take a second.

The other day, I was walking through the Student Center's bottom floor where all the conference rooms are and a flashback just struck me. I remembered a sea of incoming freshmen, spots of a golden t shirt here and there, signs that read Camino or Bahia raised above the crowd and of course, long tables in the middle of the lobby filled with the same food I had eaten so many times already.

I then continued to take the elevator to the third floor to partake in an interview I had done two times before and was now going for a third time...

What a split second can do for you.

My A-Z Happy Book

So while talking to a friend on a cold night, the topic of hot showers came about. We were talking about how cold we were and how much a nice hot shower would feel. He told me that if he had a happy book, that Hot Showers would be in it. Then I said, if I had a happy book, then garlic would be in it. That is when the idea came to my head...wouldn't it be interesting if i made an A-Z Book of what makes me happy? This is only made possible because I am on winter break right now and this is what helps keeping me busy besides work and the book I am reading....hope you enjoy and maybe get you inspired to make your very own.

Apples....growing up, apple based desserts have always been something that i seem to drawn to. Whether it be apple pie, apple crisp, caramel apple, or apple filling and pie crust with cold stone ice cream, the taste of cinnamon and apples has always brought me comfort. I would usually always prefer and apple dessert over any chocolate one.

Biology...Okay, forgive my moment of nerdiness. This is actually a recent discovery I had made and I hate to say this now but it was a "little too late" discovery for me with me three years into college already. Ironically, I thought I pretty much hated biology up until about a year ago. My sophomore year biology teacher in high school was such a douche that it made me really hate biology. I applied as a chemistry major because my first chemistry teacher in high school made it so interesting. Little did I know when i took my first biology class in college is when i discovered how much I like biology so much more than chemistry. Mostly, I enjoyed physiology and how everything worked together to make sense. One of my guilty pleasures is finding really cool biology animations on youtube and learning from those.

Cleaning...the thing about cleaning is that it's not the act of cleaning that makes me happy, it is the result of cleaning that makes me happy and keeps me motivated to keep cleaning. I like to see a difference in things and noticing the difference is what makes me happy. Like seeing a messy room suddenly have so much more floor space, or go from dirty carpet and being able to see the lines after your vacuum, cleaning and seeing the difference gives me a great sense of accomplishment and plus its always nicer to live and work in a cleaner space.

Disneyland. Honestly, everyone should have this in their happy book. I don't think I ever fully appreciated what this place could be until I bought my first annual pass. during February of my first year. Given the first fact that amongst the stress of college, it was a good escape to go to bring you back to your childhood and bring out the inner child in you. It was nice that it was only a fifteen minute drive and if you felt like you had a really bad day or were just looking for a fun place to go with your friends, you could rely on your Disneyland pass (given you weren't blocked out). I think the moment I truly discovered what Disneyland really meant to me and the true reason why Disneyland is in my happy book occurs for a couple weeks during the holiday season when Disneyland transforms into something truly magical. Just looking at the lit up castle, the huge Christmas tree, decorated main street, and watching the most amazing fireworks show really brings me to an entire new place where it just washes away all my worries and stresses.

E....:) Just Kidding. well...kind of. haha

Friends and Family... nothing makes me more happy than the people I choose to surround myself with. Theres nothing more I can say, but I feel like i have been able to associate myself with some of the best people ever.

Garlic - Everything just taste better with garlic don't you think? Well, not everything, but garlic does taste good with a lot of things. I like to even eat cooked garlic by itself. I used to hate the smell of garlic on my fingers after I had cut them up, but I've grown to appreciate that smell now. Yum...garlic!

Hot showers - I think this is the inspiration behind me starting this A to Z Happy Book. It's especially relevant during these cold times when nothing feels better than a nice hot shower when you are freezing your ass off.

Ipod... I've had my Ipod for about two and half years now and although the battery life isn't too long now , it's still serves as great company for me. It's those short moments where I'm walking from class to class, or I am waiting by myself for something, or I'm driving my lonely self in my car that it's there for me to keep me company with my favorite songs playing. It makes that walk, wait, or drive that much better.

