Writing by Prompt


One of the things I love about blogging is to be able to free-write. I can write about whatever I want. But this is one of the things I don’t like about blogging because if you get so used to free-write, if it comes down writing based on a prompt, there might be trouble. Continue reading “Writing by Prompt”

The Embarrassment of Mispronouncing People’s Names


I love my mom but sometimes she drives me crazy. Not the angry kind like usual but the insane kind. When it comes to mispronouncing names, most people would be embarrassed when they mispronounce people’s name the first time but they will try and try to correct themselves as to never embarrass themselves ever again. Continue reading “The Embarrassment of Mispronouncing People’s Names”

There is no better feeling than knowing all your work is done


The entire week last week, mom has been pushing me. She was like, “I want to get this done this weekend.” Unfortunately, it wasn’t that easy. You can’t rush when it came to updating a website. Continue reading “There is no better feeling than knowing all your work is done”

Competitive or Underpaid?


I have been wondering whether or not I should write this post but now that the question is burning a hole in my mind, how can I not? At least let me rant a bit. Continue reading “Competitive or Underpaid?”

I wanted to post yesterday but…


Exhaustion and laziness took over. Ever since my test on Tuesday, I didn’t want to do anything. Even now, I still don’t want to do anything but I can’t do that, can I?

On Friday morning, after waiting ’til the last day, I finally got an agenda for Saturday’s club meeting. Then that night, after spending a half-an-hour late in the night preparing for a last-minute speech, I decided to just wing the speech the next day, speak at the top of my head even though I wrote the speech more than two weeks ago as a “Throwback Thursday” post (hint: it’s the one about braces).

Yesterday morning, I was again shaken out of bed in the wee early hours (6:30 am) in the morning by mom for what was the 6th time this week. She was in a hurry off to her monthly training and was having trouble scanning papers onto her computer. So here I am, half asleep, trying to see the blurry error message on the computer while operating the scanner. It just said the printer was low in ink. Why couldn’t she read that for herself?

As soon as that was done, I immediately went back to sleep only to be woken up less than 2 minutes later. This time, she couldn’t find her phone. “Where’s my cell?” She stood over me demanded.

“Um, it’s charging in your room?” I groaned sleepily.

She shuffled out the room and found the phone on her nightstand, charging. “How did you know where it was?” She said where she put it like 10 minutes ago, didn’t she? But I was simply too sleepy to answer.

Anyway, three hours later, I found myself along with two other members of my club trying to get into our meeting spot. I used to work at the school and got my finger printed to access the building. Unfortunately, the security system at the door is all too stubborn. It refused to let me in! I kept pressing my thumb on the thing and it kept flashing red light until my luck changed. It beeped and just like that the doors unlocked and we’re in.

The school corridor felt empty, dark, and cold like I’ve just walked onto a horror movie set. Thank god I wasn’t alone, otherwise I’d be scared. We used the school library for our meeting spot and in the end, only two other people showed. So our meeting was short and quick with me winging my speech in six-minutes-sixteen-seconds and a lot of suggestions were made to improve the meeting. Afterward, I went home, made some of my mom’s famous wontons and went up to my room. But not before mom’s annoying friend called and said she would come over to bring some vegetables to us.

That basically delayed me in taking the quizzes for my summer classes. An hour later, she showed up with two large white bags, one with Chinese bok choy and the other filled with watercress. It barely fit into the fridge but I forced it in. Ah, finally, I can take my exam BUT as I logged onto the website and about to begin, mom comes home and demanded I help her unload the grocery. Now our fridge is basically full to the brim. The cherries are stacked on top of the eggs, the vegetables are on top of the rice, and the pound cakes are squeezed in the middle.

Then it was exam time. I took almost the entire time (1 hour), searching for answers on the web since the book was so lack of everything (details, answers…). Naturally, I got them all right. After that, I just didn’t want to do anything more. I didn’t want to relax either. I don’t know what I want to do exactly. All I know is I don’t want to take anymore exams!!!

But I can’t, can I. I have to take two more today and the midterm tomorrow. Then, I would have to work, complete 5 discussions for my microeconomics class, and write a 4-5 pages essay for both my micro and macroeconomics classes. (Sigh) At this rate, when can I go to the gym? This has to be my busiest summer yet.

I need to get my thoughts on something, don’t I?

Have a wonderful Sunday!

Goals for the remainder of this Summer


Wait, it’s the “remainder of this Summer” already??? 😮

Yes! Yes, it is and before you know it, Fall rolls around and then the Winter. Time flies! I guess that’s the one down side of being so optimistic. Anyway, I’m going to savor what’s left of this summer by getting the most I can out of it.

