inspiration – Page 121 – This is Another Story

So Close!

Published on March 26, 2015August 5, 2015 by Yinglan5 Comments

Today’s prompt calls for: Tell us about a time things came this close to working out… but didn’t. What happened next? Would you like the chance to try again, or are you happy with how things eventually worked out?

Finally, a prompt I can answer in the short time that I have today. I’m leaving in a little bit to get my retainers adjusted. It’s time. Can you believe it’s been over two months since I’ve gotten my braces off? Time flies, doesn’t it?

Anyway, back to the prompt. The answer’s easy, October 2013. I took the Fundamental of

My test preparation books

Engineers (FE) exam for the third time. I think I blogged about it at the time since I found this picture in my WP media library. It was a long and difficult exam; 8 hours and 180 questions. Every second counted and you had to know just about everything and anything to pass it. For my major, civil engineering, I only needed to get 50% to pass which was 90 questions.

I thought I did quite well that time. It was two months later in December when I got the results. Failed! I was super pissed because every single job out there required me to pass this damn exam. I felt like something was out to get me. How can I not pass this thing after three time? Most of my classmates passed the second time around and the Chinese international students even passed it the first time. So how can I not pass? Do I suck this much in engineering?

So I went to the detailed report to find the cause. It told me how many I got right in each of the 10 or 12 categories. I pulled out my calculator and punched in the numbers. 85! 85, that was the number of questions I’ve gotten correct and I needed 90. At that moment, I wanted to punch somebody’s lights out. 5 Questions, that was all I needed to pass and those 5 questions killed my chance of getting a job.

Now, of course I could take the exam again but honestly, I don’t even want to study another round for it. The material was too broad and there were too many things I couldn’t even ingest. Also, I hear now that the exam is on the computer and it’s even harder even though they reduced the number of questions from 180 to 110. I don’t think I will ever get my engineering license. At least I graduated, that’s all it matters, right?

I Will Try

Published on March 25, 2015August 5, 2015 by Yinglan35 Comments

Remember these guys?

That’s right, I’m writing another post on them.

When my “rich friend” had asked me to “take care” of them last month, I knew it wasn’t temporary. My mom had asked her if it will be okay to ship them back to California along with the car. Well early yesterday morning at 7-something, the shipping company finally came to pick up the car and when I asked him if he could take the turtle too, he said no.

He told me anything alive would not pass inspection when entering California. So I’m stuck with these guys until who knows when. My “rich friend” had called me shortly after and I told her the driver would not take her turtle. She had said, “That’s okay.”

Well, that’s easy for you to say. I would have to take care of it and I still know nothing about turtles. I googled how to take care of aquatic turtle and all the results only pointed to how turtles survive in the ocean. Is my friend the only person raising turtle?

Anyway, I have no clue how much to feed them so at the moment, I’m just giving them pellets twice a day and a protein treatment whenever they’re restless. I’m just trying to keep them alive until my friend comes back. I just hope I don’t kill it but I think if I do, I’d be doing these guys a favor because they seem miserable stuck in that tank all day. If my friend asks, I might tell her, “Everyone makes mistake.” But I will try not to kill them in the meantime. 😉

My Big Theme Revealed!

Published on March 23, 2015November 23, 2015 by Yinglan16 Comments

I’ve been feeling very tired and sleepy lately and no matter what I do, I cannot wake myself up. Maybe I just need another walk. Continue reading “My Big Theme Revealed!” →

Who would I choose?

Published on March 23, 2015February 26, 2016 by Yinglan9 Comments

Today’s Prompt: If you could have any author –living or dead – write your biography, who would you choose?

I don’t think I will choose any author to write my biography. I want to write it myself because I really don’t think anyone can truly portray me as a person except me. Well, except if something like body switching exist, I think I will write it myself because anyone can capture an event perfectly but can they capture an individual person’s thoughts and feelings?

I’ve actually had a classmate write my biography before. It was for a class assignment. She actually did pretty well, so well that my instructor felt sorry for me which is a little embarrassing to talk about. I was going through a bad time. I was stressed both at school and home and my mom was way way way worse than how she is now. My classmate focused on that part and my genetic disorder more than anything else. She kind of made my life sound like a soap opera.

