Tag: Diary

What a day!

Published on by Yinglan4 Comments

This may look like it was written when I’m half awake because I was exhausted yesterday. I am exhausted today. I really really really need to sleep.

I spent half of yesterday morning trying to search for answers in my oh-so-vague business law book. Guess that’s the result of having a CPA write a law book.

That book has to be the worst textbook ever written. The answers to the questions at the end of the chapter are not even in the book. I had to google it and look in five or six websites before I even find the answers.

Let’s not forget to mention each clause of the Constitution are so vaguely explained that after I read it, I am scratching my head going what the heck does that supposed to mean? Oh and have I mention how much I have come to hate the wording of the Constitution? No wonder people break laws, no one can understand what it means. Even the Supreme Court justices have arguments over the interpretation of the meaning.

Before the semester began, I thought it would be fun studying all those landmark cases since I enjoy history and all but now it feels it feels, oh, I can’t even find the words to describe it. I still have two case briefs that’s due tomorrow as well as I have to take three chapter quizzes. In three words, I am miserable. 😦

Yeah, I know what I’ve said about how my semester is looking bright, yadi yada, but this business law class is just driving me insane. The material, the pile of homework, it’s just beyond crazy!

Anyway, back to yesterday. I spent the remainder of the morning working on my cost accounting assignment, now that’s a piece of cake. I finished it in a jiffy. After lunch, I returned to my room, attempting to write something but I was interrupted by my mom dragging me out to shop the second I finished my story for Friday Fictioneers. She said I needed the exercise and walking around the base exchange was classified as exercise.

At least I hit jackpot and finally scored myself two pairs of jeans, 🙂 which it’s still sitting in a bag by my door. I haven’t had time to hang it since the five minutes after I came home, I was busy finishing tagging my post to be published.

Then just as I was getting ready to hang my new pants, I had to leave again, this time, to school. I am volunteering for Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) next month and I need to get my certification in order to be qualified to help people file their taxes.

My mom wanted to get her certification too. So she tagged along.

Oh my gosh, do you know how annoying it was? She was always steps behind the instructor and asking me for help. Then I ended steps behind too.

Thank god at least I’ve used this program once before and I still remember what I’ve learned from my taxation class but her mind seemed as if it was blank. So many times during the night, I wanted to get up and yell in her face, “Why don’t you look up at the screen and see what the instructor is doing?”

I know it’s wrong but I’m getting this certification to volunteer, to earn my service hours. Meanwhile, she’s just doing it for the fun of it. If I do something wrong, I have a big risk. I have to get the experience to find a job. Meanwhile, she doesn’t need to worry about this risk.

Anyway, I was exhausted by the time I got home. My mom was suggesting we do the three quizzes but I was like NO WAY, I have to sleep. I was to get up before six this morning to take my annoying cousin to take his TOEFL exam this morning AGAIN.

I am exhausted and I want to sleep. Unfortunately, that won’t be possible since my homework is piling up and I just gulped down a large cup of cappuccino. Besides, I have to go pick up my cousin soon. Now, I just hope I can get a grip on this business law class and then hopefully, all will be right in the world.

 Daily Prompt: Easy Fix (Hopefully)

That Mighty Long Chat

Published on by Yinglan7 Comments

I went on a camping trip for three days and two nights during the summer between 6th and 7th grade. It was fun and not fun as I pointed in this little walk through my adventures.

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The fun? We got to go to all these cool and amazing places. The not fun? 3 minutes cold showers and the constant teasing by my camp-mates and the camp counselors couldn’t do anything about it.

I didn’t quite enjoy the telling ghost stories around the bonfire either. The log wasn’t comfortable and not a fan of burnt marshmallows. Also the night was still chilly even with the fire burning in the middle.

That’s why if I want to have a long chat with someone, I would definitely not do it around a fire. If I am to have that long chat, I have no idea who, surprise me, I don’t care, I would most definitely choose some place comfortable and indoor, preferably some place with couches.

This looks comfortable, let’s chat!

 

Daily Prompt – Fireside Chat

To Start the Day…

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I do a lot yet I also do very little in those 30 minutes after I awaken from my long 6-10 hours slumber and none of those thing will ensure my day is off on the right foot. Continue reading “To Start the Day…” →

These Little Moments…

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I don’t like taking pictures, especially of people, with people, eh… Bad experience with my mom on multiple occasions, don’t ask.

Continue reading “These Little Moments…” →

Imagination Recharged

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Last week was both a great week and a bad week for me. First the new semester began and that came with a lot homework and reading. Continue reading “Imagination Recharged” →

Pencils Only

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“Do all of your assignment with pencil on paper.” That’s what all the instructors said on the first day class.

