I knew it! I knew this would happen to me, just didn’t know when and who. I woke up yesterday morning and saw a notification on my tablet, Alka Girdhar from Magnanimous Word had nominated me to participate in the Allergic to “E” Challenge. Continue reading “Allergic to “E” Challenge” →
I will be out most of the day. So I will be back later to write other posts. Therefore, I will start the day with the 3 Days 3 Quotes Challenge which I was nominated by Yarnspinerr to participate. Continue reading “3 Days 3 Quotes Challenge – Day 1” →
The latest assignment from photo101 is solitude which in my view means a picture of someone looking out into the distance, sad, alone, and may I add, looking completely lost. This kind of photo is quite hard to take and even find because one, I don’t like taking pictures of people because I feel like it’s an invasion of someone privacy to take their pictures without telling them first and two, I’ve never actually seen anyone looking sad, alone, and completely lost. Even when I was in the city today, I didn’t see anything or anyone that fit the description.
So once again, I have dig into my archive and fortunately I found what I needed but first I want to show you this picture:
This is from last May when we went house hunting down by Utah Lake, a large fresh water lake by Provo, Utah. Mom wanted to buy a second house so she wouldn’t have to commute 100 miles daily for work. What you’re looking at is the land. Unfortunately, after we saw the model, we were convinced that it was way too small. It felt smaller than our current home. So we bailed.
That’s me, looking alone. I guess that looks like solitude. I didn’t mean to look like that. I was just standing there when Mom snapped the picture. Honestly though, I felt kind of tired and frustrated because it was all Mom could talk about at the time.
Why is it both black and white and color?
When I messed with the picture just now, I wanted the picture to show that solitude feeling, that loneliness. I guess I failed, huh?
Have you ever heard the saying: you will learn more about a person after they die than you will ever learn when they were alive. Continue reading “Reflection: Fate, Destiny, Curse” →
When I saw day four’s assignment, I was a little stumped. Bliss? I mean I’m not a big gesture kind of person, I mean I don’t do big poses when taking a picture. Where can I find a picture of bliss? Continue reading “Photo101: Bliss” →
Have I ever show you pictures of that time I went to Great Salt Lake? No? Continue reading “Photo101: Water” →
For your blog do you basically use Mac or Windows applications. What type of device laptop, desktop,tablet, phone or pad? Continue reading “Share Your World – 2015 Week #23” →
Yes, I have joined Photo101 but unfortunately, I couldn’t find a picture of home, well, unless, I went on pinterest and just find a picture but that wouldn’t be Photo101, would it. Then Day 2, I could’ve just gone outside and taken a photo of my street but everyone’s already seen that and it wouldn’t be fun to see it again and again. So I chose one from my archive. Continue reading “Photo101: Street and Established Shots” →
Last night, right before I went to bed, mom burst into my room, tablet in her hand, and told me sadly my grandfather had passed away. Continue reading “Late Night and Awkward Morning” →
Today’s prompt: What’s the strangest place from which you’ve posted to your blog? When was the last time you were out and about, and suddenly thought, “I need to write about this!”?
Strangest Places? I’m not sure what you mean by strange. There are a lot of things in the world that can be classified as “strange” like that tower to the left. Posting in a strange place, no, I don’t think I’ve written posts in strange places yet.
In the meantime, I can answer the second question. I have encountered several circumstances when I just have to write about it. When was the last time? That is a good question. Let’s think.
Still thinking…
Ugh, I can’t think of anything with my work in the way. I’m hoping to complete my translation work today so I don’t have to have it hanging over my head for the rest of the month but I don’t think that is likely to happen since I have to seize the opportunity and go work for my other job today.
Still thinking…
Ha, here we go, I can think of two circumstances.
It was written and publish about 13 months ago. So basically, last summer. Now that I reflect on this post, last summer was probably the worst summer in the history of all the summers I’ve had counting the ones as a kid in China. When I wrote this, I felt like I was literally about to blow.
