Task: Go to a concert today! And listen to some bands you've never heard of before.
Okay, so I totally picked this task because it was the day of HeavenFest! For those of you who never heard of this, its a Christian music and worship festival that people from all walks of life go to and worship God. I haven't been to a lot of concerts before, but this was definitely the best concert I ever seen! I camped out the night before and after and I even volunteered to get a free ticket. Without much detail, I enjoyed the best day of the summer with some awesome friends! Here are some numbers you might find interesting to know about the concert and why it was so much fun:
Over 70 bands played in that one day on 7 different stages!
Over 35,000 people came out including over 150 people getting baptized.
There was also a worship tent that went for 40 hours long nonstop! Wow
And I got a great tan too! Haha overall, I give the day on a scale of one to 10 a 1,000 without exaggeration. Next year, I plan to bring my whole family there to see for themselves how awesome it was!
Wednesday, August 11, 2010
Day 41
Task: Keeping too many material possessions can be a problem. Today throw something you like away.
This was quite a difficult task, I like all of my things... I wouldn't have gotten them if I felt otherwise. But I figure if they are really that important to me that I can't part with it, I must have a problem. Growing up in an upper-middle class home with two great parents has been nothing but a God given blessing. I did nothing to deserve any of the things I have, and I am completely aware of that. And after getting myself in this mindset, I decided that I was ready to throw away something that I have been clinging to for the past three years... the 1000+ songs I kept in my iPod. I have only truly liked about 300 of them and I decided that I was a different person after a point and those songs were of my past. So, I cleaned them all off and plan to start again with a clean slate. It felt really good and I'm excited to see the new songs that will eventually fill it to fit the new me. :)
This was quite a difficult task, I like all of my things... I wouldn't have gotten them if I felt otherwise. But I figure if they are really that important to me that I can't part with it, I must have a problem. Growing up in an upper-middle class home with two great parents has been nothing but a God given blessing. I did nothing to deserve any of the things I have, and I am completely aware of that. And after getting myself in this mindset, I decided that I was ready to throw away something that I have been clinging to for the past three years... the 1000+ songs I kept in my iPod. I have only truly liked about 300 of them and I decided that I was a different person after a point and those songs were of my past. So, I cleaned them all off and plan to start again with a clean slate. It felt really good and I'm excited to see the new songs that will eventually fill it to fit the new me. :)
Day 40
Task: Today write the opening sentence of your first bestselling novel.
This idea came to me when I went to a seminar for young writers. They talked about how much the first page, the first sentence even, can determine how popular your book will get. So, I thought to myself what my book would be about. And may I say, I had some crippling writer's block. It brought me back to the days of high school English when we had to write reports and essays and I never knew how to get started. I don't see myself as a writer even though I enjoy creative writing like poetry. This was a challenge. But I love a good challenge! So I kept pressing on. And here's the best one I came up with:
"There he stood, a shadow of the man he once was, a man he would never be again."
Whew! That was the product of over three hours in front of the comuputer and to be honest, I have no clue where I managed to dig it up in the first place. But hey, I found it interesting and am very proud of myself for coming up with this. This definitely opened my eyes to a tiny piece of what authors must go through when writing a novel. Now, I don't normally do this but I want to share my favorite opening sentences I've read in novels as a special sign-off. See if you know any of them yourself:
"Call me Ishmael."
"Whether I shall turn out to be the hero of my own life, or whether that station will be held by anybody else, these pages must show."
"124 was spiteful."
"Ships at a distance have every man's wish on board."
"It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife."
This idea came to me when I went to a seminar for young writers. They talked about how much the first page, the first sentence even, can determine how popular your book will get. So, I thought to myself what my book would be about. And may I say, I had some crippling writer's block. It brought me back to the days of high school English when we had to write reports and essays and I never knew how to get started. I don't see myself as a writer even though I enjoy creative writing like poetry. This was a challenge. But I love a good challenge! So I kept pressing on. And here's the best one I came up with:
"There he stood, a shadow of the man he once was, a man he would never be again."
Whew! That was the product of over three hours in front of the comuputer and to be honest, I have no clue where I managed to dig it up in the first place. But hey, I found it interesting and am very proud of myself for coming up with this. This definitely opened my eyes to a tiny piece of what authors must go through when writing a novel. Now, I don't normally do this but I want to share my favorite opening sentences I've read in novels as a special sign-off. See if you know any of them yourself:
"Call me Ishmael."
"Whether I shall turn out to be the hero of my own life, or whether that station will be held by anybody else, these pages must show."