If I wrote my biography myself, I would’ve tuned it down or something. I don’t think I like my life to be so dramatized. I mean look where that landed me, 5 sessions with a psychiatrist.

So thanks for the kind thought of having the author I wish to write my biography, WP but no thanks, I would rather to write it myself.

A Walk in the Park

Published on March 22, 2015September 27, 2015 by Yinglan7 Comments

Here are some more photographs I took on my photo walk to the park last Thursday which felt like the first day of spring. The air was fresh and the mountains were still snow-capped.

These pictures were actually taken with the camera set to “landscape”, a setting I frequently use because I found it takes better pictures than just the normal manual settings.

These dogs were running and barking at me as I walked by. I am just passing by, guys, not an intruder. Calm down.

We’re pretty much surrounded by mountains on all sides and this is pretty much the most boring park I’ve ever been to. No hidden creek, no hidden woods, nothing! Just laps and laps of asphalt.

See what I mean? We’re surrounded!

My shadow which the wind had blown way out of proportion.

Until next time…

Going Under

Published on March 21, 2015February 26, 2016 by Yinglan5 Comments

Want to know a surreal experience? How about going under?

I am talking about going under gas, as in surgery. I think it’s surreal because if you’ve ever experienced it, it’s almost like a first-person account of death in novels, except this is temporary.

I went under twice in 2013. The first was in May that year when I finally committed to get rid of the calcification in my left leg. My doctor/surgeon originally didn’t want to put me under. He was originally just going to inject me with anesthesia and be done with it. Unfortunately, I have tiny veins and the anesthesiologist wasn’t skilled to find one that will work. I guess it’s their fault to tell me to go on an empty stomach.

Anyway, they wheeled me through the narrow corridors into the operating room. Then it felt just like in TV shows and movies when they put a mask over my nose and mouth, told me to take a few breaths and said, “You should be out in 5, 4, 3, 2, 1.” I was still awake after he said one. Then just as I lose my last shred of consciousness, I could almost hear him say, “Now close your eyes and drift off.”

Anyway, this isn’t the surreal experience I want to tell you.

I want to tell you about the second time I went under in September. It was the day of my oral surgery. It was a procedure I paid for all on my own and frankly, it was a huge waste of money because it didn’t work. That morning, as usual, my mom was cranky because first she had to miss an hour of work and secondly, when we got to the office, we had to pay an extra $250 for the anesthesiologist, all because the oral surgeon was afraid to work with my small veins.

Anyway, she left right after writing a big check, much more angry than before, and I was left waiting alone with nothing to do in the waiting room. They told me the anesthesiologist was running late and wouldn’t be there for another 20 or 30 minutes. Well, that’s not good.

Finally, about thirty-minutes later, the anesthesiologist finally came out and called me in. I was expecting an OR like the last time I had surgery but this room was bright and was lined with windows. There was even music playing.

He showed me the gas mask as I sat down. “I need you to take a few deep breaths into this mask for me, okay?” The anesthesiologist instructed. I nodded and he placed the mask over me.

I was nervous and anxious. So I focused on the music to calm me as I breathed in the gas and before I knew it, the music became slower and slower and then it stopped.

I don’t mean it stopped playing. I mean it sounded like a CD or a vinyl playing on a turntable and it’s caught at a place and the same note just plays over and over and over. If you watch I Love Lucy, the episode where the apartment was dressed like Cuba and Lucy was serenading Ricky with Spanish music, you’ll know what I mean.

The other strange thing is I don’t think I even closed my eyes because all I could see was that florescent light above me and I couldn’t blink. Maybe in reality, my eyes had been closed but in my reality, they had been unblinkingly open like someone had kept their eyes open during their last moments.

A while later, when I finally came to, I found myself on a wooden table in a tiny room. It was odd and uncomfortable and it made me wonder. Is this where they let the patients sleep until the gas wear off? Do they not have a bed or anything?

At the same time, I really want to sleep. Unfortunately, I think someone knew I was awake and sent my mom to come and get me. She helped me off the table, apparently, it was a table because she was complaining about a few hours later when my mind was once again crystal clear. Then with her aid, I stumbled across the parking lot to the car like a drunk and before she even leaves the parking lot, I was asleep again.

So how’s that for a surreal experience?

