Music to my Ears

Michael Bublé has been making my heart melt lately. His music has a certain perkiness that makes me unable to hide a smile. His music is uplifting, and he has the sweetest lyrics. It makes me swoon every time I hear his song on the radio. You can find me singing loudly to the song in the car.

I love "I Just Haven't Met You Yet". I love how he has so much hope for the girl that someday he will meet. All the struggles, all the frustrations, and heartbreak eventually will led somewhere. What girl doesn't want that?

I think I love "Everything" even more. I love all of his metaphors. His music makes me think of weddings, romance, and all things happy. It is impossible for me not to adore his music. His songs has a certain classiness that makes me think of black and white movies.

"And in this crazy life, and through these crazy times
It's you, it's you, You make me sing.
You're every line, you're every word, you're everything."

Those lines definitely make my heart sigh. (Don't tease me for my love of cheesiness. haha.)

A Bad Feeling

I now have the strangest feeling that someone is watching me. I realize this may be paranoid, but I can't help but feel like there is something is wrong.

My blinds are always close now, and I am always peering out of my windows. I can't help but feel this way. The thefts took my spare car key, and I keep thinking that they are going to appear any minute now to take my car.

I know how a victim of burglary feels like now, and it's definitely a bad feeling. The feeling keeps you up at night. It makes me afraid to be alone. 

The good thing is it only made me realize what is important, and what isn't. Losing my laptop hurts a bit, and so does the fact that I can't take anymore pictures, but at least we are safe. They can't steal what is most important to me, and I won't let them take my sanity either.

They can only take the material goods, and I can deal with that...

ONCE AGAIN...

Our house just got burglarized. I am seriously going to scream from frustration. 

I am tired. I don't know why bad things keep happening.

I am sad.

My Band-Aid

Pie cures all of my woes. It makes me happy, and lets me forget about all the things that are messed up in my life.

It may only be a temporary happiness as a slice of pie can only last so long, but it's enough for me to believe that good things are possible. Nothing tastes as wonderful.

This is my ode to pie. 

No More Bad Events, Please

A unfortunate event has happened yet again. Well, it didn't really happen to me, but it effects my whole family. 

Fear not, none of us is sick, and none of us is suffering greatly. We are just one car less for the time being. I am just thankful that my brother wasn't hurt, and that all we lost was our car. That would of been Bad News Bears if someone got hurt.

I can't handle another mishap. I am very tired. My body is starting to fail on me. I now have a cold, and I can't wish it away.

Life is so hard sometimes... it makes me want to crawl into my warm bed, and take a long nap. That sounds good right now. 

Paperwork Process

I have been running around town trying to get all my paperwork done for my new job. The school requires you do so much before you are even hired.

That means I had to get fingerprinted. I actually enjoy getting my fingerprinted because I feel like it's mini hand massage. They roll your finger on a machine, and I've alway thought it was relaxing. I guess it wouldn't be so relaxing if you were a criminal, and you were being fingerprinted and booked. If I had to be arrested though, I think I would like the fingerprinting process. 

I also had to get a chest x-ray. I always get a fit of giggles whenever I have to get a chest x-ray. The nurse had me press your whole chest on an x-ray machine, and hold your breathe. I always end up in an awkward position, and it makes me laugh. I couldn't hold my breathe for long than 10 second, and that would make me laugh. I think I ended up giggling the whole time I was in the doctor's office.

I did get all my paperwork in, so I hope that means I am working soon. Yay for new jobs! :)

Things I Hate...

I've been making so many list about things I miss and things I love lately. I just love making a list, so I can get carried away sometimes. 

So you'll just have to bare with me as I make another list. A list of things I hate...

1. Being late. I hate it when I am late getting somewhere. I always feel bad for whoever is waiting for me. 
2. Driving on a rainy day. I can't see when it's rainy, and I fear crashing into something. Actually, I'm a terrible night driver too. 
3. Being sick. I am frequently sick, and makes me sad. I just tell myself that someday my immune system will be invincible. I need to lie to myself...
4. Peas. I think they are mushy and gross. 
5. When I break out. Too bad it occurs monthly. SIGH.
6. How I stress over things easily. I do that often, and even though I know it's horrible, I can't help but be a worry wart.
7. When the mail man doesn't deliver my mail. It makes me so angry because I look forward to it everyday. (Don't judge me)
8. When I lose my keys. I do this almost everyday, and I never know where I leave it. You would think I would learn after losing them the first 100 times, but no. I need one of those key finders.
9. Fake people. I try not to pretend I am someone different, and so it really annoys me when I feel like someone is faking it. 
10. Heights. I hate going to really high places because I feel like I'm going to fall off. I am quite paranoid. 