Jon and Kate plus eight. This is probably my greatest guilty pleasure on television. When there is a Jon and Kate marathon on TLC, I can be glued to that television the entire day. I don't know what is so fascinating about that show, but i seriously can not get enough of it. It's probably the fact that I'm so intrigued of how that family functions with so many kids or that those kids are the cutest things that has ever existed. Whichever it is, I'm stuck. It's amazing how the two of them can run a household in such order with 8 kids running around recklessly. Omazing.

Korean Food - Nothing can warm up my body up quite like Korean Food; its like my soul food. Whether it be scarfing down all you can eat Korean BBQ or eating Kim Chi Ji Gae and Soontobu on a cold day, Korean food has the ability to always make me feel better. Plus it taste pretty bomb dot com.

Laundry...this is probably my favorite chore to do. I like several aspects of laundry, from the aspects of getting my clothes cleaned, taking out warm laundry from the dryer to refilling my shelves and closet with my clothes.

Mean Girls ...as much as we all had to admit, this is definitely the movie of our generation. I think it really describes our generation in a very satirical, but truthful way. I think the majority of us can relate to it because either we were those characters on the show or we knew people that were characters on that show, plus they are just some classic lines in that movie that I use all the time in my daily life. "GOD KAREN, YOU'RE SO STUPID!"

Noodles - I've always had a thing for nooodly-typed foods. Whether it be friend noodles, chow fun, pho, ramen, or udon, its my choice of carbs over rice.

Omelettes - one of my favorite breakfast foods of all time. I really miss the omelettes from commons that i would always go eat on the weekends at brunch with my hall mates. Those were the morning after meals after a night of drinking where we would share our drunken stories. But in general, an omelette is a great comfort food for me

Pals- My Pals in MCIA are really the best and I didn't really get the whole idea of Pals and how exactly I would fit in with my Pals, but after hanging out and spending time with my Pals, I think i was truly placed in the right pal line and couldn't have asked for a better group. We as pals have our crazy "Good But Bad" fun, but when it comes down to it, I can depend on them to be there when i need them, even if its just someone that can listen to me.

Quiet - amongst my crazy and busy life, when i get a moment to have peace and quiet away from it all, nothing feels better.

Rain Driving - Despite the fact that rain usually brings on the cold and wetness, there is one aspect of the rain that really soothes me and calms me. I've always enjoyed driving in the rain, except on the freeway, that just scares me. I find it kind of therapeutic the sound the rain makes when it hits your car and how my windshield wipers wipes off the water. It goes back to that whole cleaning thing where I feel like my windshield wipers are wiping clean the water off my windshield.

SPOP. This was the most obvious one for me. This is probably the biggest thing on this list that makes me happiest. Ever since I started college, my life has been pretty much revolved around the world of SPOP. I fell in love with UCI because of my experience as a spopper, then I became a spop staffer for the next two summers. There is no way i could describe the experiences I went through going from a spopper to a staffer and ultimately, a returner this past summer that would amount to what this program has meant to me and what it has done for me the past couple of years. I have had so many memories, made some of the most amazing friends, learned so much from my experiences with the program. I have been so lucky to be a part of this program thus far and i will cherish everything i have gained from SPOP.

Texts - there usually nothing that gets me a more simple happiness than having a conversation over texting. its just unfortunate that i don't have unlimited texting.

UCI - Going into college, UCI wasn't one of my first choices. I was the typical story of wanting to go to UCLA or Berkeley but only got into UCI. Plus, my brother was already going to UCI so I knew I would be living in the shadow of my brother when i first entered UCI. Little did I know how much I would fall in love with UCI and everything that UCI has offered me thus far. I know now that this was the college for me and that i couldn't imagine myself anywhere else.

VEGAS....pool parties...Fat Tuesdays....bomb buffets...the Strip...steak and eggs...just wait till I turn 21. haha.

Wicked...for the longest time, I have heard stories of how amazing the musical, Wicked was. I was never a huge musical fan so i was skeptical when i went to go watch it. When i finally went to go watch it this past year, the musical had lived up to my expectations and so much more. It truly is as amazing as everyone says it is and i am so happy that i got the chance to see it before it left LA. Although, I am so down to watch it again.

