Making It Clear

When I wrote the last post I had just gotten off the phone with my dad and was kind of frustrated, scared, and feeling a little pushed-around. And maybe I made it seem worse than it was but I want to make it clear that I love my dad and I know he just wants the best for me.

Looking at it from his point of view, he doesn't understand why instead of going to university I would be willing to seemingly "throw it all away" for a year in a college he has never even heard of in a town that is barely on the map, regardless of what it teaches. And if it was me just wanting to take it for the heck of it and to basically just slack off for a year and jeopardize my chances of getting into university, then I can understand why he wouldn't want me to go. Plus I guess it's hard for people to understand why you would choose to go to a Christian college and learn about Jesus for an entire year. Especially when the only reason they see for post-secondary education is to land a well-paying job. So when you look at it from his (my dad's) point of view, it's understandable that he wouldn't want anything to do with me because if I was throwing my life down the drain he wouldn't want to have to carry the burden and be possibly dragged down with me.

Which in his eyes makes going to MCC for the first year basically as bad as getting pregnant lol. Anyways, I guess the bottom line is I will be in Ontario next year and even though it is kind of against my will it won't be that bad and if you want to visit me PARTY AT MY PLACE.

Plus, who says I can't go to MCC after I graduate since I am coming back to the Island anyways? Only 4-6 years to go (assuming) :D

What Have I Gotten Myself Into?

I just finished talking to my dad. You know how he said I could go to MCC if I paid my own way? Well he changed his mind. Again. After fighting over the phone, he gave me an ultimatum: go to university next year or he doesn't want anything more to do with me. What is someone supposed to say to that? What is the right thing to say? I don't know. The last thing I would ever want to lose is family. It's why I wanted to stay on the Island in the first place. But now...

Anyways I said I would go to university next year. I don't want to at all now but I said I would. So I guess I'm going.

Well on the bright side I guess that takes care of the student loans and getting a job, though I was kinda excited about that. And I told my dad if I was going to university it would NOT be Ryerson, because the only reason he wants me there is because his friend is one of the head of departments and I hate being nothing but "bragging rights." Not that there's anything to brag about but some people will make something out of nothing just to impress their friends. Ugh. But I digress. More good things? I'll be getting my own apartment in Hamilton, because it'd be McMaster that I want to go into. Close to the school of course, but a place of my own. With my own furniture. Maybe he will change his mind later on (for some reason that wouldn't surprise me) but for now it is a helping thought. And after the initial frustration wears off, I could end up really liking the place. Who knows?

So that is where I will be next year. Shortly after I come back from Scotland I will be leaving for Toronto so I can pick out an apartment and furniture. I don't think I will be here even for my birthday which I had wanted to be and I definitely won't be here for camp, which I had really been looking forward to. But it will be an experience for sure and I guess this way I will at least know what's going on.

Whatever my dad expects me to get from a university degree I don't know but I'll be glad to be on my own when he realizes I won't get it! :P

Thanks to insider prom tips from French class, here is the latest bit of juicy information: the votes are in and the prom song for Colonel Gray 2007 has been picked!

Any guesses?


It's "My Wish" by Rascal Flatts!

I hope that the days come easy and the moments pass slow,
And each road leads you where you want to go,
And if you're faced with a choice, and you have to choose,
I hope you choose the one that means the most to you.
And if one door opens to another door closed,
I hope you keep on walkin' till you find the window,
If it's cold outside, show the world the warmth of your smile,

But more than anything, more than anything,
My wish, for you, is that this life becomes all that you want it to,
Your dreams stay big, and your worries stay small,
You never need to carry more than you can hold,
And while you're out there getting where you're getting to,
I hope you know somebody loves you, and wants the same things too,
Yeah, this, is my wish.

I hope you never look back, but you never forget,
All the ones who love you, in the place you left,
I hope you always forgive, and you never regret,
And you help somebody every chance you get,
Oh, you find God's grace, in every mistake,
And you always give more than you take.

But more than anything, yeah, and more than anything,
My wish, for you, is that this life becomes all that you want it to,
Your dreams stay big, and your worries stay small,
You never need to carry more than you can hold,
And while you're out there getting where you're getting to,
I hope you know somebody loves you, and wants the same things too,
Yeah, this, is my wish.

This is my wish
I hope you know somebody loves you
May all your dreams stay big


Personally, I voted for "I Could Not Ask For More" by Edwin McCain because I thought that would be a much better prom song but at least this is better than the one by The Fray, which had nothing to do with prom at all.

