Christiemon
DOB: March 32nd, 1991
Side Note: As a friend pointed out, Christiemon admittedly DOES imply digimon more than pokemon. However, pokemon names are all random, so the only way I could make a pokemon reference was to mention factors of the gameboy game and the "mon" at the end. Please excuse this minor technicality, dear pokemon fans.
My least favourite day of the year is my birthday (as listed above). Apparently, normal people like to advertise their birthdays (e.g. posting it on facebook as openly as their name) or even include a countdown in their instant messaging name. I am the complete opposite; I have avoided posting it anywhere and have forbidden the select knowledgeable few from telling anyone. Don't even think about asking them; they're protecting it with their lives...wellll, in case you wish to harass them, here are a few of the individuals:
-Katie
-Alex
-Irene
-my parents (hopefully)
+ other less tactful members of the cult that would be risky to list :)
Why the secrecy, people ask?
1. I don't really like being the centre of attention or anything, and that's pretty much the purpose of birthdays--celebrating someone because they were born (i.e. my nightmare). Besides, most renditions of Happy Birthday I've heard so far were terrible, how is that pleasant for the birthday boy/girl?
2. I have a problem with presents. I don't like choosing gifts for people, and I'm rather terrible at it. Hence, I feel really bad if people remember my birthday and happen to get me a gift or even buy me a meal. This is mainly due to the fact that I'm a lazy witch who hates shopping for gifts. If you get me something, I'll feel obliged to get you something in return. If you were a true friend, you wouldn't want to subject me that torture, would you?
--AND DON'T EVEN TRY TO APPLY MY REASON IN REVERSE because if I get you something, trust me, it's not because I'm being nice, but because I actually want to buy you something (see my Play...nice? post). I'm mean, selfish and only fulfilling my desire to treat you to some monetary expression of our relationship because I can't get it down in words or actions quite as succinctly.
Btw, I also dislike birthday parties because social convention demands that you attend a birthday party with an equally pleasing gift for the honoured host. Phooey, it sucks that these gatherings always have to be so fun--a real dilemma, I tell you.
3. I'm terrible at remembering birthdays. Only a few losers in my life have been unfortunate enough to have their birthday dates stuck in my head. However, even if I KNOW the dates, I have great difficulties remembering to wish the appropriate individual well on the appropriate days.
4. If I publish my birthday everywhere and anyone who happens to check facebook/MSN at the right time, in the right mood, would probably refer to one of the following templates:
1. The classic: "Happy (optional: [insert number] th/st) Birthday, [insert name]!"
2. The snarky: "[insert old reference]" (e.g. Another year older and wiser, eh?)
3. The boring one: "Have a good one!"
4. The clever: "You're finally [insert number]...[insert some sort of drinking/legal reference]"
Admittedly, I am also guilty of posting these kinds of birthday wishes to others on occasion...but I feel obliged to wish these people hbd because clearly, that's what they want, if they're publishing their birthday on facebook. You know me, I just LOOVEEE pleasing people...
Sometimes you get people wishing you happy birthday who probably don't actually feel like wishing you happy birthday, but they add in at least a few exclamation points anyway. I don't know, I just don't feel right forcing everyone to feel happy about my birth...I'm not even that happy about it, why should I ask you be?
And that, dear reader, is the answer to that mystery.
P.S. Jennifer, if you're still reading, my birthday isn't actually April 1st, and I'm sorry for misleading you! :(
Thursday, May 20, 2010
Wednesday, May 12, 2010
Play...nice?
"OMG she's like the nicest person on earth!" "He's a really nice guy..." "She's so nice she couldn't hurt a fly,"--these are a few of my least favourite things. A personal pet peeve of mine is when people mistake meekness and a lack of assertiveness for "niceness". Cmon, here, lets not give credit where it is not due.
What does it mean to be nice? To be honest, I can only speculate since I, myself, am not a nice person. Being polite is one thing, but what does it REALLY mean?
Speculation: No one is truly "nice". Humans will always seek to satiate the innate goal of self-preservation. Depending on what kind of personality traits you are given, people express themselves differently and seek self-satisfaction through different means. Nice people take pleasure in making others happy, and by pursuing this goal they achieve a sense of pride and satisfaction. As for the unfortunate rest, why force yourself to be something you're not? Forced niceties give off a worse impression than if you were to just be yourself.
In elementary school, I actually tried to be nice to everyone around grade 5. This didn't turn out so well. I ended up betraying friends, becoming the teacher's pet, and I was disloyal to my puppy-love "boyfriend" at the time--all because I wanted to be nice and loved by all. At least after these experiences, I learned that being nice wasn't everything. You have to be practical about what you want, realistic of how your actions will affect others, and weigh the alternatives to come up with the best plan of action.
STORY TIME:
From a very young age, I should have realized that I never was (going to be) a nice person. In nursery school, my friend wanted to come down the slide just after I had gone down, As some twisted sarcastic joke, I was blocking the way at the bottom with an angry face and an obviously empty threat, "You can't come down!"
Btw, don't ask how I remember this story; it's strange how this is my only memory of nursery school, and it's all so clear to me--even my exact feelings at the time!