Two weeks after graduating college, mom was making me go back to school. Every conversation we had led to a fight because it’s always about me not finding a job, don’t want to go back to school, not wanting to work, not wanting to study etc. You get my point.
I remember my hands were literally slamming the keyboard when I typed that post. Mom was still bursting into my room every 5 minutes telling me how useless and worthless I was while occasionally throwing something at the back of my head. 2014 had really been a dark and miserable year for me but it’s behind me now and it looks like 2015 is getting better already.
I don’t know, why don’t you click and find out?
I was literally freezing my ass off in there. When I worked as an ESL tutor, every week, there was one or two days when I couldn’t be in the classroom. The classroom was shared between me, mom (Chinese teacher), and the Spanish teacher. I couldn’t leave the school’s premises and so I had to find another place to go.
Anyway, there’s no thermostat in there and as I sat there trying to do my homework, it would get colder and colder. Even with a t-shirt underneath plus a sweatshirt plus a light jacket plus a large ski jacket (I’m not joking), I still felt cold in there. That room was colder than outside. I couldn’t do much homework in there so I decided to write.
Anyway, I hope you will click the links to the posts and check them out. Although they’re more than a year old, I’m sure they’re still quite relate-able to some people. Looking forward to your likes and feedback on those old posts. 🙂
Okay, this is the second part to the previous post and since I’ve gotten everything off my chest, it’s time for the prompt. When I saw the prompt this morning, I was like, “No, you’re not serious. Are you serious?” Yes, WordPress was serious.
So here’s my short answer for the prompt. No, the world isn’t ending tomorrow and I’m not going to tell about my last dinner. In the last week, I unconsciously gained a pound. It will take forever to go back down. However I will tell a story on the matter of world ending.
In 2011, mom’s friend came to visit us and we spent two days visiting Yellowstone. On the first day, we visited the north part of Yellowstone and the south on the second day. As we drove along Yellowstone River and eventually reached Yellowstone Lake, her friend’s son, Ryan, looked out the window to the lake and said excitedly, “This is just like in the movie.”
“What movie?” Mom asked curiously.
“2012,” Her friend told her and began elaborating the movie. She revealed the plot and all the different locations that were used to shoot the film.
I tuned out because I did not want to know and if you haven’t seen it yet, I don’t want to spoil it. F.Y.I., it’s a movie about the world ending. But typical mom’s friend. People around me’s more or less the same. They like to spoil things. When we watch a movie or a show, they tend to focus on what everyone in the movie’s wearing instead on the plot or they’ll tell you what the entire thing’s about before watching it.
In late 2011, mom became so curious that she got a copy of the movie. We watched it together and as usual, when it
came to TV shows and movies, mom’s got the attention span of a baby. If the plot isn’t fast enough, she’ll quit watching in about 15 minutes, 30 minutes tops. And she did, leaving me to finish the bloody and graphic scenes all on my own. I didn’t want to watch it but I was too damn curious and it left me wondering why. Why December 21, 2012? Because coincidentally, that is the eleventh anniversary of my arrival in the U.S.
I remember in 2012, some people were particularly antsy, probably having seen the movie, they were convinced the world would end. So on April 21, 2012, there was this big event. I can’t remember the name but it’s like a preparation for the apocalypse sort of thing.
It was a ridiculous idea, the apocalypse and world ending. It was merely based on books and the ancient Mayan Calendar. I even recall my science teacher telling me in high school that the world is not set to end for another 1000 years. Pfft, 1000 years? I’ll be dust and I’ll be careless then. My descendants can fend for themselves then.
I did watch the movie, 2012, again when the rest of the family came visit the summer of 2012. I didn’t want to because I didn’t want to spend the entire movie translating every sentence and every word when no one else was watching it but me. But mom said I had to let it play through and that’s through my computer via HDMI. So there went my three hours.
As for the apocalypse, obviously, it didn’t happen. The world was safe and sound as I ushered in another year in the U.S. on December 21 that year as well as many years after that. I know some people was braced for the impossible though. The news reported it that evening and I had a good laugh about it.
