Becoming a Better Person

Wow I remember back in jr. high whenever I heard people talking about NSYNC or Backstreet Boys, I would be like ew (in my mind lol) and have that "eye-roll" feeling ^^' Seems like it was just yesterday, but now I have discovered that I actually like some of their songs...and I feel bad for wrongly judging something without having taken the time to see what it is. I guess it was harder to find out things when I was younger because I had super slow internet, watched tv more than listening to the radio and was sheltered so I thought certain things were bad lol And so I have become a very late bloomer in many aspects of life (fashion, technology, etc) but this one was a shocker. However, I've been converted =P better late than never right?
Of course, people have different tastes in music, movies, fashion, and we all probably won't agree on some things like religion/beliefs but it's nice if we're able to accept all those things and maybe even try some things that we've never tried before.
When we try new things, we might end up liking something we never thought we would..or find out that we never want to do something ever again haha I never want to eat clams ever again..My dad was eating one and found a smaller clam inside the one he was eating. I think it was a baby clam?? not sure how reproduction of the clam works. But even though that was not a personal experience and it wasn't like a total nightmare, it was enough to convince me that I shouldn't eat clams. I'm not much of a seafood or meat-eater and was already a little bleh about clams because they clean up the dirty stuff in the water lol
Oh and if anyone buys those boxes of baby greens salad, even though it says "washed and ready to eat," I would wash and check through the portion I'm eating just to be safe. There might be a hidden roach or cricket in there and it would not be very yummy to bite into one of those..fortunately, again I wasn't the one that learned that the hard way ^^' too bad some people need to make the sacrifices for the sake of others but we appreciate them for it :)
So back to the original topic of this post: I am working on not judging something before I know what it's all about. I tried not to judge Justin Bieber haha and after watching his Never Say Never movie, I wasn't turned into a fan of his or anything but it was easy to see him in a different light after knowing his story and what he goes through as a singer.

NO TOILET PAPER

omg RED ALERT We are running out of toilet paper!

haha..No really, this is all we have left lol Well actually, the amount left on the roll wouldn't really be of much use..So we are out of toilet paper D: I never thought much about how important toilet paper is, but I've taken a lot of things for granted before and learned how to appreciate them later on. Toilet paper is now an appreciated thing on my list.
We are currently aware of the situation and are working to fix it asap. Good thing the problem is easy to solve. There will not be a battle for the last few sheets or anything like that. Either one of my roomies or I will go shopping (this wouldn't work if we lived in a town where all the shops closed on Sundays lol) or ask a few neighbors if they can kindly donate a roll of toilet paper to us =]

Who knows, this might help someone later on in the future, although I don't think there are many people who would leave this sort of thing till the last minute, at the last roll, and the very last sheets lol
But anyway, moral of the story: check your supply of toilet paper often

Randomness of the Day

I saw the strangest thing today. Someone had left their shoes on the stairs leading to University Hall lol.

I took the picture from a distance..I was wary that it could be one of those psychology studies where they put a hidden camera somewhere and see how people react to a phenomenon lol
In this case, maybe people would stop and stare for a bit, some might glance and keep walking...maybe someone would try waving around the air above the shoes to see if there's an invisible person there lol.. someone could even take the shoes! or keep coming back to see if they're still there. I would have done that last one but I had to go to my classes. I'm already funny enough to take a picture of this =P but I wanted to share it since it's probably not something everyone sees every day. Maybe I'm over-thinking it haha but why would someone just leave their shoes at school like that? I guess it will remain a mystery. Any ideas anyone?

Here's a psychology experiment vid: Conformity to gender roles

Wallet Dropping experiment

You never know when you could be being watched haha =P

One more thing. I was waiting for the bus and unfortunately stood under a tree that was dropping little white bugs on me.. Apparently they like the color blue because they stuck to my shirt and backpack >.< there could have been some on my head but I didn't find any and the person sitting in back of me on the bus didn't say anything lol but even when I had gotten home, I found some on my backpack, they hadn't let go..I had to brush them off. It's times like these that I wish I had a monkey lol

My First Week of School

First day: I woke up so early (6am) that I didn't notice that my shirt was on inside out!! until I went to look in the mirror before leaving the apartment. Good thing I didn't go to school like that! lol So my day started out a bit silly but it was a nice day. So far I like my teachers and look forward to the classes, and that's saying A LOT because it's chemistry and math we're talking about here lol I've met a few people in my classes and around campus. Not sure if we'll meet or talk again but having a random conversation or 2 makes the day more interesting.
My chemistry teacher showed us this video at the beginning of the class..

haha I'm thinking of memorizing it and the PokeRap!..next summer though because I have NO time and a limited learning capacity at the moment lol

Second day: I already had a lot of chemistry to do after the first day. Stayed up till 12:30am doing homework..Without Cramster, my chemistry hw would steal all my sleep lol
Highlights of the day- My medical terminology class was fun. We all had to introduce ourselves and tell the class something we didn't think anyone else in the class had done before. It was a good icebreaker except we'd have to keep coming up with stuff if people say that they did do that before. One person tried a few times and finally got away with saying, "I killed a shark" because the teacher felt bad lol I said, "I lived in California all my life and just transferred here." The teacher was like, "WHY HERE?!" lol I get that a lot. Four times today =P It makes me wonder how much more the weather will surprise me here haha Most people here want to go to California because of the nice weather and the beaches. Over here, you never know when a raincoat or umbrella will come in handy.