When I was working on my undergraduate degree, we were not allowed to type our homework, except for the communication class when we were required to type our reports. Well, frankly, if we were to write our reports by hand, it would take forever and by the time we finish, our hands might be in some serious pain.

Even now, I write all my notes by hand on my tablet instead of typing them in Microsoft OneNote. I enjoy writing my notes by hands because it just feels so much faster especially when the class involves drawing tables and graphs.

Still, that doesn’t stop me from imagining what the world would be like if we were to go back to pre-keyboard era which would be before the 1860’s when the typewriter was invented. Technically, typewriters count as keyboards. They have keys and the paper is the screen.

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I guess without the keyboard’s existence, I might be dipping pens, pencils probably existed but maybe only special people used ’em. Maybe clumsy people like me might not even have pens but just wooden sticks to write in the sand so we don’t get ink all over our dresses.

This semester, I found out I have to type all my assignments! Honestly, I rather prefer to go back to the pencil and paper days. At least I won’t have to stare at a screen the entire day. I mean, it’s killing my eyes! I find myself to have to zoom in to 150% this morning just to read this Supreme Court Case (Brown v. Board of Education) for my Business Law assignment and the font wasn’t even that small. The words just looked so blurry and tiny to me.

Please do NOT tell me I’m going blind.

Contradiction of Everything

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Daily Prompt: Do you have a good friend or close relative with whom you disagree on a major issue (political, personal, cultural)? What’s the issue, and how do you make the relationship work?

Do I?

My 17-year-old cousin, the one who’s living in the basement, who’s eating all the food, contradicts just about everything. The way he argues about everything just makes me dislike him even more.

The worst part? My aunt stands with him. It’s ridiculous!

So I stopped talking to him but sometimes, even when I’m not talking to him, he had to jump in. Like on the day when we took the trip to Morgan, before we hit the highway, my mom had to stop by the Air Force Base to pick up her prescription. The three of us waited in the car.

Anyway, my aunt was begging me to take her to City Creek Mall which I did. She was talking about buying souvenirs and I started telling about when I took my former boss’s wife to the mall late 2013. I told about how she purchased over $200 worth of environment friendly soaps without blinking just because her daughter said it was good stuff. I also told about the tea shop next to the environment friendly soap store, how a few ounces of tea leaves cost $40.

“It’s so ridiculously expensive. I don’t think I’d waste my own money on tea.” I said.

The normal response, I think, would be, “I have to agree, money is hard to come by and you worked hard to earn that. It’s good for you to save.”

Instead, my cousin piped up, “You can’t be like that. When you want it, you’ll be willing to spend to get it.”

“Unfortunately,” I replied, “I will never have the heart to spend so much for food.”

He sighed, “Well, then that proves you’re cheap.” Can you believe that? He flat out and called me cheap! Least to say, I spent the remainder of the trip irritated.

Next Saturday, I’m supposed to spend the day shuttling him again from home to the testing center and home again. I don’t even want to do it but as usual, I’m the only one that know how to get there.

One more month and he’ll gone. One more month and I’ll no longer have to hide food in my room. 

I still cannot believe I’m hiding mentos and butterscotch candies in my room. It’s not like I’m going to eat it all.

 

It’s Crazy…

Published on by Yinglan8 Comments

I just spent almost the entire day doing homework and studying for the two pre-lecture quizzes for tomorrow only to find out one of my teachers had delayed the quiz to Tuesday. I finished my homework though, finally. Continue reading “It’s Crazy…” →

It’s Looking Bright

Published on by Yinglan15 Comments

Well, I just had another adventurous day, this time, not on the road but on the sidewalk. Apparently, the university had decided to clean the parking lots but not the walkways. There was like a layer of ice in front of every building. It took me forever to get to my class.

I was surprised that despite the ice and slippery conditions, some people decided to wear their flats and high heels to school. Well, I would like to wish them good luck. Then again, I bet no one is as clumsy as I am.

Anyway, before I left this morning, I opened my browser and had a quick look at the prompt. Honestly, I thought it was worse than yesterday’s. But whatever, I need some inspiration.

My keyword for the google image search is “LANDSCAPE” and here’s the eleventh image.

" Street Art " Montreal 2012

This is beautiful, isn’t it? According to google, this is a painting of sunset in Montreal, Canada.

“LANDSCAPE” is often my search word in google because when it’s so gloomy and cloudy and the weather’s yucky outside, my inspiration meter would plunge and looking at beautiful painting or photo of somewhere tend to be able to squeeze something out of me.