I don't generally hate anyone though. Well, as long as you don't eat baby elephants. That would break my heart.

What I Love...

I declare love to things and people on a daily basis. I think I'm a lover, and tend to fall in love easily. If something makes me smile, I am halfway in love with it already. There are so many things that make me happy, so I thought I'd make a list. 

What makes my heart sing:

1. Adventures. It doesn't have to be anything fancy. It can be as simple as going to a museum or having a relaxing day at the beach. I am easily amused, so it doesn't take much to make me happy.
2. Jokes. I love to laugh, so when people tell me cheesy jokes, it makes me laugh until I think I can't breathe.
3. Animals. Elephants are the most wonderful animal in the universe. They are smart, sweet, loyal, and loving... all the traits I admire.
4. When I have painted nails. It's always such a treat to be pampered, and Julie spoils me all the time.
5. Long conversations. I love having a chat with my friends. People have so many amazing things to say, and I am always interested in what people are thinking. That means I love my friends and family too. 
6. Nature. I love hikes and being outdoors. There is something so peaceful and magical. It's amazing how the earth was created, and how geological features came to be. I think Geology makes me see the world with rose colored glasses. Everything is so beautiful to me.
7. Food. I love to eat, and wish I could try everything fabulous in the world. I try to be open minded about the food, and am willing to try almost anything. (Just don't offer me meat.)
8. All things made of paper. I love wrapping paper, boxes, post-its, and cards. It's an obsession really. I have a collection of everything, and never tire of getting more. I am addicted...
9. Doing nothing important. I love to do nothing when I am feeling completely lazy. Staying in bed and reading is such a treat, and I wish I could do it more often. It has a way of relieving the stress out of my life. So does shopping.
10. Korean Dramas. It has taken over my life. I can't eat or sleep without thinking about what is going to happen to my favorite characters, and it drives me nuts. I am convinced I need to visit Korea now, and go find Lee Min Ho. He and I are going to getting married someday. Well, at least in my dreams I am going to marry him. 
11. Warm showers on a cold day. Cold showers on a hot day. That means I love the cool side of my pillows in the summer too. There's no better feeling...
12. The smell of freshly washed clothing. I can't help it. I sniff my laundry. It smells so good.
13. Photography. I love capturing happy moments. It's so wonderful to be able to go back, and see all the good times you had. I wish I could make it my job. 
14. Reading an amazing book for the first time or watching a touching movie for the first time. I love a story that can make me cry, sigh, swoon, laugh, and yell. I sometimes get so emotionally involved in a story that I don't get over when it's over. 
15. Stepping on crunch leaves. I love fall, and so I sometime wish that the leaves would change colors. Colorful leaves would be much more exciting to step on. 
16. Taking care of my family and friends. I love doing things for the people I love. I never mind doing the chores at my house because I wouldn't want my family to have to do extra work. 
17. When I accomplish something. I love it when I do something I set out to do. I am learning to be more assertive and to do what I know is important. I am getting better, and it's great.

I should remember what I love whenever I am feeling the blues. The things I love are the reason why I am so happy, so I should remember to do them once in awhile. Maybe they will keep me from getting grumpy. I have been a frumpy grumpy these past few days, and I definitely need a change of pace. 

P.S. Happy birthday, Jason!

Shopping Therapy

I've been having a horrible start to the new year. Things keep happening that are out of my control, and I am at a breaking point. I am so overwhelmed that I can't even sleep without having a nightmare.

I just found out today we lost our car accident case (a guy rammed into my brother's car). How is that fair? We even had witnesses, and that still wasn't enough to help us. 

Bad things keep piling up, and I think it's causing my whole family a lot of stress. Someone even found a white hair on my head the other day. There are even Himalaya size pimples on my face. It's quite unattractive.

Shopping was the only thing that was going to relieve my stress. Sometimes having new clothes makes me feel better. Clothes have the ability to make you feel prettier therefore making you feel better.

That means I walked out of the mall with three new shirts. I haven't done this kind of shopping in a long time, and it felt really good. It also made me want to get a whole new wardrobe. (I really need to win the lottery.) 

I do feel a lot better, so I guess all in all... I am going to be alright. :)

P.S. I realize that lately my post has been kind of in the pits. I'll try to complain less, and talk about more happy stuff soon.

What I Miss...

I've been feeling nostalgic lately. I keep thinking about all the things I used to do, and all the things I used to have, and I feel a little sad. Maybe it's because my birthday is coming, and I'm feeling a little older. I feel like I am ancient sometimes. Things that I did yesterday feels like it was years ago.

