Burning Blogs

So. . .I kind of change blogs at the rate of. . .I can't think of anything nerdy to say because it's only 7:41AM. . .but at any rate (har har), I've fallen in love with WORDPRESS. It has a really nice, easy-to-use and all-encompassing interface, which actually will allow me to do more with my posts. I 1st started using it for a Model UN blog--it was totally impromptu & voluntary--but I really liked the the way you could organize your blog entries, include other pages and such. So yesterday, I decided to try it out for a personal blog!

So after many, MANY years of using Xanga (this isn't even my 1st one or the one I used during my most active times on Xanga), I finally found a new home at Blogspot. . .but have now moved on to wordpress. Is this indicative of my personality? Nah, I'm just trying to keep up with the times. The funny thing is, I think most of the changing of blogs happened during summer. . .probably out of boredom -___- There's another explanation!

To my Blogspot followers, I hope you will continue to read my posts at my new domain! :)

Grounded

Down to earth

adj.

1. Realistic; sensible.
2. 1. Not pretentious or affected; straightforward.
   2. Not overly ornate; simple in style.

Grounded

adj

mentally and emotionally stable : admirably sensible, realistic, and unpretentious

vt

4 a : to restrict to the ground b : to prohibit from taking part in some usual activities

I would say that right now, I am experiencing definition 4b of Grounded. Perhaps it will help me be the adjective form of the same word as well?

Tinted glasses

I think it's interesting how without realizing it, we talk to different people in a different manner. Or if they ask us a question, we judge them on why they're asking the question and will give an answer with some sort of hidden prejudices.

But on formspring, when people ask questions anonymously, I answer them without any kind of judgments because I have no idea who asked them, so I don't have to tailor my responses to who is asking the question. And in one aspect, I really like that and wish that were true in real life situations. It's hard to be completely unbiased in real life.

---

Another thing I realized: the way you see people/how you view them physically changes as you get to know a person better.

Maybe someone looked strange to you at first, but after you interact with them, you either get used to their appearance or you begin to associate them with other things about them, other than physical appearances. The best example I can think of is identifying identical twins--of course at first glance, they look the same, but over time as you know more about each of them, you begin to view them differently and you begin to identify unique characteristics about them. It's interesting how that works, even with the most identical sets of twins.

Something unpredictable. . .

". . .In the end it's right. I hope you have the time of your life."

How many times have we heard those words--played at graduations, goodbye parties and just in general? But in all honesty, Greenday could not have said it any better. Life is unpredictable, but through all the obstacles, the failures, surprises and successes, what happens is meant to happen. I know that we make choices every single day that affect our life, but sometimes things are literally random and out of our control. I think of it as entropy, sort of.

My whole 1st year college experience can be described by that Greenday song & entropy. I hated the school before applying, got in, fell in love with it after visiting for a second time and still love it here every single day, no matter what happens. Sometimes, I walk by the Rotunda or anywhere pretty on grounds and think to myself, "How did I end up on such a beautiful campus? I'm so blessed to be in Mr. Jefferson's university and to be in such a happy place and point in my life." And to think I almost didn't apply.

And then there's CSA, another opportunity I almost missed out on because I thought it'd be lame. But by deciding to go to a meeting on a whim and filling out a form to be placed in a family, I ended up finding a 2nd family, which came with a set of brothers that I never had, but sometimes wish I did. And ever since that random decision, I have made lasting friendships and tried new things that I never thought I would--HIP HOP!?!?!

So basically order and "the time of my life" came out of random acts and what were initially perceived to be disorderly or negative activities. But more importantly, I think I've learned the importance of embracing the natural tendency for unpredictability in life. I've been fighting unpredictable events for a long time. . .but I think I'm finally starting to embrace it (a little). That doesn't mean I'm gonna go all Dao & just let life run it's course. It simply means that I will be more appreciative of the random occurrences of life, especially since some of the best things that have happened to me were by mostly by random occurrences or chance, whatever you'd like to call it.