  1. First and most important goal, PASS my two summer classes! And I don’t mean just C’s, I want A’s! But I have taken my GMAT exam yesterday, don’t ask, I now have one thing out of the way, I can focus on my remainder tasks which are classes.
  2. Become committed to exercise again. Even though I haven’t gain a pound over the last two months after I quit exercising because of all the crazy stuff that’s popped up out of the blue, I need to whip myself into shape again for when my aunt gets here. I don’t want to give her any excuses to make fun of me. So I need to go to gym and do some hard-core exercising. Who’s with me?peanuts-never-give-up-238x300
  3. Keep up with blogging! You cannot believe how many times I wanted to quit especially in the past week or past month even. That’s probably why my posts have been so shoddy but your likes, follows, comments, and all the traffic kept me going. I need to prove to myself that I AM NOT A QUITTER and do not have commitment issues.
  4. Keep my anxiety and anger under control. That is not a very good goal, is it? For me, it is. The fact that my emotions have never been so out of control scares me. I mean, often times, I am happy but then I would suddenly find myself getting angry over little things. I need to work on that.
  5. I don’t know at the moment what else I’d like to achieve over this summer. I can always read a few books but it’s not much compared to these big goals.

In my opinion, this summer have been the least “chilled” and productive summer of my life. So much to do and no time to do it. Just work and study but at least now I have one less thing to study. 🙂

Thanks for reading and see you back here soon!

The one thing that went right…


Happy Monday, how were your weekends? 

Before...
Before…
After...
After…

Sorry it took me so long to post something. I guess I’m just overwhelmed with laziness and frustration. Last weekend started so well with July 4th and all. On Saturday, mom even took me to Costco and I finally purchased a new computer! Then on the way home, at Home Depot, I bought the shelf I’ve said in my post that I needed. I was super excited.

The moment I got home, I immediately went into assembling the shelf. My brain went into high gear and I put together the shelf in no time. I moved the shelf along with my new computer into my room.

Then trouble… Dung Dung Dung!

The internet went down. Well, not down like last time but it became snail-like, even slower than before I switched to cable. The only place in the house that wasn’t slow was anywhere but my room! Can you believe this?

So I’ve been messing and tweaking the modem and router (resetting and moving it around) for the last two days. However, nothing changed. This morning when I could barely get online, I became angry and called up Comcast (the company I signed up internet) and asked what’s going on. No one could answer my question. Instead, the lady reset my modem and I lost her because my phone depended on the internet (no internet, no phone 😦 )

I re-installed everything again and three hours later, everything’s still the same if not slower than before. Pissed, I called Comcast and they insisted I need the change my modem. So I went down there and stood in line for 30 minutes, came back with a brand-new modem. Still, the internet was still so damn slow! WHAT???

The thing that finally went right since I got the shelf was swapping the router 30 minutes. The internet finally became normal-ish again but it just doesn’t feel the same anymore. I don’t know, maybe after two days of irritatingly slow internet and constantly disconnecting, I’m just afraid it might do that again.

Anyway, I won’t write too much today since it’s kind of like my final hours. My GMAT is less than 24 hours. So I have to go panic!!!

Just kidding, I have to do some last minute study though. EEP!!! I’m so excited until it ends tomorrow. 🙂

Double the Holidays, Festivities, and Fireworks!


In the U.S. or probably the world, most people knows that only one holiday exist in July for the U.S., the 4th of July or Independence Day. What most people also didn’t know is that in Utah, there is also Pioneer Day, which is July 24th. It commemorates the settlement of the first Mormon pioneer.

So while everyone else in the U.S. is only allowed fireworks three days before and after the 4th of July, in Utah, it is also allowed three days before and after the 24th of July. My neighbors from two streets over have already been shooting fireworks into the sky two nights ago which makes the view outside my bedroom window spectacular.

So be safe playing with fireworks and have a festive 4th of July.

As I leave you to enjoy the holiday, I want to show you this video that me and mom watched this morning at breakfast.

Throwback Thursday: Cloudy with a chance of Reconciliation and Cash?


You ever hear someone say, “you took the risk and it paid off”? Continue reading “Throwback Thursday: Cloudy with a chance of Reconciliation and Cash?”

Drum roll please, 100th post!!! Need to brag on my accomplishments and bag on my frustrations


Before I say anything else, I would just like to say, this is my 100th post! I know right? It feels like a whirlwind. After two straight months of constant blogging, I’ve reached my second major goal! The first was of course 100 followers.

Well technically, I have been blogging for more than a year but don’t forget the 5-month hiatus not to mention I’ve only managed to publish less than 10 posts a month from September to April. So really, I’ve only been blogging for 2 months. Honestly, I thought it would take me a lot longer than that to post 100 articles.

