So it's been a while since I've vented anything onto here, but I'm sorry to say that I'm back. It's not even a fresh thought, but I just wanted to do anything else but study for exams (even my games are getting boring).
Something I've noticed is that movies and social media in general over-emphasize the impact of peer pressure in high school--at least, where it is present, it's very subtle and not nearly as dramatic as Mean Girls makes it out to be. One particularly odd place I've noticed the effect of peer pressure is at traffic lights, especially when there are lots of people there (e.g. crossings near a university).
Scenario: A large group of students who just got off the bus want to cross North/South.
-The red-orange hand is up, but there are no cars traveling West/East.
From my personal interpretation of my observations in these situations, I have identified 3 main groups:
1. A few individuals boldly cross after seeing the path is clear: I think of them as the rebels or bolder trendsetters.
2. Others stubbornly stand their ground. After all, the red hand = stop. No but's about the rules.
3. The final group of individuals are those who stood there all that time watching Group 1 cross, unsure of whether they should do the same or not. To "break the traffic rules" or not? Finally, after a brief inner struggle with the pressure enforced upon them by their Group 1 peers, they decide to cross.
Ironically, most of the time, the West/East traffic lights would have turned yellow by then (i.e. the white man will appear soon, and those patient and strong-willed enough to stand their ground will be able to cross shortly as well).
NOTE: In the absence of Group 1 individuals, Group 2 and 3 members are indifferentiable.
I enjoy watching Group 3 struggle with this minor barrage of peer pressure. Gives me something to do during those long, uncooperative lights.
P.S. The results of this study may not apply to those ridiculously long lights in residential areas because sometimes those are just ridiculous. In those cases, late crossers may be a result of impatience. After all, none of us are getting any younger.
Sunday, July 31, 2011
Monday, June 13, 2011
My Herbaceous Sprouts
Not sure if I mentioned it in my past food flings post, but I love herbs. In pasta, in salads, or simply by themselves--they're yummy. :)
Let me back up for a second...
Last Friday, I went to see X-men: First Class--if you've seen it and you have EYES (at the least), you probably already know that it's an awesome movie. For those who haven't WISELY taken the time to see the movie yet, there's a scene in it where the young X-men recruits are discussing their code names. This is when I realized their names are unique and pretty cool. Anyway, seeing the new movie inspired me to rewatch all the movies in chronological order, so I started with the first X-men movie on Saturday night--and I realized that Rogue and Storm are pretty cool names too (Jean not so much--does she even have a code name...?).
And we're back where we started...
One day when I was bored (sitting on the toilet, if you're one for details), a strange thought came to me: herbs have elegant, unique names. I think I'd seriously consider naming my child an herb. Probably one of my favourites: Oregano or Basil (if it's a guy) and Parsley or Mint (if it's a girl). Although it's my nemesis in the world of herbs, I have to admit that Coriander is a pretty sexy name for a girl too. Anyway, I think you get the point: my child will have a crazy superhero name or that of a herb. I understand if you feel sorry for my offspring--stuck between a superhero complex and a leafy green place.
But seriously, people have named their children worse things, right?
Let me back up for a second...
Last Friday, I went to see X-men: First Class--if you've seen it and you have EYES (at the least), you probably already know that it's an awesome movie. For those who haven't WISELY taken the time to see the movie yet, there's a scene in it where the young X-men recruits are discussing their code names. This is when I realized their names are unique and pretty cool. Anyway, seeing the new movie inspired me to rewatch all the movies in chronological order, so I started with the first X-men movie on Saturday night--and I realized that Rogue and Storm are pretty cool names too (Jean not so much--does she even have a code name...?).
And we're back where we started...
One day when I was bored (sitting on the toilet, if you're one for details), a strange thought came to me: herbs have elegant, unique names. I think I'd seriously consider naming my child an herb. Probably one of my favourites: Oregano or Basil (if it's a guy) and Parsley or Mint (if it's a girl). Although it's my nemesis in the world of herbs, I have to admit that Coriander is a pretty sexy name for a girl too. Anyway, I think you get the point: my child will have a crazy superhero name or that of a herb. I understand if you feel sorry for my offspring--stuck between a superhero complex and a leafy green place.
But seriously, people have named their children worse things, right?
Wednesday, June 1, 2011
Blue in More than my Face
Lately, I've been feeling super angry/frustrated/annoyed/disappointed at/in everyone--even more than usual. I've tried to be objective and carefully considered the possibility that it's PMS, but I don't think it's (near) my time of the month for a little while more. Other than that, I can't really think of any reason for why I see everyone as one shade darker than the usual black these days. It's not because of overstudying or anything like that...I haven't been studying that hard for the past couple weeks. I've actually managed to include exercise into my university routine :) Since, in my blackened state, I have a lot of things to complain about, I've divided this post into a few major sections for convenient, selective navigation.