For some reason, it never occurred to her that she could go down the slide anyway, and I would obviously jump out of the way to avoid getting hit. Instead she just started whining and crying. In my mind, I intended to let her go down the slide if she stopped complaining, sucked up her tears, and realized I was being sarcastic. My frustration further led me to tell her "You can't come down! You'll never see your Mommy again!" Honestly, if she just quit her whining, I would have moved right out of the way and we would have gone on playing like the best friends we were (yes, I did this to my best friend--yes, I know I'm a horrible kid). Unfortunately, the teacher cut my little scheme to a short close, and I must have gotten some kind of time-out, as was the fashionable consequence of the time.
This memory of mine is rather interesting, but I can definitely see that I haven't changed much since then. I often still make really mean jokes about other people, pretty much insulting them with only a minor twinge of sarcasm. I just can't help it; that's just the twisted, sick person I am. Sorry to all my past, present, and future victims!
Anyways, consider this...
Like the serial killer can't help but take pleasure from taking other lives, the "nice person" can't help but take pleasure in doing things for others. Is it really fair to only condemn "mean people" (just like the serial killer) simply because the "nice" people were lucky enough to be born with natural tendencies that happen to fall into socially accepted standards? I think nice is an overrated trend--instead, I think we should be striving to exhibit other more veritable traits such as sincerity, tact, consideration, etc.
Just a thought.
P.S. Short posts are SOOOO in.
What does it mean to be nice? To be honest, I can only speculate since I, myself, am not a nice person. Being polite is one thing, but what does it REALLY mean?
Speculation: No one is truly "nice". Humans will always seek to satiate the innate goal of self-preservation. Depending on what kind of personality traits you are given, people express themselves differently and seek self-satisfaction through different means. Nice people take pleasure in making others happy, and by pursuing this goal they achieve a sense of pride and satisfaction. As for the unfortunate rest, why force yourself to be something you're not? Forced niceties give off a worse impression than if you were to just be yourself.
In elementary school, I actually tried to be nice to everyone around grade 5. This didn't turn out so well. I ended up betraying friends, becoming the teacher's pet, and I was disloyal to my puppy-love "boyfriend" at the time--all because I wanted to be nice and loved by all. At least after these experiences, I learned that being nice wasn't everything. You have to be practical about what you want, realistic of how your actions will affect others, and weigh the alternatives to come up with the best plan of action.
STORY TIME:
From a very young age, I should have realized that I never was (going to be) a nice person. In nursery school, my friend wanted to come down the slide just after I had gone down, As some twisted sarcastic joke, I was blocking the way at the bottom with an angry face and an obviously empty threat, "You can't come down!"
Btw, don't ask how I remember this story; it's strange how this is my only memory of nursery school, and it's all so clear to me--even my exact feelings at the time!
For some reason, it never occurred to her that she could go down the slide anyway, and I would obviously jump out of the way to avoid getting hit. Instead she just started whining and crying. In my mind, I intended to let her go down the slide if she stopped complaining, sucked up her tears, and realized I was being sarcastic. My frustration further led me to tell her "You can't come down! You'll never see your Mommy again!" Honestly, if she just quit her whining, I would have moved right out of the way and we would have gone on playing like the best friends we were (yes, I did this to my best friend--yes, I know I'm a horrible kid). Unfortunately, the teacher cut my little scheme to a short close, and I must have gotten some kind of time-out, as was the fashionable consequence of the time.
This memory of mine is rather interesting, but I can definitely see that I haven't changed much since then. I often still make really mean jokes about other people, pretty much insulting them with only a minor twinge of sarcasm. I just can't help it; that's just the twisted, sick person I am. Sorry to all my past, present, and future victims!
Anyways, consider this...
Like the serial killer can't help but take pleasure from taking other lives, the "nice person" can't help but take pleasure in doing things for others. Is it really fair to only condemn "mean people" (just like the serial killer) simply because the "nice" people were lucky enough to be born with natural tendencies that happen to fall into socially accepted standards? I think nice is an overrated trend--instead, I think we should be striving to exhibit other more veritable traits such as sincerity, tact, consideration, etc.
Just a thought.
P.S. Short posts are SOOOO in.
Monday, May 10, 2010
The Latest...in FOOD
So, this post is uncharacteristically short. Mainly because I'm trying to compensate for my previous "double post", and I'm feeling a bit guilty about neglecting my work yet again. Omg, and I even decided to spare unfortunate readers a bit of pain by adding...*GASP visuals.
Wellll, I suppose it's a bit redundant to state it, but I will anyway: CHRISTIE + FOOD = LOVE
I don't just mean a widespread player-like love, but I have certainly enjoyed my share of short and long term relationships (i.e. food fads).
The oldest fad I can remember is good 'ol Cesar salad. Of course, this is the notorious pedophilic vegetable that has managed to be the only vegetable in the hearts of young children. It may be the crisp croutons, the juicy bacon bits, or perhaps the classic Cesar dressing itself. Whatever it is, children cannot avoid being drawn in by its irresistible promises and charm, myself included. Some days, we would go at it--4 or even 5 consecutive servings. I know, I was such a hoe from such a young age (i.e. 10-12).
Years after my puppy l
ove with cesar salad, I met couscous. SOOO GOOD! It's basically a pasta type that is in the form of tiny rice-like granules. It's of Mediterranean origin, I believe--one of my favourite food cultures! YUM. I ate so much couscous for about a month until I got sick of it. I still love it, but I don't think we will ever feel the same about each other again.