You know, after going to my new classes today, I think I will look forward to this semester and this year. It’s looking bright.

Bad Weather and a Busy Day

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I had such a busy morning and a nerve-wrecking drive JUST to pick up my paycheck. But I’m home now and alright. Whew!

I feel both grateful and angry that the storm chose to ignore the city I’m residing in. It’s completely ridiculous! The moment I left the city on the Freeway this city, rain began pouring harder, much harder.

When I’ve already gone 10 miles, I had this terrifying urge to turn around and go home, to call the office and tell them to forget it, I am not driving in this dangerous condition. But then, my stubbornness kicked in and I hate to do thing halfway. Besides, I kind of need the money to cover my books and credit cards especially with that $3200 tuition, I need it now more than ever.

Finally, about an hour later, I made it to the office. In and out of that office in less than 5 minutes and then it was time to go home.  Yikes!

The drive back, that’s scary. I am not sure whether it was the road material or the road was flooded, I couldn’t tell but my car made this funny whooshing noise and it skidded TWICE even with winter tires. Thank god for no traffic, otherwise I’d be in trouble.

It was terrifying. After that, my chest began to pound. I was almost praying, hoping that the story I wrote over the weekend wouldn’t come true. It cannot come true and it better not come true.

I made it home and had to immediately make some lunch, to calm my nerves but I’m just happy I’m okay. I’m just so glad I only have Tuesdays and Thursdays classes this semester and then I don’t have to face so much bad weather.

A Slow Day

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I feel like today is going especially slow. I don’t know why. Last night, after suffering from a stomachache all night, I went to bed only to find myself sleeping and waking up repeatedly through the night and finding myself at a different place on the bed every time.

It’s weird, right? I wonder if I should be worried. Nah, maybe I’m having a strange week, that’s all. Maybe just some pre-semester jitters.

My aunt is currently downstairs cleaning the floors while I was supposed to wash my mom’s car. That’s not going to happen.

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Outside is dark and cloudy again and it’s freezing cold, only 39°F. I thought there’s not supposed to be a storm for the next 7 days. The weatherman lied, wouldn’t be the first time. I checked the weather and it’s supposed to snow and rain on Monday. How am I supposed to go to Salt Lake City to pick up my paycheck?

On the bright side, after almost a month, I finally sold my mom’s statistics book and after two days, I finally applied for that summer audit position at American Express. I’m crossing my fingers and hope the HR will return my email soon, preferably Monday, and give me an interview. Until then, all I can do is cross my finger and not jinx it.

Amazed…

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You know, I’m kind of amazed at myself right now.

I finally finished this month’s work last night. I am so happy I get to relax and decompress during these last few days before the semester officially begins again.

Now I know I’ve complained about my work often because it’s so bored. I just sit at my computers translating stuff. Is that boring or what? So to take away the dullness, I decided to scour through my CD collection and listen to songs I haven’t listened to for at least the past 5 years.

When my stereo was still in the basement, I used to go down there and sing along to all the song I know. This week, I decided to do the same thing. That’s why I am so amazed. I still remember the words. All of them. It’s like when I want to sing along, the words just flows perfectly out of my lips and I heard these songs forever ago.

I don’t know how I do that because if you ask me to repeat it back to you, I cannot but when the music plays, I can sing the lyrics perfectly.

Home At Last

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It was a cold and snowy night. I can still remember this night horribly well because it was most likely the first time when I spent the whole drive home praying that I wouldn’t get into an accident.

Continue reading “Home At Last” →

Master of Words

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Daily Prompt: If you could choose to be a master (or mistress) of any skill in the world, which skill would you pick?

If I can pick to be the master of any skill in the world, I would pick the Master of Words. I would always know the right things to say.

Those of you who are frequent readers of my blogs probably notice that I rarely comment on any posts. I usually just click “like” and that’s it. That’s because I’m afraid of saying the wrong words and offending somebody which is what my mom often says when she brings me to meet somebody.

In fact, I think that’s how all my friendship ends, either by my mom’s disapproval or my words.

She often tells me the thing I say embarrasses her, that it’s inappropriate, childish, and whiny. Honestly though, that’s the way I speak. I cannot change my voice. So eventually, I just stopped talking. Just don’t really say much in general. I mean, what’s the point?

So, if I am the Master of Words, I’d know what to say at all times, meeting my mom’s friends, at job interviews, anywhere. Oh, and if this mastering thing can add in some voice and tone adjustments like Donald Duck in Donald’s Dream Voice, make my voice sound less whiny and childish and more adult-like, I’d be all in.