Spring: Fresh and Colorful

Published on March 20, 2015September 27, 2015 by Yinglan19 Comments

Yesterday, I took my camera on a walk with me to the park. It was such a beautiful day, the first this entire week, it seems. I couldn’t resist. It’s spring, everything is blooming. Even the air feels fresh. I walked out my front door and notice that even the plum tree in my front yard was blooming…

I tweaked my camera setting to “flower”, a setting apparently I didn’t know it existed. The resolution came out better than any other settings and now I know. I think these are my best yet. Plum flowers are incredibly gorgeous, don’t you think?

Anyway, I think more photos will come. I just have to wait for the roses and tulips to bloom.

The calm before the storm

Published on March 20, 2015March 20, 2015 by Yinglan6 Comments

Today’s prompt asks: If you could be a “fly on the wall” anywhere and at any time in history, where and when would you choose?

This is a tough choice. I would really like to be a “fly on the wall” in a lot of places in many different points in time. But if I can really choose one, I would choose the roaring 20’s when everything was booming – market, jobs, and people were going out nightly seeking entertainment. I would really like to experience that before the stock market crashed in 1929 and ruined everyone and everything.

The calm before the storm, I call the roaring 20’s.

Speaking of stock market, I’ve decided to invest 1000 dollar of my money into the stocks. I don’t know which one yet. My mom’s giving me a few choices to choose but I really need to do some research on my own before I willy-nilly throw my money away. I am not that bold of a person. $1000 isn’t much to invest but I guess it’s better than sitting in my account. So that’s what I’ll be doing today aside from studying for my cost accounting exam.

I’m also saying goodbye to this little guys today. My mom’s stingy friend has finally ordered a tow service to tow her car back to California along with these guys. I just hope these guys will be able to adapt when they get back home. They’ve been so spoiled since we took them into our home.

Two meals a day plus a snack in between along with a bath almost every single a day. Before, they were only having a teensy meal a day and no bath for days at days a time. They were living in a tank of horrendously dirty water full of pee, poop, and god knows what when we got them.

So goodbye, guys and good luck!

What’s not to like?

Published on March 19, 2015 by Yinglan2 Comments

DSCF9719 I feel like this prompt is very similar to the one on Monday. So I don’t think I need to emphasize again how much I hate living so close to the freeway and the air force base.

The town I am living in. Some people may call it a city while others will call it a town. I call it a town because I have always lived in a city, Los Angeles, Austin, and even China even though my hometown is technically still a town. What’s similar about those three places? The population of those places are all over 100,000. Last time I checked, the population was at about 58,000 in 2000 and 67,311 in 2010. Grown 9,000 in 10 years, not bad but still under 100,000 people to me, is still a town.

One thing I like about Layton is that everything’s all in one place like all the shops, hotels, and restaurants are grouped together while all the municipal like the library, police station, fire station, and the city hall is grouped in another part of town. The other thing I like is this town is the variety of commercial businesses. My mom often jokes that Layton has every major franchises except it doesn’t have a Costco because it already has a Sam’s Club.

The things I don’t like about Layton, well, there’s plenty like the inconvenience of getting around. If you’re trying to get somewhere by walking or public transit, unless you have a lot of time on your hands, otherwise, it is not advised.

There are barely any public transit here except for maybe two, three max bus routes. Walking? It takes about 90 minutes to walk to Walmart and back and it takes about 40 minutes to walk to the nearest Target and back. With all that time, I can do lots of other things like blogging or reading. Why would I spend all that time walking next to pollution and possibly dodging traffic while trying to cross the street.

Oh and let’s not mention the noise. Whenever the day’s beautiful, sunny and cloudless like today, planes would fly and make a ton of noise. That noise comes with other problems as well. If you’re using an antenna to watch TV, the reception would suddenly disappear whenever a plane flies over our heads. It constantly feels like the World War II era without the bombs of course.

If I somehow earned a degree in law and became the mayor of Layton city, I would set up noise ordinances. No flying before 8 am and after 9 pm. Let people sleep and enjoy their weekends for crying out loud.

Of course, that would come with consequences because no flying means no money. So that’d be a problem I can’t fix even as a mayor because the town would go broke without the planes roaming over our heads.