I shortly rebounded to sundried tomatoes. YUMYUMYUM!!!!!! Our eyes first met through delicious Italian cuisine, namely my favourite Italian restaurant in Toronto: Terroni's ^-^ We did it everywhere--on crackers, with bread, top(ping)less--you name it, we did it. ;)
You may be interested to hear this scandalous bit of information. I actually started my next relationship midway through the previous one...oops? Can you blame me? Things just sorta...happened while the sun-dried tomatoes sort of lost my interest. The flirting began and what do you know, sparks were flying everywhere. Enter: THE JALAPENO PEPPERS. I'm not even lying, this is an exact picture of the jar I was involved with. I devoured it with pasta, bread, and topless once again.
After a few months of this infatuation, we had a terrible breakup. I don't think I can really touch or even look at him again. From time to time, I'll help myself to a little nibble or enjoy his flavour in a subtler form, but we both know things can never return to the way they once were.
This next little bugger has proven to be a real tease with serious commitment issues. I was first drawn to its pleasing black appearance (right), but when I tasted its distinctive, flavourful inside, I knew I was in love. Little did I know, he didn't really reciprocate those feelings. I was instead passed onto his more envious cousin (below). We had a thing for a few months, and from time to time I would revert between the two. I guess you could say I was a bit of a player--and now? Well, lets just say we're a messed up triangle of friends who offer each other favours/benefits under the table from time to time...I don't think I can really complain, for that would just be plain ungrateful.
After a long history of ups and downs, I have certainly experienced a wide variety of tastes. Even after such a journey, I am still in search of that ONE flavour for me that will love me in sickness, in health, and even beyond death. Until then, let me introduce you to my latest sweetheart. I like to call him "Eggy". Isn't he just the cutest?
Wellll, I suppose it's a bit redundant to state it, but I will anyway: CHRISTIE + FOOD = LOVE
I don't just mean a widespread player-like love, but I have certainly enjoyed my share of short and long term relationships (i.e. food fads).
The oldest fad I can remember is good 'ol Cesar salad. Of course, this is the notorious pedophilic vegetable that has managed to be the only vegetable in the hearts of young children. It may be the crisp croutons, the juicy bacon bits, or perhaps the classic Cesar dressing itself. Whatever it is, children cannot avoid being drawn in by its irresistible promises and charm, myself included. Some days, we would go at it--4 or even 5 consecutive servings. I know, I was such a hoe from such a young age (i.e. 10-12).
Years after my puppy l
ove with cesar salad, I met couscous. SOOO GOOD! It's basically a pasta type that is in the form of tiny rice-like granules. It's of Mediterranean origin, I believe--one of my favourite food cultures! YUM. I ate so much couscous for about a month until I got sick of it. I still love it, but I don't think we will ever feel the same about each other again.
I shortly rebounded to sundried tomatoes. YUMYUMYUM!!!!!! Our eyes first met through delicious Italian cuisine, namely my favourite Italian restaurant in Toronto: Terroni's ^-^ We did it everywhere--on crackers, with bread, top(ping)less--you name it, we did it. ;)
You may be interested to hear this scandalous bit of information. I actually started my next relationship midway through the previous one...oops? Can you blame me? Things just sorta...happened while the sun-dried tomatoes sort of lost my interest. The flirting began and what do you know, sparks were flying everywhere. Enter: THE JALAPENO PEPPERS. I'm not even lying, this is an exact picture of the jar I was involved with. I devoured it with pasta, bread, and topless once again.
After a few months of this infatuation, we had a terrible breakup. I don't think I can really touch or even look at him again. From time to time, I'll help myself to a little nibble or enjoy his flavour in a subtler form, but we both know things can never return to the way they once were.
This next little bugger has proven to be a real tease with serious commitment issues. I was first drawn to its pleasing black appearance (right), but when I tasted its distinctive, flavourful inside, I knew I was in love. Little did I know, he didn't really reciprocate those feelings. I was instead passed onto his more envious cousin (below). We had a thing for a few months, and from time to time I would revert between the two. I guess you could say I was a bit of a player--and now? Well, lets just say we're a messed up triangle of friends who offer each other favours/benefits under the table from time to time...I don't think I can really complain, for that would just be plain ungrateful.
After a long history of ups and downs, I have certainly experienced a wide variety of tastes. Even after such a journey, I am still in search of that ONE flavour for me that will love me in sickness, in health, and even beyond death. Until then, let me introduce you to my latest sweetheart. I like to call him "Eggy". Isn't he just the cutest?
Thursday, May 6, 2010
Mr. Christie Jr.
When I think about what my home life will be like in the future, I must admit it's all still very blurry. I can't picture what job I'll be doing, where I'll be living, or who I'll be living with, if anyone at all; the only thing I AM sure about is that I plan to enjoy life. I also know that I would really like to raise my own kid, whether it's my own or even adopted. Anyways, before I get onto the main meat of this post, let me go through the motions of some updates--academic, and non-academic.
So, I just started my study term this week. I'm taking 6 courses and 1 lab:
BIOL 373 (online) - Human Physiology 2: I took the BIOL 273 course last summer online as well...and with the same prof too. Shouldn't be too bad, except all the lectures are only in audio form--they used to come with a powerpoint visual. This makes it a bit harder to focus and it takes longer for me to listen and formulate my own notes on the spot, but oh well. It's definitely the preferrable alternative to sitting in a boring biology lectures 2-3 times a week; somehow I never seem to absorb anything biology-related that I hear in lecture. Too boring.
ECON 102 - Macroeconomics: WAH! I missed my first class because they changed the room last-minute due to building construction. Now it's in a dark, stuffy physics room...makes me sleepy, and the overly redundant/obvious course content doesn't help either.