EXERCISE
I bought a shoetag membership that lets me get into any of many fitness classes--all for $50! Last week I went to the one called "Boot Camp". It was pretty good, and I like how the intimidating name keeps away most non-serious exercisers. It's not as intense as it sounds (definitely not like those weight loss programs where the instructor yells at you demeaningly/motivatingly), but it's good enough to give me a great workout in my flabby, unfit state. There were only 6 people in that class, and I really liked how the instructor pushed us. She covered suicides (to Kesha, oh joy), core workouts on bushi (?) balls, some exercises with weights, step exercises on the bushi balls, and other core stuff without the ball. Major downside was that my arms were seriously messed up for a couple days after. Whenever I forgot about my temporary disability, I would fling open a door as I usually do and immediately feel as if my arm was about to dislocate itself.
On Monday, I tried the "Kickboxing" class. Too many people went, and there were actually two guys in this class. I almost got kicked in the face by some noob who wasn't even kicking properly. Anyway, I'm not sure if it was the class itself or because the standard had been set so high by "Boot Camp", but this one was a breeze. She basically led us through some aerobic exercises with the different punches incorporated into the routine, as well as some kicking. I didn't really feel anything during the class, but just to punch the air made me feel good; I think I have an addiction to punching. Apparently, it also affected my muscles a bit because I felt some stiffness in my arms and legs the next day. Not only was the content and class size inferior to the first class, but so was the instructor. She was some Asian woman who didn't push us that hard. She couldn't even handle the exercises she was supposed to lead, she had difficulty counting sometimes, and she didn't do a lot of the exercises. Instead she would walk around "making sure" that people were doing things correctly, but she was flaming red in the face. I wanted to laugh at her but didn't. My advice: stick to badminton.
MICROBIOLOGY LAB
So I got the first quiz back for the 241 lab, and I didn't do so well even though it tested us on things like how to write a lab report. Like seriously?! I knew all my stuff, but they were looking for extremely specific things for each question. I knew that stupid Appendix on how to write a lab report by heart, but no. The stupid laws of acadaemia screwed me over. Man, I was so mad that I immediately blamed the TA who marked it, but maybe I should just blame myself for being a retard. Of course I didn't voice any of my feelings to the TA herself. Seems it was sufficient to just witch about it to my lab group. I'm such a nice person :)
EMBRYOLOGY PROF
I had a question about whether the material she covered in class about twins was testable or not. It seemed like one of those interesting topics she just threw in there for fun, and I wanted to confirm that it would be on the exams so I can prioritize my studying, since that course is extremely content-heavy...so I emailed her, and she gives me this snarky response asking if it was so terrible to learn about twins in an embryo course, and that I would have to know it depending on my future plans and what mark I wanted to get in the course. Sure, you're a foreign Russian lady very knowledgeable in the natural sciences but you have a serious language barrier to overcome. She didn't understand that I was asking with the intent of prioritizing and focusing my study efforts. Surprise surprise, I'm taking more than just embryo this term, and I DON'T live and breathe schoolwork.
FOOD BANK CLUB
Not sure if I've mentioned this already or not, but I've joined the food bank club this term. It's a confidential service catering to students who are in financial need. You just have to stop by with your student ID and take whatever cans of food you want, within the set limits. It seems like a good cause but as my friendly verily pointed out to me from the start, they need to improve their marketing.
Well, from the very moment I attended the general meeting, I discovered marketing wasn't the only area they had to improve--and far from it! The execs were a joke. They were like 12 year olds standing in front of us, barely able to talk because they were giggling. Furthermore, when they did get into talking, they didn't explain anything about the food limits or how to man the office during our shifts. Luckily, my friend Daniel has been in the club (when it saw the days of half-competent management) and he told me what to do. They also announced they were taking exec applications, and I decided to apply for Attendance Exec just for fun and because I didn't want too much time commitment.