Also, speaking of insider tips: yes the yearbook did arrive and they have been checked over and will probably be passed out tomorrow! Also, if you go to the Gray and you haven't bought your tickets to the musical be SURE to do so, since if enough students do then classes are cancelled for the entire afternoon! They are only $6 and transportation back to the school is provided, but certainly not mandatory!

Anyways that's the update for today. Have a good one!

Guess Who Needs A Job!

Last night yours truly contracted a case of Needmoneygitus. Still in the progressing stages but give it some time and I'm sure it will hit full bloom haha. It all started with arguing with my dad over the phone about "the future" (how ominous) and finally he was basically like "Go ahead and waste your time but I'm not paying for it!"

Excitement!

It's nice to finally have an answer, even though it might not be the one you were hoping for. But at least it's a yes! So now instead of calculus I'm reading up on student loans that you can get on good ol' PEI. Actually it sounds like a lot, which is very nice, until you realise you have to pay it all back, with interest! But hopefully I will have a job (someone please hire me!) and be able to make the payments.

If it wasn't so late and I wasn't already changed for bed I think I'd be tempted to just run around town with resumés begging people to hire me so I'll be eligible haha. But hey there will be time for that later.

Speaking of later, I need to do calculus since I still want to go to university too!

Wishing you an excellent night/day/afternoon/evening/moment! :D

Keeping Clean

Ever watch a crow taking a bath? They find a nice deep puddle and dart around, checking to see if the coast is clear. They'll cautiously test the water a little bit, to make sure that it's good. Then they plunge their entire body headfirst into the water and then quickly spring up and shake it off. Plunge, jump, shake. Plunge, jump, shake. All the while jerking their head every which way keeping tabs on everything around them.

It was something I saw a few days ago on the way home from school which I thought was pretty cool haha.

Oh my I need to get out more.

A Much Better Monday Post

I may not ever be as cool as Spiderman, Batman, or any other stacked-up superhero, but I must admit that today I, Sandy "Insert Name Here" Chang, have saved the day.

Well actually only part of the afternoon.

Shock. Gasp. Hyperventilate. I know.

It all started when I went with Courtney, Cody (her nephew), and Katie to Dairy Queen after school today (if you are in my french class and happen to randomly stumble onto my blog, I am apologizing in advance for this afternoon, but it was such a lovely summery day). We went in, sat down, and enjoyed our ice-cream and on the way out Courtney could not find her keys. We joked about how it's in the car, and it came true. The one time everyone remembers to lock our doors, she leaves the keys inside. With the engine running the entire time!

Thankfully the window was open just enough to stick part of your arm through. I tried to fit my arm through. Didn't go all the way. They lifted up Cody and tried to fit his arm through. His didn't go either. Panic! Tried Cody's arm again. He was starting to cry because he couldn't do it. So to make things better I tried one more time and used my body weight to shove my arm into that window so I could unlock the door. And I got it! Though my joy quickly turned into more pain when Katie, being excited, opened the door with my arm still attached. Thankfully Courtney came to my rescue though and quickly rolled down the window! Anyways, as it turns out the car was parked right in front of the drive-thru window and when we got the door unlocked both the person in the drive-thru and the people in the van waiting gave us a round of applause. Kinda cool but super embarassing at the same time!

Well that was my must-blog-about moment of the day. Actually it was more like I was commanded to, as if the other people in the car weren't capable of blogging about it themselves... jerks.

Haha just joking. But seriously everyone, update your blogs. It makes me feel not as much as a loser sitting here trying to keep up my quota of a blog-a-day. *sigh*

A Letter To The Craziness Inside My Head

Hello Frustration.

I've seen you around quite a lot lately. How have you been? Actually, scratch that. I know you're doing fine. Still as vibrant as ever.

Please don't take this the wrong way, but I would really prefer it if you and I would just go our separate ways. I feel it would be a lot better for both of us.

I hear the phone ringing, and I think it might be you. It wouldn't be so bad if you didn't invite your friends Fear and Anger over. They make such a mess sometimes.

Well anyways I'm glad we had this little talk. Hope you aren't offended if I don't say "see you later." Because I kind of don't want to.