"124 was spiteful."
"Ships at a distance have every man's wish on board."
"It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife."
Day 39
Task: Create and record an infomercial selling a product you made up!
For those of us who have stayed up past Letterman/Leno or any other late-night tv shows, we know what infomercials are. They are almost always setted in a kitchen or a gym and aim to sell you something you don't already have by convincing you that you need it. Take the ShamWow commercials, they take a rag and clean up 2 liters worth of soda out of a bowl. I admit its pretty cool, but I'm not that big of a klutz that I would spill an entire bottle of soda. And it seems that every single infomercial I watch formed an agreement that they will all sell their product for $19.95 +shipping and handling (usually around $8). Not that it matters but, why not just round up to $20? What are we gonna do with that nickel we save? Haha.
So I decided to create a product of my own! It's called Hottrod and its a mix between a spatula and a dumbbell! I figure that I would mix the two worlds together and do a kitchenware/fitness infomercial! So, half of the time, I was in the kitchen flipping stuff with one end of the Hottrod and the other half I spent in my homemade gym in my basement and lifting the other end of it with a weight! And what was the price? $20.05. Ha! I wonder if that price may catch on at some point. We had to run a lot of takes to get it right, because when I goof up on a line I make weird faces and can't use the footage. But in my opinion, the bloopers were the very best part of this task! I saved my blooper footage and plan to watch it next time I get down...
For those of us who have stayed up past Letterman/Leno or any other late-night tv shows, we know what infomercials are. They are almost always setted in a kitchen or a gym and aim to sell you something you don't already have by convincing you that you need it. Take the ShamWow commercials, they take a rag and clean up 2 liters worth of soda out of a bowl. I admit its pretty cool, but I'm not that big of a klutz that I would spill an entire bottle of soda. And it seems that every single infomercial I watch formed an agreement that they will all sell their product for $19.95 +shipping and handling (usually around $8). Not that it matters but, why not just round up to $20? What are we gonna do with that nickel we save? Haha.
So I decided to create a product of my own! It's called Hottrod and its a mix between a spatula and a dumbbell! I figure that I would mix the two worlds together and do a kitchenware/fitness infomercial! So, half of the time, I was in the kitchen flipping stuff with one end of the Hottrod and the other half I spent in my homemade gym in my basement and lifting the other end of it with a weight! And what was the price? $20.05. Ha! I wonder if that price may catch on at some point. We had to run a lot of takes to get it right, because when I goof up on a line I make weird faces and can't use the footage. But in my opinion, the bloopers were the very best part of this task! I saved my blooper footage and plan to watch it next time I get down...
Day 38
Task: Generosity day. Be generous to those around you.
We all have those days, when we feel so great that we do little things to make everyone else's day better. We tip the waitress more than 20%, we let every car pass in front of us on the highway, we give our loose change to the homeless man on the side of the street with the cardboard sign... basically, we try to be nice to other people in hopes that they will be happy and that we had something to do with it.
So here's what I did. It's kind of small, but I believe it may have had an impact on at least 3 people, and you'll see why. I went to the local fast food restaurant drive-thru to order some lunch for myself. I was just getting ready to pay for my food when I saw the minivan of screaming children in the backseat. And the mother had such a worn out look on her that I pulled a $20 bill out of my wallet and gave it to the cashier. "Tell the car behind me that I got this one", I said. She smiled and said, "I will." Now, I didn't wait around to see her face but somehow I knew that my little act probably made her day a little brighter.
If people were a bit more generous toward each other, we wouldn't have things like greed and hate or even war. Not saying my little act brought world peace, but everything we do has a domino effect. So go out and make someone's day a little brighter, and you'll soon find that when you make someone else happy... you become even more happy!
We all have those days, when we feel so great that we do little things to make everyone else's day better. We tip the waitress more than 20%, we let every car pass in front of us on the highway, we give our loose change to the homeless man on the side of the street with the cardboard sign... basically, we try to be nice to other people in hopes that they will be happy and that we had something to do with it.
So here's what I did. It's kind of small, but I believe it may have had an impact on at least 3 people, and you'll see why. I went to the local fast food restaurant drive-thru to order some lunch for myself. I was just getting ready to pay for my food when I saw the minivan of screaming children in the backseat. And the mother had such a worn out look on her that I pulled a $20 bill out of my wallet and gave it to the cashier. "Tell the car behind me that I got this one", I said. She smiled and said, "I will." Now, I didn't wait around to see her face but somehow I knew that my little act probably made her day a little brighter.