Xmas Season.. I think if it weren't for this holiday, I would hate the winter season all together. I hate the cold and the winter season is all about being cold. However with Christmas, it brings along lights, trees, gift exchanges, Christmas at Disneyland, but most importantly this season is all about giving and cherishing your time with your loved ones.

Yucaipa, California...that places makes me happy because it has to do with something that I have been involved with for a very long time. It is where the Red Cross Leadership Development Center camp is held every summer and something I have been a part of since 2002. It's just a program that has always held a special place in my heart that can never be replaced. Although I did take a break from the camp this past summer, LDC has always been something that has made me happy and the people I have been able to meet through it has been people who have been the most supportive in my life.

Zyrtec...well I've actually never tried Zyrtec but I know it would make me happy if i ever did need to take it. My allergies are bad. Wait, thats an understatement; my allergies are the biggest bitch in the world. While most of the world gets annoyed and sneeze and gets runny knows, my sinus clogs everything and my body complete shuts down. If you catch me on a day when my allergies get to me, you will see me at the lowest of my lows and probably at one of my most miserable moments ever. That is why taking any medication that can help relieve my systems would probably make the the happiest person and since I think my body is immune to Claritin so i will take zyrtec now. My boss told me it works better.

alive, healthy and happy.

So it's so very interesting how i stress about losing the little things. I rip my hair out when I lose my car keys only to find it in the place that was right in front of my face. I have a panic attack when I can't find my wallet only to have it be in the passenger seat of my car. At the moment, it seemed like the end of the world when you lose those kind of things. But after watching the news recently, it almost forces me to take a step back and think, what if you lost everything and you couldn't get it back.

I was watching the news on the current wildfires that are taking over several parts of Southern California and watching houses being completely burnt up left me completely helpless. They were real homes with real families that lived in them. They had memories and belongings that were literally being burnt out. I tried to imagine how it would be, how i would feel, what i would do if that situation happen to me and it's scary thinking that it's more of a reality than not. Having one of the forest fires in back terrain of Irvine, and hearing how some of my friend's family had to be evacuated from their homes during the current fires is so frightening.

I think the best thing i could do now is pray for the families that are being affected by these fires, doing my part for the fires by conserving water and electricity, and lastly be thankful for what i have.

To be thankful that I'm in such a prestigious university that allows me to get an amazing education and to not take advantage of that.

To be thankful for a reliable car that i have that takes me from point A to point B

To be able to live in such a nice apartment to live in Irvine and to have a home back in Long Beach that will be there when i go back.

To be thankful to have a rewarding job that allows me to help the school and prospective students and supplies me with sufficient monetary funds to spend so i dont have to stress my mom out for spending money

To be thankful to be part of an amazing dance team that always give me constant support not matter how flustered, frustrated, tired, cranky i may be.

To be thankful to be surrounded with amazing friends from all aspects of my life that continue to lift me up whenever i need it.

To be thankful in having a supporting family that i know if all else failed, they would still be there for me.

and lastly, to be thankful to be alive, healthy, and happy.

late night thoughts...

its 4am. i can't sleep. its probably cause i have so many things running across my mind.

i hope i'm not putting myself in the same trap i put myself into a year ago. i learned and I grew, but even the Great Wall has cracks.

anyways. this is a big week for me. we'll see how things go for me. all i can hope for is the best. and whatever happens, happens. everything happens for a reason.

i should probably update this more often.

random. really.

So, taking a freshmen bio class, it really makes me feel old and overwhelmed. However, they aren't that bad when brought down to a smaller context. Working in a group of 4 during discussion, it was warming to see their energy and eager to learn. It was more than just their drive to learn bio, but to also learn about college. While engaging in the questions that the TA gave to us, I gave some insight on college and my experiences. This small little instance really reminded me of staffing where those freshmen are so eager to take in what you have to say and really gain more knowledge about school. It was quite refreshing actually. On the plus side, they did help me finish my bio worksheet. It's really a win, win situation. Hopefully their drive, will help me maintain my drive.