There are so many things that I wished I still have in my life. Maybe I can do some of them again, but I miss...

1. Playing on the swings, and seeing how far you can go. I used to think that it was possible to do a 360 on the swings if I tried hard enough.
2. Japan. How I miss it so very much. I didn't live there that long, but I always feel like it's my home. I miss the walks in snow to school, the cherry blossoms that would take over the streets in spring, the candy my mom would buy when we go shopping, when I thought yogurt was the best dessert on the planet, the trips to the beach where I would wear my funky hats, the train rides to my godmother's house, and when life didn't seem so hard.
3. Family outings to different restaurants every weekend. I don't get to spend that much time with my family anymore, and it makes me kind of sad. I still see them, but we're all so busy doing what we need to do these days that no one has time for each other.
4. Having the most important thing to me was making sure I could play outside. I was outside all the time growing up. I skated. I rode my bike around. I jumped roped. I played house in the mud. I would never come home until it was too dark outside to do anything else.
5. Home cooked meals. My parents aren't home to cook for me anymore, so I am left to make my own meals. This poses as a problem because I don't cook very well.
6. VACATION! I love going to new places, and doing new things. I always feel awful when I come home from a trip. Lately, I have been missing every single trip I have ever went on. I miss pizza from NYC, spelunking in New Mexico, clam chowder from San Fran, sightseeing in Canada, the buffets in Las Vegas, the hiking in Zion, the snow in Park City, the tacos in Mexico, and so much more.
7. Long chats with Frances. I used to basically live at her house, and we would nap and play cards all day. I love the mellowness of our relationship, and how we were convinced that we would live together in the future. Our dreams involved getting a house together, and even dying together. (We would be really old and on a rocking chair, and somehow laugh to death.) Too bad we had to grow up and become dignified.
8. Being young, and always believing that everything will work out. I miss the innocence of youth. To be that carefree again...

I am in no way depressed, and am definitely looking forward to my future. I am just feeling nostalgic lately, and it had me thinking about my childhood. I am sure someday when I am old, I will look at my 20s and think fondly of all the things I did (or will do). 

Happy Chinese New Year

It has finally come, the year of the tiger. It's my year, and apparently whenever it's your year, you can expect a lot of mishap and bad luck. Oh boy, I don't need any more of those.

My day started off with a bang. Not a good bang, a really bad bang actually. It was the sound of our garage door falling apart. The moment my mother woke me up at 8 am to tell me to fix it, I knew I was in for some trouble.

I tried everything, and have now resorted to trying to pretend the problem doesn't exist. If I am blogging about it, it means I don't have to deal with it, right? (I realize how delusional that may sound.)

I am sure that today will not reflect what will happen to me for the rest of year. I don't know where that superstition came from, but I refuse to believe it. I'm going to have a wonderful year... even if I have to make it happen. :)

P.S. Happy Valentine's Day! I sometimes wish I was in elementary school again. They days when you got cards and candy. Oh, the simple pleasures that comes with being a kid... :D

New Years Cleaning

Chinese New Year is approaching (tomorrow), and I never really look forward to it because my mom usually goes on super neat freak mode (more than her usual self). 

That means there cannot be a speck of dust, a pencil out of place, and our clothes has to all be folded. It's actually the time of year where I know I am in big trouble. Doesn't matter how much I clean, it's never enough.

The house is looking nicer though, so I guess I shouldn't be complaining.

Yay! Now it's time for a nap...

My First Seminar

I just went to a seminar, and it was pretty informative. I actually learned a lot, and enjoyed it immensely. Everyone there was amazingly smart, and so very helpful. I was a little intimidated by everyone because they were so knowledgeable, and I didn't understand half the things they were saying.

The seminar was about the Mono-Inyo volcanoes that is located near Mammoth mountain. I had no idea that you could learn so much from cinder cones, and they are hopefully able to apply that information to a future eruption (if there is another one). There are two cinder cones that are directly next to each other that erupt different lavas. They wanted to know why that would be the case.

I was in awe with their project. I was impressed, and I knew I wanted to know more. The grad student that was showing me around was really sweet, and she was extremely helpful. I know that I'm going to like her.

It was a pleasant experience, and I would love to do it again sometime soon. :)

P.S. Happy birthday, Khanh! 

First Day Back in School...

...And it was awful. The weather fit my mood exactly. It was raining heavily. It was cold. It was gloomy. It was exactly how I felt.

I got some news today that is stressing me out. I hate whenever there is financial difficulties, and it always keeps me up at night. I probably won't be getting any sleep tonight.

Then someone I never wanted to see again showed up in my class. 