I figured, well, at least they'll just pick execs, and if I happen to get chosen, I will do my best to help the club out. Turns out they can't even pick execs properly. 5 people applied for the Attendance Exec position, 5 Attendance Execs were chosen. When I saw this, I couldn't believe my eyes. How can these two incompetent girls have ever become the execs? This club has a great cause and seems to have some great connections, but sadly its ruin is imminent with these two fools in lead. ALL the responsibilities of the Attendance Exec would have been a minor task even for a single individual. But NO, they want to spread it between FIVE people, creating more work by dispersing database responsibilities between multiple individuals. I was even willing to give the "Attendance team" a try, but when we couldn't even coordinate a mutually open time to meet, I gave up the facade. I sent an email resigning from the position even before the ridiculousness of it started. I know I saved myself and the club a lot of trouble.
"FRIENDS"
It seems almost redundant and unnecessary but I will state it again. Friends are a matter of convenience. We hang out with those who are available at the right place at the right time. Don't expect others to go out of the way for you; you can really only ever fully trust yourself. DESPERATE and YEARNING for friends? --settle for family. Even if they get tired of you or WANT to ditch you, they're forced to spend time with/tolerate you.
EUCHRE CLUB
I'm pretty much sick of euchre and the people in it. Someone made a demeaning comment of how Biomed students get to take so many electives (as opposed to Chem). First, understand that I still feel like I'm in Scibus even though I recently made the switch to Biomed, so that has nothing to do with my opinion on this matter. Second, you really have no right to be talking crap about another program that could ultimately pursue the same end as you. In fact, you're the idiot for not choosing the most strategic route. You could have enrolled in Biomed and taken the SMARTER route with the Chemistry you love and the electives to boost your grade or manage your workload from term-to-term. Then again, if you were in Biomed, you wouldn't be able to convince yourself how special you were to focus on "pure" Chemistry. My bad.
It also makes me laugh in incredulity at how haughty and self-absorbed the execs are. Seriously, you're the exec of a CARD club. Also, I hate losing. I hate losing even more when it feels unjustified. Lady Luck obviously hates my guts...hmm, maybe I should learn to rig decks? After all, I seem to have the dexterity of shuffling down pat. :)
DISLIKE OF GAY GUYS--NOT HOMOPHOBIA
Something random: I don't like gay guys. Why am I being so discriminatory and close-minded, you may ask. Actually, the thing is, I don't mind homosexuality at all. Although I am both conservative and Christian, I don't have a problem with same-sex relationships (my unconventional Christian beliefs are a story for another time).
Not sure if I've said it before, but if I was a guy, I would probably like guys too. So what's my beef with gay guys? Simple, they're just like girly girls, and I hate (girly) girls. Self-absorbed, superficial, and full of whatever other derogatory s-words you can think of. Yes, you know the one I'm talking about. Don't get me wrong, I don't have a problem with ALL girls or even girls showing their estrogenal roots from time to time, but there's only so much GIRL I can tolerate. My only favourite female heroines on TV are Piper Halliwell and Lois Lane for good reason. They are smart, level-headed, and sexy all at once. Girly girls and gays? Not so much. Like, 10 thumbs down and, like, a spit on their, like, skanky skirts and, like, uggs.
But yeah, long story short: now is not a good time to poke me with your joking jibes or teasing insults...I just might end up killing you.
P.S. I know my writing is usually sarcastic and ridiculously exaggerated but I'm not so sure this one is...
EXERCISE
I bought a shoetag membership that lets me get into any of many fitness classes--all for $50! Last week I went to the one called "Boot Camp". It was pretty good, and I like how the intimidating name keeps away most non-serious exercisers. It's not as intense as it sounds (definitely not like those weight loss programs where the instructor yells at you demeaningly/motivatingly), but it's good enough to give me a great workout in my flabby, unfit state. There were only 6 people in that class, and I really liked how the instructor pushed us. She covered suicides (to Kesha, oh joy), core workouts on bushi (?) balls, some exercises with weights, step exercises on the bushi balls, and other core stuff without the ball. Major downside was that my arms were seriously messed up for a couple days after. Whenever I forgot about my temporary disability, I would fling open a door as I usually do and immediately feel as if my arm was about to dislocate itself.
On Monday, I tried the "Kickboxing" class. Too many people went, and there were actually two guys in this class. I almost got kicked in the face by some noob who wasn't even kicking properly. Anyway, I'm not sure if it was the class itself or because the standard had been set so high by "Boot Camp", but this one was a breeze. She basically led us through some aerobic exercises with the different punches incorporated into the routine, as well as some kicking. I didn't really feel anything during the class, but just to punch the air made me feel good; I think I have an addiction to punching. Apparently, it also affected my muscles a bit because I felt some stiffness in my arms and legs the next day. Not only was the content and class size inferior to the first class, but so was the instructor. She was some Asian woman who didn't push us that hard. She couldn't even handle the exercises she was supposed to lead, she had difficulty counting sometimes, and she didn't do a lot of the exercises. Instead she would walk around "making sure" that people were doing things correctly, but she was flaming red in the face. I wanted to laugh at her but didn't. My advice: stick to badminton.