Third day: Went to bed at 9:30pm Tuesday night and planned to get up at 5:30am. Just when I thought I'd get a full and peaceful sleep, during the early morning hours, it started pouring rain, lightning flashed and the thunder woke me up! lol the noise was loud mainly because the window was open a bit. We're trying to save money by using less A/C and more air from outside. The storm went on for a while. Well that was an interesting start to the day.
The rest of the day was windy. Gotta love windblown hair lol It makes some people look sexy while others end up looking like they lost a battle with a crazy hairdryer and their hair can't seem to stay out of their face..I'm closer to the latter =[ haha
It is so hot this evening!! I went out to the living room and could barely breathe even though all the windows were open lol it was like I walked into a suana or an oven..

Fourth day: Just found out that a really nice counselor who helped me register for my classes before I had even moved to Ohio had her "position extinguished" =( I wanted to actually meet and thank her for all her help but guess not.
Don't let time pass you by. We should do things NOW before it's too late. I'm working on fixing my procrastination issue lol But serioiusly, tell friends and family how much you care and appreciate them and stuff like that. My best friends are awesome. They've withstood the test of time and are patient with me and all my questions. We may not be going to the same school or living in the same state, but they are still always there for me =)

Fifth day: Thank the Lord that it's Friday lol I thank Him for each day, but I will be able to take a short break from all the walking I did throughout the week. Other than that, my weekend will be like my weekdays: lots of chemistry to do and starting assignments for other classes.

Ready or Not..and a Random Ramble about Parents

"Get up! You'll be late for school!" As much as I didn't like having my sleep interrupted by that morning wake up call, I'm going to miss it. Mornings are going to be much more experimental now lol
Now that school is starting in about 38 hours and counting (yikes!) I realize that I'm not going to be able to stay up late, will have to wake up at an ungodly hour and I'll have to set a limit for the number of times I watch Kung Fu Panda each week =( lol I'm sure my weekdays won't always be long and dedicated only to school. I'll still make time for my daily bible reading, exercise, friends, exploring, chores, cooking, maybe a movie, and all that fun stuff =] gotta balance everything out
Let's see how my internal alarm clock does Monday morning =P jk I'll probably use an alarm or 2 to wake me up. The tough thing about living on your own is not having your parents to take care of you lol There's no one to cook for me and wake me up for school in the morning..I guess you could say I was a bit spoiled living with my parents till now, but I see it as my having the best parents ever! (the best for ME, since others may argue that they have the best parents lol) Many parents do so much for their children and even though they want us to be successful, I really don't think they expect anything in return so I want to show my love and appreciation for my parents as often as I can.
My dad told me nearly a year ago that I chose to be born in this family. He said we were all little angels once and were able to talk to God and choose the family we want to be born in. But we all forget about that after we're put here on Earth. I don't know who'll be reading this blog or what religion you have, but I just thought that was a cute story lol Sometimes when I think life and making donuts is tough, and when I wish for better things, I remember what my dad told me. I chose this humble life and I think of all the good things and people I already have in my life. So instead of wanting more or being frustrated about hardships, I'll be thankful and positive. After all, life can be like a game; I chose this challenge myself and I'm not going to lose =]