Anyway, I should get back to reading so I'm not completely screwed for all the finals that I have to get As on! Can't wait until this semester is over :) So ready for summer & Fall2010!

ASK, ASK & AWAY!

You know how there are certain things that you really love doing and once you start, it's hard to stop? That's how it is with me and doing anything Model UN related, or planning an event/program/meeting. . . and shopping :D

It makes me wonder how come doing those things (the former two rather than the latter) don't seem like doing work even though I'm still doing something productive. I guess it's because I love doing it. Planning, organizing, networking, communicating, researching, writing, and being an activist are all things that come naturally to me and things that I enjoy doing. I know I'm supposed to be educating myself and gaining more knowledge and skills. . .but these things are so tedious and boring sometimes. I certainly do not want to do math problems all day, every day.

I guess what I'm saying is I'm not really cut out to be an intellectual? And I'm having trouble finding more academic things that I enjoy doing. . .which sort of worries me. I want to be just as passionate about an academic field as I am about all the other activities that I do. I want to love a subject so much that I won't mind all the work that I have to do, just like I don't mind doing a lot of tedious research & work for Model UN or for any leadership position I take on. I really hope (for the sake of my future) that I will discover it soon.

For now, I guess I just have to keep on mindlessly doing calculus and accounting problems. . .

March Madnezzzz

No, I am not posting about basketball. That would not be me at all.

Here are some things I've been thinking about lately:

1. Why are there so many discourteous, socially inept people in the world? I'm not just talking about young people who haven't experienced the world enough, I'm talking about adults too, people who should know better but don't.

2. For the first time since elementary school, I have closer white friends than I do Asian friends. (I was going to say MORE, but I realized that's still not true. I know a lot of Asians at school.) And I'm wondering if that's simply because I live with mostly white girls or because I have actually looked around and have not found any Asian girls that I'd like to be friends with. I think it's a mixture of both. Asians, particularly the ones in my class, are especially. . .I'm not even sure how to describe them. Weird? Annoying? Immature? Cutthroat? On another note, I also like being friends with girls who are not in my major and boys who are, because studying math-related subjects with boys is more effective than studying with confused girls.

3. I am working on developing a personal style, which is a lot of work because I've been soaking in images from various fashion blogs & trying to recreate some looks while trying to imagine if I would look good in certain articles of clothing. I really want to go shopping.

4. How close are you to people you've only met briefly, but had an amazing bonding experience, but have not seen in years? Close enough to spend lots of money on train/bus/plane tickets to visit them if you ever get the chance?

5. I really wish it was spring semester second year and my future was more decided.

6. I need to work harder after spring break & stop skipping lectures ><"

7. I should also start toning my body, as the weather is getting warmer & I will soon have to shed my layers & expose more of myself. Yikes.

Payoffs & Tradeoffs

How many times have you thought, "Man, my hard work has finally paid off!"

And how many times have you thought about whether that statement is TRULY true? Sure, in life we generally think of any accomplishment or benefit as a success or gain, but what about the NET results? Did the A on an exam really outweigh the negative physical & mental consequences resulting from the hours & hours of studying and sacrificing of sleep and sanity? Would you still say that your hard work was paid off if you had gotten a B+? How much do you value your time, energy and health--enough to almost exhaust them completely in order to get a desired result?

Often, while we choose to engage in one action and give up another, we don't really think about whether the tradeoffs are worth it. Or maybe that's just me--overly optimistic and narrow minded about the fact that I can't do everything, so I will just have to pick & choose. I'd rather not choose, because it's hard to say whether I'm making the right decision most of the time. I can already feel my body aging three times as fast as a normal person's, from all the caffeine I consume & the little sleep I get ><"

So, here's what I want to know: out of the following list, how would you rank how much you value each item? Is there anything not on the list that you also value?