MICROBIOLOGY LAB
So I got the first quiz back for the 241 lab, and I didn't do so well even though it tested us on things like how to write a lab report. Like seriously?! I knew all my stuff, but they were looking for extremely specific things for each question. I knew that stupid Appendix on how to write a lab report by heart, but no. The stupid laws of acadaemia screwed me over. Man, I was so mad that I immediately blamed the TA who marked it, but maybe I should just blame myself for being a retard. Of course I didn't voice any of my feelings to the TA herself. Seems it was sufficient to just witch about it to my lab group. I'm such a nice person :)
EMBRYOLOGY PROF
I had a question about whether the material she covered in class about twins was testable or not. It seemed like one of those interesting topics she just threw in there for fun, and I wanted to confirm that it would be on the exams so I can prioritize my studying, since that course is extremely content-heavy...so I emailed her, and she gives me this snarky response asking if it was so terrible to learn about twins in an embryo course, and that I would have to know it depending on my future plans and what mark I wanted to get in the course. Sure, you're a foreign Russian lady very knowledgeable in the natural sciences but you have a serious language barrier to overcome. She didn't understand that I was asking with the intent of prioritizing and focusing my study efforts. Surprise surprise, I'm taking more than just embryo this term, and I DON'T live and breathe schoolwork.
FOOD BANK CLUB
Not sure if I've mentioned this already or not, but I've joined the food bank club this term. It's a confidential service catering to students who are in financial need. You just have to stop by with your student ID and take whatever cans of food you want, within the set limits. It seems like a good cause but as my friendly verily pointed out to me from the start, they need to improve their marketing.
Well, from the very moment I attended the general meeting, I discovered marketing wasn't the only area they had to improve--and far from it! The execs were a joke. They were like 12 year olds standing in front of us, barely able to talk because they were giggling. Furthermore, when they did get into talking, they didn't explain anything about the food limits or how to man the office during our shifts. Luckily, my friend Daniel has been in the club (when it saw the days of half-competent management) and he told me what to do. They also announced they were taking exec applications, and I decided to apply for Attendance Exec just for fun and because I didn't want too much time commitment.
I figured, well, at least they'll just pick execs, and if I happen to get chosen, I will do my best to help the club out. Turns out they can't even pick execs properly. 5 people applied for the Attendance Exec position, 5 Attendance Execs were chosen. When I saw this, I couldn't believe my eyes. How can these two incompetent girls have ever become the execs? This club has a great cause and seems to have some great connections, but sadly its ruin is imminent with these two fools in lead. ALL the responsibilities of the Attendance Exec would have been a minor task even for a single individual. But NO, they want to spread it between FIVE people, creating more work by dispersing database responsibilities between multiple individuals. I was even willing to give the "Attendance team" a try, but when we couldn't even coordinate a mutually open time to meet, I gave up the facade. I sent an email resigning from the position even before the ridiculousness of it started. I know I saved myself and the club a lot of trouble.
"FRIENDS"
It seems almost redundant and unnecessary but I will state it again. Friends are a matter of convenience. We hang out with those who are available at the right place at the right time. Don't expect others to go out of the way for you; you can really only ever fully trust yourself. DESPERATE and YEARNING for friends? --settle for family. Even if they get tired of you or WANT to ditch you, they're forced to spend time with/tolerate you.
EUCHRE CLUB
I'm pretty much sick of euchre and the people in it. Someone made a demeaning comment of how Biomed students get to take so many electives (as opposed to Chem). First, understand that I still feel like I'm in Scibus even though I recently made the switch to Biomed, so that has nothing to do with my opinion on this matter. Second, you really have no right to be talking crap about another program that could ultimately pursue the same end as you. In fact, you're the idiot for not choosing the most strategic route. You could have enrolled in Biomed and taken the SMARTER route with the Chemistry you love and the electives to boost your grade or manage your workload from term-to-term. Then again, if you were in Biomed, you wouldn't be able to convince yourself how special you were to focus on "pure" Chemistry. My bad.
