Tag: Diary

If I meet my extended family…

Published on by Yinglan1 Comment

extended circlesIn the past week, I’ve managed to learn something new about my extended family. It turns out I have a bunch more of family in China, more than I’ve ever known (grandparents, aunts, uncles).

Anyway, for as long as I could remember, I’ve always been the second oldest among my cousins that is until mom told me a couple days ago about an older cousin whom I’ve never known about in China. Now, I maybe third eldest or the forth or the fifth… Whoever knows.

I had to asked, “How much more family do I have?”

She chuckled, “More than you know.”

“Well, then the next time I go back, remind me to have them sit in one room and everyone will introduce themselves.”

If I am to meet all of them, my entire clan, for the first time today and I assume today means the present, some time in the 21st century and not some time in the 1900’s, that is exactly what I am going to do. I am going to sit them all in a giant circle, the eldest shall sit directly across from me while from there on, the circle shall go in a counter-clockwise direction with age like the second eldest would sit to the left of the eldest and it goes on. Then we’ll go around the circle introducing each other.

I am sure that is the strangest way they have ever encountered to introduce themselves, after all, why would they need to? They know each other. Unfortunately I don’t know them, so we’ll do it my way. Wait, would I be known as the family’s weirdo after that? I bet I will but I am sure some of my many cousins will have my back. So I’ll probably have a posse. 🙂

Two nominations in a month! – One Lovely Blog Award

Published on by Yinglan5 Comments

one-lovely-blog1

Wow, I’m flattered and honored. Earlier this month, my other blog, Hidden Stars, was nominated for the One Lovely Blog Award by SHRUTIGOPINATH and then yesterday, this blog, My Simple Life, was nominated for the One Lovely Blog Award by Vik Tory Arch. Thank you all so much. You’re the reason which I continue to blog.

Here are the rules:

  1. You must thank the person who nominated you and include a link to their blog.You must list the rules and display the award.
  2. You must add 7 facts about yourself.
  3. You must nominate 15 (or more) other bloggers and comment on one of their posts to let them know they have been nominated.

Here are 7 more facts about me that I have not listed yet:

  1. I used to play the piano. I learned it during my Sophomore year in high school and I got pretty good at it, at least according to my step-dad. He even spent $600 on a digital piano so I have something to practice on.
  2. During that time, I spent part of the time also learning guitar but unfortunately my fingers couldn’t reach the strings. So my step-dad gave up, at least until I could master the “G” note.
  3. I skipped half of the Fall semester and the spring semester of 4th grade as well as the Fall semester of 5th grade. So technically, I skipped an entire grade.
  4. After nearly a month into the semester, I think my understanding of accounting is so many times clearer than engineering. Is that strange? Maybe I should’ve swapped major a few years ago.
  5. During the past two or three years, the music on my ipod has changed dramatically, from pop and R&B to rock, indie, and alternative. Pop just sound so annoying these days.
  6. My favorite colors are light purple, black, and white. These choices have never changed.
  7. I have always been told my skin feels icy. Frankly, I have no idea but my mom and aunt like to wrap their arms around me during the warmest time. It’s nice but I’d be sweating to death. 🙂

As for my nominations, I am nominating everyone because I think everyone is awesome in their own way.

Life’s Tiny Rambles

Published on by Yinglan4 Comments

Okay, I guess you know by now that I like to talk about me. Well, who doesn’t? Talking about ourselves is the best subject we know. Well, today, I can because the daily prompt is to just write for 10 minutes.

Anyway, yesterday was a weird day. I went to school and while in class, the wire in my braces shifted and popped out, forcing me to have to waste $1.99 to call my orthodontist. Thank god, his receptionist picked up and I was able to fix it yesterday.

I had to hurried home right after class and made a bowl of ramen noodle. Mom wasn’t home and either was my aunt and cousin, mom took them to register for classes at the community learning center and shopping for food. They bought a lot especially my cousin.

So I left for the orthodontist just as they decided to take a nap to adjust to the time difference. When I came back 2 hours later, they are still asleep! Mom urged me to wake them up. Why do I have to do everything around here? So I did.

Last night, they were so awake. I wonder if they slept at all last night. Well today is their entrance exam to see which level of ESL class they should be placed in. I have to take them there in about 30 minutes.

Well, 10 minutes is almost up and I am in danger of one of them busting through my door any second to wake me up. So I guess that’s all I am going to say today. Have a great day! 🙂

Meddling with Other’s Happiness

Published on by Yinglan4 Comments

I'm sure some of you've seen this picture.
I’m sure some of you’ve seen this picture.

This morning feels kind of weird to me because despite only sleeping for 7 hours, I feel weirdly awake. That’s right, my aunt and cousin have arrived and their first test, adjusting time zone difference.