I've vented about a certain something to specific individuals about something (i know, confusing) that isn't necessarily a problem, but more a change that i needed. I feel that I'm starting to embrace that change and that change is doing me well. For those who I've talked to about it, just know that its going good. Progress. A step in the right direction.

Lastly, to top off this random post. You know you have those individuals who whenever you see, will always brighten a part of you and make it so you can't help but smile and feel happy? I am so thankful for those people. You may not know who you are, but just thank you for being you because that is why I smile everytime i see you.

Take me on a trip, i want to go somewhere.

This morning i was having a talk with one of my SPOPPERs, Victor Tu, that strayed from our usual talk about how he's so excited about college or some piece of advice that I am giving to him about college. Instead, we talked about traveling and experiencing different culture around the world. We talked about how interesting it was to learn about different cultures and the fact that theyre are millions of other people living a completely different life from us. We both wanted to do a lot more traveling and get to experience different perspectives.

Then I went to lunch with one of my friends from Teal year who just recently came back from doing EAP in Japan for about six months. We had a good talk about her experiences in Japan and how life there is so much different than life here. Even something as simple as going out and grabbing something to eat to going out for a night of fun is so significantly different. Just listening to her talk about her experience really got me really want to study abroad sometime in my college career. I was contemplating different places that i would love to go: Japan, Korea, Hong Kong, and i think i would like to go to Hong Kong. My dad told me to not choose Hong Kong if i did decide to study abroad because it would be too "safe" since i understood the language already and my family would be there. The biggest reason why i would love to go Hong Kong to study abroad is because i really wanted to reconnect with my culture and try to relearn some of the language that i lost over the years. I have become so Americanized that i couldn't even get by with my family anymore. I would just awkwardly nod or shake my head to answer a yes or no question. Besides that, having my family there would help just in case anything happened or if i wanted to be spoiled.

But other than studying abroad, i really wanted to just travel a lot and go to different countries to just really experience life in different shoes. Sort of like that show, Exiled, minus being the spoiled brat who has everything, to be completely taken out of your environment that you aren't used to. I think its just a really good learning experience because you are just so wrapped up in your bubble and i think one would be able to gain a lot of knowledge.

lets go somewhere.

When life gives me lemons...

I want to squeeze the juice in some bitch's eyes. Just kidding. I make lemonade! With the SPOP alumni party over, it truly felt like Gold Year was pretty much over for me. It was time to truly take for myself until school starts.. We weren't all going to necessarily hang out together all the time and we kind of go back into our own lives, but its good time to spend that quality time with the ones you care about to just enjoy each other's company. The other night, someone asked me if there was anything bothering me in life. I had to stop and think about it for a second. I couldn't pin point out something that was really bothering me or a major problem in my life. Of course, there was the minor annoyances like having to pick up my car the next day, but overall, everything in my life seemed set. SPOP is over, staffing was done, and so were all the spop parties. It was now time to really enjoy the company of others, my lemonade.

Going off that, last night, i went to get coffee with takeshita and regina to catch up. I know that's totally Laguna Beach status and you can totally make fun of me for it, but it was good quality time together. We just sat for five hours sipping on some overpriced caffeinated coffee, talking about our lives and just the everyday gossip. It was really good spending time with them.

Welcome week is around the corner and that means im going to be seeing a lot more people, including the incoming freshmen. Not to sound like an old creeper, but i can't wait to see them on campus and moving into their dorms. Talking to my spoppers, they seem so pumped and excited and i remember that feeling of being so excited and counting down the days till i moved in. ill be an upperclassman this time around, so definitely feeling the end coming soon. Plus, i can't wait to be swiped in at brandywine and pippens.

So, back to the making lemonade out of the lemons of life...

What are your natural highs? What makes you happy and gives you the warm and fuzzies?
My big ones are: taking the laundry out of the dryer even tho its a chore.., finding money in my pocket when you are broke off your ass and definitely the feeling of taking a good shit because you have been holding it in forever...

what are yours?