Health
Grades
Friendships/Relationships
Career
Intellectual Gains
Time
Spiritual/Religious enlightenment

One step behind

As I'm looking at my completely crammed agenda and thinking about how often times, I don't think ahead and deadlines creep up on me, quite a few idioms/adages came to mind:

Too little too late (if that even counts?)
One step behind
The early bird gets the worm
Early to bed, early to rise makes a man healthy and wise.

Mainly, "one step behind" seems to be a common theme to my life. In dance, I'm ususally one of the last people to pick up the choreo. . .or late in doing the moves. . .or just doing them completely wrong ><"

And in life, I get so caught up doing daily activities as simple as studying, going to class & working that I forget to do important things ahead of time like search for internships/scholarships. Before I know it, I only have 1 or 2 weeks to complete a rigorous application, ask for reference letters & etc. Maybe I should have looked into these things ahead of time. . .

All of this just makes me wonder: am I even good at anything anymore? Is being a capable person in general areas worse than being great at a few specific tasks? Or maybe I'm just pushing myself too hard and trying to bite off more than I can chew. If so, how am I supposed to and when will I figure out which things to leave behind & which things to focus on?

Basically everything is a trade off and I can't seem to figure out the marginal costs & benefits properly. Too bad there's no MC & MB Life Calculator or something.

No room for regrets

I'm not sure how I ended up where and in the condition that I ended up, but I'm fairly positive that it had to do with the uncharacteristically large amount of alcohol that I consumed in the course of 4 hrs. One minute I was having fun, taking pictures and before I could protest my own body, I found myself hurling the contents of my dinner over an outdoor couch.

Fabulous.

I'll spare everyone the details (or at least of what I remember), and I'll spare myself some humility, but the main point of the experience isn't really about staying away from alcohol (though that IS a very important lesson that I have learned). I realized that in the short time I have left of this semester, of the semesters I have before applying to the Comm school, before I graduate and before I get my first job, there aren't many places for me to mess up, regret my actions or to start over. While lying in bed, surrounded by my friends, I recognized the moment as the point when the tragic hero experiences catharsis--the recognition of a flaw, that is to bring about his tragic downfall.

There I was, having my own mini tragic downfall. And I'm not about to let one happen for real.

Having officially started taking the "real" pre-requisite business-related classes, I realized how lacking I am in all departments.

I don't really have any idea of what I want to get out of my commerce education.

Nor do I know enough about business/the economy to make and sound statements that truly display my interest, passion and understanding of the subject that I'm SUPPOSED to be passionate for and knowledgeable in.

I don't have any distinct hobbies or strengths that define me as a person.

I can't even begin to imagine what the real world is like outside of school right now, since I'm just about up to my thighs in work.

I really admire those individuals with a unique sense of character, style, a sense of who they are and a strong sense of purpose. It's purpose that drives them to accomplish great things. I need to discover more purpose--or at least a greater purpose than trying to get into the Comm school.

Five episodes of Sex and the City and 3 pills later, I am contently curled up with my laptop & my boyfriend's old T-shirt. It's different being home, now that I've spent most of my time away. In a way, I do feel at home and comfortable, but I also feel like somewhat of a stranger in my own home. With nothing to keep me busy during the day, unlike my high school years, I don't really know how to fit in with everyone else's schedule. Do I still do the dishes, or has someone else replaced me? Or maybe I should clear the table. Would it be weird if I actually practiced violin?

I sort of just find myself wanting to either veg out, be with friends or try to catch a good time to talk to he-who-is-3,000 miles-away. And sometimes, I find myself wishing to go back to school, where even on days when I'm so tired and busy, I feel like I'm doing something worthwhile.

Anyway, my jaw is bothering me too much for me to continue with these thoughts. Hopefully I'll be able to fully chew my food soon. Maybe that's the only part of being home that bothers me.

just uploading this pic so I can use it as my bg!