Anyway, at least today’s daily prompt is so much better than yesterday and the day before. It asks: Are you a good judge of other people’s happiness? Tell us about a time you were spot on despite external hints to the contrary (or, alternatively, about a time you were dead wrong).

No, I am not a good judge of other people’s happiness. That’s why I typically stay out of people’s way because first of all, I am a doubtful person, I have doubts after each decision that was made. Also I don’t try to meddle in other people’s business because if it doesn’t work out, I will definitely be the person to blame and I don’t want that.

The last time I meddle in other people’s happiness was with my mom and it’s just a few months ago. I remember writing about this in a series of posts a few months ago too. I meddled in my mom’s happiness by persuading her to purchase that plot of land. She kept awing on how nice the view was. So I told her just buy it, whatever makes her happy.

But then, she was having second thoughts because the view was partially blocked by the house in front. In the end, she refused the offer because she lost the $4000 custom design bonus as well as the partially obstructed view.

Also last week, she started feeling thankful she didn’t purchase the land because yesterday she got fired. Yeah, I know, horrible, at least that’s what a normal person would react but she was happy. Apparently, she wanted to leave for a long time but didn’t want to resign because then she wouldn’t get unemployment benefits. So she’s just waiting for the right moment.

Anyway, after that land fiasco that I went through this past summer, I am never ever convincing mom to do anything ever again because it will probably and always end up my fault.

Eye of the Beholder

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You know, I have to agree with Martha here. These do you agree/disagree prompts are kind of uninspiring. They don’t really inspire me to write anything. This morning after my aunt called me at 5:52 am to tell me she got onto the flight at Seoul and asks me to check whether it will arrive at LAX on time this afternoon. Anyway, after I checked, I took a look at the Daily Prompt, a minute after it went live at 6 am sharp.

I was like what? Again with the agree/disagree questions? What are they trying to do, make me write a one-sentence answer? So I went back to bed and let the prompt brew in my head like a steaming cup of coffee. So now, 2.5 hours later, I’m awake and here we go.

Today’s daily prompt asks: We’ve all heard that beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Do you agree? is all beauty contingent on a subjective point of view?

I am neutral on this one. This means, I agree and disagree. It all depends. Everyone’s beauty is different. Some are on the outside and some are on the inside. Like the prompt says, beauty is in the eye of the beholder. If everyone sees beauty the same way, everyone would be in love with each other. 

However, some beauty are contingent on a subjective point of view. Ah, I can’t think of an example here but some are. And that’s all I can say about this topic. Please come up with some creative prompts. I don’t really like to analyze things and I can’t write any sort of story with these prompts or is it just me. 

Anyway, I ran into a little snag just 5 minutes ago. Mom forgot to give me back my parking permit. I have to leave early to get cash to park in the pay lot today. That means I am going to have to miss my Beta Alpha Psi meeting today. Darn my forgetful brain. Please let there be parking in that pay lot.

Information and Common Sense

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Today’s Daily Prompt asks whether I agree with this statement: “Everybody gets so much information all day long that they lose their common sense.” — Gertrude Stein Continue reading “Information and Common Sense” →

A Life-changing Accident

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Sometimes, when life’s going too great, there ought to be a curve ball or two coming your way. Continue reading “A Life-changing Accident” →

5 things I wish to change about me

Published on by Yinglan7 Comments

No such thing as perfectThere are always a million things we want to change about our lives. So to list five is a difficult choice. But will crossing out those five things make our lives easier? Slightly more enjoyable? It depends, everyone is different. The five things I want to change in my life are:

1. I wish I was fast at doing things. I used to be called a slow-poke but to be honest, I’ve seen some people who are even slower than me which it’s annoying and those people are all guys.

Like the international student who came to stay with us for a month or so, we didn’t have a bathroom in the basement then, so I had to share my bathroom with him. It takes him forever to shower and it takes him even longer to get ready. It annoyed the crap out of mom and it’s even worse with me. It’s like he does things in slow-motion. This is one of the things I want to change. I try to do thing fast but sometimes in a rush, my workmanship become sloppy.

2. I wish I was more social. I am trying to accomplish this exact thing at the moment but I always back down the last minute thinking I will have another opportunity to take to this person. Guess what, I don’t.

I want to be able approach one of the Beta Alpha Psi member or even the person who sits next to me in class and be able to strike a conversation. I like being a loner but sometimes being a loner is not the good way to live life.

3. I wish I had perfect skin and not what I have now, blackhead filled and acne everywhere. I am tired of having to use different stuff and scrub the crap out of my skin every night. Also, if I have perfect skin, I won’t have to photoshop every one of my photos. 🙂

4. I wish I wasn’t born with this ridiculously rare genetic disorder that barely any doctor knows about. I want to grow, have bigger hands and feet, and I want to be taller and thin. Most of all, I want to be what it’s considered to be a normal person. I don’t want people look at me funny and I don’t want salesmen to knock on my door and ask if my parents are home because they think I am still in my teens.