Nice Day

"Zounds, it is even now at my elbow, persuading me not/to kill the duke."
- King Richard The Third

And who said Shakespeare wasn't interesting? Remember that big book of all Shakespeakre's plays that I got for Christmas? Well I kind of forgot about it until a few days ago, when I started reading it again. Sadly after all this time I am only on page 59... about three and a quarter plays. You have to wonder where he comes up with all of this though. I mean even though it's loosely based on history, where did he learn this history in the first place, since he was the one teaching it to other people? Pretty amazing when you think about it.

Today was a beautiful Sunday. It actually feels like spring now, with the sun shining and the cool breeze. The soil is even soft now, and the grass is starting to turn green. We had some daffodils and tulips around the house a few weeks ago. Funny how something so simple can instantly brighten up any room.

Still Considered?

So in another attempt to procrastinate from homework tonight I decided to check my yahoo inbox, which I usually only get university newsletters from (or, more specifically, York University newsletters). And to my surprise, I got an actual email, from McMaster this time:


Hi Sandy,

I have received a transcript on your behalf however your second semester mid term grades are not listed on the transcript and thus I can not continue with the assessment of your application to Science. If you would still like to be considered for this program please arrange for your guidance office to fax me a copy (to my attention to the number below) of your most recent transcript as soon as possible.

Best of luck,

The name of whoever wrote this from McMaster University


I must say it gave me a slight shock. I thought because they never accepted me I didn't get into the McMaster science program. Especially since they have my marks from last semester. But here they are writing me a letter requesting the copy from my second semester marks! I know this is only because technically they probably can't accept or reject anyone until all of their marks are in, but still, it would be cool if I got in. Not because I want to go into science (though I sort of do, even though I'm more suited for arts) but mostly because I like the idea of keeping my options open to anything. I think with this whole thing, especially with my dad being back-and-forth with letting me go to MCC or not, I'm just going to leave it in God's hands and not worry about it anymore. I'm going to continue to apply and work towards it but wherever I go I know I'll be there for a reason. And wherever I can serve and learn to serve to the best of my abilities is where I want to go, whether that's MCC or not!

Awkward Moments DO Define My Life!

So I was on facebook today and accidentally clicked on something in the "related groups" section of a group, which led to one called "Awkward moments define my life." I got a kick out of the title but after reading the description I realized that I have experienced everything on this list (sometimes more than once)! Does that make me super awkward?


[stolen from the group description]
If you've ever...
1. Walked down the hall and someone you know is really far away but you dont want to make eye contact too soon yet you dont want to miss it so you look at them then look away..
2. Gone in for a hug and had your arms the wrong way or your heads both go the same direction then you bump heads
3. Kept bumping in to someone... they walk right you walk right, they walk left you walk left etc.
4. Messed up a high five; theres many ways to do this believe me... high fived it when they went for a pound. high fived someone when they ment to highfive the person BEHIND you and so on.
5. Waved to someone when they were waving to someone behind you
6. Grabbing someone elses food [i.e. drinking someone elses smoothie...]
7. Someone spoke to you in bad english and you just smiled and nodded yes when the question wasnt a yes or no question
8. Awkward silences.
9. Calling somones name when its not them.
10. Calling someones name and they dont hear you so everyone stares at you when you look like your talking to yourself
11. Awkward conversations in general
12. Stuck talking to someone and you both slowly start walking different ways
13. Saying bye and then walking the same way as that person
14. Talking really loud when loud music is on and then people turn it down and you say something really loud
15. Typing something while another person ims you and you always end up sending them really weird sounding things by mistake
16. Walking down the hall and being at the point where you know them but you are not sure if you know them enough to say hi yet, so you dont
17. Having a hole in your pants
18. Joining in on a random conversation followed by stares
19. When you're at a restaurant and the waiter says "enjoy your meal" and you say "you too" only realizing later that they aren't going to eat anything
20. Talking about a group of people or people who are of a certain ethnicity/religion or whatever and having somone of that group be right there.. also talking about somone whos behind and/or next to you
21. And best of all you just love to make awkward smiles in pictures.
22. Told a joke that no one laughed at (or one that only YOU thought was funny)
23. Told a story that people respond with "here we go again" or "that was the most worthless story i've ever heard"
24. This group.
25. Sang REALLY loud and then someone changes the station or whatnot leaving you singing REALLY loud for a second or two..
26. On facebook you think your writing back to someone but then a day or two later you realize you had written it on your own wall. yeah you're awesome
27. Getting caught hooking up...in front of ur parents
28. Being in a different country where they dont speak english and saying something about someone and they understand you


So random awkward moment of my day so far?

