The Price of Beauty

If any of you guys have channel surfed and stumbled upon Vh1, Jessica Simpson has a new show called the Price of Beauty. Granted that its Jessica Simpson, I think this is actually a pretty good show, if you can get over the fact that it was created by Jessica Simpson. The show is about Jessica and her two friends that travel all over the world to discover what beauty means to different parts of the world and how much it really differs from how we perceive what is beautiful in America. Jessica Simpson really gets reality checks about how she has lived her life.

A couple of examples of this is when they went to Thailand. In many Asian cultures, including Thailand, having fair skin is seen as a form of beauty. It is believed when you have darker skin, you are seen as poorer and had to work hard outside in the fields. Which contrasts the American ideal that darker is better. One lady in Thailand kept putting dangerous cremes to try to appear fairer, but after years of use, it had permanently bleached her and skin and left many parts of her skin. Her husband ended up leaving her because of that and she stopped singing, embarassed to go in public.

Another example is when Jessica went to Nicuargua, Africa and learned that women actually fatten up before a marriage, consuming up to 5,000 calories a day and drinking gallons of milk a day in order to look plump, which is seen as a symbol of high status. Contrary to the ladies here who starve themselves to fit into a wedding dress. “You can try sears”

I actually give it up to Jessica for creating this show. I personally love learning about other people’s cultures and how they perceive the world. My hope is to be able to work internationally to learn about the world and to really step out of my bubble.

The beginning.

These past two quarters has forced me to do a lot of thinking and evaluating of my life and where I want to be in the future. Its very daunting to think about your future, especially when you have found a place where you are so settled and comfortable. It is my fourth year here at UCI and it seems crazy to think that I am almost done with college. I can still rememer the time when my parents drove me down to Irvine for the first time when I moved into Laguna and the feeling of lonliness when they left.

While I am not walking this June, thinking about my future and what I need to do has been on my mind more than ever. I have to make those decisions for myself to help me prepare myself for what my future may entail. But seeing my friends accomplishing things with their lives after graduation gives me hope for my future. By the way, congratulations once again to Regina Gayatinea, my wonderful DIV daughter for getting into Pharmacy School at UCSF. I knew it this whole time!

Talking to my roommate Penney, we are both ready to enter the real world and have our independence. I am ready.

30 Day Challenge

So after browsing and running into JoeBo's Tumblr, I saw a 30 day challenge that I was interested in participating in . So here goes

Day 1: Your Favorite Song
Day 2: Your Favorite Movie
Day 3: Your favorite television program
Day 4: your favorite book
Day 5: your favorite quote
Day 6: Whatever tickles your fancy
Day 7: A photo that makes you happy
Day 8: A photo that makes you angry/sad
Day 9: A photo you took
Day 10: A photo of you taken over ten years ago
Day 11: a photo of you taken recently
Day 12: Whatever tickles your fancy
Day 14: a non-fictional book
Day 15: a fanfic
Day 16: a song that makes you cry (or nearly)
Day 17: an art piece
Day 18: whatever tickles your fancy
Day 19: A talent of yours
Day 20: a hobby of yorus
Day 21: a recipe
Day 22: a website
Day 23: A Youtube video
Day 24: whatever tickles your fancy
Day 25: your day, in great detail
Day 26: your week, in great detail
Day 27: this month, in great detail
Day 29: Hopes, dreams and plans for the next 365 days
Day 30: whatever tickles your fancy


Day 1: Your favorite song
So, starting this 3o day challenge today. I have music ADD so its really hard to just pick one song that is my favorite. But I think one song that probably has been on my list for a while is Five for Fighting's "Superman". I first heard the song when I was a staffer for a Red Cross Leadership Camp a while back. Since then, its held a more personal and deepaer meaning. Its a song that I've held close to my heart.

New Year Goals

It's been such a long time since i last wrote in this thing. one quarter ago exactly. i am such a lagger but i will get on it because someone told me to write in it, and its the new year that prompts for a new entry.