Took on More Than I Could Carry

I went grocery shopping alone for the first time today since I arrived in Toledo. Usually I would go with my roommate because she has a car, but I wanted to walk around the whole store and find stuff, which would take a while so I didn't want to waste her time. I took a bus to Krogers, and I took my time browsing the store and picking out things I needed to buy. It took almost 4 hours before I was satisfied with what was in my cart lol.
I only noticed the problem after everything was bagged. I bought too much stuff to carry comfortably. I stuffed some things into my backpack but I still had 3 heavy, bulging bags to hold...I awkwardly got on the bus heading downtown and got to my apartment without further mishap. The plastic bags BARELY made it into the building before they started allowing stuff to pop out from the bottoms and sides. I was very lucky that all my stuff didn't just burst from the bags and out onto the sidewalk as I was walking lol That would have been one of the most embarrassing things ever *thinking of the movie Home Alone when Kevin's bags just gave out* >.<
Instead of using a shopping cart, I should start using those little shopping baskets you carry around. The only problem is if I throw something heavy in the basket like a gallon of milk. Then I'll have to hobble around the rest of the time lugging a heavy-ass basket everywhere lol
I always thought you should push carts like you drive a car. Stay to the right (in the U.S.), people in the main isles get the "right of way," no tailgating etc. I practice cart etiquette, even if there isn't such a thing lol It's not easy to do in places like Costco though, especially when it's jam packed with people and carts. The samples are nice, but they create traffic jams all over the store lol Whenever I want to get a sample, I "park" my cart off to the side and out of the way. Sadly, at Costco baskets are not an option, and there are conveniently over-sized shopping carts because, well, stuff they sell is over-sized.
But anyway, next time for sure I'll be buying less if I'm taking the bus to go grocery shopping so I won't look like a duck wobbling around downtown, I'll save money, and it'll be much easier to get around in the store =)

=(

Borders is Closing =(

I'm so sad that there aren't going to be anymore Borders! (╥﹏╥) lol That was where I got all my books and just had fun hanging out with some friends or my siblings in general. It holds many memories and good times. I'll somehow have to make do with Barnes and Nobles lol but they don't give free memberships like Borders did.
I'm thinking of finding a hangout spot where there's free wifi like B&N or Starbucks so I'm not just in the apartment all day. But since school is starting soon, that hangout spot is probably going to be the school library =] I've been in there a few times and it feels like a home away from home already.

I wish I was able to visit some Borders that are as fancy as these ones lol

Public Transportation

A couple days ago, it had been my first time riding a bus. I'm not sure if the ones that go back and forth between MJC count, but buses that go around the city are much more confusing. You have to get the right routes and catch the right bus, and you also have to pull these cords to signal when you want to be dropped off. Alright, that's probably basic stuff that everyone should have known, but I've never asked or talked with anyone about riding buses and I've never gone out much..obviously lol
Here in Toledo, the bus-line is called TARTA. Bus fare is $1 or 1 token for adults. For people who ride the bus more often, it'd be a good idea to get a bus pass which is $40 a month and you can take the bus as many times as you want during the month.
I had to draw out the routes I'll be taking so I'll know where to stop at and so I wouldn't get lost. I wrote down all the times too =P You can never be too prepared haha Fortunately, I live downtown and the bus stations are close by. All the buses will go back to downtown after their route is completed so all I have to do  is find a sign that says it's a tarta stop and I could catch any bus once I'm done shopping or whatever I took the bus for.
I think I've gotten the hang of riding buses. I just need to give myself plenty of time to get to places on time because sometimes the buses run a little late.

So my first bus trip was to my new school. I almost missed it =P but I made it there without any problems. I bought some things from the bookstore that are required for my classes, and then I walked around trying to find all my classes to make sure I wouldn't get lost the first week. It is a huge school. The buildings are also big and can be confusing. One building even has stairs that can lead to nowhere so I had to make sure I didn't encounter one of those lol I walked around the entire campus which took almost 5 hours before finally finishing my exploring.

I went on my second bus trip yesterday. I needed to go to Michaels for some things. There were many stores along the route I took so I'll probably be taking it again. I got a Cravin' Chicken combo meal at Arby's and called it a day. Overall it was a nice day spent by myself. Interestingly enough, I find that I like eating out alone better than with other people because I can take my time and not worry about choking or something lol

How Am I Doing?

When I first got to Toledo, I didn't go out much. I guess I had enough of adventures to last a little while after my first airport and flight experience. Most of the time, I like spending time alone. I used to think I could become a hermit and live up in the mountains lol but after many weeks have passed of just doing the normal things in the apartment, I became restless and really bored. I really missed playing the piano..so I bought a $40 keyboard. I've always wanted to learn how to play the guitar so I got one for $30 to give myself a challenge. These have made the time pass more quickly, I'm keeping my skills in use, and I have fun.
I've been reading scripture and Christian books, and those also bring a special something to my day. I feel at peace ^^
I recently found out that I enjoy washing dishes o_o lol It's just relaxing somehow. It also helps that the sink is perfect for my height, the one at home makes me reach =P but with my newly discovered therapeutic chore, I'll personally make sure the sink at home is always spotless when I get back. I don't think there will be any competition ;)
Cooking is a lot of fun. I found the site www.foodwishes.com which has so many recipes I want to try. The videos on Youtube are by the user foodwishes. I'll be going shopping for ingredients as soon as I figure out what I want to make.
I'm doing pretty well without donuts. Of course, going to a donut shop owned by my parents everyday made it difficult to resist temptation lol but now that I don't have those delicious, light and melt-in-your-mouth donuts nearby, I'm fine...although I made my mouth water when I described the donuts >.< We'll see if I've got abstinence down to a T when I get back lol