5. Lastly, I wish I wasn’t raised in a setting where money is all that matters. It made me stingy and cheap. You can say it made me a hoarder, have money but never want to spend it. I don’t want to be that. I want to get what I want and be satisfied instead of racking up money and never getting the things I want.

If I cross these five things from my list of changes I want in my life, would it make my life perfect? I am not sure. It might make my life a little more enjoyable but to make life perfect would take a lot more than making changes. After all, there’s no such thing as perfect.

Everything has Feelings!

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To me, everything has feelings and a mind of their own. I know what’s like to be used. To notice you when you’re needed and neglected when you’re not. All my life, I am taught to be careful with objects, that I have to treat it gently to prolong use. So since then, I have treated every object as if it’s a person. Sometimes, I even feel sad for those objects.

Like the couch, I feel sad for it especially when guests come. I remember when my mom’s friend from San Francisco came visit, her son would occupy the leather recliner couch in the family room. I watched as he reclined the seat all the way and then lay his head on the reclining side. The reclining side is the vulnerable part of the recliner couch. The metal won’t hold a lot of weight. That’s the part that’s supposed to hold the feet, not the upper part of the body.

I felt awful for the couch, for having to endure all of that but I was afraid to tell the boy to not lay like that but his mom was there and I was equally afraid of his mom as mine.

Computers, on the other hand, have a much more sophisticate mind of my own. Though it doesn’t have feelings, it has a mind of its own. So I guess the most human machine I own would be my two laptops and the external hard-drive.

A voice in my head

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(Yawn) I am so tired today. At least I get to skip my second class at mom’s request. 🙂 She doesn’t want to wait at the airport. So I am rushing over right after my first class to pick her up. Yay me! Anyway, today’s daily prompt is a good one. It read:

Your blog is about to be recorded into an audiobook. If you could choose anyone — from your grandma to Samuel L. Jackson — to narrate your posts, who would it be?

Every post I’ve written, when I was writing, I listened to this narrative voice in my head. It’s almost like it’s talking to me, telling me what to write. It doesn’t sound like me either. I mean, it is me but a much more mature and normal voice than my own. Trust me, if you ever hear my voice on the phone or whatever, you would think it’s a child speaking.

If my blog is ever going to be recorded into an audiobook, I would choose one of those people who does the narratives for the documentaries about deceased authors. What? You ask. I know, you’re confused but that is somewhat what the voice in my head sounds like, the people that does the narratives on those shows. Like a few weeks ago, I watched American Masters on PBS, it was doing a documentary on that author that wrote “Gone with the Wind”, oh, I can’t bring up her name at the moment.

Anyway, there’s a female narrator that I assume sounded like the author, read snips of the book. It sounded like an emotional robot sometimes but at the same time, it had this sad sound to it that makes it feel like it’s reading the book like a diary. That is kind of what my blog is, a diary. So if my posts is ever going to be recorded, that’s the kind of voice I want.

Oh gosh, late for school, later! 🙂

Too much socializing for this great night

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I did so much socializing tonight that my throat feels bone dry right now. I just drank a bottle of water (0.5 L) and my throat still feels strained. Before you ask, no I wasn’t at a party. I was at an event at school. It’s call “Meet the Firms” and it’s held every year, the second Wednesday of September. Basically, all the companies around the area come to one place and as Accounting students, it’s our jobs to go meet them and try to secure an interview for an internship or a full-time position.

It turned out every firm is hiring interns. All the firms I met tonight ask me which way I’m leaning, auditing or tax. I answered them, no preference. I am still exploring. Was that a risky answer? I have no idea. All I knew was my heart was pounding every time I approach a representative. I don’t know why. I guess I just want to say the wrong thing and then end up on their “do not hire” list if they had one which I’m pretty sure they do. 🙂

Anyway, I arrived there at a little after 5:30 pm and walked in. From the get-go, I had no clue what to do, where to start, and where’s the club. Everyone looked the same. I couldn’t tell who from who. Everyone except me wore suits. Guys, white shirt, black jacket and pants, and slick shoes while ladies, white shirt, skirt, jacket, and heels or dress shoes. Me, slacks, my most formal shirt, and tennis shoes. I guess that made me stand out just a little.

My face immediately turned red while making a round around to see what kind of firms are here. There was a lot and by a lot, I mean, much more than the turn out for the engineering career fair earlier this year.

After a few minutes, I gathered my courage and approached a company. I introduced myself, told the representative my name. He asked me where I am currently in the program and I recited my 30-seconds elevator pitch as I’ve practiced earlier today during the general career fair held at the school.