At my locker after school I swung my kitbag over my shoulder and accidentally smacked someone walking by. If that wasn't bad enough, when I said sorry the guy beside me thought I was talking to him and, giving me a weird look, was like "Uhh that's okay..."

And the guy I was really saying sorry to? I don't think he spoke English because he looked foreign and stopped and kind of stared confused at me before walking away.

Oops!

This Is Your Update

I've started this post off on about half a dozen totally different topics but I ended up with no direction or even the motivation to make one. So I give up. If you are really desperate for an update, feel free to write in the comments an update for me. Until then, I'll probably stop until I can think of something I actually have the words to talk about.

Wake-Up Call

Putting things into perspective.
Seeing the big picture.
Opening your eyes.
A couple of overused clichés, but oh-so-important (and hard to do sometimes).

When bad days come, sometimes we get reminders. Reminders that we don't want. Reminders that are hard. But reminders, nonetheless, of just how lucky we are.

I need a big knock on the head.

It seems increasingly harder to concentrate on calculus. Even with the extra weekend to prepare, I feel about as knowledge-filled as I was Thursday night. Crap...

Anyways since I'm on I figured I might as well post on the pictures from last night. It was certainly interesting. If you're in need of an actually scary movie, I definitely recommend Disturbia. It can certainly make you jump. Although I warn you, a bunch of junior high girls may continuously scream at the oddest moments (did anyone else notice them besides Jill and I?) :P

Same time next week? lol




P.S.
You know how you squeeze your nose to keep from screaming? Don't do it. I speak from experience...



















P.P.S.

While I'm putting those up I might as well post the pictures I was supposed to post from early last month. Sorry for the delay!

We so rock the ballpen.

Quiz Before Bed

q: What was the 1st thing you did this morning?
a: Went downstairs to eat some breakfast

q: Last thing you ate:
a: Wendy's chili haha that stuff is so good

q: Do you have anything bothering you?
a: Yeah haha

q: What's the last movie you saw?:
a: Disturbia lol

q: Where is the last place you went?
a: Shoppers, to get eggs

q: Do you wish upon stars?
a: Actually talked about this today. Once, for a hamster, and it actually came true.

q: Are you a friendly person?:
a: I try to be.

q: Where did you sleep last night?:
a: In my room?

q: What color shirt are you wearing?:
a: White

q: Do you have more guy or girl friends?
a: Girl friends

q: When was the last time you really cried?
a: Umm I'd rather not say haha

q: What was your last thought before you went to sleep last night?
a: "What time do I have to get up again?"

q: What are you about to do?
a: Sleep!

q: If you could drink anything right this second, what would it be?
a: Something warm, but non-caffeinated...

q: What's your job position called?
a: Stressed Student Extraordinare.

q: What's your favorite month(s)?
a: Hmm hard question. I would have to say February, May, June, August, and September.

q: What was your elementary schools mascot?
a: No clue

q: what's your favorite bottled water?
a: I mostly drink Aquafina but then again Dasani is with Coke so I don't know. Whatever is available?

q: What will you be doing at 9pm tonight?
a: It already happened lol. But I think we were at Wendy's then?

q: Do you prefer coffee or tea?
a: Mostly coffee but depends on what kind of tea it is and what I feel like lol

q: Something red within 5 feet?
a: My jammies?

q: Ever done the electric slide?
a: What's the electric slide?

q: How much french do you know?
a: Sadly after nine and a half years of french class: not very much.

q: Ever crash a car, been in an accident?
a: Yes I've been in a car accident but nothing big. It was actually a pretty neat experience, since we had just bought popsicles and they were all melting so I went around sharing and eating an entire box haha

q: Do you look good in yellow?
a: I am yellow :)

q: Do you sing?
a: Yes but not well haha

q: Ever sing in public?
a: Yes, but refer to above.

q: Least favorite color?
a: Diarrhea yellow. Especially on cars. You have to wonder who would spend the big bucks on that colour

q: Ever had dippin dots?
a: Nope but I had seen them and really wanted to try them

q: How many driving tickets have you had?
a: None, I am a "good" driver haha

q: Do you own your own house?
a: I wish!

q: At what age do you want to get married?
a: Hmm not until I'm 21 at least

q: Have you ever been married?
a: Five times. All to the same person.
Except for those two nights in Las Vegas... But we don't speak of that.
Just joking! You can talk about it if you want.

q: How many kids do you have/want?
a: Probably around three. Not a million, that's for sure!