I was talking to Czareine about blogging and new years resolutions. She was talking about how she doesn't really make resolutions and rather she makes herself new year goals. New Year Resolutions are more personal promises. She mentioned that she didn't want to make promises to her self if she knew she couldn't really keep them and would rather make goals for herself for the new year. Thus, why I am making New Year Goals rather than New Year Resolutions. So here they are as follow, in no particular order:

1. SAVE MONEY. it seems so cliche in such an economic time like this, but it's more than making sure I have money if something does happen. Its also based on self discipline and working on not over indulgence. It was so easy for me to have money in my account when pay day came around and just blowing it left and right. Vegas trip here, a night at the bars there. Boiling Crab here, Korean BBQ there. While I did have the "money" to spend, I had to really think if i HAD the money to do that. I really work on cutting down on my luxuries and trying to have extra cash in my bank account at the end of the month.

2. Cutting down on Alcohol. As bad as i may sound, to cut down all alcohol consumption would be unrealistic. That is why my goal is to cut down on my alcohol consumption. By how much? I am not sure, Ill determine that through out the year, but that could include not going out to the bars as much, not ordering drinks at restaurants, and having beer and wine over hard alcohol. I know this personal goal will benefit me in many ways. One, it will help me with the above goal of saving money because alcohol is expensive. Two, it will definitely improve my health. I was watching the show 30 Days about how a mom goes binge drinking for 30 days to prove to her daughter the effects of binge drinking. What got me the most was hearing her daughter "defend" her binge drinking and hearing it from an outside perspective, it sounded ridiculous. But I'm still down to have a couple nights of fun here and there.

3. Be a scholar. For 2010, as I finish up my last quarters at UCI, I want to make sure that I become a scholar, and not just a good student. I started off this school year on a good foot making Dean's Honors List and I want to continue through 2010 with this. In other aspects of being a scholar, I want to do more than just do well in my school classes. I also want to educate myself more in the field that I am studying, Public Health, but also educate myself more about the world around me and what is going on with current events. And no, Perez Hilton does not count.

4. Improve myself as a dancer. As this is my last year on MCIA, I hope to use this year to really try to improve as a dancer by putting in as much effort as I can into practices. I am not going to measure my success as a "good dancer" by how many pieces im blocked into or where I am blocked into, but how I feel after I perform, knowing I looked my best and tried my hardest. So MCIA, if you see me not talking to you or antisocial when were practicing...its probably because I am trying to focus. BTDubs.

5. Improve my relationships with people. NO, not that I have any drama with people, but rather I want to build stronger relationships with my current friends, family and relationships. I kind of borrowed this from Jamie Arcinas from her new year resolutions. As i am leaving college and entering the working world, our social networks kind of diminish. We don't tend to "make friends" as easily or as much as we did in college. However, I want to be able to embrace the relationships I already have and truly build on top of them. But you guys gotta help me out on this too. I want to also spend more time at home home with my family and be able to share different aspects of my life with them.

6. From my experiences in 2010, hopefully be able to get a job once 2011 comes around. That's it. Self Explanatory.

I am looking forward to 2010. It seems like a great year is ahead of me, and I hope that with my new year goals, it will be one of the best years I have lived.

clean carpet

I'm listening to my quick mix on my Pandora right now that has a mix of Adele, Sara Barreilles, Jason Mraz, and i think Jack Johnson. I forgot how amazing this website is and i missed listening to it. It gets me excited for studying.

Maria's also got their carpet cleaned. My dad was nice enough to come down to our place and rent out a rug doctor to clean our carpets. Our carpet looks so amazing now and a year build up of feet, alcohol, food, Topaz, dirt, or whatever were sucked up and poured down our toilet. Its like our apartment got a make over. Clean carpet makes such a big difference. Its a good way to start off the new school year. Sord of cleansing yourself, getting rid of all the grimy dirt you have on you, and starting clean. Can't believe its already my fourth year. Seriously, how did three years of college pass by already? Time to pwn this year in so many ways. Eagerly anticipating what awaits.

On an another note, our MCIA workshops started today. It was fun learning Kduh/Soko's piece and to actually be in the position of being on the team already. I was so nervous assisting Sam in his workshop because it was a HUGE class and I didnt want to look a fool and wanted to make Sam happy. Overall, it was such an amazing experience and I had so much fun. Nothing like helping others do what you love to do. It's still crazy to think that a year ago, i was on the other side.