Class of 2013

It's hard to believe that this time 3 months ago, I attended my first college lecture and was still scrambling around to get into the classes that I wanted. I now consider myself a seasoned, if not a less noobish, veteran. Because I'm the class of 2013, I'm going to share 20 lessons I've learned & 13 new things experiences I've had!

Lesson #1:

Do not pick up cups at a party and drink from them. Keep YOUR cup with you at all times.

Lesson #2:

Always eat before going out.

Lesson #3:

And do not eat AFTER (especially when you've already consumed 1000+ calories in alcohol)

Lesson #4:

When drunk suitemates bang on the door at 3AM, turn off all your lights and pretend you're not there to avoid hosting them in your own bed.

Lesson #5:

Make friends in big lectures so they can save seats for you if you have back to back classes :)

Lesson #6:

Stay away from Turkey burgers. And tofu.

Lesson #7:

Make friends with upperclassmen (with cars!)

Lesson #8:

Join organizations to meet new people! And actually participate in their activities

Lesson #9:

Don't go to pointless lectures in which the professor just makes you fall asleep, especially if they're morning classes.

Lesson #10:

Skipping class kicks you in the butt. I think I have proven that one wrong.

Lesson #11:

Look out for one another. You'll be able to tell who your real friends are.

Lesson #12:

Keep in touch with your old friends, because they ARE your real friends.

Lesson #13:

Keep track of how many meals you have left in the week to save yourself from the embarrassment of getting your card rejected.

Lesson #14:

Learn to manage your money.

Lesson #15:

Try different drinks at the cafe until you find your favorites. Oh & make friends with the baristas.

Lesson #16:

Figure out when the dining halls & libraries are open to avoid walking 10 minutes for nothing.

Lesson #17:

Make use of the bus system and master it.

Lesson #18:

Come up with a witty and unforgettable way to introduce yourself. People won't forget your name & it's always a great conversation starter.

Lesson #19:

Turn your printer off when you're not using it. Not only does it save energy, it also does not turn your warm printer into a lovely home for cockroaches.

Lesson #20:

Even if you have wireless, make sure you have an ethernet cable. It'll save your life.

13 Things New Experiences:

1. Attending an a capella concert

2. Walking a dog

3. Eating salad on a daily basis

4. Ice Cream + Coffee in the dining halls to make a delicious frap

5. Taking care of drunk people

6. (Dressing up for a) College football game & tailgating

7. Staying up until 4AM to watch meteors

8. Riding the Greyhound & train all by myself

9. Being in a class with 500 people

10. Large scale scavenger hunt

11. Playing games online during class

12. Frat parties

13. Riding a trolley as a common mode of transportation

Sadly, I have yet to streak the lawn or go steam tunneling (2 UVA traditions). But not to fear, I will go steam tunneling soon. . .And as for streaking. . .well, I'm not sure when that's gonna happen!

Happy holidays everyone!

@ Mr. Jefferson's School

There was a wriggly caterpillar or silkworm-type bug dangling from a thin thread right above my head. It danced up and down, threatening to fall onto my lap at any moment. While I glanced precariously at the jitter bug every few seconds, the president of UVA was talking about safe sex.

"Gentlemen, remember that 'No' means 'No'."

Was there a point to all the statistics that Mr. Casteen had just recited to us about the incoming freshman class? Was there a point to this feeble attempt at preventing sexual harassment on grounds?

"And now, may the person closest to the 7th lawn room will please look under the welcome mat and bring me the letter hiding beneath it?"

What? There was a secret letter hiding under a welcome mat? My eyes averted from the dancing caterpillar to Mr. Casteen, who was now receiving a letter from a young lady who clearly felt that she had been at the wrong place at the wrong time. In the distance, the bell tower stuck 7.

"We, the society of the sevens, would like to welcome the class of 2013," read Mr. Casteen.