ENGL 108M - Youth and Adolescence: The books on the course outline are:
-James Joyce: Portrait of a young man (or something along those lines)
-Neil Gaiman: The Graveyard Book
-5th Business - by somebody I forget
-Persepolis Marjand Satrapi (?)
+other short stories (e.g. Freudian-inspired psychoanalysis of Little Red Riding Hood, Gertrude Talks by Margaret Atwood)
Sorry, avid readers, I probably butchered all those titles/authors, but you have some idea of what I mean. Again, I apologize for being too lazy to even confirm the names on my books right here in my room or to even google them for that matter. By all means, condemn me, gossip, criticize--whatever makes you feel better.
Anyways, I'm so excited for this course! It's been almost 3 years since I took an English course! Oh, if you're wondering how that's possible:
1. I don't take English courses in my uni program.
2. I boycotted English at my school for summer school and online courses because I kept getting the same crappy teacher. Yes, it made a SIGNIFICANT difference, if you're wondering.
MATH 128 - Calculus 2 for Scientists: So, I did my best to avoid this course by going into Science and Business (Biology specialization) JUST to avoid this course and physics. As you can tell, I ended up taking both nightmares anyway -_-" Not that I was ever good at math, but now I'm SUPER rusty cuz I haven't taken MATH 127 since Fall 2008. To top off this never-ending mound of good news, my prof is boring, doesn't really teach, goes pretty fast, and calls on the entire class sequentially to answer questions. I still haven't been called on, but I try to seat myself farthest from the seat where I think she will start calling on students. I think I'm too terrified of being called on to focus on the actual content. As if I didn't already have enough trouble with Math.
Interesting fact: I almost didn't get into university because of the vectors unit in math. I needed to maintain a 75 in Math, and I started off the term with a 66 from this unit. Oh, the trauma.
PHYS 112 - Physics 2 + lab: My prof makes stupid analogies and keeps poor notes. Recall: This is my second physics course in my life, but I'm not too discouraged YET, since I did decently in 111. :) *Gasp WAS THAT OPTIMISM?
PSYCH 101 - Intro to Psychology: Boring so far, definitely overrated. Why do people like going into psychology again? It seems just like a bunch of data collection...very reminiscent of stats/data...who in their right mind would want to study this unless you have a very "special" mind indeed...
So, that's this term in a furry chestnut shell. I'm not really sure what to expect, but I guess it's about time I revived my dismal study habits.
NB. For anyone who feels like performing the social convention of asking how my courses went last term: I somehow ended up doing okay on my lab and course. Then again, when you don't study and prepare yourself to receive a 60, anything looks good right?
As for the non-academic updates, I truly made some great friends at my co-op term, as mentioned in my earlier post (in good co-ompany): Brian, Cathy, Cynthia, Devon, Justina, Kyle, Matt, Qi, and Sirisopha. I really doubt we'll ever be able to enjoy the same friendship as before, but I have learned to expect this cyclical rotation of friends. It's just a way of life.
Not to overruse my annoyingly recurring transition word, but "SOOOOoooooo"...
onto the main "meat", as promised.
What plans do I have in store for Christie Jr.? Well, from my own life and personal preferences, I think I already have some ideas of how I will raise my child.
1. First of all, you may ask, "Is there a gender preference? If not, how would my approach differ?" I think I would prefer a girl, despite all the times where I sincerely wished that I was a boy. Let me explain my reasoning. Well, I think that boys are already tough and have a certain extent of self-confidence and esteem; thus a girl would benefit more from my version of parenting. I see myself doing the female gender some good--not saying that I would create a tomboy or a "butch feminist" (I know Alex enjoys that phrase), but definitely not a ditz/fob/[insert other derogatory classification] :) I'd like to raise a girl to be emotionally tougher and more practical/realistic, both traits that many girls (especially asian ones) today seriously lack and this bothers me, naturally. For a boy, my parenting would more or less be the same, but it would definitely make the job easier.
2. I feel really useless being monolingual, and I would like to spare my child this inconvenience. I will travel around the world with my child at an early age and temporarily settle in different areas, in hopes that they will pick up other languages. Of course this depends on what income I end up making, but at the very least, I will send them to Korean school from a very young age and eventually a French immersion program in elementary and secondary school.
3. I will read lots of books with my child from a very young age. Almost every person I know who read a lot of books from a young age has strong English writing and reading comprehension skills--both extremely valuable skills no matter what career they end up pursuing.
4. I will provide my child with at least cable TV. I think it's an important social and cosmopolitan-ic learning tool. Also, by providing them with sufficient access to a TV from a young age, the novelty and excitement associated with cable TV will hopefully wear off by their mid-adolescent years at the latest.
5. No physical discipline. Ironic coming from me eh? Personally, I think this method might work for a dog or hamster, but humans can be reasoned with. If they can't, physical messaging cannot be any clearer than what is said in words.
6. Keep lectures short. Before I approach my child about a serious issue, I think it would be more effective to just emphasize the main points. If you go on and on about your complaints, it becomes a nag to your kid and they tune you out, and you eventually lose their respect, and they start to get annoyed whenever it looks like you're getting into one of your 'talks', and whether you realize it or not, all your talks are pretty much saying the same things anyway, and this is just filler text; I can't believe you are reading it...blah, blah, blah, etc.