It also makes me laugh in incredulity at how haughty and self-absorbed the execs are. Seriously, you're the exec of a CARD club. Also, I hate losing. I hate losing even more when it feels unjustified. Lady Luck obviously hates my guts...hmm, maybe I should learn to rig decks? After all, I seem to have the dexterity of shuffling down pat. :)
DISLIKE OF GAY GUYS--NOT HOMOPHOBIA
Something random: I don't like gay guys. Why am I being so discriminatory and close-minded, you may ask. Actually, the thing is, I don't mind homosexuality at all. Although I am both conservative and Christian, I don't have a problem with same-sex relationships (my unconventional Christian beliefs are a story for another time).
Not sure if I've said it before, but if I was a guy, I would probably like guys too. So what's my beef with gay guys? Simple, they're just like girly girls, and I hate (girly) girls. Self-absorbed, superficial, and full of whatever other derogatory s-words you can think of. Yes, you know the one I'm talking about. Don't get me wrong, I don't have a problem with ALL girls or even girls showing their estrogenal roots from time to time, but there's only so much GIRL I can tolerate. My only favourite female heroines on TV are Piper Halliwell and Lois Lane for good reason. They are smart, level-headed, and sexy all at once. Girly girls and gays? Not so much. Like, 10 thumbs down and, like, a spit on their, like, skanky skirts and, like, uggs.
But yeah, long story short: now is not a good time to poke me with your joking jibes or teasing insults...I just might end up killing you.
P.S. I know my writing is usually sarcastic and ridiculously exaggerated but I'm not so sure this one is...
Monday, May 9, 2011
I'm...unenchanted
So I (finally) just watched the movie Enchanted with my friend John before he left for a lovely two-week vacation in Korea (JEALOUS, btw!). It was okay for a time killer/break from schoolwork/summary of Disney movies. Basically, yeah, it wasn't original at all...combined all the traditional fairytale movies that Disney (?) has already covered.
Upsides:
-The original concept of juxtaposing reality with fantasy was sort of a new idea (if there was any originality at all)
-Patrick Dempsey has a cute face
-There was a bit of magic
-Some of the songs were cute :)
Downsides:
-It just doesn't seem fair to take the credit away from Classic Disney moves and mush it into one big copycat later on
i.e. Enchanted = Snow White + Sleeping Beauty +...more?
-Amy Adams and that guy who plays Cyclops (always forget his name!!) were annoying at times
-The whole moral that the movie was trying to convey was shot down almost immediately after it was established.
--In case you're not sure what I'm talking about, here's what I mean. The main point of the movie was to provide a realistic outlook on life in an optimistic way. A naive, fantasy-crazy damsel in distress, Giselle, awaits her prince's rescue, but eventually learns the importance of being realistic about love and finding it through dating and getting to know someone that you can love "forever". Bad stepmom shows up, kills her, kiss of TRUE love revives her, she awakens, defeats the dragon with her chipmunk friend's help, and lives happily ever after with the REALISTIC love of her life. MEANWHILE, her "true love's" former supposed fiancee who he had been dating for 5 years was dropped just like that and she ran off to lalaland to marry the fairytale prince, who had hardly spoken 3 sentences to her. I really hope children don't watch this. Describing the moral value of this movie in the words of love, I would say Disney is sending "mixed signals".
Since I haven't seen a Disney movie in a LOOOONNNNNG time, I was enjoying the silly humour, funky (though archetypal) characters, and remembering a precious part of my childhood throughout the movie--UNTIL it got to this horrible ending. I'm sorry, but the title of this blog post (spin-off from the popular teen saying, "I'm unimpressed", in case you didn't get it...) summarizes my feelings towards this movie.
P.S. If this movie isn't Disney, I apologize. Just swap all the times I used Disney with words like fairytales, or childhood stories.
Upsides:
-The original concept of juxtaposing reality with fantasy was sort of a new idea (if there was any originality at all)
-Patrick Dempsey has a cute face
-There was a bit of magic
-Some of the songs were cute :)
Downsides:
-It just doesn't seem fair to take the credit away from Classic Disney moves and mush it into one big copycat later on
i.e. Enchanted = Snow White + Sleeping Beauty +...more?
-Amy Adams and that guy who plays Cyclops (always forget his name!!) were annoying at times
-The whole moral that the movie was trying to convey was shot down almost immediately after it was established.
--In case you're not sure what I'm talking about, here's what I mean. The main point of the movie was to provide a realistic outlook on life in an optimistic way. A naive, fantasy-crazy damsel in distress, Giselle, awaits her prince's rescue, but eventually learns the importance of being realistic about love and finding it through dating and getting to know someone that you can love "forever". Bad stepmom shows up, kills her, kiss of TRUE love revives her, she awakens, defeats the dragon with her chipmunk friend's help, and lives happily ever after with the REALISTIC love of her life. MEANWHILE, her "true love's" former supposed fiancee who he had been dating for 5 years was dropped just like that and she ran off to lalaland to marry the fairytale prince, who had hardly spoken 3 sentences to her. I really hope children don't watch this. Describing the moral value of this movie in the words of love, I would say Disney is sending "mixed signals".