Heres to week 1. HELLO FALL QUARTER!

ready

I'm sitting here on my laptop and have been on it since I've gotten back from practice. Practice ended early tonight but it's not like im going to find myself going to sleep any earlier. Practice for MCIA is probably the most productive...which isnt saying much...i have been feeling recently. I work during the day but thats just me sitting in front of a computer with occasional questions on the phone or a card I have to copy out. At least i get paid for it. Fortunately, today during work, I started work on my position I will began for the school year which is being the Stay Over Program coord again. We came up with our theme for the program and cleared out the old paperwork in the binders. Definitely, one of the most accomplishing days at work in a while.

I am actually glad that school is starting soon; that anticipation that ill be on the grind again and hustling and bustling everywhere on campus is very enticing. I am kind of over these mindless days where i wonder what is out there for me the next day or the day after. Maybe its partly my fault and I could push myself to get out there and actually do something about it, but i guess thats why im eagerly anticipating fall quarter to start: the rush of welcome week, classes, and SOP awaits me.

Its exciting to see everyone around me doing big things and not only makes me so proud of them, but it also gives me hope for my future. Despite this talk about "no jobs" and recession and shit, to see my friends going to grad school, getting offered job, traveling abroad makes me want to work hard during my last stretch of college so that i may enter the real world....which seems scary as fuck to me.

So I am ready. Ready for what life will throw at me. I recently hit a hurdle and i hoped and prayed for a way to get through it, and it happened. I have hope for my future and what is to come.

The Mountains Brought Us Peace

There is this little sign hidden amongst the camp grounds of Pilgrim Pines in Yucaipa, California that reads "The mountains shall bring peace to the people". Its a little sign that I look forward to finding every time i come up for LDC each summer. LDC (Leadership Development Center) is a leadership camp that I attended as a camper in 2002 and have been a counselor since 2003 (with the exception of last year). Despite it being my seventh year returning back to LDC, that feeling of nostalgia every time i step back onto the camp grounds still resonates through out my body as strong as ever. I grew up in these woods, starting camp as a naive, quiet, and shy 14 year old and now I help run the camp seven years later. Who would have known how my life would have progressed with out this camp. Along with the many aspects of leadership I learned from this camp, I have gained memories and more importantly some life long friends.


Some of the staffers decided to make some changes to the particular sign. They posted up a sign on top of it that read "The mountains brought peace to us" and i believe that holds true. Amongst the crazyness and stress of life that surrounds me, I look forward to spending a week up in the mountains that takes me away from it all; To come back to these mountains and feel that LDC magic i have felt so many times before. From the first night with the staff, to the challenge of the clans, the hike, campfire, talent show, cabin time, sessions, Craft Lodge, speakeasies, banquet, dance, string tying, and all the moments in between, your heart, mind and soul gets wrapped up this special camp. it helps that there is no reception on your cell phone either.

It's interesting now to think that im one of the "oldies" here at camp. Its true, I have been around camp longer than most of the staffers here. I was actually talking to this about Albert Heng. The satisfaction I got out of camp this year was different than past. I think, when i was younger, after coming back from camp, my joy and happiness came from me meeting new friends, having a direct on the delegates and enjoying my won experience, but now its different. My satisfaction is being able to give back and be able to offer that experience to the younger staffers and delegates. I want to be able to inspire future generations of LDC staffers so that if the time comes for me to be an LDC alum, i know that the future of LDC will be in good hands. After this camp, I have no doubt that will happen. My oldie staff said that to me back when I first started as a staffer, and now I can say that to the newbie staffers and delegates this year. Amazing. The staffers and delegates were the ones that truly made my camp and I want to thank for being so open minded and embracing the LDC magic.

As for my future in LDC...i can't say yet. i would love to come back again, but as uncertain how life can be, I can't say for sure. But i know despite anything, the memories and friendships of LDC will always be with me. To finish off this note with a quote quote that has been with me through out my history of LDC.

"LDC. For those who haven't experienced it, no explanation is possible. For those who have, no explanation is necessary".

Heres to LDC 2009: Cirque du So-Lead

Shout outs to:
HDKLNC forever.
LDC soulmate
Nick Ngoc
Christian Bale-mhurst
my clan advisors
Elizabeth and James Han
and the beautiful delegates that touched my heart.