“I am currently leveling to get into the Masters program.” I said.

Immediately, he knew I didn’t do my undergrad in Accounting. “What was your major for you undergraduate?” He asked.

“Civil Engineering,” I said and immediately, I could tell he was surprised just like all the other company representatives I visited. They all asked me why I decided to do accounting. I told some of them I wanted to try new things but I also told most of them all the females in my mom’s family were accountant and I decided to follow family tradition which it’s partially true.

It did the trick for some of them, I struck a conversation while some of them just told me to go online to their websites to check out the internships. Was that a hint that I am not getting hired? Anyway, after talking to that first company, I finally found the club and I was supposed to report for volunteering duty for the next 30 minutes. They asked me to sit down and do check-in duty. It was a piece of cake since I worked as a secretary and a receptionist. After a while, I even struck a conversation with the girl sitting next to me. She was also on volunteer duty.

The 30 minutes went by just like that but now I have finally mustered the courage to go speak to the companies. Conversing with that girl helped me warm up, now I knew exactly what to say. I have made it through half of the companies by the time I checked the time on my cell. An hour had gone by. Whoa, and I thought I would rush through this and go home. Guess not.

Another 20 minutes had gone by by the time I finished talking to the other half of the companies. I’ve collected so much souvenirs, brochures, and business cards from the companies that I had to find an empty spot to organize them and put all of them in my purse. My three copies of resumes were gone, I’ve handed them out to the only companies that requested it. In the end, I got a water bottle, a dozen business cards and brochures, pens, and chocolate. I was done. I drove home and now I am going to enjoy the remainder of my lunar B-day.

Good Night!

Meaningful Hand-me-downs

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I am no stranger to hand-me-downs but then again who is, unless you’re incredibly rich but even then, you will have something that is sort of a hand-me-down. Mom and I almost escaped to Salt Lake City from Austin with just the things that can fit into her small car (long story, will/might tell later). So we didn’t have a lot when we came here but not to the point that we had to start over.

We moved into an one-bedroom apartment a few weeks after we arrived. We had no furniture. For the first few days, we sat on a towel on the carpet while eating from some spare bowls lend to us by mom’s nosy friend who lived several blocks away.

That first weekend, when her nosy friend’s husband was off, he helped move  all the furniture that’s been occupying his garage into our apartment. They were eager to get rid of it even though some of it were still pretty much brand new. It belonged to Mrs. Nosy’s uncle who decided to leave Utah and move back to San Francisco.

The apartment was soon furnished with second-hand furniture. An out-of-date flowery pattern love seat in the living room while a really weird texture Laz-Boy sofa-bed in the bedroom where mom and I will sleep for the next two years. Then a folded table and very heavy chairs for dining, a rectangular broken-legged mirror-glass coffee table as well as a square table for the hand-me-down TV and some shelves. Even the silverware were hand-me-downs.

The Laz-boy sofa bed and the square coffee table that used to hold the TV. See what I mean about the mirror-glass?
The Laz-boy sofa bed and the square coffee table that used to hold the TV. See what I mean about the mirror-glass?
The love-seat. Don't be fool by the length, there are only two cushions.
The love-seat. Don’t be fool by the length, there are only two cushions.

But I was thankful because we were struggling back then. Mom’s new job as a school teacher hadn’t begin so we didn’t have any income and I was only 16. Anyway, 100% of the things in that apartment were hand-me-downs.

A block away from the apartment was a thrift shop and that was where we would shop until we moved to our current home 30 miles away. Mrs. Nosy loved this thrift shop because a lot of wealthy old people lived nearby and their homes are full of beautiful antiquities. As well as that, a lot of the clothes that were donated were pretty clean and new. I didn’t like shopping in that store at first because I thought second-hand clothes were yucky. But I adjusted after a while and knew where to look.

We got quite a deal in that store, most of the clothes we bought were $1 and some of them were free. Anyway, when we moved into our current home, again, we were nearly furniture-less because when you move from a 500 square-foot apartment to a 2000 square-house, it will make a difference. We had no beds. So for the first week or so, we slept on the sofa bed which now resides in the family room. Then the love seat now resides in the living room. We rarely shop at the thrift shop now because we often find better deals at the Exchange in the air force base.

Out of all the hand-me-downs I had in my life and I have had a lot, there three items I think it’s the most meaningful.

  1. The television-set that was giving to us by my step-grandparents when we moved to Austin. We were just about broke back then with my step-dad spending every dime my mom made from her two jobs on alcohol and cigarettes. This television-set provided entertainment and comfort for me because at least for a short time, I can forget I live in tiny apartment with constant fighting parents.
  2. The sofa-bed that was handed down by Mrs. Nosy’s uncle. It provided me with a place to sleep. Not comfortable but it’s better than sleeping on the ground.
  3. The television also handed-down by Mrs. Nosy’s uncle. It provided mom and me hours of entertainment while we spent many late-nights during that first year staying up grading paper.