If people were a bit more generous toward each other, we wouldn't have things like greed and hate or even war. Not saying my little act brought world peace, but everything we do has a domino effect. So go out and make someone's day a little brighter, and you'll soon find that when you make someone else happy... you become even more happy!
Tuesday, August 3, 2010
Day 37
Task: Tonight, try to control your dreams. Some people believe that our everyday thoughts can seep into our subconscious and in our dreams. It's your job to find out!
Okay, so I know I've been MIA with these blogs. I had some trouble accessing my page and posting. But no worries! I'll have them all for you to read now!
Dreams are a very strange state of being. I never really thought that you could possibly control them because I thought they were just your imagination gone wild. Mine certainly are. So I did a little research about what people do to control their dreams. Apparently, there is a name for the state of dreaming in your sleep when you can do it called lucid dreaming. And according to the lucid dreamers, its right when you enter the deepest sleep called REM sleep. It's also pretty easy to try and control your dreams and I found a few steps to achieving dream control:
1. Dream recall- you have to be able to remember what you dreamt.
2. Reality testing- try and look for parts in your dream that aren't normal.
3. Dreamsigns- ask yourself if there are any signs you're dreaming.
4. Test your powers- try and do something you normally wouldn't be able to do in real life.
So, with these four steps in mind, I went ahead and decided to take a nap so I could get some practice before tonight. I did actually have a dream and remembered most of it. But of course since my dreams don't make much sense, I have to say I couldn't remember the order in which they happened. But in my dream, I was still living in my old house where I grew up. I figured that was my reality test and it was also a sign I was dreaming because I haven't lived there in almost 5 years. So, my power test was pretty small but I tried to look at myself in the mirror. And no matter how much I tried, I couldn't look into my reflection's eyes. It was pretty cool and also weird at the same time. Now, I am not going to look in a dream dictionary and try to figure out what that means, mostly because I don't think most dreams can be interpreted. So, I woke up and wrote my dream down and went on with my day.
Later that night, I did this again, but this time I tried to push myself to think about a topic right before going to bed in hopes that it would appear in my dream. And it was my former classmate Jason*, who I was hoping to dream about. I promise it isn't what you're thinking, I didn't like him. He was one of those people who doesn't have a conscience or cares about anyone but himself. So, I thought really hard about him. And when I started dreaming, he actually showed up! But the strange part was, in my dream I was about to tell him off and say how much I didn't like him, when all of a sudden he started crying. It was beyond strange because I've never seen him show emotion that way. So, I went up to him and asked him why he was so sad and he told me his family kicked him out of the house and he was homeless. Now this is the strange part, in my dream I felt so bad that I offered him to come and stay in my house! I couldn't believe what I was saying because I came there to yell at him and now I was offering him to live with me!
Wow, my mind=blown. And I think once we got to my house and my parents put him in my basement, my brain couldn't take anymore and I woke up. Haha. I'd be lying if I told you I didn't go into my basement to check if he was there... he wasn't, of course.
Dreaming all day was a great way for me to relax and I seriously felt like I could focus more on what was going on in real life because of that. I think that eventually, I'm going to try and dream myself doing something out-of-this-world amazing! Like maybe I'll try to fly! That may take a while but if you ever wanted to be able to control what you dream about, go for it! It's tons of fun and you can do it in your sleep. Best of luck, readers!
Okay, so I know I've been MIA with these blogs. I had some trouble accessing my page and posting. But no worries! I'll have them all for you to read now!
Dreams are a very strange state of being. I never really thought that you could possibly control them because I thought they were just your imagination gone wild. Mine certainly are. So I did a little research about what people do to control their dreams. Apparently, there is a name for the state of dreaming in your sleep when you can do it called lucid dreaming. And according to the lucid dreamers, its right when you enter the deepest sleep called REM sleep. It's also pretty easy to try and control your dreams and I found a few steps to achieving dream control:
1. Dream recall- you have to be able to remember what you dreamt.
2. Reality testing- try and look for parts in your dream that aren't normal.
3. Dreamsigns- ask yourself if there are any signs you're dreaming.
4. Test your powers- try and do something you normally wouldn't be able to do in real life.
So, with these four steps in mind, I went ahead and decided to take a nap so I could get some practice before tonight. I did actually have a dream and remembered most of it. But of course since my dreams don't make much sense, I have to say I couldn't remember the order in which they happened. But in my dream, I was still living in my old house where I grew up. I figured that was my reality test and it was also a sign I was dreaming because I haven't lived there in almost 5 years. So, my power test was pretty small but I tried to look at myself in the mirror. And no matter how much I tried, I couldn't look into my reflection's eyes. It was pretty cool and also weird at the same time. Now, I am not going to look in a dream dictionary and try to figure out what that means, mostly because I don't think most dreams can be interpreted. So, I woke up and wrote my dream down and went on with my day.
