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My Own Show

Published on September 4, 2014September 4, 2014 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. 🙂

12 Again???

Published on September 2, 2014 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 September 1, 2014November 22, 2015 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 August 31, 2014February 26, 2016 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. 🙂

If I have a robot…

Published on August 24, 2014November 22, 2015 by Yinglan1 Comment

My mom has a tendency to find fault in anything and everything. This is not working right, that is not working right. She also like to exaggerate everything. The water’s leaking, it’s going to flood the basement! Continue reading “If I have a robot…” →

Changes are coming which means challenges challenges challenges!!!

Published on August 23, 2014November 22, 2015 by YinglanLeave a comment

In two days, I am back in school and I can’t help but feel like changes is coming my way. First of all, I am back in school, five days a week, each day about 3 hours (that’s not so bad 🙂 ). Continue reading “Changes are coming which means challenges challenges challenges!!!” →

Can’t stop humming!

Published on August 23, 2014 by Yinglan1 Comment

The latest song I heard was on the radio a few days ago. Now, I cannot get it out of my head. I keep humming the beginning of the song but when I get to the chorus, I couldn’t continue. It’s always the beginning.

The song is:

That opening line, we’re a thousand miles from comfort, we have traveled land and sea, just spoke to me in a way. First of all, in the most recent weeks, the planes (F-16) have been flying more frequent and it picks the perfect time to fly over my home, right when I am watching something or trying to write. So you can say I am a thousand miles from comfort because I haven’t been comfortable at home this whole summer. Nor was I comfortable at school because 20 miles away, those same planes are still flying above me. No matter where I go, that buzzing sound will follow just to annoy the crap out of me.

That second part, we have traveled land and sea, well, I guess you can describe the planes since the Great Salt Lake is large enough to call “sea”. They fly all over the land and the sea. On the other hand, it can also describe my willingness to find comfort because at this point, I do not care what I try or do, I just want these planes to stop rumbling in my ears.

I guess this post sort of turned into yet another one of my little rants. Well, I need to complain once in a while. 🙂

How is taking supplements good?

Published on August 20, 2014September 13, 2015 by Yinglan1 Comment

Popping pills is one of those things I am absolutely against. If there’s no need, why take it? Taking pills or overdosing on pills is what killed so many, isn’t it? Why do people take such dumb risks? Continue reading “How is taking supplements good?” →

A Dream Tunnel to School

Published on August 19, 2014November 22, 2015 by Yinglan5 Comments

It’s been a strange summer, I must say, weather-wise. There’s been days when it was completely sunny, not a cloud in the sky while there are days like today, cloudy sky with an occasion sprinkle. I hate those days, it makes me feel completely blue and sad. Continue reading “A Dream Tunnel to School” →

A Strange Variation in Alphabet Pronunciation

Published on August 18, 2014November 29, 2015 by Yinglan5 Comments

There are ups and downs to being a teacher. The downs? Grading papers and skulking the students to pay attention and listen in class. The ups? I can tell and laugh about the student’s mistakes afterwards. Continue reading “A Strange Variation in Alphabet Pronunciation” →

The book I want to re-read

Published on August 17, 2014November 29, 2015 by Yinglan1 Comment

Phew, I’m swamped with novels to read thanks to all the wonderful recommendation from the various blogs I’ve visit. I recently read “The Visibles” by Sara Shepard. It was a great novel that I couldn’t put down once I got started. Now, I’m reading “Everything We Ever Wanted” also by Sara Shepard. I don’t know what to think yet seeing that I’m only on chapter 3.

However, if I have enough free time and I have read all the popular novels, the book that I would definitely like to re-read is The Ends of the Earth by Robert Kaplan. I bought this book I think three years ago when I took Middle East Geography, interesting but difficult course, by the way. It was our required textbook but I never read it because it was during my “I hate reading days” and it was so boring.

I still have no idea how I passed that class. But I eventually did read the ending and I thought it was okay. So I like to read it from the beginning.

Another reason I want to re-read this book is because it has something to do with travel and traveling is somehow my current obsession. I remember reading the summary and it said it’s about the author traveling from the Middle East to Asia. I just read the part where he talked about the scary journey riding on a bus from Pakistan entering China. There, he had to go through that horrifying narrow and rickety highway which I have forgotten the name.

Anyway, if I have the time, I would definitely read this book from the beginning just to read about the adventure through Africa, Middle East, and Asia. Unfortunately, it probably won’t be anytime soon seeing that school’s starting again in 8 days 😦 and that’s the end of my summer.