The problem I’d definitely would fix? Trees! You see the picture of my street up above? You see how bare it is? We seriously need some lush green trees around here! Not bushes and spruce trees, we need real trees.

Is this a joke?

Published on March 18, 2015 by Yinglan7 Comments

Seriously???

Telling jokes have been one of my biggest weakness ever since like the dawn of time. I am simply incapable of telling a good joke. Even when I was in Toastmasters and I had to stand before everybody to tell a joke because I was chosen to be the Jokemeister of the meeting. I’d recite my joke and silence would ensue. I could hear cricket chirping in the background.

I don’t even get the joke, why should they? After all, I had forgotten my task and left it to the last minute to scour the web for a good joke.

Anyway, I am not even going to try to tell a joke today. Instead, I’m going to resurrect one of my old humorous tales from way back in my archives.

By the way, I didn’t know this until last week but I have published over 500 posts! Of course, those include the ones I imported from the other blog as well but still, I wrote each and every one. Over 500! Wow, I’ve certainly never expect to get this far. Anyway, enough chitchat, here it is…

Curious Michael

Have you ever seen that car commercial where the little boy sits in the backseat asking all kinds of questions? Like, why can I see the sky or why is my butt hot?

Well, Michael is one and the same. He is 10 and one curious boy. When he began elementary school at the age of 7, out of nowhere, questions would start popping from nowhere. After that, everyday, right after he got into his mom’s car after school, questions would start flying. At first, his mom was just ecstatic about her son’s curiosity. “That the way kids learn these days.” She told herself but after three years of enduring Michael’s ridiculous questions, she had just about enough.

One night, right after his mom tucked him to bed. She leaned in and said, “Now, give mama a kiss goodnight.”

Michael frowned and shook his head, “I can’t, kissing you means I kissed a girl.” His mom looked at him, confused. “Mrs. Rachel says we are not allowed to kiss any girl until we are 16.”

“Now, kissing mommy does not mean kissing a girl. Now give me a peck on the cheek.” Michael obeyed. He lifted his head and kissed his mom’s cheek. “Now, go to bed.”

She walked to the door and was about to switch off the lights when Michael asked, “Why, mommy?”

“Why do you have to go to bed? Because you have school tomorrow.” His mom automatically answered, tired.

“No, why we are not allow to kiss any girl until we are 16?”

“Uh, uh,” His mom stammered before she thought of a great answer, “uh, why don’t you ask Mrs. Rachel tomorrow? Now, you need to go to sleep.” She switched off the lights and shut the door and took a giant breath of relief.

Too many flavors

Published on March 17, 2015 by Yinglan2 Comments

All right, is it me or is today’s prompt incredibly vague? Is it asking us to choose an ice cream flavor? Or is it asking something else entirely different?

First of all, I’d like to say thank you for all the encouraging comments I’ve gotten about this morning’s post. I wrote it mostly to vent my anger and sadness. A person can only take so much. I feel better now that those feelings are no longer bottled inside. So thanks again.

Now, onto this ridiculously vague prompt. Since it mentioned the words, vanilla and chocolate, I am going to assume it’s talking about ice cream flavors. I’d say my favorite flavor is mint with chocolate chip but then this is the only flavor I’ve had whenever I get to choose. Chocolate chip cookie flavor is my runner-up but I really prefer the mint flavor. Personally, I will like any flavor as long as it doesn’t have nuts and coconut. Nuts hurt my gums and coconut is just one of my mom’s annoying obsessions. I don’t care much about it.

Anyway, I told you about my step-dad and his emotional roller-coaster, right? I know, my life’s been an emotional roller coaster and a never-ending nightmare.

There is one big difference between my step-dad and my mom. When he’s in his good moods, he is the world’s #1 dad. I remember this one time, he surprised me with ice cream from Amy’s Ice Cream, famous in Austin, Texas. He even got the flavors right, a scoop of chocolate chip cookie and a scoop of mint chocolate chip. It was the best ice cream I’ve ever had, way better than Dreyers and Breyers and no icicles from being in the fridge too long. It was silky smooth and delicious.

Or so I thought…

A few months after we moved to Utah, my mom’s friend and her neighbor hosted a neighborhood social. It was about harvest. We were invited even though we weren’t part of the neighborhood. It was all about eating, gathering, and celebrating the harvest. I have never seen so much varieties of the same food all my life.