Later that night, I did this again, but this time I tried to push myself to think about a topic right before going to bed in hopes that it would appear in my dream. And it was my former classmate Jason*, who I was hoping to dream about. I promise it isn't what you're thinking, I didn't like him. He was one of those people who doesn't have a conscience or cares about anyone but himself. So, I thought really hard about him. And when I started dreaming, he actually showed up! But the strange part was, in my dream I was about to tell him off and say how much I didn't like him, when all of a sudden he started crying. It was beyond strange because I've never seen him show emotion that way. So, I went up to him and asked him why he was so sad and he told me his family kicked him out of the house and he was homeless. Now this is the strange part, in my dream I felt so bad that I offered him to come and stay in my house! I couldn't believe what I was saying because I came there to yell at him and now I was offering him to live with me!
Wow, my mind=blown. And I think once we got to my house and my parents put him in my basement, my brain couldn't take anymore and I woke up. Haha. I'd be lying if I told you I didn't go into my basement to check if he was there... he wasn't, of course.
Dreaming all day was a great way for me to relax and I seriously felt like I could focus more on what was going on in real life because of that. I think that eventually, I'm going to try and dream myself doing something out-of-this-world amazing! Like maybe I'll try to fly! That may take a while but if you ever wanted to be able to control what you dream about, go for it! It's tons of fun and you can do it in your sleep. Best of luck, readers!
Wednesday, July 28, 2010
Day 36
Task: Give up one electronic device for the entire day.
NOOOOOO!!!!!!! Please? Anything but that! I can't live without my computer or my cell phone!
Yeah, yeah, yeah I know what you're thinking. What's the big deal? Its only for a day and it only says one device. But here's the problem, I don't know which one is more important to me. Then, I decided when I woke up this morning that the first thing I go to check will be what I gave up for the day. And guess what? It was internet (facebook to be exact). But before I turned my laptop on, I realized what today was and forced myself to back away from the laptop. It was the hardest thing I ever had to do today. My younger sister joked that I must be addicted to the internet because I can honestly tell you I was facing withdrawal symptoms that I didn't know I could have. I was extremely jittery, anxious, and--to be perfectly honest-- I was kept having the itch to just give up and go back to the computer! Wow. Talk about crazy, huh? So, I mustered up enough strength to give it up for the rest of the day until around 10 o'clock... by then, I was on the verge of a mental breakdown!
Even though I was uncomfortable the whole day and didn't experience that much joy in giving up my internet, I realized that after the first few hours that it was very liberating to not have to check my email or facebook every twenty minutes (OK, that's an exaggeration but you know what I mean). So now its your turn! Turn off the television, leave behind your phone if you can... or be like me and step away from the computer so that you can experience life without them! Best of luck :)
NOOOOOO!!!!!!! Please? Anything but that! I can't live without my computer or my cell phone!
Yeah, yeah, yeah I know what you're thinking. What's the big deal? Its only for a day and it only says one device. But here's the problem, I don't know which one is more important to me. Then, I decided when I woke up this morning that the first thing I go to check will be what I gave up for the day. And guess what? It was internet (facebook to be exact). But before I turned my laptop on, I realized what today was and forced myself to back away from the laptop. It was the hardest thing I ever had to do today. My younger sister joked that I must be addicted to the internet because I can honestly tell you I was facing withdrawal symptoms that I didn't know I could have. I was extremely jittery, anxious, and--to be perfectly honest-- I was kept having the itch to just give up and go back to the computer! Wow. Talk about crazy, huh? So, I mustered up enough strength to give it up for the rest of the day until around 10 o'clock... by then, I was on the verge of a mental breakdown!
Even though I was uncomfortable the whole day and didn't experience that much joy in giving up my internet, I realized that after the first few hours that it was very liberating to not have to check my email or facebook every twenty minutes (OK, that's an exaggeration but you know what I mean). So now its your turn! Turn off the television, leave behind your phone if you can... or be like me and step away from the computer so that you can experience life without them! Best of luck :)
Saturday, July 24, 2010
Day 35
Task: Attend a new class today that you've been dying to try.