I couldn't believe what I was hearing. I was experiencing an encounter with one of the oldest secret societies of UVA! OK, so it wasn't a direct encounter but still, as a part of the class of 2013, I think that I should count myself welcomed by the Sevens. It was all so surreal: the letter under the 7th lawn dorm, being read at 7PM sharp, and the donation of $1,777.77 to our class council. I chuckled as I thought back upon the sex talk our president had tried to give. Perhaps he was just trying to buy some time so that this strange but exciting tradition would be played out perfectly.

I felt extremely lucky to be sitting on the very lawn that Thomas Jefferson designed, in the very seats that the late Senator Kennedy, Katie Couric and many others before me had sat. The experience was overwhelming to say the least. I was actually in college. I would be starting classes soon, trying new activities, trying to make new friends all while trying to keep in touch with the people whom I've already grown so close to over the past 12 years of my life. Would I be able to do everything that I want to do? Would I be able to create a new life from a clean slate? I hope so.

Thinking about my previous entry, I realized that it could not be more relevant to my life, especially now that I'm starting my 1st year of college. I don't want to be defined just by my skin color or race, or by a single activity that I'm involved in. It's the compilation of all of these things that make up who I am, so I will not be afraid to try the Fencing club or the Ballroom Dancing club or any other activity that isn't typically "me". I will try everything that my heart desires.

Ambi-

-dextrous
-guity
-valent

I never realized how fitting the prefix "ambi" is for me. Though I'm not ambidextrous, and I am only sometimes ambiguous and ambivalent, the definition of the prefix itself seems to fit my current state of life: meaning both and around.

I started packing some of my clothes (for real) tonight and I came across my ever beloved shirt-dress. It hung in the back of my closet, with all the other dresses, but as I tired to fold it carefully so that I would not have to resort to ironing it later, I realized that the material is closer to a button down shirt. As I pondered over which pile to put this shirt-dress-- the dress pile or the shirt pile-- I finally realized why I love the conglomerate article of clothing so much. It isn't defined by a singular term: either as a shirt or a dress. Because it has the properties of both types of clothing, it's in a category of its own, but at the same time, it can also be placed into either pile and be just fine. Perhaps my attraction to this strange garment stems from my own wish to be unique and "undefineable". I want to be ambi. Not, omni because I don't want to be ALL, I just want to be. . .a conglomerate of a few properties. And I guess along that line, I sort of want to be able to fit in and be accepted for my singular interests and characteristics while still being able to be an individual as a whole.

I'm going to stop here before this post starts sounding more and more like an college application essay.

I sort of just want to enjoy the moment of discovering a deeper meaning behind a little black dress.

It's a Hard Knock Life

Because I've gotten in the habit of going to bed so late every night, as a cause of Webchatting with my boyfriend living on Pacific time, I can't sleep right now. I should be exhausted though.

I can't sleep because I've been very bothered by what I'm seeing on Sex and the City. So, it started when I watched Sex and the City, the movie, for the first time a few weeks ago. Then, I downloaded the 1st 2 seasons of the TV show to see what the show was actually like. At first, I was appalled by the ugly '90s fashion and the multiple asides that makes up the show (because Carrie "interviews" all these people for her column, so they talk into the camera lens, which is a bit weird). But then, as I watched more and more, I realized that the common dating dilemmas that Carrie and her friends faced are actually not so different from ones that young adults and even teenagers are still experiencing: Guys just want the physical with no emotional attachments, Sex can turn into a power struggle or a demonstration of power in a relationship, Guys with weird fetishes, Guys who don't call girls back even though they promised, Monogamy vs. Friends With Benefits. What haven't we seen or experienced? What hasn't made us want to pull out all of the hair that we worked so hard to grow out and tame? Why is it that with advances in medicine and technology and an overall betterment of our lifestyle, we still see the same dating nightmares?

And all of it is so ironic. When women want a serious relationship, guys don't. So then we try to be like a guy and take a dab at the whole "friends with benefits" thing, but then we find out that the guy we're trying that with actually wants to be in a relationship. And in the end, we're the ones who get labeled as whores, heartbreakers and bitches. Rough life.