I know my definition of “meaningful” is different than everyone else’s but these three things got me through some tough times. Isn’t that’s what the term “meaningful” is about? Getting through memorable hard times? Anyway, when I listen to this song, it kind of remind me of those times.

Just writing this post makes me feel older already. Today is my lunar birthday. I may be turning 23 in a few weeks but I bet my aunt will send me a card today saying happy 24th because some people in China go by the lunar birthdays and count the 9 months in the mother’s belly.

Late Night Thoughts

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I am a bit scared right now. Outside my bedroom window parked three cop cars. The last time there were this many cop cars outside my home was a few years ago when mom and I had just moved into our current home. Our neighbor had called the cops one night after they heard shots fired.

It turned out it was a group of idiots in the next street playing a game of paintball with BB guns and plastic bullet. Then when the plastic bullets ricocheted off of the garbage cans, it made this loud bang. It scared me to death when I went to take out the garbage. Anyway several police cars came that night and I never again heard another loud bang in the neighborhood again.

The only other time I’ve seen a police car outside my home was when a cop pulled someone over for speeding. That is until tonight. I could’ve sworn those police cars weren’t there when I watched the carpet installer left a hour ago. When did they get here? Why are they here?

I cringe at the sight of cop cars. I don’t like police but then who does? The last time I had a run-in with a police-officer, I got a citation for not yielding cars going straight. It wasn’t my fault, I tell ya but the cop rather believe the big-breasted lady with sad puppy dog eyes and totaled car. Also, at the sight of police, I feel like I’ve done something wrong even though I didn’t.

When I noticed the cars 30 minutes ago, creepy and horrible thoughts began to take over my mind. What if they are monitoring my activities? Or could the cops be friends with my next door neighbor and he’s just over there visiting or staying the night? Or what if one of my neighbors had done something wrong? My teeth are clattering here.

Stop it! Geez, it’s not like they are flashing lights or screaming over the bullhorn to tell me to come out and surrender. Relax. They are just parked there, occupying a quarter of the curb to my driveway, but they are just there. Oh, please tell me that’s it. That’s what all it is. It’s been a long, confusing, and horrible day and I don’t want to deal with anything else.

Good night and be back tomorrow morning. 🙂

Royal Descendant

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Up until now, I don’t really know that much about my roots. Even with an extensive search on the internet, the closest thing I got was what mom told me. She told me once that her mother was a descendant of a princess when China still had empire, empress, etc. So you can say, I am a descendant of a royal. 😛

I am not sure how the story of the princess went. I’ve never did a search on that but from what mom told me, she ended up marrying a commoner and then she was royal no more. To be honest, I am kind of glad that there’s no such thing as “royals” in China anymore because if the princess did not marry a commoner, I would still be royal. And that’s bad? You ask. How?

I probably wouldn’t be able to stand the isolation and publicity. Sure, I would be living in a palace but I would be isolated within the walls. Also, nosy people and photographers would be lined outside eager to get the details of my life. 

So if you ask me if I rather be the heir of the throne or off-the-hook sibling, I would choose neither. Yeah, it’s great and all, getting all this public attention but I would not be able to be myself. Everything I say and do would be judged. Plus, I would have a much hectic life than what I have now and I am not cut out for hectic. So thanks but no thanks. I would rather be an ordinary nobody.

If I can only dream…

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About two years ago, while I was heading to the computer lab to print off some papers, a boy I don’t remember meeting came up to me and said, “How are you?”

I was like, “There are good.” Do I know you? I wanted to ask but if he knew me, I should have known him too. Perhaps we were in a class together. Besides, I was afraid of looking stupid for not remembering someone but now after graduating, I realized that wasn’t stupid at all. I’ve been in numerous classes, there are ought to be a few forgotten faces along the way.

Anyway, he nodded, “Well it’s nice to see you again.” Then he walked away.

I continued walking toward the computer lab, reminiscing my strange encounter. Who is that? Then I started ticking off the classes I’ve been in so far and kept coming back to the Computer Science class I took about a year earlier. Maybe that’s it. Maybe that’s the class we shared.

If I twisted this situation and changed the location to say, oh I don’t know, a cafe, and instead of saying how are you, he says, “I’ve been looking for you.” I would had been completely freaked because there are two reasons and only two reasons why he would say those words:

  1. He has been looking for his soul mate or someone that has a mysterious supernatural connection to him and it just so happens to be me. That is if such thing exist.
  2. I forgot I have a team assignment and I didn’t do my part. This guy just come and drag me to work on the assignment.