I've been exercising a little every day, just some things like push-ups and sit-ups but I notice that it's becoming easier to do them with each day that passes. When I had started, I could barely do 5 push-ups without my arms threatening to buckle and the sit-ups were not fun..sore muscles all over again. My clothes are fitting better and looser so I'm not too afraid to wear light-colored clothing anymore =P And I just feel great by keeping myself in shape. I think I'm going to start learning karate or something lol

Family

I've never been away from home or my family and I miss them, but many people move away from home, some farther than others. I'm thankful that I have understanding parents and also that I have the opportunity to live and explore life while I can.
I see being away from my family as a way to bring us closer together. Being around each other every day and all the time can make people take things for granted. I realized that I appreciate and love my family more now, and I can't wait to go visit. I miss being with them, laughing and talking to them, watching movies, playing games, shopping, cooking and eating together and all that stuff. We may not be able to do those things now that we're in different states, but we do keep in touch almost every day though! haha so we're doing ok =]
Before I left for Ohio, time seemed to be passing by quickly. The date for my flight was approaching. I remember feeling sad especially when my parents would sadly bring up the subject of my going away but they tried to stay cheerful and support me ^^ I'm happy and glad to have them as my parents. I knew it was a difficult time for them though. Packing my stuff into cases didn't help much either lol My family and I started spending more time together and watched as many movies as we could. My siblings and I all watched some alien movies together..I was hiding under the blankets during Signs because I thought it'd be scary haha not much of a horror movie person
My sis reminded me that the last movie we watched together before I left was Madagascar 2 and I had fallen asleep halfway through it lol. I'm planning on watching Kung Fu Panda #1 and 2 so many times with my sisters, they'll probably get annoyed
After experiencing living on my own and being away from loved ones, I feel like a new, different person. I know my family worries about me but I worry about them as well. This makes me want to do my best  for them and for myself. They're always in my thoughts and prayers, and I know they're doing the same for me.

My Family =P haha

Shifu: Dad

Mr. Ping: Mom

 

Mantis: Sis (small but powerful! lol and funny)

Po: Bro

Tigress: Youngest sis

Oogway: Me =D....jk I think I'm more like Monkey, the one of few words but I can be funny/silly when needed =P

Dad and Bro haha xD

Toledo Ohio

I've always wanted to travel, and Ohio is the first place I have ever traveled to out of California..it's a start =]
I have been in Toledo for about 2 months now and I'm getting used to living here. It takes time to adjust to living someplace new and unfamiliar so I'm glad I was able to see what it's like here and plan out how I'm going to live and cook on my own before school starts.
Living downtown is different from what I'm used to, but interesting. There aren't as many people walking around like in Oakland's Chinatown unless there's a baseball game or event taking place. There are fireworks sometimes in the middle of the night during the baseball games. So much goes on all around so it's never really boring. There are a lot of shops that I haven't visited yet. I've been to a couple deli's, restaurants and pizza places though. It's fun going to the Farmers Market here which is open on weekends and close by.
I think this city is very big, compared to my hometown anyway. The big supermarkets such as FoodMaxx and Winco don't exist here, but there is Krogers and Walmart :) Those places are not within walking distance though so I don't do much grocery shopping. Sadly, Togo's Eatery doesn't exist here either. Apparently, it's a west coast chain. but that just means I have to make my own sandwiches lol. There's a mall here, and it's pretty big. It looks a lot more futuristic than the one in Modesto. The prices of most merchandise there are still high though, so it's just a nice place to window shop =P
There are a bunch of places to go sight-seeing. So far I've been to the zoo and art museum. There are metro parks, a glass museum and a botanical garden that I haven't been to yet.
I enjoy going to the churches here. The Cedar Creek church service makes it a really fun Sunday and I learn a lot.
I don't normally check the weather reports because California weather isn't too unpredictable, but I should probably start checking them more often now. Toledo weather is very unpredictable. It can be clear and sunny one day, then raining and storming the next. I remember one evening I was out for a walk to the docks with my roommate. It took 5 to 10 minutes to get there. It was nice outside and there was a slight breeze, but then we heard a rumble and noticed the dark storm clouds..within a minute or two, it suddenly started pouring and gusts of wind came out of nowhere. It was like a mini typhoon. We made it back to the apartment soaked. Kind of embarrassing that we got caught in a storm lol but it was a fun learning experience. Having perfect weather all the time can be a bit boring, for me anyway.

Above pic: Dark clouds overhead. Below: wind and rain

Nowhere on Earth is truly perfect, but there are little things that are good all around us. We just have to appreciate them.
And that's pretty much it (so far) about what Toledo is like.