Since I haven't seen a Disney movie in a LOOOONNNNNG time, I was enjoying the silly humour, funky (though archetypal) characters, and remembering a precious part of my childhood throughout the movie--UNTIL it got to this horrible ending. I'm sorry, but the title of this blog post (spin-off from the popular teen saying, "I'm unimpressed", in case you didn't get it...) summarizes my feelings towards this movie.
P.S. If this movie isn't Disney, I apologize. Just swap all the times I used Disney with words like fairytales, or childhood stories.
Thursday, May 5, 2011
Funfunfun Partying Partying
So, I'm back at school this summer doing my 3B term. I'm still in the process of switching out of the Science and Business program and hopefully into Biomedical Sciences or Honours Science. Well here's the program for the next four months:
BIOL 140L Intro Microbio Lab - Haven't had it yet, but heard the instructor can give tricky quizzes.
BIOL 241 Applied Microbiology - I LOVE how this is a survey course. Me being me, I'm not one for details but I like big picture stuff. Plus, my prof is awesome. She's extremely knowledgeable and makes a (potentially) boring subject interesting. Hope the lab isn't too much work...
BIOL 303 Intro Developmental Biology and Embryology - study of embryonic development, basically. My prof is the (in)famous Dragana Miskovic--heard she's scary and whatnot, but I actually like her. She's no nonsense and she throws in dry humour jokes. Love those (no sarcasm).
BIOL 308 Molecular Biology - Don't know if it's the nature of the course or if it's the prof, but I feel like we haven't done anything for two classes now. Bruce Wolff is also infamous for his boundless stores of knowledge to go with his brawn (sarcasm). Perhaps shrugging, going off topic, and ignoring bolded/capitalized terms in HIS OWN NOTES are the new signs of genius...? This is the only class I have trouble staying awake in.
CLAS 104 Classical Mythology - Learning about the Greek/Roman gods. Awesomeee! My only regret is that Persephone doesn't have her own Chapter in the textbook or is an area of emphasis in the course. Psh, their loss, Persephone. ;) The prof is nice though, and he makes it very interesting--then again, I can't decide whether credit is due to him or the actual course content. Only downside is that there is a lot of reading (i.e. 140 pages for the first week!!).
HRM 200 Basic Human Resources Management - Like the prof. She has a strong voice and seems like another no-nonsense prof. Don't like the fact that we have to do ASSIGNED team projects...always a risk in university because at least in high school, you know who you're dealing with right off the bat. Course seems straightforward, and to be honest, I chose it because it is a well known birdie at UW. :)
So I'm finished my Day 4 of school, and I've already been trying so hard to study and stay on top of healthy eating/living habits. Surprisingly, it's going well! Although, the last thing I've been doing is having fun. While going through the countless pages of reading assigned for all my courses, that's one of the many thoughts that I "iron-willedly" had to suppress from my mind in order to stay focused on the task at hand. I eventually unsuppressed it so I could write this little complaint.
I find it annoying and pointless if people describe themselves as "fun-loving" or "knows how to have fun". Makes me see them as pretentious and egocentric. After all, the descriptor "fun" is rather subjective in nature. Who isn't fun-loving? It just depends on what people find fun. Not to endorse it or anything (because I find it super lame and one of those comedies where I feel forced to laugh after not laughing for a looong time), but Dwight Schrute is a prime example of this phenomena. Normal things that his coworkers find "fun", he doesn't, and at first glance he seems like a grumpy "un-fun-loving" guy, but you start talking about potential customers, and he's all smiles and fuzzy peaches.
Anyway, all this reading has made me quite brain-tired, so I'm going to end my post here. The reading must go on.
P.S. Orange is my least favourite colour, and I'm not feeling too happy/great right now. Hence the font colour choice.
BIOL 140L Intro Microbio Lab - Haven't had it yet, but heard the instructor can give tricky quizzes.
BIOL 241 Applied Microbiology - I LOVE how this is a survey course. Me being me, I'm not one for details but I like big picture stuff. Plus, my prof is awesome. She's extremely knowledgeable and makes a (potentially) boring subject interesting. Hope the lab isn't too much work...