7. Provide the sex talk. I know my parents didn't tell me anything about sex. Maybe they were too scared or embarrassed to talk about it to me, but it made sex somewhat intriguing. I also ended up asking my best friends to share their views and personal experiences on puberty. Essentially, I received the notorious sex talk secondhand, with possible stretching of the truth here and there. You would want your kids to get the story right the first time, or do you?--bringing me to my next plan of action...
8. I don't want to be one of those parents that lazily makes up an answer to a 'complex' question. Unless there is some life-threatening piece of knowledge that I don't want my kids to know, I would like to tell them the right thing the first time, or at least as much as they are willing to hear. Otherwise, I'd have to sit down with them once they hit a mature enough age and essentially "revise" all the half-truths I told them when they were younger. Of course, there is also the chance that some of these half-truths will never be corrected in time to save them from some embarrassing conversation with their friends or a cute boy/girl later on in the future. I'd like to spare my child this inconvenience as well.
9. I want to teach my kid the underlying principle of my life: marginal utility>marginal cost, otherwise no purchase. Basically, only invest time in something, if you are getting more out of it than it is costing you...whether it's enjoyment, service, convenience, pleasure, self-satisfaction, etc. Don't just buy something because it's cheap. Don't just get something because everyone else is. Really evaluate what something means to you. I'm not trying to be a snobby capitalist in this point; it can apply to helping others as well. You should only help others if you are really interested in helping them out--as opposed to being afraid of what they/others will think if you don't help them out (i.e. doing the right thing for the wrong reasons). Only if you follow this rule, will you be satisfied with anything that you invest in, my child.
10. Live in the now. Something my English prof said today really struck me...something along the lines of how our society currently encourages everyone to be constantly setting themselves up for the future rather than reflecting on the past or even stopping to enjoy the present. Take time now to enjoy your youth and adolescence before it's too late and you have later regrets. However, while still being slightly realistic and conscious of the future, I would ensure I emphasize to my child the importance of getting job experience, over more frivolous extracurricular activities such as piano lessons or art classes.
So, I just started my study term this week. I'm taking 6 courses and 1 lab:
BIOL 373 (online) - Human Physiology 2: I took the BIOL 273 course last summer online as well...and with the same prof too. Shouldn't be too bad, except all the lectures are only in audio form--they used to come with a powerpoint visual. This makes it a bit harder to focus and it takes longer for me to listen and formulate my own notes on the spot, but oh well. It's definitely the preferrable alternative to sitting in a boring biology lectures 2-3 times a week; somehow I never seem to absorb anything biology-related that I hear in lecture. Too boring.
ECON 102 - Macroeconomics: WAH! I missed my first class because they changed the room last-minute due to building construction. Now it's in a dark, stuffy physics room...makes me sleepy, and the overly redundant/obvious course content doesn't help either.
ENGL 108M - Youth and Adolescence: The books on the course outline are:
-James Joyce: Portrait of a young man (or something along those lines)
-Neil Gaiman: The Graveyard Book
-5th Business - by somebody I forget
-Persepolis Marjand Satrapi (?)
+other short stories (e.g. Freudian-inspired psychoanalysis of Little Red Riding Hood, Gertrude Talks by Margaret Atwood)
Sorry, avid readers, I probably butchered all those titles/authors, but you have some idea of what I mean. Again, I apologize for being too lazy to even confirm the names on my books right here in my room or to even google them for that matter. By all means, condemn me, gossip, criticize--whatever makes you feel better.
Anyways, I'm so excited for this course! It's been almost 3 years since I took an English course! Oh, if you're wondering how that's possible:
1. I don't take English courses in my uni program.
2. I boycotted English at my school for summer school and online courses because I kept getting the same crappy teacher. Yes, it made a SIGNIFICANT difference, if you're wondering.
MATH 128 - Calculus 2 for Scientists: So, I did my best to avoid this course by going into Science and Business (Biology specialization) JUST to avoid this course and physics. As you can tell, I ended up taking both nightmares anyway -_-" Not that I was ever good at math, but now I'm SUPER rusty cuz I haven't taken MATH 127 since Fall 2008. To top off this never-ending mound of good news, my prof is boring, doesn't really teach, goes pretty fast, and calls on the entire class sequentially to answer questions. I still haven't been called on, but I try to seat myself farthest from the seat where I think she will start calling on students. I think I'm too terrified of being called on to focus on the actual content. As if I didn't already have enough trouble with Math.
Interesting fact: I almost didn't get into university because of the vectors unit in math. I needed to maintain a 75 in Math, and I started off the term with a 66 from this unit. Oh, the trauma.
PHYS 112 - Physics 2 + lab: My prof makes stupid analogies and keeps poor notes. Recall: This is my second physics course in my life, but I'm not too discouraged YET, since I did decently in 111. :) *Gasp WAS THAT OPTIMISM?
PSYCH 101 - Intro to Psychology: Boring so far, definitely overrated. Why do people like going into psychology again? It seems just like a bunch of data collection...very reminiscent of stats/data...who in their right mind would want to study this unless you have a very "special" mind indeed...
So, that's this term in a furry chestnut shell. I'm not really sure what to expect, but I guess it's about time I revived my dismal study habits.
NB. For anyone who feels like performing the social convention of asking how my courses went last term: I somehow ended up doing okay on my lab and course. Then again, when you don't study and prepare yourself to receive a 60, anything looks good right?