I would have asked, “Do I know you?” under reason #1 or “Oh my gosh, did I forget the group assignment?” under reason #2. Then I would probably get either an exasperating answer or a don’t worry about it, we’re already finished. That would be my lucky day and I lean back to enjoy my drink.

Under reason #1 however, I would imagine him smiling and sits down. Then we’d start a conversation about whatever and fall in love almost instantaneously. Then we get married and live happily ever after. Did I mention I am a dreamer? Yeah, well if I can only dream of such situation happening in real life…

Locked and Sealed or So I thought

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Once in a while, we all spill a few secrets, unintentionally of course, but we can’t help it. Conversations just starts and sometimes it just comes naturally. Some might think that this is just an act of nosiness. I don’t agree. In fact, I think this is an act of nosiness.

I remember earlier this year, at Chinese New Year, when mom’s friend invited me out to dinner, I ranted to her in confidence about my fight with grandparents two nights before. At least or so I thought.

Exactly a week later, when mom came back from her temporary duty in D.C. and asked her friend out to morning tea, that friend, the one I ranted to, retold the entire thing to mom. I just sat there, my face reddened and jaw dropped a little while my heart felt like it was going to pop out any minute. I was afraid to see mom’s reaction.

Fortunately, she decided to not embarrass me right there in the restaurant. She didn’t say anything. Mostly, it’s because she knew the whole thing already. I told her right after that phone call. Still though, I ranted to her friend in confidence and her friend had just spilled it out. It was like it was in the conversation either. We just walked in, sat down, and that’s the first thing she said.

After tea, mom and I got into the car. That was when she gave me the look of disapproval. “Why did you have to tell her that?” She asked me.

Yeah, why did I tell her friend the fight between me and my grandparents? Well first thing’s first, I did not expect her to blab to mom about it. I expected her to just keep it to herself. Also, mom wasn’t around, so I had to complain to someone about my failed relationship with my grandparents.

“I didn’t really tell her.” I lied.

“Really, then how did she know so much?” I shrugged. “Well, in the future, don’t tell her anything. You know she’s nosy. That’s why I don’t tell her anything about my work.”

That’s how that risky conversation ended and from then on, I just kept my mouth shut whenever I’m around that friend.

Lessons learned:

  1. Never complain to nosy friend. They’ll just re-tell it to someone else whenever they get a chance.
  2. Lying sometimes can help avoid an argument.

Have a great day! 🙂

Sharing the Saddness

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82336-oI can choose to listen to happy songs but I cannot choose a happy movie, or show, or book. Every movie, show, and book have its tear-jerking moment. It’s simply unavoidable. Those moments make me cry like a puppy.

Mom and aunts used to say I’m low on my emotions quotient (EQ) because I did not react to things as well as they expect me to. Well, how did you expect me to react when I am constantly being threatened with a feather duster? The first time, sure I react with a little tears because I was a child but enough time, I grow as hard as a shell.

When I told mom I cried like a baby when I was reading the book If I Stay, she scoffed and said, “What’s there to cry about? People live and they die.” Then she went into this big lecture about god-knows-what. I stopped listening. The same thing happened when I told what a good book it was when I read Everything we ever wanted.

To be honest, I rarely seen mom cry. I only seen her fake cry when she stubs her toe. It’s sort of like a laugh cry, no tears and her lower lip sticks out like a sad puppy. Her exterior shell must be tougher than a turtle and to mask her sadness, she chooses anger and frustration. Now, that’s sad.

I think crying is natural, it expresses our feelings and sometimes, you just can’t help feeling the sadness as one of the characters in the book, movie, or show. I remember when I read The Faults in our Stars, when one of the characters (I won’t spoil anything) died and the main character was completely sadden by the loss of her love, I could instantly feel tears creeping into my eyes and flowing steadily down my cheeks. I had to wipe it before mom came in and gave me another one of her lectures about how crying about a book is silly.

Look who’s got low emotions quotient now. Seriously, I think there’s something wrong with mom’s emotion, she is incapable of showing sadness. I didn’t even see her cry when one of our family members died in the past five years. She just sighed and said, “Well, that’s life. What can you do?” At least show a little tear and respect.

My Own Show

Published on by Yinglan2 Comments

I hate picking favorites of anything. I guess because I don’t like hurting people’s feelings. But secretly, I enjoy it. I just don’t like pick in front of people. But sometimes, I don’t really have favorites. Like shows and movies, if you’d ask me to pick a favorite, well that’s one question I cannot answer. Gee, I can’t remember what I watched.

Today’s prompt asks,

You’ve just been named the casting director of your favorite television show (or movie franchise). The catch: you must replace the entire cast — with your friends and family. Who gets which role?