Let me start off by saying that this is definitely one of the best days I've had since I started the 365 days project! And you know why? Because it brought together the two things I love: learning new things and exploring what's out there for me to do! And since the gym I go to offers tons (well, more like 10) of classes from yoga to cycling I decided to give one a try. But to be spontaneous and open, I just showed up to a random class today and decided to just go with the flow.
Turns out, it was a Hip Hop Cardio dance class! I was beyond stoked to be there! I stood up front so I wouldn't feel as self conscious (Backwards, I know. But that's how I roll) about learning a new thing. See if you stand in back, you seem self-conscious to others and I believe in the fake-it-till-you-make-it mentality. So up front and center was where I stood! And it was a blast dancing with a bunch of other women to hip hop!
I am also happy to say that my entire body is extremely sore right about now and its been hours since the class ended. Haha well I guess you could say I felt the burn, but in a good way of course! Guess who's signed up for next week's class? Oh yeah! The girl who can barely life her arms above her chest... Night readers! :)
Let me start off by saying that this is definitely one of the best days I've had since I started the 365 days project! And you know why? Because it brought together the two things I love: learning new things and exploring what's out there for me to do! And since the gym I go to offers tons (well, more like 10) of classes from yoga to cycling I decided to give one a try. But to be spontaneous and open, I just showed up to a random class today and decided to just go with the flow.
Turns out, it was a Hip Hop Cardio dance class! I was beyond stoked to be there! I stood up front so I wouldn't feel as self conscious (Backwards, I know. But that's how I roll) about learning a new thing. See if you stand in back, you seem self-conscious to others and I believe in the fake-it-till-you-make-it mentality. So up front and center was where I stood! And it was a blast dancing with a bunch of other women to hip hop!
I am also happy to say that my entire body is extremely sore right about now and its been hours since the class ended. Haha well I guess you could say I felt the burn, but in a good way of course! Guess who's signed up for next week's class? Oh yeah! The girl who can barely life her arms above her chest... Night readers! :)
Friday, July 23, 2010
Day 34
Task: Step away from the flatiron today and rock some sweet braids!
Phew! I was waiting for this day for quite some time! I love it when I braid my hair. Imagine waking up in the morning and part of your routine being taking a 350+ degrees flatiron to your head for an hour. Sheesh! And since its summertime, it usually frizzes up by around noon. Like I said, me and my hair never got along. But thank goodness for braids! They're lighter, more free to wear down, and most importantly... they are a break! And boy did I need one! Haha I loved rocking my individual braids and its almost as freeing as being bald, though not as dramatic.
Don't get me wrong, I love wearing my hair straight, but braids are so much easier to manage! I never knew switching something so small and insignificant as hair can make your day ten times better! And even though I complain about my hair a lot, I am really blessed to have so much of it and that its healthy! Maybe if I let it grow for a while, I might try and donate it for someone else to make a wig out of it. That is, if they'll take it. Who knows? It's definitely a possibility.
Phew! I was waiting for this day for quite some time! I love it when I braid my hair. Imagine waking up in the morning and part of your routine being taking a 350+ degrees flatiron to your head for an hour. Sheesh! And since its summertime, it usually frizzes up by around noon. Like I said, me and my hair never got along. But thank goodness for braids! They're lighter, more free to wear down, and most importantly... they are a break! And boy did I need one! Haha I loved rocking my individual braids and its almost as freeing as being bald, though not as dramatic.
Don't get me wrong, I love wearing my hair straight, but braids are so much easier to manage! I never knew switching something so small and insignificant as hair can make your day ten times better! And even though I complain about my hair a lot, I am really blessed to have so much of it and that its healthy! Maybe if I let it grow for a while, I might try and donate it for someone else to make a wig out of it. That is, if they'll take it. Who knows? It's definitely a possibility.
Day 33
Task: Rethink your life plan today and imagine all the other possibilities for yourself.
I have to say, this task was rather difficult for me to do. I knew that I wanted to be a doctor since I was really young... I'm talking sandbox young. But, regardless, I began to imagine myself in different careers. I understand that my whole life won't revolve around work (there's the husband, kids, where I live, etc) but I figured I should at least try and narrow things down a little bit so it can fit into one post.
So, I practically laid in my bed with a notepad and a pencil and jotted down all the different careers I could think of seeing myself doing. And I came up with quite a few interesting jobs:
Nanny
Veterinarian
Teacher
Clown :)
TV show host
Comedian
Nurse (had to sneak one in.)