As for the non-academic updates, I truly made some great friends at my co-op term, as mentioned in my earlier post (in good co-ompany): Brian, Cathy, Cynthia, Devon, Justina, Kyle, Matt, Qi, and Sirisopha. I really doubt we'll ever be able to enjoy the same friendship as before, but I have learned to expect this cyclical rotation of friends. It's just a way of life.
Not to overruse my annoyingly recurring transition word, but "SOOOOoooooo"...
onto the main "meat", as promised.
What plans do I have in store for Christie Jr.? Well, from my own life and personal preferences, I think I already have some ideas of how I will raise my child.
1. First of all, you may ask, "Is there a gender preference? If not, how would my approach differ?" I think I would prefer a girl, despite all the times where I sincerely wished that I was a boy. Let me explain my reasoning. Well, I think that boys are already tough and have a certain extent of self-confidence and esteem; thus a girl would benefit more from my version of parenting. I see myself doing the female gender some good--not saying that I would create a tomboy or a "butch feminist" (I know Alex enjoys that phrase), but definitely not a ditz/fob/[insert other derogatory classification] :) I'd like to raise a girl to be emotionally tougher and more practical/realistic, both traits that many girls (especially asian ones) today seriously lack and this bothers me, naturally. For a boy, my parenting would more or less be the same, but it would definitely make the job easier.
2. I feel really useless being monolingual, and I would like to spare my child this inconvenience. I will travel around the world with my child at an early age and temporarily settle in different areas, in hopes that they will pick up other languages. Of course this depends on what income I end up making, but at the very least, I will send them to Korean school from a very young age and eventually a French immersion program in elementary and secondary school.
3. I will read lots of books with my child from a very young age. Almost every person I know who read a lot of books from a young age has strong English writing and reading comprehension skills--both extremely valuable skills no matter what career they end up pursuing.
4. I will provide my child with at least cable TV. I think it's an important social and cosmopolitan-ic learning tool. Also, by providing them with sufficient access to a TV from a young age, the novelty and excitement associated with cable TV will hopefully wear off by their mid-adolescent years at the latest.
5. No physical discipline. Ironic coming from me eh? Personally, I think this method might work for a dog or hamster, but humans can be reasoned with. If they can't, physical messaging cannot be any clearer than what is said in words.
6. Keep lectures short. Before I approach my child about a serious issue, I think it would be more effective to just emphasize the main points. If you go on and on about your complaints, it becomes a nag to your kid and they tune you out, and you eventually lose their respect, and they start to get annoyed whenever it looks like you're getting into one of your 'talks', and whether you realize it or not, all your talks are pretty much saying the same things anyway, and this is just filler text; I can't believe you are reading it...blah, blah, blah, etc.
7. Provide the sex talk. I know my parents didn't tell me anything about sex. Maybe they were too scared or embarrassed to talk about it to me, but it made sex somewhat intriguing. I also ended up asking my best friends to share their views and personal experiences on puberty. Essentially, I received the notorious sex talk secondhand, with possible stretching of the truth here and there. You would want your kids to get the story right the first time, or do you?--bringing me to my next plan of action...
8. I don't want to be one of those parents that lazily makes up an answer to a 'complex' question. Unless there is some life-threatening piece of knowledge that I don't want my kids to know, I would like to tell them the right thing the first time, or at least as much as they are willing to hear. Otherwise, I'd have to sit down with them once they hit a mature enough age and essentially "revise" all the half-truths I told them when they were younger. Of course, there is also the chance that some of these half-truths will never be corrected in time to save them from some embarrassing conversation with their friends or a cute boy/girl later on in the future. I'd like to spare my child this inconvenience as well.
9. I want to teach my kid the underlying principle of my life: marginal utility>marginal cost, otherwise no purchase. Basically, only invest time in something, if you are getting more out of it than it is costing you...whether it's enjoyment, service, convenience, pleasure, self-satisfaction, etc. Don't just buy something because it's cheap. Don't just get something because everyone else is. Really evaluate what something means to you. I'm not trying to be a snobby capitalist in this point; it can apply to helping others as well. You should only help others if you are really interested in helping them out--as opposed to being afraid of what they/others will think if you don't help them out (i.e. doing the right thing for the wrong reasons). Only if you follow this rule, will you be satisfied with anything that you invest in, my child.
10. Live in the now. Something my English prof said today really struck me...something along the lines of how our society currently encourages everyone to be constantly setting themselves up for the future rather than reflecting on the past or even stopping to enjoy the present. Take time now to enjoy your youth and adolescence before it's too late and you have later regrets. However, while still being slightly realistic and conscious of the future, I would ensure I emphasize to my child the importance of getting job experience, over more frivolous extracurricular activities such as piano lessons or art classes.
Saturday, April 17, 2010
Always Afraid to Make Amish-take
Short and sweet--Top 10 Reasons Why I Accept My Title as Being "Amish"
Note: Some of these points are not necessarily AMISH, but still advocate my role as an inexperienced, naive, and useless human being.
1. I don't watch TV; I don't understand how people can do other things while a TV is on...I get so mesmerized by the moving figures on the screen...
2. The most extreme sport I've ever participated in was water skiing...and I sucked.
3. I've never used an ATM machine until a few weeks ago. My friend had to guide me through it, and the guy behind me was laughing at me.