So, I want to ask, do you remember this picture?
Do not worry if you don’t. This was taken at the end of March. Why am I asking? It’s because I took the photograph below two days ago.
I hope you see the tulips are gone and it’s replaced by the roses. What a difference in just three short months!
But this isn’t about that, it is about these pictures which are my contribution for this week’s photo challenge: Vivid. I hope you enjoy.
F.Y.I: The pictures of the roses and whatever those magenta flowers are were taken with my Note 10.1 tablet and then I played with it in pixlr. The other pictures were taken with my old bad-battery camera.
A brand-new challenge (Love-Hate Challenge) is coming around the blogging circle and my name has been tossed into the ring by Humaaq. Continue reading “Love-Hate Challenge” →
Today’s prompt asks: “And they lived happily ever after.” Think about this line for a few minutes. Are you living happily ever after? If not, what will it take for you to get there? Continue reading “Not so Happily Ever After” →
I was tagged by Francesca Smith of A Smith’s World a couple of days ago for the Share the Love Challenge but as always, procrastination takes over but since it’s on my mind right this second, I’m doing it.
Continue reading “Spread the Love of Blogging” →
Today’s Prompt asks: Is it possible to be too honest, or is honesty always the best policy? Continue reading “Truth, Lies, Assumptions, and Conclusion” →
Wow, over the past two weeks, I had so many award nominations that I lost count. So that means it’s time for another award wrap-up. I went back through all the comments and ping backs I received and counted, five (recent) and one from a long while back. I just forgot about it. That makes six nominations! Wow, thanks guys!
So the first and second one is The Creative Blogging Award. Thank you so much, Izzy-Grabs-Life, Nortina Marciela, Lrod’s Blog, for nominating me for yet another award.
The rules are to thank the blogger, put up five facts, and nominate 15 to 20 blogs. Wow, that’s a lot. I will save the nominations for another day. As for the five facts, I will combine it with the Infinity Dream Award below and that makes seven facts. Too many awards, have to be flexible.
The second nomination comes from Geethu of Chococurrent and it is the Very Inspiring Blogger Award. Thank you so much.
Since this award only require to nominate 10 bloggers, I will save that for another post soon or never. It depends on my level of procrastination.
The third nomination is from Frederick of Fredtotherick and it is the Sisterhood of World Bloggers Award. Thank you, Frederick.
The rules are to answer the ten questions given by the blogger, come up with 10 other questions of my own, and nominate about 5-10 bloggers. Again, I will save the nominations for later.
Last nomination is from Nortina Mariela and it’s a triple nomination as sort of noted 
with the Creative Blogger Award. The Versatile Blogger is from both Nortina and LadyLeeManila. The Infinity Dreams Award is a new one, I shall put that on my Wall of Achievements. Thank you so much, Nortina and LadyLeeManila.
Thanks for all the nominations, guys. I will take my sweet time to nominate bloggers for each award which more detail will be announced in future posts.
Have a great day! 🙂
When I saw almost every blogger I’m currently following are being challenged one way or another to participate in the Freestyle Writing Challenge, I knew it would be a matter of time before one of my favorite bloggers tosses my name in the ring. Continue reading “Freestyle Writing Challenge” →
Recently, a reader provided me with a great suggestion for a post: tips and ways to simplify day-to-day life. Believe it or not, my life Continue reading “4 Ways to a Simple Life” →
The sun is finally out, so are the planes, but the rain has at last stop, for the week at least. Just in time for my friend’s graduation tomorrow. I don’t know what time or whether I’ll be able to attend with the GMAT workshop but hopefully, I can make it. Continue reading “Nobody’s Perfect” →
Today’s prompt asks: Tell us something most people probably don’t know about you. Continue reading “Take Me Seriously!” →
I can say my worst nightmares are failing all my classes and plummeting to my death. Continue reading “Dreams and Nightmares” →
It is really not that hard to get me in “the zone” but once I’m in “the zone” Continue reading “Frisbee Mode” →
This is Another Story