Blogging 101: Write For My Dream Reader

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I need to take a breath. I’ve worked 8 hours today and translated over 2000 words. Continue reading “Blogging 101: Write For My Dream Reader” →

To the Rescue!

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Daily Prompt: Tell us about the time you rescued someone else (person or animal) from a dangerous situation. What happened? How did you prevail?

Ha, ha, me rescuing someone? That’s hilarious. It’s more like people rescuing me. I don’t think I’ve been rescued by someone before. I’ve always managed to come around on my own. Even the time when I was squirming crazily on my bed, my body going into full spasm. When I came around, I was shocked to find my step-dad, the one who’s training to be a RN was the one freaking out.

But no, this is a story for another time. This is a story about how my mom prevented a major house fire. I know, the prompt said a person or animal but a house, to me, like most inanimate objects are looked at like a person.

It was September, 2013 (wow that feel a little weird to say), it seems everything happens in September. Anyway, an international student came to stay with us because the school had no host family available. I had just begun my job with my former boss, Mr. Li.

It was a Saturday, it was my first day on the job. I reported for work early that morning and my tasks that day were to assist on his trip to the accountants’ office as well as the supermarket. Basically, I was supposed to trail behind him like a puppy while my mom was his wife’s volunteering driver for the day.

When I finally came home that day, my mom said, “She almost burned the house down!”

“What happened?” I asked curiously.

“I just stepped out for a few minutes and she left the toaster oven on! If I didn’t see it, the whole house would have gone up in flames.”

After a few days, weeks, months and even now and then, she was still talking about it, telling about her heroic rescue of the house. Unbelievable! The story became horribly annoying after a while but hey, she did prevent a fire and saved the house.

The First Day

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So I wanted to write yesterday but I couldn’t get myself to.  First of all, I am home, finally. I was dead tired. I slept 12 hours, from 9 to 9 and I was still tired. I worked 7.5 hours yesterday and went to bed extra early. Continue reading “The First Day” →

A Change of Scenery

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Hello and greetings from Idaho! Continue reading “A Change of Scenery” →

Different Generation, Different Attitude

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I hope you all are having a Happy New Year. Continue reading “Different Generation, Different Attitude” →

Tears, can’t live without them, just have to live with them

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Daily Prompt: We cry for lots of reasons: sadness, pain, fear . . . and happiness. When was the last time you shed tears of joy?

Hmm, that’s interesting. I don’t remember crying for joy, ever or maybe I just haven’t yet.

Do people do that? Crying for joy just seemed a little funny to me because why would happiness provoke tears? Wouldn’t it provoke laughter and smiles?

Ah, I get it. It’s not the kind of joy that makes a person smile but the kind of joy that causes one to feel surprised, glad, or even relieved like right after a mother gives birth. I’ve seen it in the news and movies. Or when someone realizes that person’s been there for him/her all along and is grateful. I guess I just never had that kind of thing happen to me yet but I’m not giving my hopes up. Someday.

I remember exactly the last time I cried. It was tears of anger. It was at the end of September right after my aunt back my mom’s car into a pole. Then the very next day, my mom blamed me for it. My fists and teeth clenched and tears fell from my face while fire looked like it’s about to flare from my nostrils. There was this pull inside me rendering my ability to speak or fight back.

It’s not my fault, I wanted to say but couldn’t. Ultimately, I just had to ignore every hurtful my mom said that day.

The result of that event? 

It set off a domino effect and it went on for almost two weeks that ultimately ended with my mom buying two airplane tickets for my aunt and cousin to go home at once but fate intervened. And they’re now staying until February.

It was strange for me to cry because I don’t usually cry when I’m angry. Actually, I can say I’ve grown stony and hard ever since I’ve been living with my mom alone that it’s hard for me to cry any sort of tears. But tears are meant for cleansing, so I guess everyone has to shed some tears once in a while whether it’s for joy, sadness, or anger. Tears are tears and everyone needs them.

2014 in review

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The WordPress.com stats helper monkeys prepared a 2014 annual report for this blog.

Here’s an excerpt:

A New York City subway train holds 1,200 people. This blog was viewed about 6,700 times in 2014. If it were a NYC subway train, it would take about 6 trips to carry that many people.

Click here to see the complete report.

One is Enough, Two is Too Much

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The crappy house with the stairs

I am frustrated and that frustration is growing by the day.

Last year, my mother purchased two additional houses. She planned to use those houses for investment and rental. To be honest, both of those houses are a pain in the neck. After closing on the first house last April, we spent almost the entire month cleaning, repairing, and re-painting the wall.