4. I used my debit card for the first time today--prior to that, I have always paid in cash.
5. I only speak one language.
6. I can be easily entertained by a simple ipod game like solitaire for hours at end.
7. I don't know how to cook; recently food poisoned myself.
8. I am an inexperienced buyer, not knowing the going rate for most things.
9. I would rather ride a horse for the rest of my life than own a car.
10. I'd rather sit by myself and read a book than have to venture out into the real world and meet people.
Note: Some of these points are not necessarily AMISH, but still advocate my role as an inexperienced, naive, and useless human being.
1. I don't watch TV; I don't understand how people can do other things while a TV is on...I get so mesmerized by the moving figures on the screen...
2. The most extreme sport I've ever participated in was water skiing...and I sucked.
3. I've never used an ATM machine until a few weeks ago. My friend had to guide me through it, and the guy behind me was laughing at me.
4. I used my debit card for the first time today--prior to that, I have always paid in cash.
5. I only speak one language.
6. I can be easily entertained by a simple ipod game like solitaire for hours at end.
7. I don't know how to cook; recently food poisoned myself.
8. I am an inexperienced buyer, not knowing the going rate for most things.
9. I would rather ride a horse for the rest of my life than own a car.
10. I'd rather sit by myself and read a book than have to venture out into the real world and meet people.
Monday, March 22, 2010
Boys Go to Jupiter to Get More Stupider
If you knew what I was about to write about, you would understand the irony of me being in the DC library and writing on my blog instead of tackling my horrendous workload. Ah well, in a mindless, endless, fruitless effort to keep my posts short, lets get to the point.
This weekend I went home again--HOLY CRAP, the world must really be ending in 2012--and had a relaxing weekend with my parents. Oddly enough, the euchre addiction gene seems to run in my family, as Yahoo Euchre was kind enough to babysit Robert for the duration of a peaceful weekend. I had a chance to enjoy lots of nice meals, conversations with my parents, and of course...MOVIES! What did you think we were going to watch--TV? So my parents buy tons of pirated movies from the local Chinese malls, and whenever I come home, I am obligated to get through that pile. So I started with a random one called An Education.
Synopsis pulled from the Internet: Jenny (Carey Mulligan) a very bright girl on the cusp of her 17th birthday, finds herself in a whirlwind romance with the much older David ( Peter Sarsgaard). Prior to meeting him, Jenny was working hard at secondary school to ensure getting to Oxford University. When she sees the lifestyle David can provide, one she never imagined could be hers, she's hooked and thoughts of Oxford are forgotten. Then, when things are looking pretty good for Jenny with the dashing (yet a little too smooth) David, the truth hits her like a ton of bricks. Jenny goes from being a bright eyed school girl and a sophisticated young lady, all the way back to questioning if she really knows who she is at all. 'An Education' won the Audience Choice award and the Cinematography award at the 2009 Sundance Film Festival.
Out of all the random new movies I could have chosen to watch, I was strangely drawn to this one. Can you see why? If the most you know about me is what you read from my blogs, I'm not sure if I have ever emphasized my wide-eyed, deer-in-the-headlights outlook on life. I basically have no idea what I am meant to do or if there is a place for me in life--particularly when it comes to a career. Especially at this point in my life when I have recently turned the blessed age of 19, I am more confused than ever. A HUGE part of me wants to ditch all my schoolwork, stock up on party clothes, and live the life I have stuffed under my bed for so long. Yet size is not always strength, I suppose; my tinier, vaguely obedient self longs to make anything that was ever invested in me worth something someday--especially for my parents' sake. Like Jenny, I reallllllllllllllly want to get out there and have fun, for once, but something keeps me shackled to the prospect of, what I guess you could call, a slower suicide. Sometimes I wonder if this makes me a weaker person--and not necessarily obedient. We all want to have fun. I just want to take the safer route, stay far inside the edge, and find some shallow comfort in the idea of "long term prosperity". Especially since Jenny actually had a goal and I don't, I feel I have even more reason to let loose and party...but I know realistically, if I let myself step any further into that kind of freedom and actual LIFE, I might never come back.
I'm gonna stop the post here because I feel so guilty for postponing my work again despite in-your-face looming deadlines--and the shackle is dragged along another few steps before stopping at the end of the slack.
This weekend I went home again--HOLY CRAP, the world must really be ending in 2012--and had a relaxing weekend with my parents. Oddly enough, the euchre addiction gene seems to run in my family, as Yahoo Euchre was kind enough to babysit Robert for the duration of a peaceful weekend. I had a chance to enjoy lots of nice meals, conversations with my parents, and of course...MOVIES! What did you think we were going to watch--TV? So my parents buy tons of pirated movies from the local Chinese malls, and whenever I come home, I am obligated to get through that pile. So I started with a random one called An Education.
Synopsis pulled from the Internet: Jenny (Carey Mulligan) a very bright girl on the cusp of her 17th birthday, finds herself in a whirlwind romance with the much older David ( Peter Sarsgaard). Prior to meeting him, Jenny was working hard at secondary school to ensure getting to Oxford University. When she sees the lifestyle David can provide, one she never imagined could be hers, she's hooked and thoughts of Oxford are forgotten. Then, when things are looking pretty good for Jenny with the dashing (yet a little too smooth) David, the truth hits her like a ton of bricks. Jenny goes from being a bright eyed school girl and a sophisticated young lady, all the way back to questioning if she really knows who she is at all. 'An Education' won the Audience Choice award and the Cinematography award at the 2009 Sundance Film Festival.