On another note, I would also like to brag on myself a little bit. Last Saturday, during my club meeting, I was nominated and awarded the coveted “Outstanding Toastmaster Award”!!! Of course, I knew that because one of the Sergeant at Arms spilled the beans during the last meeting in May but still, it’s not always the Club President gives a specific member recognition. It almost feels like my 5th grade award assembly, except without the surprise. Aww, now I’m making myself blush.

Anyway, onto a more serious note. For the past week, I found myself feeling uninspired to write. 😦 Not only blogwise but in general. It’s like my imagination’s shutting down on me. I am even stuck on the 5th re-write of the novel I’ve working for the past year. I don’t know what’s happening.

Maybe it’s the test and my classes burying down on me? Maybe after next Tuesday, when I can finally take a breath, then my imagination and creativity would come back to me? Right now, the best is to hope.

What did the doctor say?!


I DON’T KNOW!!! Continue reading “What did the doctor say?!”

Want to hear something hilarious?


Hi, everyone, since my day is going nowhere right now, I thought I share something hilarious I heard on the way to my doctor appointment yesterday. I laughed so hard when the radio announcer said this on the radio. Continue reading “Want to hear something hilarious?”

Sorry for Starting the Fire


Don’t worry, I didn’t start any actual fire or burn anything. It’s just a way to describe what I went through this past hour. Continue reading “Sorry for Starting the Fire”

Hiding behind the curtain


My aunt and uncle were TV maniacs. I remembered Continue reading “Hiding behind the curtain”

Throwback Thursday: First Comes Joy, Then Comes Pain


I am writing all my posts on my tablet today since my room is unbearably hot and I don’t want to lug my computer back and forth. So I’ve moved myself downstairs to the kitchen. Anyway, today’s story is about getting braces. Be warn that after hearing this story, there’s a chance you may NEVER EVER want to get braces or go near an orthodontist ever again. Continue reading “Throwback Thursday: First Comes Joy, Then Comes Pain”

What’s the Point?


Sometimes, I feel like I’m doing all the work in promoting and maintaining my club. “My Club”, that’s how it should be. Continue reading “What’s the Point?”

The Near Impossible Task of Multitasking


In the past two months (mostly), blogging has been a sort of an escapade for me, temporarily escaping work and study to go to another world, the world of blogging, that is. 😀 However, with two weeks away from my GMAT, I realize I need to buckle down and study. Continue reading “The Near Impossible Task of Multitasking”

Flashback Thursday: An Unforgettable Summer Solstice


I have always wondered why we need to rehearse for our graduation. After going to four graduations, I can honestly say graduation rehearsal is a big waste of time even if it’ll get you out of class. Continue reading “Flashback Thursday: An Unforgettable Summer Solstice”

The Trickiness with Online Classes


It’s been a slow and frustrating day so far. I woke up at 7-something this morning, eager to start the new semester for my Masters program only to find both of my classes incredibly difficult to get in, the websites that is.

What is the deal with the teachers running these online classes? Are they trying to give the students enough headaches and hope they’ll drop the class the first week?

Seriously, I have taken plenty of online classes before and never had I have such a headache with an online class before. Sure, the syllabus said the course would be a piece of cake and blah blah blah but it doesn’t say anything about accessing the course. I’ve already paid the tuition plus a bunch of expensive small fees for each course. Shouldn’t you at least make this tiny thing easier for me? For everybody?

Just getting into the course part took me almost two hours and in the end, I still couldn’t get in. I had to call the customer service. The customer service! I’ve never had to do that before! For all the engineering and history online classes I’ve taken as an undergraduate. What, now I’m a graduate, you decided to up the computer difficulty level?

It’s just an economics class, not a computer class. Don’t make it so complicated.

Another frustrating thing is I used to be a computer nerd, now I can’t even figure out a simple website?! I feel like my patience level just went from way up there to way down here. Hmm, I wonder, am I getting old?

Just looking for some place to vent my frustration, thanks for listening.

In 90 days…


In 90 days comes the day I dread. September 16 will be the end of the two-some life, just me and my mom because we are adding two more members to the family. Well, maybe four but I’m hoping not. Continue reading “In 90 days…”

Morally Degrading Teens and Internet Addicts


For over a decade I’ve lived in the United States, I spoke English, read English, did everything that normal American teens and young adults did. Up until I took the job to be an English-as-a-second-language (ESL) tutor at a private school two years ago, I had no idea just how different Chinese teens were. Continue reading “Morally Degrading Teens and Internet Addicts”

The Consequences of Procrastination


Remember from my post from last Saturday, Continue reading “The Consequences of Procrastination”

Crazy Annual Summer Tradition


Okay, so I just have this really crazy thing I do every summer and just dying to tell somebody. Continue reading “Crazy Annual Summer Tradition”