When I say “we”, I mean my mother and her friend. Meanwhile, I am not allowed to touch or do anything, I am to just stand there and watch. I hated it. I mean, what am I doing there? I could be doing so much more at home.

Thank god that house rented out quickly and the tenant had been stable. A few months later, my mother closed on a house at the end of our street. This house is a bucketful of problems.

First it was the furnace, then the AC, and then at the beginning of this year, we found out there’s no return vent in the basement, making the basement of the house freezing cold.

It’s a crappy house. Well, what do you expect when the first owner of the house was a know-it-all handyman?

Anyway, in the latter part of 2013, after yet spending a few weeks cleaning up the place, we rented the house to a very nice family who was waiting for their house to be built in another city.

They moved out early January of this year. Thank goodness, the wife of the tenant was a clean freak and kept the house sparkly clean. We didn’t have to do much and within 2 weeks, the house was again rented to another family from Texas and that’s when the problems began. They built a bathroom in the basement without consulting us. The bathroom turned out awry and weird. Don’t get me started.

That family moved out suddenly before Thanksgiving. It was ridiculous. Not only they broke the contract but the house was a mess!

My aunt and cousin spent the afternoons in the days followed at the house cleaning and picking up dog poop in the backyard. It’s disgusting and I would never ever do it. I couldn’t be more grateful to have them here.

A few days after the advertisement for our rental house went online, two families came and browse. One family was so so eager to move in that they didn’t even cared if the carpet was cleaned. I wasn’t having a good vibe about this candidate. They seemed nice and all but there’s something off.

I told my mother to go with the other family, but she didn’t listen. I was completely right, by the way. The “bad vibe” tenant has an excellent credit score but he didn’t even had the money to pay the first month rent and deposit.

My mother got scared and turn them down. That left the “good vibe” tenant but unfortunately, they grew impatient waiting for our response and had already found another house. That house has been empty for past month. My mother’s incessantly worried about the furnace failing and constantly nudging me to go check.

Yeah, like I know anything about the mechanics of a furnace.

In the recent day, it’s become my dread to go into that house. It’s not haunted or anything. There are just too many stairs and the stairs are thickly carpeted. Did you know it takes more strength going up a flight of carpeted stairs than any other kind of staircase?

My consensus: that house is horribly designed and I would never live in it.

I still don’t understand why my mother had to purchase that house. Why couldn’t she be happy with just one rental home? This other house is going down the drain if we don’t get some tenants soon, I tell ya.

When she bought the house, she says my aunt wanted it but I highly doubt it. For all I know, my aunt could’ve said, “随便吧!” or “Anything’s fine.”

My Tight Little Corner

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Something has happened in my neck of the woods. I can’t figure out what but it’s making me feel singled-out, like I’m being forced into a tight little corner of my own. It’s like my spoken words are not being understood and there’s no one ’round here to clarify my words for me.

I’ve been searching and wondering far and wide and I have arrived with these three explanations:

  • Language barrier
    • I know, we all speak the same language here. But they seem to forget that I just know to speak everyday language, slang. My education level for this language is only up to the 4th grade. Still, they talk to me like I graduated college there, saying politically related college-level term that I probably will never understand.
    • And if I say the wrong thing, they’d just burst out laughing and it’s not just in the moment, they laugh for days and it’s really frustrating sometimes. Like yesterday, I accidentally mispronounced the word for Mount Everest and they laughed and laughed, making fun of me, making me feel like an idiot. Yes, I know I said the wrong thing but don’t forget I never went past the 4th grade.
  • Ethnic culture differences
    • Yes, there is a tiny or huge ethnic culture difference here, depends on one’s perspective. For example, my aunt doesn’t like to use the dryer. She hang wet clothes in the laundry. I hate that. When the clothes dry, it becomes cold, stiff, and wrinkly. It’s like wearing cardboard.
  • Too many personalities
    • Yes, I understand everyone has their own personality, no people are the same but my aunt’s personality is driving me nuts. She is so childish sometimes with her silly clothes. Yesterday, when it was snowing, she didn’t want her hair to get wet, so she wore a husky hat. I don’t mean a hat that looked like husky fur, I mean a hat that was an actual husky (dog) head. It’s the stupidest hat I’ve ever seen.
    • Often times, she’s been sitting at the kitchen counter watch funny babies video on her ipad. If you like watching babies so much, why don’t you have one of your own?

Meanwhile, my mother is not helping with my situation, she laughs along and her teasing had been increasingly irritating. I wish I can just tell them that but everybody in this house feels super intimidating and it’s making me feel frightened.

Just two more months, I will tell myself from now on. Just two more months and they’ll be gone.