I will tell you one thing, my family is out. I don’t care how much they want stardom, they would not in a lifetime be in anything where I am the casting director. Neither would my dad’s family because if I bring either family into a room, there would be arguing with somebody. With both sides of my family in the same, a war of two tribes would instantly brew.

Hey that could be a show. No no no, not when I am running the show!

If I can make up my own little show, the genre would be dramedy and it would feature my former best friend, Cindy, playing somewhat of the popular girl slash frienemy  to a foolish naive girl and then when that girl recovers and gains popularity, she’d dump her and instantly becomes her rival.

Okay, maybe if it’s a dramedy, it might feature my mom playing the annoying nagging ill-temper mother to that naive lonesome girl but that’s it. NO more family. Then the show or movie or whatever would be titled The Life or Diary of… of that naive girl’s name.

Well that’s it of my rambling. Have a great day and later. 🙂

Remnants of the Past

Published on by Yinglan1 Comment

Sort of like her, except more dramatic

I was incredibly annoyed and frustrated yesterday and last night. I think the only thing I actually enjoyed yesterday was the Beta Alpha Psi meeting and the lunch gathering afterwards. By the way, I’m in. 🙂 I will be an official associate member of the club after I paid my dues. I was going to try for member but the Membership VP of the chapter said in the presentation that it’s better to make my way up from an associate member. It’s not too bad. All I need is to attend five weeks of meetings and lunches plus help out another 10 hours like helping to set up for an events.

Anyway, ah yes, annoyed and frustrated. So I began working on this month’s translation yesterday afternoon. I did not tell mom any of this but I think she will find out sooner or later. I wanted to do this month’s translation in secret so I wouldn’t be rushed. I want to do it at my pace, see?

So mom came home, whined a little about why the plumber wasn’t here to fix the water heater. It shut off automatically the night before, making my shower icy cold. Thank god, at least it’s still summer. Anyway, after her whining, I went back to my “secret” work 😉 and she began doing her homework. She just had to take her laptop downstairs, I don’t know why. 5 minutes later, she whines, “How do you do homework on this thing?”

“You just follow the instruction on the screen.” I said, tired. She’s been like this all weekend. First with excel, now with Connect, an online software we use to access our homework. On Monday, I was so busy trudging between my room and downstairs that I barely got anything done. “I have my own homework too.” I told her.

But she retorted, “If I knew how to use excel, would I ask you?” She has a point but what about the past five years when I needed homework and all I got was a big lecture about never ever go to the library.  The past two days were the same, I told her, just google it. But no. That’s why I need to join this club, to get out especially when my family doubles. I don’t want to feel annoyed and frustrated as well as I don’t want to caught in the crossfire of their fighting.

Sorry I went through all this just to finally address the daily prompt, for those who got here through the pingback. I just really need to get things off my chest and I only have time for two posts today. I’m using my other post for a story on my other blog.

Okay, enough of my rambling, today’s daily prompt read:

500 years from now, an archaeologist accidentally stumbles on the ruins of your home, long buried underground. What will she learn about early-21st-century humans by going through (what remains of) your stuff?

The archaeologist would find evidence of a structurally sound house that was built in the late 20th century as well as the 21st century (partial new basement). If she dug in the backyard, she might find remnants of a variety of toys, plastic utensils, and evidence that there once was an apple tree and two Asian pear trees. Finally, she would learn that some people in the 21st century did not live with completely state-of-the-art, up-to-date technology like smartphone or ipad or iphone, etc., that some people in the 21st century are actually quite simple.

12 Again???

Published on by Yinglan3 Comments

Today’s Daily Prompt says I’m suddenly trapped in the body of a 12-year-old. Oh no but at the same time, oh yay!

Let’s see, 12, that means 2003, two years after I arrived in the United States. My English had already become slightly fluent, not as good as now but I could understand and keep up a conversation.

On the other hand, I wouldn’t mind going back to middle school. It would be like a second chance for me. I would be the genius of the class because I’ve already learned everything and this time, I would not shied away. I would actually and go make friends, go to parties, dates, etc.

If I was stuck in the body of a 12 year old, by the time I am my age now, I probably won’t be still living at home. I will probably be roaming the world or living somewhere else. I wouldn’t have made such a mistake as to listen to mom’s friend to choose an engineering major in college. I would have chosen some other major that dealt more with money and math like what I’m on my way to do now, accounting. With that said, if I’ve chosen the correct major for my undergraduate, I would not be still stuck in a classroom now.

So being granted such an awesome second chance would be fabulous even if I have to stuck inside someone else’s body. Not only do I get a second chance but I also get to make a difference.