Well, that’s it for now! Have a great day! 🙂

An Ironic Situation

Published on August 16, 2014November 22, 2015 by Yinglan11 Comments

When someone tells you you need to buy a new something to replace your current something and then your current something suddenly breaks down the next day or so, do you consider this situation to be weird, ironic, perhaps? Continue reading “An Ironic Situation” →

Mysterious Secret Admirer

Published on August 15, 2014November 22, 2015 by Yinglan17 Comments

I remember a very funny and joyous situation happen to me during my Senior year of high school. Continue reading “Mysterious Secret Admirer” →

A Simple Choice

Published on August 12, 2014November 22, 2015 by Yinglan2 Comments

If a literary-minded witch gave me a choice that at a flick of her wand, I would either become an obscure novelist whose work will be admired and studied by a select few for decades, or a popular paperback author whose books give pleasure to millions. Continue reading “A Simple Choice” →

Second opinion always matters!

Published on August 10, 2014November 22, 2015 by Yinglan2 Comments

Second opinion always matters, no matter what situation we’re in. I just so happens to be very insecure when it comes to trusting my own gut. Continue reading “Second opinion always matters!” →

Getting Lost

Published on August 9, 2014November 22, 2015 by Yinglan6 Comments

Would yelling and screaming consider an unorthodox way to solve tricky situations? Continue reading “Getting Lost” →

Don’t or Didn’t? A Grammatical Argument

Published on August 8, 2014November 22, 2015 by Yinglan1 Comment

From my experience of learning English and Chinese, I have to admit that even though it has funny sounding words that means exactly like they sound like pompous and ridiculous long words that no one can say it in one breath like supercalifragilisticexpialidocious, English is an easy language to master. Way easier than Chinese. Continue reading “Don’t or Didn’t? A Grammatical Argument” →

The Familiar Stranger

Published on August 5, 2014 by Yinglan1 Comment

Have you ever look back at a photo and go, hmm, I know that person. But in fact, you don’t really know that person at all other than the person’s name. As I sit here at my desk, eating yogurt at 8 in the morning and browsing through my pictures, I came across this photo.

It was shot two years ago in Las Vegas, the last time I went on a road trip. You see the kid in the black and white jacket behind me? That’s my cousin, not the one that’s coming next month but the cousin I was living with before I immigrated to the U.S.

I call him Sam and he’s 18. That was the first time I saw him since my visit to China in 2005 and probably, it’ll be the last time for a while unless I decide to go back to get my teeth fixed. He will be starting college this year.

I don’t really know that much about him. His favorite food, color, etc. I never asked him about it when he was little. So other than his name, age, and that he’s my cousin and soccer and phone addict, he’s just another relative I have absolutely no knowledge. This practically makes him a stranger, acquaintance tops.

He came along with his parents to visit two summers ago. When he walked out of the airport, I didn’t recognize him at all and I didn’t until I looked closer at his facial feature that I saw the resemblance from the little boy I grew up with.

It was like looking at a complete stranger. I guess I was just hoping he was the same little boy that enjoyed playing chess and poking fun at his older cousin but I kept forgetting that not everyone is like me, forever the same. That’s the problem with living on two different continents, I missed so much of my family growing up.

A Curious Tale For a Saturday

Published on August 2, 2014November 22, 2015 by YinglanLeave a comment

It is very hard to sleep in sometime even when I’m given the chance. This morning, I woke up to loud laughs and shouts downstairs. Continue reading “A Curious Tale For a Saturday” →

How to write a simple English essay

Published on August 1, 2014November 22, 2015 by Yinglan1 Comment

When I taught English-as-a-second-language (ESL) at the private school, usually, the first thing I asked my students was what aspect of the English language they needed most help on and all of them said Continue reading “How to write a simple English essay” →

Thick and Thin Plates

Published on July 31, 2014November 22, 2015 by Yinglan3 Comments

A few years ago, when we moved out of our apartment into our current home, our neighbor downstairs gave us her set of bowls and plates. Continue reading “Thick and Thin Plates” →

The Rhythm of Life

Published on July 29, 2014November 22, 2015 by Yinglan4 Comments

Once in a while, everyone needs a breather whether it’s from work, school, or just from the exhaustion of everyday chores. It is an important way for us to restore our energy and then get back out there and do it all over again. For me, it’s singing along to my stereo. However, sometimes I can’t do that despite how much I want to. Continue reading “The Rhythm of Life” →