Although I felt really crummy yesterday, I felt happy to be back at school. I know that Historical Geology is going to be really hard, but I know it's a subject that fascinates me to no end. (Also the more I learn, the more The Big Bang Theory, one of my favorite show, makes sense to me.) I'm nervous about the difficulty of the class, but I know I will do fine. I have to.

To cheer myself up, I'm going to watch the newest version of Emma (A Jane Austen story), and wonder where I can find love like that. Jane Austen always has a way of cheering me up whenever I am sad. :)

P.S. Congrats to my amazing friend. You got an internship, and will be hundreds of miles away from me. Even though I'll miss you, I know you'll be FABULOUS. 

Getty Villa

I've been having so many adventures lately that I'm starting to feel guilty for having so much fun. The fact that the outings we have are random makes it even more interesting.

Yesterday was an incredibly (unlike today) nice day, and so we decided that a little outdoor activity would be nice.

My friends drove me to the Getty Villa (nothing like free entertainment) where we spent the afternoon running around, and taking random pictures of things we saw. 

Note: I was the big evil giant, and Julie was the tiny little warrior. Hahaha.

I've never been there before so there was so much for me to see and do. We even found the kid's activity room where we later spent a big chunk of our time there. We ended up drawing on pottery, role playing Greek warriors, and jumping all over the place.

The Getty Villa is located right next to the beach, so we ended up there also. Playing at the beach is our specialty. :)

We later feasted on a large amount of sushi, and ate until we couldn't breathe. It was just the perfect way to end our adventures.

Back to School

I am going to back to school this week, and I'm a little nervous. I want to do well, and I always stress over my grades. It matters to me, and I sometimes put too much pressure on myself. I sometimes drive myself crazy. I have issues, I know.

I have fees to pay, books to buy, and it's going to break my bank account. I sometimes want to take less classes so that it wouldn't be so expensive. (Why can't I live in Austria were education is free?)

I'm excited to be going back. I won't have anymore lazy afternoons (I will miss it, but I was starting to become a couch potato), I will have more things going on, and I will hopefully be more sure of what I want to do.

It's a new year, and a new start for me. I have a feeling that it's going to be a great semester. :)

A Minor Problem

Through out the years I have realized that I tend to hoard things. I wanted all the happy meal toys as a kid. I have most of the books my favorite author has written. It doesn't even matter if I don't like it, if it's part of a series, I have to have them all.

The problem may not be so minor anymore. I realized that I just love having stuff, no matter how useful it is or not. It's even worse when something is free. If someone is giving something away for free I have to have it no matter how useless it is. I have a bagful of pens that I'll never use.

It sometimes physically hurts me to get rid of things. It even hurts me to get rid of things that I never use. Oh, what a trial it is to get me to get rid of anything.

I tried to clean out my room this week. My room isn't terribly messy or anything, but I have a lot stuff. On every shelf there is something totally useless. Why do I have so many crazy straws? Why do I collect salt and pepper shakers? Why do I have coloring books?

Maybe I will get rid of things by taking out one thing a day. I know that I don't need these things, but I always think... maybe I'll need it in the future.

Ok, ok, no more excuses. I am throwing things out today. Right now. Maybe in awhile...

A Step in the Right Direction

I always second guess myself. I sometimes feel like I shouldn't be doing something because I will never be able to finish it. I sometimes believe that I won't be able to accomplish my dreams or goals. 

That goes the same for my dreams of being a geology major. What if I can't do it? What if I am not smart enough?

When I am in doubt, life has a way of making things clearer for me. My geology teacher has introduced me to a grad student who is now taking me to a seminar (about volcanoes), and she is willing to help me. I'm so excited. I'm going to be exposed to new things, and that makes me happy.

I'm also going to be helping my geology teacher out which means I will hopefully be doing more things. As much as I love my own company, I think I need to do other things too. 

As scary as it is to start new things, I'm just as excited about it! :D

Treasure Island Park

I was always convinced that I would love to live in another state, where there are tall mountains, and the trees changes colors as the seasons changes. I imagined living in a cabin, and drinking apple cider during winter nights. I thought I could leave California...

But then I go to the beach, and realize that I could never imagine living far from it. I love the smell, the sights, the sounds, and the peacefulness of it all. How could I ever leave it? I go to the beach all the time in the summer, and every month during the winter. It's home. Even when I was growing up in Japan, I lived right next to the beach.

If only the pictures could do the Treasure Island justice. The beach had so many rocks and tide pools that it was a wonderland for me. We were trekking through the rocks, climbing boulders, and we even got stuck going through a pool of water. The waves kept crashing, and I didn't know how to avoid getting wet.