My Day So Far

There are good days. There are bad days. There are in-between days.

I'm not sure what today is yet.

Flashback!

I was googling bananas last night (I wanted to find a good picture I could save for when they go extinct... to remember the good ol' days) and all of a sudden I had the hugest craving for apple chips.

Don't ask me why; I haven't had them for years. But I distinctly remember driving up a few times when I was little to this building shaped like an apple and buying apple chips. Strangely, this is something that I've never even thought about or remembered. I wasn't even sure if it was true. But I googled "Big Apple Ontario" and sure enough, there it was. Complete with mention of the sale of apple chips.

Anyways I just thought that was really cool. In the youth group series we're doing they talked about how things stick with you for a lifetime. I guess this is just one of them! :P


By the way, Happy Friday The Thirteenth! This has got to be one of the greatest ever. We were supposed to be having a calculus test that I thought I understood but found out I really didn't, and then I was so stressed that I had to just leave it and do laundry at 1 a.m. and look despairingly at the clear clear night outside because there wasn't any hint of a storm. But then I woke up this morning, heard a cheesy song on the radio, and then to my absolute joy I heard those sweet sweet words once again: "The Eastern School District is closed for the day." And it wasn't even snowing yet then! How cool is this? Now if it all gets cleared up by tomorrow that would be just perfect! :D

Red Alert

So I woke up this morning with an anger at every pharmaceutical company, scientist, and sponsor involved with finding the cure for diseases. Why is it that technology has increased so much, and yet we still have no cure or better treatment for so many things such as Multiple Sclerosis, mental illnesses, AIDS, and cancer? What's taking them so long! Why aren't the companies pouring the bulk of their money into solving these problems? I saw on the news once a while ago how this guy thought he found the cure for cancer in a common drug used back-in-the-day. Except that it was so cheap that he couldn't get any companies to fund him in researching it some more, because they wouldn't get any of it themselves. And apparently there are lots of other very similar stories. Man, do they know there are people dying out there? Do they see the pain and the hurt and the frustrations? And what's up with this new nanotechnology? Apparently it's supposed to be great and wonderful and cure everything no problem. But I have yet to see it in effect. They say they already found ways to cure so many things. And yet what do they come out with? Pants that are impossible to stain and windows that don't need cleaning. Now I don't know about you but I would rather wash windows every single day for the rest of my life and know what used to be incurable was now curable than to have people suffering and not having to worry about my windows being dirty. Hello, priorities anybody?

But I know that's not right. There are people working hard around the clock, and solving something deemed unsolvable isn't nearly as easy as it sounds. And you can't really blame the big corporations either; it's only common sense to pump money into something that was going to generate money back. Pump millions of dollars on something that will probably cost $3 a bottle and be able to be duplicated by every other company there is, doesn't seem like the smartest business move. And even when they do find cures, things take time. Tests have to be done, and the approval process before it even goes out on the market takes years to complete. Which is sensible, I mean you wouldn't want just anything going on the market. But at the same time you look at the people suffering and part of you is angry at that system too.

Anger can be an excellent cover for a lot of emotions. After all, it's a lot easier to be angry than to admit you're frustrated, hurt, or scared. It's true that it's a lot easier to be blaming and pointing the fingers at someone else than to get up and do something about it yourself. When I think of all the times I've ever been actually "angry" at someone, I wasn't angry with them personally. Instead I was only in fact hurt by them. But instead of talking it out and explaining that it was hurtful it was much easier to be angry and storm away. When really what does that end up with? Instead of a strengthened relationship you end up with a fortified wall. Not my friendship of choice. Jesus said we shouldn't be angry at each other. "You have heard that it was said to the people long ago, 'Do not murder, and anyone who murders will be subject to judgment.' But I tell you that anyone who is angry with his brother will be subject to judgment." Jesus wasn't fooled. He knows how damaging it can be. Yes, anger can be good and constructive in the proper place (he was angry at the vendors for turning the temple into a marketplace, where instead of giving God their best, they just bought it instead). But the kind of anger that is pointless and stupid and just ends up breaking people apart is extremely dangerous. How can you be called to love one another just as Jesus loves you when deep down inside you are fuming with someone else? It just doesn't work out. Jesus also said if we were bringing gifts to God and in the middle of it remember a grudge that we are holding or someone is holding against us, we should leave our gifts and immediately go and reconcile with that person and then our hearts will be totally free to give God his due praise.