What's even more depressing is that these dilemmas will evolve and become more complex as we get older. Then, apartments, jobs, money and the dreaded biological clock will only serve as gas being added to a crackling flame. I just don't understand why it's so hard to find another person with the same intentions, goals and values. I'm sure you're snorting as you read this. Afterall, it's coming from a happily dating girl. What has she got to complain about, right? The thing is, SATC isn't exactly painting a very bright picture of the future (not to mention it feeds into my aversion of cities). I hope that the quality of relationships and the ease of dating will be directly proportional to the advancements in technology because otherwise, we're in for a pretty hard knock life.

Death of an Elephant

I started reading Water for Elephants today, after I saw a copy of it in Chinese at the library. That doesn't quite explain why I stopped reading the Life of Pi & picked up Water for Elephants, which had already been sitting at home for a week, but basically, I thought, "Well, if it got translated into Chinese, then it must be a worthwhile book to read."

So, as I'm reading, this horrible feeling of dread and fear creep up on me because the narrator is 90-something years old in the first chapter. I couldn't help but to picture wrinkly, helpless senior citizens sitting around in the cafeteria knowing that today, tomorrow, or perhaps a week from now, would be their last day on earth. Then I began thinking about what would happen to me when I die. The most unpleasant part to imagine was having dirt dumped over my face, but I soon realized that that would never happen, because I would be inside a coffin. But seriously, the most unsettling part about death is not knowing what happens to your body and to your soul, if there even is such a thing. Would it just be like being paralyzed in a dark room? Or would it be like sleeping, where you're taken into a dream world? I wonder if people will ever think of me after I pass and if I'll be aware that they're thinking of me. I wonder if I'll be aware of anything at all. What am I supposed to do and where am I supposed to be after I leave this world? I don't really know the answers to any of these questions and I'm sure that no matter what faith or religion you believe, there are no concrete pieces of evidence to support what people believe to happen to people after death. No one has ever come back from the grave to let us know, so we can only speculate. . .which led me to think that perhaps I need to believe in something. Not just a something that I make up in my head, but an actual cause or religion. I want to believe that there is a heaven, or that we reincarnate or that our soul lives on because I can't just accept darkness and emptiness.

I'm taking a religion class (Tibetan Buddhism) in the fall, because the religion class I wanted to take (Faith and Doubt in the Modern Age) didn't fit into my schedule. But I also want to explore other religious groups on campus and hopefully, the next time I think about death, I won't feel so uneasy.

Sick(o)

I tried watching Sicko, the Michael Moore film, but I couldn't stomach it. It wasn't gory or anything, but the fact that people have to live in deplorable situations simply because their healthcare costs drove them out of their homes makes me sick. If people with health insurance can't even afford multiple surgeries and hospitalizations, how can those without it cope? Unfortunately for me, I was eating when I started watching the movie and I had to stop because I felt so nauseated. Maybe I'll continue some other time.

Good Ol' UVA

Well, sure enough, I did have fun on July 6th because I was at orientation. Coincidence? Meant to be? Contrived? Take your pick.

I think orientation is meant to ease your worries because you get so many of your questions answered and you get to meet a few people before starting school etc. But for me, the whole ordeal just made the pre-college nerves worse.

I hated meeting so many Virginians. I tried to screen whom I met over the past few days by discreetly checking out people's name tags first to see where they were from before approaching them to say hi. Much to my dismay, trying to find an out-of-state student was a combination of trying to pick out the fine bones in a fish fillet combined with trying to pick perfect apples from a pile of last week's imports: tedious and nearly impossible. And for some reason, I was always surrounded by nursing students, whom I would hardly ever see again once school started because their classes are mostly in their own area of the campus. I'll just attribute the latter to luck (or rather lack thereof).