The vegetables were all home-grown and when it came to dessert time, all the senior ladies and men arrived with large tubs of ice cream and lined them up on the picnic table. At first, I was a bit curious why every single tub was a different shape and color. Then someone told me that it was because they were homemade.

Homemade!

I’ve never had homemade ice cream before. I didn’t even know there’s a recipe for ice cream. “It’s a tasting.” Another told me. They said I’m to grab a small bowl and take a small scoop of each tub. We were even handed out a piece of paper and pencil so we could judge the flavors. I don’t remember which was my favorite. They were all so silky and creamy. It’s so hard.

I had thought I’ve tasted the best ice cream at Amy’s Ice Cream but apparently, the best is when it’s homemade.

I Am Just Me

Published on March 17, 2015June 20, 2023 by Yinglan12 Comments

Most of the time, when I write a piece of flash fiction for a photo prompt, I don’t really think about what to write or how the plot and characters should be developed. Most of the time, I just write.

Continue reading →

Spring Break’s Over

Published on March 16, 2015March 16, 2015 by YinglanLeave a comment

I supposed I could’ve written something yesterday other than the usual Sunday Photo Fiction but I didn’t. Instead, I had spent most of the day yesterday doing homework for the first time since my spring break started. I guess I just want to get back into the groove of doing schoolwork.

Also, I’ve been a little under the weather since Saturday afternoon when I decided to take the afternoon off, lie on the reclining couch catching up on my favorite TV shows on Hulu while writing a little of a short story I’ve writing for a long time as well as napping. Wow, that’s a lot to do at the same time.

I’m almost caught up with my shows but I wound up with a big headache. Apparently, I’m not cut out to watch TV for more than two hours at a time.

Anyway, as of today, spring break is officially over. I guess that’s probably why I’m feeling a whole lot better this morning. It’s Monday and I’m finally home alone again. You know, I don’t get my mom’s schedule. She’s grown more and more confusing lately. Or is it me?

I could’ve sworn she told me last week that she was taking today and Wednesday off. I was dreading it the entire weekend because when she’s home, I cannot accomplish anything. Then it turned out, she’s working today and taking Wednesday off. I asked her when did it change, she told me, it’s always like this. Hmm, weird.

So what have I accomplished this spring break? Absolutely nothing except work which took almost the entire week. I barely did any writing except on here. I thought I could’ve written around 10,000 words but instead I’ve barely written 2,000.

On the bright side, the router crisis has finally been resolved. I no longer have to worry about switching back to the old router. Yesterday afternoon, my mom decided to head to Walmart to see about getting the burner phone recharged. The minutes are expiring in two days. While there, we decided to get a more expensive router; apparently cable internet works best with Netgear router.

When we got home, I plugged it in and voila it’s fixed. Even my old computer in my room has a stable connection. I am still skeptical though because now, the connection on my new computer is very slow. Will things ever be perfect around here?

Just a quick update.

Beautiful spring time flowers, tulips, photography — I hope our tulips will be this beautiful this year.

All picture credits go to pinterest.

Dream Location

Published on March 16, 2015March 16, 2015 by Yinglan13 Comments

Private covered patios, which extend from each wing, offer a transitional spot between indoors and out. The fountains are clad in the same material as the outdoor chimney, and slate tile extends from indoor spaces. Advertisement - Backyard Pictures From HGTV Dream Home 2014 on HGTV If I can choose a place to live, I definitely would not choose where I am living now. It’s loud and boring.

I live less than a mile from the freeway and about 2 miles from the air force base. Noises from cars and F-16 jets are the last thing I need when I am trying to write or study. If I can choose some place to live, I’d definitely choose a place that’s quiet and serene like the woods or forest. A place like this would be lovely and yes, I have expensive taste, just don’t have the money.

I definitely would not choose the mountain or beach. Of course those places sound like a Yellow leaf road in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park of North Carolina • photo: Tilman Paulin on 500px dream but let’s let reality take over for a second. It takes forever to get off the mountain and all those twisty roads do not make a fun drive. And there’s always the danger of being stuck at home when I want to go out and not the fun kind of stuck. I’m talking blizzard or snow storm or mud slide and I’m out of food.