Out of all the random new movies I could have chosen to watch, I was strangely drawn to this one. Can you see why? If the most you know about me is what you read from my blogs, I'm not sure if I have ever emphasized my wide-eyed, deer-in-the-headlights outlook on life. I basically have no idea what I am meant to do or if there is a place for me in life--particularly when it comes to a career. Especially at this point in my life when I have recently turned the blessed age of 19, I am more confused than ever. A HUGE part of me wants to ditch all my schoolwork, stock up on party clothes, and live the life I have stuffed under my bed for so long. Yet size is not always strength, I suppose; my tinier, vaguely obedient self longs to make anything that was ever invested in me worth something someday--especially for my parents' sake. Like Jenny, I reallllllllllllllly want to get out there and have fun, for once, but something keeps me shackled to the prospect of, what I guess you could call, a slower suicide. Sometimes I wonder if this makes me a weaker person--and not necessarily obedient. We all want to have fun. I just want to take the safer route, stay far inside the edge, and find some shallow comfort in the idea of "long term prosperity". Especially since Jenny actually had a goal and I don't, I feel I have even more reason to let loose and party...but I know realistically, if I let myself step any further into that kind of freedom and actual LIFE, I might never come back.
I'm gonna stop the post here because I feel so guilty for postponing my work again despite in-your-face looming deadlines--and the shackle is dragged along another few steps before stopping at the end of the slack.
Saturday, March 20, 2010
(Spring) Showers
So the weather these days is lovely, but someone told me we are getting snow this weekend. That is terribly unsettling, but I won't let it spoil my mood for the moment. Anyways, that's not really what this post is about.
Here we go: Showers. I'm sorry if you catch me on the wrong day, but I don't shower nearly as often as social convention demands. Typically I shower about once every few days, but only a few years ago was I informed that "normal" people shower daily. Basically, the times whenever my hair gets gross dictate when I take a shower --and here we go back on the path of unfounded opinions, gotta love it...
So why are my showers such a rare and miraculous event? Simple. I don't really feel the need to shower. If I just played soccer or sat in a really hot environment sweating my salts out, then I will be disgusted into taking a shower. Of course, I have to understand that most guys have odour issues, perhaps an effect of their manly pheromones, but what about girls? A lot of girls who just sit around looking pretty--don't really engage in any activity that causes them to break even a drop of sweat--insist on taking a daily shower. WHY? People are always talking about ways to save energy, water, resources, etc. WHY NOT start with hot shower water? Personally, I feel that people can still look good by cleaning themselves up without a daily full-length shower. I hear that many girls take showers without washing their hair--what is the point of this? Showering has evolved from being a simple hygienic survival instinct to another mechanical routine encoded into the great social convention Bible. Can we not tolerate a bit of discomfort everyday? In fact, some of the showers that girls take to just "rinse themselves" take longer than the duration of my full shower (complete with hair washing). If you're not willing to tolerate the minor discomfort, can you at least shorten the time you are spending on this "unofficial" shower?
Understandably, people may argue issues of hygiene and personal health, but I'm sorry that just doesn't cut it for me. You can DEFINITELY survive without a daily shower without contracting some kind of bacterial disease/infection. Looking at the bigger picture, showers are a definite luxury. People survive all around the world by using a little tub of water to clean themselves. Why can't we sacrifice even a few showers to make the ecological difference we so ardently whine about?
Once again, this is just another one of my ridiculous opinions; if you don't like this disturbing revelation about myself, I'm not forcing you to be my friend (refer to BF...F post)--just want to let you know I won't be the only one who stinks.
Here we go: Showers. I'm sorry if you catch me on the wrong day, but I don't shower nearly as often as social convention demands. Typically I shower about once every few days, but only a few years ago was I informed that "normal" people shower daily. Basically, the times whenever my hair gets gross dictate when I take a shower --and here we go back on the path of unfounded opinions, gotta love it...
So why are my showers such a rare and miraculous event? Simple. I don't really feel the need to shower. If I just played soccer or sat in a really hot environment sweating my salts out, then I will be disgusted into taking a shower. Of course, I have to understand that most guys have odour issues, perhaps an effect of their manly pheromones, but what about girls? A lot of girls who just sit around looking pretty--don't really engage in any activity that causes them to break even a drop of sweat--insist on taking a daily shower. WHY? People are always talking about ways to save energy, water, resources, etc. WHY NOT start with hot shower water? Personally, I feel that people can still look good by cleaning themselves up without a daily full-length shower. I hear that many girls take showers without washing their hair--what is the point of this? Showering has evolved from being a simple hygienic survival instinct to another mechanical routine encoded into the great social convention Bible. Can we not tolerate a bit of discomfort everyday? In fact, some of the showers that girls take to just "rinse themselves" take longer than the duration of my full shower (complete with hair washing). If you're not willing to tolerate the minor discomfort, can you at least shorten the time you are spending on this "unofficial" shower?
Understandably, people may argue issues of hygiene and personal health, but I'm sorry that just doesn't cut it for me. You can DEFINITELY survive without a daily shower without contracting some kind of bacterial disease/infection. Looking at the bigger picture, showers are a definite luxury. People survive all around the world by using a little tub of water to clean themselves. Why can't we sacrifice even a few showers to make the ecological difference we so ardently whine about?
Once again, this is just another one of my ridiculous opinions; if you don't like this disturbing revelation about myself, I'm not forcing you to be my friend (refer to BF...F post)--just want to let you know I won't be the only one who stinks.
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