BIOL 303 Intro Developmental Biology and Embryology - study of embryonic development, basically. My prof is the (in)famous Dragana Miskovic--heard she's scary and whatnot, but I actually like her. She's no nonsense and she throws in dry humour jokes. Love those (no sarcasm).
BIOL 308 Molecular Biology - Don't know if it's the nature of the course or if it's the prof, but I feel like we haven't done anything for two classes now. Bruce Wolff is also infamous for his boundless stores of knowledge to go with his brawn (sarcasm). Perhaps shrugging, going off topic, and ignoring bolded/capitalized terms in HIS OWN NOTES are the new signs of genius...? This is the only class I have trouble staying awake in.
CLAS 104 Classical Mythology - Learning about the Greek/Roman gods. Awesomeee! My only regret is that Persephone doesn't have her own Chapter in the textbook or is an area of emphasis in the course. Psh, their loss, Persephone. ;) The prof is nice though, and he makes it very interesting--then again, I can't decide whether credit is due to him or the actual course content. Only downside is that there is a lot of reading (i.e. 140 pages for the first week!!).
HRM 200 Basic Human Resources Management - Like the prof. She has a strong voice and seems like another no-nonsense prof. Don't like the fact that we have to do ASSIGNED team projects...always a risk in university because at least in high school, you know who you're dealing with right off the bat. Course seems straightforward, and to be honest, I chose it because it is a well known birdie at UW. :)
So I'm finished my Day 4 of school, and I've already been trying so hard to study and stay on top of healthy eating/living habits. Surprisingly, it's going well! Although, the last thing I've been doing is having fun. While going through the countless pages of reading assigned for all my courses, that's one of the many thoughts that I "iron-willedly" had to suppress from my mind in order to stay focused on the task at hand. I eventually unsuppressed it so I could write this little complaint.
I find it annoying and pointless if people describe themselves as "fun-loving" or "knows how to have fun". Makes me see them as pretentious and egocentric. After all, the descriptor "fun" is rather subjective in nature. Who isn't fun-loving? It just depends on what people find fun. Not to endorse it or anything (because I find it super lame and one of those comedies where I feel forced to laugh after not laughing for a looong time), but Dwight Schrute is a prime example of this phenomena. Normal things that his coworkers find "fun", he doesn't, and at first glance he seems like a grumpy "un-fun-loving" guy, but you start talking about potential customers, and he's all smiles and fuzzy peaches.
Anyway, all this reading has made me quite brain-tired, so I'm going to end my post here. The reading must go on.
P.S. Orange is my least favourite colour, and I'm not feeling too happy/great right now. Hence the font colour choice.
Thursday, April 7, 2011
Amish-ed A Few Things
First, I'd like to apologize for the bad puns. I just thought I should be consistent with the lame title for my previous "Amish" post. Hopefully this is the last of my posts on this subject, so you will not have to endure further excruciation...
If you've been following along with my blog for a while, you might recall that I once posted a list of reasons that make me Amish. Basically, I'm not with the times and have odd similarities with the Amish stereotype. Even though I called them my "Top 10", they were really only the ten things that I could remember while writing that post, so I've decided to continue the list here...
1. Never traveled on a boat, plane, or train completely by myself.
2. Never seen the Grammy's or Academy Awards or Oscars.
3. Not sure what the distinctions are between the items mentioned in #2.
4. I have trouble talking to people older than me, regardless of how chill or cool they are...family members are no exception, sadly.
5. Have never ordered anything online, other than course registrations (even that was with the express permission/command of my parents).
6. I am STILL afraid of looking at, nearing, and (God forbid) entering lingerie stores.
7. Although the purpose of comedy shows is to relax and have a good laugh, I find them stressful because if the jokes aren't funny, watching becomes pointless, and thus I feel forced to laugh.
8. I feel nauseated just before I have to write a test or do something nervewracking (e.g. performing something for others).
9. Bought my first real posters a couple months ago at my school's poster fair.
10. I don't have a camera of my own, and thus I do not have any awesome pictures/polaroids of me and my friends plastered all over my wall. (Instead I have reflective stick-on butterflies from Dollarama :( )
If you've been following along with my blog for a while, you might recall that I once posted a list of reasons that make me Amish. Basically, I'm not with the times and have odd similarities with the Amish stereotype. Even though I called them my "Top 10", they were really only the ten things that I could remember while writing that post, so I've decided to continue the list here...
1. Never traveled on a boat, plane, or train completely by myself.
2. Never seen the Grammy's or Academy Awards or Oscars.
3. Not sure what the distinctions are between the items mentioned in #2.
4. I have trouble talking to people older than me, regardless of how chill or cool they are...family members are no exception, sadly.