The beach? Who doesn’t love the salty air and the sound of crashing waves? I don’t. I would constantly have to worry about danger of earthquakes and tsunami. After watching the dateline special last night on NBC, no thanks. Oh and let’s not mention the damage the salty air can do to the roof and how expensive everything is.

Of course there’s also danger living in a forest. Like my mom says, there is no place on Earth that is absolutely safe to live. Even though I’ve never lived near or in a forest before, I know there are some natural disaster bound to happen like a mud slide, flood, or quick sand? I don’t know, like my mom says, there’s absolutely no place that is safe. Natural disasters are bound to happen anywhere.

So if I have to choose a place to live, I’d choose a place that’s serene like a forest but not enough that I cannot see the sun. I also like a place that’s loosely populated so I won’t feel too stranded or too crowded but at the same time, it is also convenient that I don’t have to drive 100 miles just to get groceries.

My dream location might sound fictional but it might be real. I’ve never been there but I’m imagining Prince Edward Island? From Anne of Green Gables? I mean, just look at this picture. Doesn’t this look like a beautiful place to live in?

Located beside Prince Edward Island Preserve Company just down the road from the Anne of Green Gables House.

Galaxies and Black Holes

Published on March 14, 2015November 24, 2015 by Yinglan7 Comments

I thought about what I’m going to do with this week’s photo challenge. It looks interesting and I enjoy wall art, the messier, the more beautiful and meaningful it is, in my opinion. But when I’m trying to come up with photos of a meaningful wall on my own, I got nothing. Continue reading “Galaxies and Black Holes” →

What is Love?

Published on March 14, 2015December 24, 2016 by Yinglan15 Comments

Today, daily prompt has asked an intriguing question. What is Love? What is Love, by the way?

Here’s the ending to my fiction/non-fiction retell of my first crush. I think it’ll answer the question by itself. Happy Saturday.

We grew closer and closer to each other, in a playful kind of way, of course. In P.E., we jogged together and sometimes, when I was tired, we’d walk. Although neither of us would admit it, I can tell he likes me. If he didn’t, then he’d ditched me long ago, in eighth grade, perhaps.

It was very sweet and I’ve never felt sweet before. I knew it wouldn’t last. Nothing ever lasts with me. I was dead on. Everything came crashing down in a landslide that afternoon when I arrived home to find suitcases lying all over the living room floor.

“What’s going on?” I’d asked.

“We’re going to China!” My step-dad had announced excitedly. He had never been out of the country before.

“What?” I’d shrieked and Cindy had stood beside me, frozen. “When?”

“Next week.” My step-dad’d answered.

“What about school?” He stared at me, surprised. Since when are you so concerned with school? His look had told me. I tried hard not to show that I want to go to school just to see Jaime, it would tell them I have a boyfriend and they’d made it crystal clear I’m not to have a boyfriend. I changed the subject. “Why all of the sudden?”

“Your mom got a great deal a few months ago.”

“And you didn’t bother to tell me this until now?”

He’d shrugged. “We forgot.”

“But if we go, then I’d be way behind in school when we get back.”

“Oh, you won’t be go to school. We’re also moving to Texas.” My jaw had literally dropped. They’ve been talking about moving to Texas all through my middle school years and now when I’ve found my happiness, they decided to do it?

The following week would be brutal and sad. I told Jaime I was moving to Texas, he had replied, “That’s okay, we have plenty of tools we can use to stay in touch.” Who was he kidding? My parents monitored everything, who I call, who I talk to at school. We could never stay in touch.

Then we just drifted apart. He no longer wanted to be near me now that he knew I was moving and I was left to walk the lap alone in P.E., running my fingers along the chain-link fence that separated the school from the outside. At lunch, he’s nowhere to be seen and I was left to eat with Cindy and Anna. I felt alone and betrayed. If he’d liked me, he’d stick by me no matter what. If he’d liked me, he wouldn’t leave me just sitting here or walking laps alone.

That Thursday, the day we’re supposed to go to China, I spent my morning checking out of my classes and the school, returned everything that belonged to the school, and retrieved my belongings from my gym locker. Through that morning, somehow, I felt like a part of me was holding out for Jaime, hoping we’d get a few more minutes together before I leave for good but no, I never saw him again.

