledge gives me comfort. Isn't that wonderful?
The part of the story that touched me the most was when the father ran to his prodigal son. I did not think it was a big deal during the time that Jesus told this parable until my teacher told us that rich men (like the father in the parable) had servants to run and go get something for them. Of course, in these modern days, who would think that rich men are not supposed to run? If I were much more in the mood, I would have cried.
I know for sure that Heavenly Father loves each and everyone of us. The more that I study the Gospel, the more that I see that He really does. He really does love us, and because of this, we are always welcome to return to Him if we repent of our wrong ways. How grateful am I for this knowledge. I am human so I am prone to mistakes (we all are) and this knowledge gives me comfort. Isn't that wonderful?
Sunday, February 1, 2009
A Shining Light
I grew up in the Southeast Asian country of the Philippines. Even though I lived in the city and my family had enough resources to provide us with our needs, I could still say that it was hard to live there. The Philippines is largely stricken by poverty, and many people just give up on life. There is not much hope for many. They can work as hard as they can and still not have enough. Basically, you have to be born rich if you want to grow up rich.
My membership to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (a.k.a. the Mormon Church) has been a tremendous blessing in my life. I have always been LDS, and have not ever wished I was something else. The teachings in my church has helped me get through the despair that's just pretty much all over the Philippines. This previous week in my New Testament class, we talked about the suffering of Jesus Christ and the events that had happened before that. While our professor discussed so many interesting things, one thing that had stuck out to me was the Atonement that Jesus did.
We, as Latter-day Saints, are taught that the Atonement was a selfless act that Jesus did so we can get back to our Father's presence. This is a great manifestation of His love for us. Imagine having a son and then giving him away and letting him get killed. There could not be any thing greater than that. The Atonement is a reminder to me that God loves me and that He is on my side. It is also a reminder to me that I can always get better if I choose to. Elder David Bednar (a current apostle of our Church), in a devotional he gave in the Philippines on August 2008, taught that the Atonement does not only have a cleansing power for our sins, but also a strengthening power so that we may be able to go forward keeping the commandments. I could never forget his statement about that and since then, I became more confident about the future and even more reliant on God.
While the Atonement may be a common topic for Latter-day Saints like me, it is something that is absolutely vital in our lives. The promise of getting better by the Atonement is a shining light in the midst of the clouds of despair. Living in the Philippines is hard, but that promise makes it a whole lot easier. Growing up in the Church, I have always lived with this hope that everything will be better. And yes, everything became better when my family was able to move to America. While we, as a family, would still have some struggles, we do not worry so much because we know that these hardships are only temporary.
My membership to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (a.k.a. the Mormon Church) has been a tremendous blessing in my life. I have always been LDS, and have not ever wished I was something else. The teachings in my church has helped me get through the despair that's just pretty much all over the Philippines. This previous week in my New Testament class, we talked about the suffering of Jesus Christ and the events that had happened before that. While our professor discussed so many interesting things, one thing that had stuck out to me was the Atonement that Jesus did.
We, as Latter-day Saints, are taught that the Atonement was a selfless act that Jesus did so we can get back to our Father's presence. This is a great manifestation of His love for us. Imagine having a son and then giving him away and letting him get killed. There could not be any thing greater than that. The Atonement is a reminder to me that God loves me and that He is on my side. It is also a reminder to me that I can always get better if I choose to. Elder David Bednar (a current apostle of our Church), in a devotional he gave in the Philippines on August 2008, taught that the Atonement does not only have a cleansing power for our sins, but also a strengthening power so that we may be able to go forward keeping the commandments. I could never forget his statement about that and since then, I became more confident about the future and even more reliant on God.
While the Atonement may be a common topic for Latter-day Saints like me, it is something that is absolutely vital in our lives. The promise of getting better by the Atonement is a shining light in the midst of the clouds of despair. Living in the Philippines is hard, but that promise makes it a whole lot easier. Growing up in the Church, I have always lived with this hope that everything will be better. And yes, everything became better when my family was able to move to America. While we, as a family, would still have some struggles, we do not worry so much because we know that these hardships are only temporary.
Sunday, January 25, 2009
Meeting Jesus again for the first time
Whenever I think about the New Testament, the person that I always think of foremost is Jesus Christ? Why not, right? After all, the New Testament holds the account of his earthly ministry. My previous studies of the New Testament led me to the sure knowledge that God does love everyone of his children and it confirms that there is always hope for those who have gone astray in this life.
I am taking a New Testament class again, and before the classes even started, I received an e-mail from my professor saying some things that we were to do during the semester. By the end of his message, he said, "I think you will find our semester to be full of surprises as we meet Jesus again for the first time!" Truth be told, I was not intending to be surprised because I felt that there's not really much surprise in the New Testament.