The only other aspect of UVA that I'm uncomfortable with is overwhelming whiteness and preppiness of the whole place. It makes me not want to get a Vera Bradley all-in-one wristlet, as useful and convenient as they are. I simply don't want to be just like everyone else, but at the same time, I can't help but wish that I would effortlessly be accepted by my peers. But, in order for that to happen, would I have to get one of those horribly floral wristlets along with a pair of Rainbows and some J. Crew cardigans. Yeah, I'm already spending thousands of dollars on tuition, definitely not gonna waste more money on stuff that everyone else has.

So hopefully, the school year will be nothing like orientation. I'm not sure whether I should just try to meet as many people as I can instead of picking out out-of-state students, non-preppy people, pre-comm etc. Maybe the problem isn't everyone else; it's me. I probably just need to get over myself & get over my Maryland-ness.

1st's

I couldn't pass up the opportunity to write a new post on the FIRST day of July, now could I?

Well, I would say today was more eventful than most because I was not at home, but then again, reading the last of the Twilight Saga while sitting in your dad's cubicle isn't exactly what most people would call eventful. When writing that, I think of those 6 Flags commercials with the tag line, "More flags, more fun." And today was definitely just ONE flag.

I thought about rating today as maybe just HALF a flag, but there were a few things that bumped it up to a full one.

1. We went to Ban Thai for lunch, one of my favorite Thai places actually. Well, I say favorite because it's the only Thai restaurant I've tried and haven't absolutely hated because of the extreme lack of authenticity in the food. Somehow, the dish that my Dad got with 2 "spicy stars" was pleasantly mild compared to my dish rated with only 1 spicy star.

2. We walked a few blocks to a bank. I really despise walking on the streets of Baltimore. I can't help but clutch my purse closer to my side the way I do in China, but not for the fear of having some poor orphan "pick-pocket" you, but for the fear of seriously getting mugged. Pick-pocketing and mugging are two VERY different things. . .

3. I then had to walk across the street all by myself to withdraw some money, which wouldn't have been so bad had the amount been the usual $20. I had to withdraw $3,000 (in order to put it into a new Citibank account). And little did I know, ATMs have a daily limit on the withdrawal amount. Great. I walked back across the street trying not to look like I just stuffed 25 $20-bills in my clutch. The Cantonese personal banker told me to actually go inside the other bank and make the withdrawal. Just what I wanted to hear, another trip across the street. So I walk back, go inside this time and bug out at the length of the line. Impatiently, I scoot behind a tall white guy and tried to peak around him every few minutes to see if the first person in line had perhaps fallen asleep. She hadn't. It was really taking this long. Finally, when it's my turn, I ask for the rest of my money, hoping that she was going to spare me and give me a check so my clutch wouldn't grown any fatter. No luck there. She handed me a thick envelope and called for the next person in line. I envied the person who would get to mug me today, but hoped that there would be no such person. As you may have already guessed, nothing happened to me as I passed a bunch of people waiting lazily for the bus, or when I stood at the intersection to wait for the traffic signal or when I was finally walking across to the other side of St. Paul's Street.

4. After I felt like my heart couldn't take another moment of excitement, the banker told me to spin a fortune wheel type thing for the chance to win a prize. The words flashed by, "$10 gift card", "$50 gift card", "Baseball cap" etc. Out of the corner of my eye, I spied a Cannon digital camera on display at the prize table perched next to a green Froggy-bank. I didn't want to get my hopes up because I knew then I would never get it for sure, but I couldn't help but give out a sigh of disappointment when the arrow passed the Froggy-bank label and landed on the words "Travel mug." Wonderful, another excuse to feed my caffeine addiction. That's really gonna help me grow taller and age gracefully. Not.

I really wanted that Froggy bank :( I think that would've bumped the fun flag rating to 2 or 2.5. Oh well, I guess it's appropriate that I only get 1 fun flag for the 1st of July. Maybe I'll have more fun on July 6th!