Skeptical

Published on March 13, 2015August 5, 2015 by Yinglan5 Comments

Skeptical. I think that’s the word I’ll use to describe my feeling at the moment.

Two days ago, a technician came and “fixed” the internet. Technically, he didn’t really fix the internet. All he did was switching the router. He did fix the speed on the wifi. It turned out the new router was a piece of junk and I may have discovered my room was a blind spot in the whole house. After he swapped the router though, the speed became normal again, for about 5 minutes. After he left, I tested again and would you look at that, it went back to as slow as before but only on my new computer. I don’t know why. My old computer and tablet performed just fine.

For the past two days, I had been holding my breath, waiting for everything to resume to normal, for the internet to go back up but it never did. Switching the routers might be the worst thing I’ve ever done. Now, not only the download speed is still not back up to the speed that I was getting before but the wifi on my old computer won’t stay connected for less than 5 minutes. It is like a time-bomb about to go off any second and it’s completely and utterly frustrating.

A few minutes ago, my mom was complaining again how the phone line went dead after 5 minutes. She was trying to call my aunt in China. I asked if she wanted me to change back to our old G router, it seemed to be the only router that’s ever worked. It only irritated her even more. After the line’s connected again, she immediately told my aunt how unwilling to work I was, that I rather watch TV last night than perform the big switch on the router.

Yes, I do prefer watching TV at night because I don’t perform well at night when the lighting’s not adequate. Working at night would just amplify my frustration when something goes wrong.

So the internet is definitely slow now, there’s not denying it now. She wants me to do the switch tonight when I want to relax after a day of work. I’m very afraid because if something goes wrong, I might be drowning myself in tears in my sleep tonight. Wish me luck.

Daily Prompt – Twenty Five – Didn’t use the letter “z”, my favorite letter.

If I can live somewhere else…

Published on March 12, 2015 by Yinglan6 Comments

Seguret in France. If only I could speak french, I would move to France in a second without thinking twice. — Explore villages like this one. Seguret, France

If I am asked to live in a different location for an entire year, I’d choose somewhere in western Europe, maybe like France or the U.K or Germany. I’d love to explore the quaint villages and places that survived hundreds and thousands of years, even through the two world wars.

I’ve never been to any villages before, the closest to a village I’ve been to involved rubble and dog poop everywhere when I had to spend the summer supervising the construction on my grandpa’s house when I was 9. So it’d be fun to visit an actual village with its twisty streets and maybe spend an afternoon people watching at a Venetian Cafe.

A few days ago, while we were driving home from somewhere, I reminded my mom that her passport was about to expired. She said, “So is yours.”

“No,” I answered. I’ve got mine renewed some time ago.

“It was 2010,” she said.

“No,” I answered. “It was 2011.”

She stuck with her answer of 2010 as she remembered her unit was supposed to be sent to Iraq that year. It was a chaotic year for me too. I’ve just begun my Sophomore year in college and I’d spent most of the semester staring at brochures regarding the school’s exchange program.

Beijing residents watch sunrise on giant commercial screens. The smog has become so thick in Beijing that the city's natural light-starved masses have begun flocking to huge digital commercial television screens across the city to observe virtual sunrises. The screens installed usually advertize tourist destinations. — I remember my teacher showed me this last year.

As my mom got the news that there’s a possibility she might be deployed to Iraq for an entire year, she grew panicked. She didn’t want me to stay home for an entire year though I didn’t know why. I’ve done it before when she went for basic training for six months and D.C. for the remainder of the year. “It’s too dangerous,” that was her excuse.

Instead, she wanted me to go back to China to study abroad for an entire year. I’d rather stay here, I’d told her but she was adamant in her decision.

I would spend the next few months gathering information and applying for my university’s exchange program to go to QingHua University in Beijing, China. At first, I was actually excited to go but after looking at the requirements, I no longer wanted to go.

The air pollution was already awful.
With my grades, I highly doubt they will accept me into the program in the first place.
Even though me and the exchange student would pay the same tuition but I have to pay it in U.S. dollar while he/she gets to pay it in Chinese Yuan. So for me, it was mighty expensive.