Well, it’s time for school. I’m especially excited today because I am planning to join Beta Alpha Psi, a club for accountant professional. It said it would be able to help me find a job. Today’s the introductory meeting. I hope I can get in what with my dismal GPA from my undergraduate. I wish I was granted a second chance in this area. Wipe my GPA clean and let me start over. 🙂

Wish me luck in getting into this club. 🙂

Heavy-Duty Labor Day

Published on by Yinglan2 Comments

This is mine, there's another one
This is mine, there’s another one

Happy Labor Day, Everyone! I don’t know about you but I am exhausted. They don’t call it Labor day for nothing. Every year, mom and I try to use this possibly last weekend to do all we can around the house, at least before it starts to snow. Every year, it involves painting some part of the house except last year when I had to work through the weekend. My former boss was very demanding then.

These last two days, we’ve painted the rooms and the hall linen closet in the basement. Yesterday, we lined the new shelves with adhesive shelf liner that makes the shelves look like wood. The pile of boxes in the basement finally has a home now next to the furnace. My stereo, on the other hand, still needs a home. Then today, mom said she wants to move this big bureau or dresser, I don’t know what you call it, from the basement up to my aunt’s room. That’s 4 floors! I think I’m going to faint. 😦

I’ve never thought there would be another one of this but I’m glad I got this one in my room because the one in the basement is hideous with its unevenly blue painted drawers, it looks like someone painted it with water color. It was given or rather threw it at us by my former boss’s wife, they didn’t want it because they thought it was trashy and ugly. So naturally, they begged us to take it. Now we need to find a proper place for it instead of the basement. Ugh, mover, that’s a job I can never imagine myself doing.

Wait the minute, is that right? Let me think, I’ve worked at quite a few odd jobs in the past decade or so. I remember my first one was advertisement brochure assembler. I was responsible for placing the Velcro in the brochure. That was okay except my fingers got hurt from sticking the rough Velcro onto the laminated paper.

There there was babysitter job in 9th grade. Ugh, that I would probably never do again. Sweaty toddlers are so slimy. That’s another job I cannot imagine myself doing. After that it was all office jobs, receptionist, secretary, linguist. I won’t get into too much detail, you hear me talk enough.

Those jobs that don’t involve too much movement, now I can imagine myself doing because I frequently get calcification in my joints especially in my legs and that often made walking and moving difficult and painful. So I am stuck to office jobs for now.

I do hope I can move that big whatever up the stairs today. 🙂

No Mirror?

Published on by Yinglan2 Comments

I woke up this morning, back still sore from running around yesterday but at least I am feeling better than yesterday. Mom wants to drag me to look at new cars with her but I am like no way in hell. Besides, it’s not for me, it’s for her sister. Why should I care?

Also, what’s wrong with buying a less expensive used car? But no, they don’t like used cars. They want everything to be brand new. Is this a new thing for Chinese people or is it just my family? I have no clue. For all I know, everything has to be new for them. No used or secondhand.

The cruel thing is that mom wanted to use my name to purchase the car. She wanted me to get the loan so I could build credit. It’s a big responsibility to bear. Work an unstable job plus school, I don’t think I can afford it. At the moment, I can’t even afford the down payment. I told her, “You can buy whatever you want, just don’t drag me down with you.”

So now, she’s gone to browse and I can finally blog. I gave the daily prompt a gander earlier today and I found it interesting and I can relate. Ever since I got my braces, I found myself staring into the mirror more often than before I got braces. It’s mainly to check my teeth to make sure that it’s all well. I don’t want my teeth to look like the picture my orthodontist showed me that day after I got braces.

“Brush often.” He told me and handed me a brochure. I flipped it to the back and there was a picture of perfect teeth and then there’s one that looked like my step-dad’s teeth, black, rotten, and yucky. I winced. Ever since then, I’ve been brushing regularly and checking my teeth in the mirror to make sure my teeth didn’t end up like that nasty picture (I don’t want to show you, fear it might cause some nightmares).

I don’t use the mirror just to look at my teeth, I use the mirror to see my face. Otherwise, how am I supposed to know where to put my acne medication? Other than that, I don’t really like to look at mirror especially of late because a zit by my right eye has become infected and I look like someone with a giant mole.

Anyway, back to the prompt, if I woke up one day to a world without mirror, it would definitely have some effects on me. Like, I have no idea whether my shirt is on correctly, I don’t want to be walking around with one end of the shirt handing down my shoulder. On the other hand, when I brush my teeth, I won’t have any idea if something is stuck in my teeth. Worst of all, the only perspective of myself I’m going to get is through other people’s eyes and not my own.

Ah, now I get to do some stuff of my own. 🙂

Shutting Down

Published on by Yinglan3 Comments

This morning, I woke up, un-energized. My body ached while my brain felt like it’s gone into shut-down mode. I cannot think of one thing to write. I looked at the Daily Prompt and cannot think of one situation to relate. Continue reading “Shutting Down” →