As you can tell by my attitude when I woke up this morning, this is something I still need to work on a lot. And having patience and keeping a positive attitude is just one of the many things that I struggle with. Thankfully, I don't have to change myself by myself. It just doesn't work that way, and believe me, I've tried!

Post?

Post.

A Day Of Change

For once I'm not going to do a big long blog but I just wanted to say that I hope you had a HAPPY EASTER!

Sorry for the belated wishes. But they are from the bottom of my heart, as you can tell by all the colouring I did for the letters :)

They even have a special meaning behind them, as these are the colours used in a lot of different Easter projects over the years.

Red - Jesus' Blood
Yellow - Hope/Joy
Green - Life
Purple - Royalty

At the Easter thing that Sherwood put on for the kids there was also icing for cookies the colour of sand, but they don't have it on here and since the kids were kind of grossed out by it anyways ("Sand for our icing?!") I figured I might as well leave it haha.


Hmm so much for a "short post!"

"Your Catfish Friend"

by Richard Brautigan

If I were to live my life
in catfish forms
in scaffolds of skin and whiskers
at the bottom of a pond
and you were to come by
one evening
when the moon was shining
down into my dark home
and stand there at the edge
of my affection
and think, "It's beautiful
here by this pond. I wish
somebody loved me,"
I'd love you and be your catfish
friend and drive such lonely
thoughts from your mind
and suddenly you would be
at peace,
and ask yourself, "I wonder
if there are any catfish
in this pond? It seems like
a perfect place for them."

What A Night

Went to Blades of Glory with Jill, Robbie, and Vinnie. It was so funny but so wrong in some parts haha. Actually different than what I expected. Gotta love the ending though; totally completed the movie.

Who knew that there would be a big snowstorm in April? April! Most of the time whenever one is predicted in the winter, it doesn't come, or at least not to the full extent. But just when you don't expect it to come (I laughed at the report; it was so nice and sunny out this morning!) it comes. And boy did it come.

After the movie Jill and I went with Robbie to MCC to watch the hockey game between Toronto and Montreal. Near the end of the third period Jill and I looked outside and it was snowing steadily but not bad. Less than three minutes later when we looked out again it turned worse. Very worse. Leaving with 6:38 left in the third period, I frantically brushed off the almost three inches of snow off the car - only to have it covered again by the time I moved from the front to the back. That just gives you an idea how bad it was lol. I tried going 50 but went 20-40 the entire way there and back, it was that scary.

Me + car + snowstorm + small roads = not good!

But thankfully here I am safe and sound in my own bed and none the worse for wear, except for a feeling of exhaustedness that I've had all day. Not really sure why; just too much going on I guess. That and not getting enough sleep haha.

Well so far this long weekend has been interesting.


P.S.

I had bought a coffee earlier today and when I came back I almost threw it out, forgetting about roll up the rim. But I stopped myself, and was like "Man this better be a car after that long drive..." Then I rolled, and the first thing that caught my eye was the "Win/Gagner," followed by "C-." I nearly jumped for joy! But when I opened it all the way, it was only "Coffee." A little disappointing but it's still a free coffee nonetheless so I am happy haha.

Anyways, just thought I'd share what I -almost- got.


P.P.S.

I checked with Friend when I got home - the Leafs won 6-4 against the Canadiens. Now if only the Rangers would lose, Toronto would make the playoffs!

Not a major hockey fan but I do cheer for Toronto, so hopefully they get in *crosses fingers*

Update?

I made other people update their blogs so I figured I probably should update mine too, you know, just to be fair.

So here I am, updating my blog, trying to think of something to write. Something deep. Exciting. Thought-provoking, with a smile on the side. And definitely life-changing.


...


I totally beat Darrell and Robbie in a game of Crazy Eights today. It was on the second try but everyone knows that second's the best anyways.


Haha just joking. But really, I really did win. On the second time. And most people do know the rhyme "first's the worst, second's the best." So really I am just stating the facts and then making a logical conclusion based on them.

*cough*

Changes

So I changed the blog again. Really it is only the picture and the title but it's a change nonetheless.

It all started when I was on photobucket and saw that you could put borders on your pictures. One thing led to another and I made the picture.