True, there are a lot of good messages in the New Testament, but I thought I knew everything and that this class would be some sort of refresher of what I know. Turns out, I was totally wrong. Even from the first day of class, I have been learning more and more. I won't give any specific insights right now, but for my next posts, I definitely will.
I could not believe that I thought I knew everything! So there's a lesson for me: My professor was right, I am finding this semester full of surprises as I meet Jesus again for the first time!
I am taking a New Testament class again, and before the classes even started, I received an e-mail from my professor saying some things that we were to do during the semester. By the end of his message, he said, "I think you will find our semester to be full of surprises as we meet Jesus again for the first time!" Truth be told, I was not intending to be surprised because I felt that there's not really much surprise in the New Testament.
True, there are a lot of good messages in the New Testament, but I thought I knew everything and that this class would be some sort of refresher of what I know. Turns out, I was totally wrong. Even from the first day of class, I have been learning more and more. I won't give any specific insights right now, but for my next posts, I definitely will.
I could not believe that I thought I knew everything! So there's a lesson for me: My professor was right, I am finding this semester full of surprises as I meet Jesus again for the first time!
Sunday, January 18, 2009
Cleaning up
I have this love-hate feeling for cleaning my room. Honestly, I am a messy person so when it's time for some tidying up, it usually takes a while before I get done, especially when I go through the ton of papers that accumulate for some reason. It's when I get finished that I am glad to have done it, because when I do clean up, I take it seriously.
I just finished another round of clean-ups, so by Wednesday, which is cleaning check day in my dorm, there would be less to do. It took me about half an hour to get myself to start cleaning up and another two hours to do everything (with some folk music in the background), but thankfully, I finished doing it. My "area of focus" this time was my desk, because that's where pretty much the biggest problems are.
I didn't take a picture of what it looked before I worked on it, but here's what it looks like right now (and for the next few days):
I know it doesn't look super spick-and-span, but that's just because I have a lot of things in my study. But I tell you, that was a lot worse before I cleaned it!
Here are some pictures from the last time I cleaned my room last semester: (This is a better set because I took "before" and "after" pictures):
There you go. Could you see how I take cleaning seriously? I guess that's just kind of how I grew up. My mom hates messy places! I'm not as much of a clean freak as my mom, but I really don't like it when my room looks horrible. Actually, give me about a week and my room will look like the way it was before I cleaned it :)
I just finished another round of clean-ups, so by Wednesday, which is cleaning check day in my dorm, there would be less to do. It took me about half an hour to get myself to start cleaning up and another two hours to do everything (with some folk music in the background), but thankfully, I finished doing it. My "area of focus" this time was my desk, because that's where pretty much the biggest problems are.
I didn't take a picture of what it looked before I worked on it, but here's what it looks like right now (and for the next few days):
I know it doesn't look super spick-and-span, but that's just because I have a lot of things in my study. But I tell you, that was a lot worse before I cleaned it!
Here are some pictures from the last time I cleaned my room last semester: (This is a better set because I took "before" and "after" pictures):
There you go. Could you see how I take cleaning seriously? I guess that's just kind of how I grew up. My mom hates messy places! I'm not as much of a clean freak as my mom, but I really don't like it when my room looks horrible. Actually, give me about a week and my room will look like the way it was before I cleaned it :)
Friday, January 16, 2009
Impulse writing
I originally created this blog to have a fresh start because I felt as if my other blogs were stagnant. Yes, I do have other blogs, but I keep them rather personal so they are pretty much limited to the people I know. This blog is a more public one and probably some posts in my personal blog could end up here, whenever I feel like it. Apparently, I haven't posted anything here for a million years now, so I guess it's time for some revival!
I was not really planning on writing anything until a sudden surge of I-feel-like-writing feeling came. So, everything you see in this post is totally impulsive and fresh out of my mind. If you might have noticed, there's not really any topic to this entry. I feel that I just kind of have to let out this words building up, ready to bust my brain out. Where those words came from, I never know.
It's about 1 AM now, and this is totally not what I planned on doing this semester. Last semester was just bad, and this new semester is a new slate for me. Honestly, I am afraid I might slip back into my previous mistakes. I miss my golden days as a student and I have another chance to do them all over again, right now! So in 1, 2, 3.... Poof! (And I'm gone)
I was not really planning on writing anything until a sudden surge of I-feel-like-writing feeling came. So, everything you see in this post is totally impulsive and fresh out of my mind. If you might have noticed, there's not really any topic to this entry. I feel that I just kind of have to let out this words building up, ready to bust my brain out. Where those words came from, I never know.
It's about 1 AM now, and this is totally not what I planned on doing this semester. Last semester was just bad, and this new semester is a new slate for me. Honestly, I am afraid I might slip back into my previous mistakes. I miss my golden days as a student and I have another chance to do them all over again, right now! So in 1, 2, 3.... Poof! (And I'm gone)
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