Treasure Island is located right next to Laguna beach. It's really quiet there, and I feel like it's a secret spot since there are barely anyone there. It's like a hidden gem, and I only wished I knew about it earlier.

I'm so glad Julie showed me this magical place. I just love it so much, and I know I'll be going there for years to come. I probably will never be able to leave California. I'm too much of a beach bum to be happy anywhere else. 

How could anyone not be at peace here? I can't imagine why anyone would hate the beach.

Sorry... I had to add the elephant for no reason other than the fact that I love elephants. :)

Good Eats: Persian Edition

Note: It is as good as it looks!

Because I was sharing my new found love of a certain Korean drama, I had dinner with a friend, (I was supplying her with more episodes) and she suggested we eat something new. She said her boss suggested Naan Kabob, and so we went.

It was amazing! I ordered the fish kabob, and the salmon was juicy and lemony. I imagined that it would be on a skewer (I was imaging the kabobs where you would bbq it on a grill.), and even though it wasn't on a skewer, there were grilled vegetables. The grilled tomato was such a treat, and the rice was really flavorful. The rice was lightly salted and seasoned. Mmmm...

A salad came with my meal, but I didn't like it because the dressing was minty. I think minty salad bothers me. My friend had naan bread with her meal. I was expecting it to taste like the Indian naan, but it was more like a flat pita bread. It was definitely delicious with butter on it. 

My friend got a lamb kabob as her entree which she said was excellent. She even finished her meal (I was proud) which she rarely does. 

The price wasn't so bad, and the food was pretty good. I think I will be returning, and I'm bringing friends! Who's with me? 

Good Eats: Crawfish Edition

Note: Crawfish is yummy in our tummy.

I think I have friends that are adventurous eaters. We are generally trying new things (at least for me), and I love discovering new dishes to create and/or eat. Food is the way to my heart. 

The Boiling Crab is an old friend, but I had actually never ate at the restaurant before. Frances' brother had once brought home a bunch of shrimp and crawfish from there for us to devour. I remember that day vividly because I was surprised he was eating shrimp and crawfish. He hates cracking shellfish, and so he would usually not bother eating it.

The restaurant was interesting. There were no plates or utensils, and we were only supplied a paper towel roll. You were expected to eat with your hands, and out of a bag. I sometimes think I lack table manners, so I felt right at home.

We ended up eating crawfish, shrimps, cajun fries, cajun wings, and calamari. It was deliciously messy. (I even sported a bib. Haha.)

Note: No more food. :( We ate it all!

By the end of the meal, all that was left were the piles of shell. We were all pretty stuffed by the end of the meal. Plus we were happy that the bill was much smaller than we anticipated. I love it when that happens. 

My friend's boyfriend even made me an origami elephant. I'm a sucker for elephants! I ended the day with a little Korean drama. If I can't find love in real life, why not fall in love with a fictional character? :D

Spontaneous Fun

Note: Picture of us at the beach. In the dark.

I've been addicted to a certain Korean drama for the last few days, and it has sucked my life. I am in love with the main character, and cannot think clearly when I am watching him on the screen. 

I went to my friend's house today. I had to see her because I had ran out of episodes. She wasn't sure I would like the show, so she had only given me a few episode to start off with. It was torture because I had to wait a day before I could see her.

She had to refresh my supply, and so I spend the day leisurely siting on her floor watching endless amounts of Korean drama. I was so consumed that she would have to pause the episode in order to talk to me. I was so drawn in that I seriously wouldn't have felt an earthquake.

She even cooked for me, and feed me two meals that day. I wasn't very helpful in anyway. I just took up space in her bedroom.

As the afternoon was ending, I teared myself from the screen, and we all decided to go to the beach. Just like that we were out the door. It didn't even bother us that it was getting dark, and that we probably would be extremely cold.

We ended up at Newport Beach were we did old people exercise to keep ourselves warm. (You know, the kind of exercise where you see those old people swinging their arms around as they walk...) We actually saw a really cute seal, and a strange fluffy bird. I was charmed by the peace and quiet, and it was just so nice to watch the waves crash.

Note: It was so dark that we couldn't even see our feet. 

My friends then had the brilliant to take me to Treasure Island Park. It's an amazing beach where there is tide pools, and tons of amazing rock formations. There were many different colored rocks, and I was in love. I only wished that I could actually see everything because it was so dark. It's the most amazing beach I've ever been too, and I can't wait to see it in the daytime. 

I had a wonderful day filled with unexpected fun, and now I can finish my Korean drama. I just love the main character so much. I never knew what love was like until now. He can do no wrong in my eyes. Haha, I'm just kidding... or am I?