The title relates to a poem by Julia Spicher Kasdorf called "First Gestures." Actually only the second part:

"Living, we cover vast territories;
imagine your life drawn on a map--
a scribble on the town where you grew up,
each bus trip traced between school
and home, or a clean line across the sea
to a place you flew once. Think of the time
and things we accumulate, all the while growing
more conscious of losing and leaving. Aging,
our bodies collect wrinkles and scars
for each place the world would not give
under our weight. Our thoughts get laced
with strange aches, sweet as the final chord
that hangs in a guitar's blond torso."

It reminds me of something we'd read in English and then have to quote and write an essay on later.

What is the theme of the poem? On a full sheet of bristleboard, create a map of a day in your life. In a three-page formal essay, relate Kasdorf's poem to Robert Frost's "The Road Not Taken."
Due in one week.

Here's to the start of a five-day weekend :)

Just got home. Youth group was fun. Driving with Jill, going to a random Tim Horton's, and bursting into song was also fun. But boy am I tired.

Well at least I updated this blog.

Inspirations In The Most Unexpected Places.

One of Florine's best friends was over today from New York. I've only met her a few times but she's really cool and, like Florine, has all this knowledge about a lot of interesting stuff. So anyways Friend started asking her about possible careers for me and we just went in a completely different direction. She brought up the idea of working in a publishing place, reviewing books and stuff, which sounds like fun because you know I have opinions and I like to share them haha.

She talked about doing what you love but with something technical thrown in that's in the same field. There was this girl she taught once (she's a teacher) and she loved music; writing it, singing it, everything about it, but her parents wanted her to go and be a nurse. So she sat down with both of them and she explained to the girl that all her parents wanted was for her to be able to support herself and that's important but in the end she is an adult and should have her own say. So she ended up going to university and became a sound engineer - which still allows her to stay true to what she loves (not to mention become connected with all the singers and songwriters) but at the same time she's able to securely support herself.

The truth is, I don't really know exactly what I love and am passionate about. I've looked at the University of Toronto list of the courses that you can take and I started marking down every one that I was interested in but I ended up circling almost the entire sheet! And U of T offers a LOT of courses on just about everything. Meaning if I were to take every single course I wanted to take I would end up being in university for the rest of my life! And then Friend suggested that instead of taking the course to just buy the book for it instead and you would have just about the same knowledge. And Jann (the name of Florine's friend) started talking about this guy whom she really admires for his knowledge of world mythology and has become very influential in today's world. He was doing his thing for a PhD and one day realised that there were so many limitations on everything that it was forcing him into a direction he did not want to go. So he dropped out. Got out of university, lived in an almost rent-free little shack on the beach so he didn't need as much money, and just read. For an entire year, all he did was read. And also run, because he was really athletic too. And nobody ever went up to him and was like "Oh, umm you don't have a PhD?" He's actually now a teacher teaching PhD courses!

To me that just sounds so cool. Not to mention a totally amazing experience. I for one certainly wouldn't mind living by the beach doing nothing but read ;) But anyways, the past hour or so has been a refreshingly different perspective to looking at the future. It seems to be such a big focus, especially in the past few months. Which is a good thing to be sure, but at the same time when you're hearing everything over and over again it can be a little redundant, especially when you realize you have no goal in life other than to retire lol.

Anyways I'm just rambling on again when really I should be doing a calculus assignment and making a poster on Les Seychelles (a francophone country northeast of Madagascar) so I better get started on those, in that order. If you too are struggling with choosing a career hopefully you got something out of this too, though I know a blog is not like being there in person and having the actual conversation.

Wow this is a long blog considering it's only about the past hour. All day it's been exciting; for example there was a girl I had just met yesterday and talked to a little bit, eleven years old, helping out with the kids at the Easter thing, and who did I see getting baptized in church this morning but her! Talk about cool. And after church Friend and I got to go to a few places to drop off some papers for the people that couldn't make it to church and it was nice to be able to see everyone and brighten up their day a little bit. Next week he has the shut-in communion and he invited me along so I'm excited. Something like that sounds like it'd be such a drag (which is why a lot of people don't) but when you do I don't know who enjoys it more, you or the people you visit!

Did I mention it's a beautiful day today? The sun's shining, the sky is blue, the trees outside are fluttering with the breeze... so far it's been a good day. You may not see me in such a good mood later on when I realize I no longer understand calculus and start stressing but hey it's always good to have variety! :D