5. Have never ordered anything online, other than course registrations (even that was with the express permission/command of my parents).
6. I am STILL afraid of looking at, nearing, and (God forbid) entering lingerie stores.
7. Although the purpose of comedy shows is to relax and have a good laugh, I find them stressful because if the jokes aren't funny, watching becomes pointless, and thus I feel forced to laugh.
8. I feel nauseated just before I have to write a test or do something nervewracking (e.g. performing something for others).
9. Bought my first real posters a couple months ago at my school's poster fair.
10. I don't have a camera of my own, and thus I do not have any awesome pictures/polaroids of me and my friends plastered all over my wall. (Instead I have reflective stick-on butterflies from Dollarama :( )
Friday, March 25, 2011
Mastering the Craft of War
"SO IT'S (almost) FINALS WEEK"...
and I've been looking for a new fix. No, I haven't quite ventured into the ominous world of chemical fixes (yet), but rather have stumbled upon a psychological (?) fix. And considering my ethnicity, what an appropriate fix it is...
If you haven't guessed by now, I'm talking about Warcraft, or more specifically Warcraft III: The Frozen Throne (or something along those lines). Not really being very skilled with typical gaming maneuvers and the pressure of real-time gaming, I've tended to shy away from these types of games, so how could I have possible gotten myself into WC3, you may ask?!
Well, it all began...
this term when my good buddy/roommate, Luke, would blast crazy music from his room next door. We call it his "one man rave" soundtrack. Anyway, when I commented on his crazy music one time, he mentioned that it got him pumped up for DOTA, and he offered to teach me how to play sometime. The opportunity to finally uncover the mysteries of defending the ancients was too tempting to resist. Only a couple weeks ago, I infected my computer with WC3, and have been playing it every so often when I feel like searching for my inner Korean. :)
I still suck...like a LOT. Even when half-decent players team with me against an easy computer, it usually ends up being a close win because the other hero tends to level up super fast from killing me--not to mention that I haven't even DARED to play online yet.
ME PLAYING ONLINE = INSTANT TROLL TARGET :(
Anyway, if we all started out perfect, there wouldn't be a need for the dreaded entity we know as "practice". Although, admittedly, I thought I'd have a steeper learning curve than most--what with my decent manual dexterity, perseverence/motivation to learn (games), and my genetics. Before I actually tried the game, I imagined myself reaching at least 100 APM (assuming that's fast...else, how am I supposed to know? I'm a n00b...cut me some slack) in a couple hours...pfft, guess I'm truly not as Asian as I thought. Gotta be careful what I wish for...
P.S. I realize the truly Korean game is SC2, but aren't they all basically the same? APM's and all...? -_-"
and I've been looking for a new fix. No, I haven't quite ventured into the ominous world of chemical fixes (yet), but rather have stumbled upon a psychological (?) fix. And considering my ethnicity, what an appropriate fix it is...
If you haven't guessed by now, I'm talking about Warcraft, or more specifically Warcraft III: The Frozen Throne (or something along those lines). Not really being very skilled with typical gaming maneuvers and the pressure of real-time gaming, I've tended to shy away from these types of games, so how could I have possible gotten myself into WC3, you may ask?!
Well, it all began...
this term when my good buddy/roommate, Luke, would blast crazy music from his room next door. We call it his "one man rave" soundtrack. Anyway, when I commented on his crazy music one time, he mentioned that it got him pumped up for DOTA, and he offered to teach me how to play sometime. The opportunity to finally uncover the mysteries of defending the ancients was too tempting to resist. Only a couple weeks ago, I infected my computer with WC3, and have been playing it every so often when I feel like searching for my inner Korean. :)
I still suck...like a LOT. Even when half-decent players team with me against an easy computer, it usually ends up being a close win because the other hero tends to level up super fast from killing me--not to mention that I haven't even DARED to play online yet.
ME PLAYING ONLINE = INSTANT TROLL TARGET :(
Anyway, if we all started out perfect, there wouldn't be a need for the dreaded entity we know as "practice". Although, admittedly, I thought I'd have a steeper learning curve than most--what with my decent manual dexterity, perseverence/motivation to learn (games), and my genetics. Before I actually tried the game, I imagined myself reaching at least 100 APM (assuming that's fast...else, how am I supposed to know? I'm a n00b...cut me some slack) in a couple hours...pfft, guess I'm truly not as Asian as I thought. Gotta be careful what I wish for...
P.S. I realize the truly Korean game is SC2, but aren't they all basically the same? APM's and all...? -_-"
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