Beautiful view of the city of Edinburgh | 19 Reasons Why Scotland Must Be on Your Bucket List. Amazing no. #12 — You see why Edinburgh is a better option? Just look at it, it’s gorgeous!

I asked her why she so badly wanted to send me back. She said it was good for me. How is that good for me? Everything about it is bad, awful.

I tried to find another place I could go that was a bit more reasonably priced, if I was to go. The only place there was was Edinburgh. That’s not bad. But no, my mom thought it was too rural. She wanted me in a big city, a big polluted city like Beijing.

In the end though, I didn’t have to go anywhere. My mom didn’t get deployed to Iraq. In 2011, she’d give me that same piece of news again but again, it didn’t happen. I guess she’s lucky.

The thing I want to do…

Published on March 10, 2015November 24, 2015 by Yinglan6 Comments

During my workout at the gym today, I gave my response to today’s prompt some thought and I want a redo. Continue reading “The thing I want to do…” →

Things happen for a reason

Published on March 10, 2015November 22, 2015 by Yinglan6 Comments

So yesterday, I swapped my G router for a N router because I was tired of the internet signal always just barely reaching my room. Continue reading “Things happen for a reason” →

Awards for Academia

Published on March 9, 2015November 28, 2015 by Yinglan3 Comments

You know what award I’d really like to receive? Continue reading “Awards for Academia” →

My horrible first-attempt at a Photo Challenge

Published on March 8, 2015November 24, 2015 by Yinglan15 Comments

I have never known my home can be such a horrible place to take pictures. I am not sure whether it’s my inability to capture a good picture or what. Continue reading “My horrible first-attempt at a Photo Challenge” →

What makes a teacher great?

Published on March 8, 2015 by Yinglan21 Comments

What makes a teacher great? That’s what’s asking on today’s prompt.

I’ve had a lot of teachers and I mean a lot because unlike the university I’m attending now, my previous university had a lot of professors. During my five years at the university, I’ve never once had the same professor twice even when I was repeating a course. I guess either the university hires a lot of professors or I was just lucky not to have the same instructor twice.

At my current university, there aren’t a lot of instructors in the program. So far this semester, I have two instructors I had courses with last semester. I think they are both very great teachers. Better than the ones I had at my previous university? Hell yeah! So what if they are lacking a PhD? It doesn’t matter to me, as long as they know their stuff, that’s fine by me.

The most horrible instructor I’ve ever had was in one of my undergraduate courses two years ago. He was very unforgiving and tough, just two of the most important elements to make a horrible instructor.

In January of 2013, we had an ice storm here. It’s a rare weather phenomenon where the rain freezes the moment it hits the ground. Everywhere that day, the ground was shiny and slick was like an ice-skating rink, even my special shoes couldn’t help me stay on my feet. I slipped like six-times that day, just to get to bus stop. I was actually surprised I didn’t break anything internally.

I was in pain that night and there was a quiz in one of my classes the next day. I emailed the instructor early and told him…

I fell and hurt myself today. I don’t think I can come to class tomorrow. Is it okay if I make up the quiz some other time?

Nope, that was his answer. I’d be missing the first quiz of the semester and I couldn’t make it up. I went to talk to him again face-to-face and this time, it was like he didn’t understand my English at all. It was unbelievable.

About a week later, when he posted the grades onto the site, I saw I got a big fat zero on the quiz and his quizzes made up of 40% of the grade. In the end, because of that missing quiz, I didn’t pass the grade. I got a D+ instead of a C-, which was what I needed to pass the course. When I retook the class in my last semester of the undergraduate program, I discovered that he failed more than half of the class. Don’t you think that’s a horrible teacher?

So what makes a teacher great?

A great teacher cares. Last Tuesday, there was a snow storm. I was late after nearly two hours of driving but I still made it to class. At the end of the class, the teacher told us. “If there’s a snow storm and you can’t come to class, please just tell me. I don’t want you guys to have any trouble trying to get to class.” She even posted all her notes online for those people that couldn’t make it that day.
A great teacher is forgiving and sympathetic. If a clumsy student (like me) falls and hurts themselves and cannot come to class, a forgiving teacher would offer them sympathy and let them make up whatever work they missed another time.
Last but not least, a great teacher is understanding. They understand the student’s need to pass the class and will help them in whatever way they can to help that student.