So I tried to close my eyes and imagine myself having these careers and many others. And I came to a conclusion that I can be anything I want to be! It used to seem strange for me when I was little when people told me they wanted to be astronauts or firefighters or even the President of the United States! But the more I thought about it, the more I realized that there is nothing holding me back from pursuing any of those careers except me. So, I learned that even if my plan doesn't go the way I want it to, I still have options.
Day 32
Task: Hone in on your inner Emeril skills and cook up something delicious using only the ingredients you have in your kitchen.
So let me start out by warning you all that I am not calling myself a good cook by any stretch of the imagination. I can make a few good dishes but that was after frequently ruining them and practice. So my inner Emeril is really, really inner... like deep down there! But I wasn't afraid because of two reasons: 1. My mom was only a holler away and 2. I had a fire extinguisher handy (in case). So, first I had to go through all my mom's cookbooks and decide what I wanted to whip up for this task. So I found a really interesting pesto pasta that I decided to try.
Seeing as it had a zillion and one ingredients to make it, I was pleasantly surprised to discover that we had all of them and didn't have to rush to the store. I was in the middle of chopping the onions (and crying) and almost chopped my index finger clean off!! *Screams* AHH!!!! Once I collected myself and realized I was completely fine, I decided to keep going. But I was probably the most careful (read: slowest) food chopper after the almost incident. My mother walked in after about 10 minutes and asked me if I needed help but I didn't want to cheat so I told her I was on my own.
My favorite part was after all of the pasta was cooked and the vegetables and sauces were made, I decided it was time for Emeril's signature trick. I picked up a dash of salt in one hand and pepper in the other and "BAM!!" I love it when he does that in his cooking shows because its so gosh darn entertaining! And I felt that I probably would have made him proud with my execution. After lots of mixing and prayer I served it to my family. And guess what? They loved it! I couldn't believe how well it all turned out and I was so proud of myself for making it (without burning the house down).
Do you have a special dish that only you know how to make? Or have you flipped through a cookbook lately and found a recipe you've been dying to try? Well by all means... do it! And leave the dishes for someone else... Haha! Night readers.
So let me start out by warning you all that I am not calling myself a good cook by any stretch of the imagination. I can make a few good dishes but that was after frequently ruining them and practice. So my inner Emeril is really, really inner... like deep down there! But I wasn't afraid because of two reasons: 1. My mom was only a holler away and 2. I had a fire extinguisher handy (in case). So, first I had to go through all my mom's cookbooks and decide what I wanted to whip up for this task. So I found a really interesting pesto pasta that I decided to try.
Seeing as it had a zillion and one ingredients to make it, I was pleasantly surprised to discover that we had all of them and didn't have to rush to the store. I was in the middle of chopping the onions (and crying) and almost chopped my index finger clean off!! *Screams* AHH!!!! Once I collected myself and realized I was completely fine, I decided to keep going. But I was probably the most careful (read: slowest) food chopper after the almost incident. My mother walked in after about 10 minutes and asked me if I needed help but I didn't want to cheat so I told her I was on my own.
My favorite part was after all of the pasta was cooked and the vegetables and sauces were made, I decided it was time for Emeril's signature trick. I picked up a dash of salt in one hand and pepper in the other and "BAM!!" I love it when he does that in his cooking shows because its so gosh darn entertaining! And I felt that I probably would have made him proud with my execution. After lots of mixing and prayer I served it to my family. And guess what? They loved it! I couldn't believe how well it all turned out and I was so proud of myself for making it (without burning the house down).
Do you have a special dish that only you know how to make? Or have you flipped through a cookbook lately and found a recipe you've been dying to try? Well by all means... do it! And leave the dishes for someone else... Haha! Night readers.
Wednesday, July 21, 2010
Day 31
Task: Act extremely girly all day long!
I never in my life saw myself as a girly girl... EVER! So the first thing I had to do was observe how a girly girl acts and try to imitate her the best I can. So I called one of my old friends Jenna* (and if you haven't already caught on to this, * means I used a fake name) and asked her what her three rules to being girly are. Her response really shocked me and I think it will shock most of you as well. She told me: "First, wear a dress and makeup, point blank." (duh, I thought) "Second, smile and laugh in a genuine way... no fake stuff. Guys see right through that. And finally, if someone is being rude or insulting, throw manners out the window and let em have it! Release your inner tomboy!" Haha. Needless to say, I took into account that she was one with a bit of a temper when it came to people being treated like doormats in front of her. Lucky for me, I didn't run into any trouble today.
This morning, I was at home babysitting my sister when I remembered Rule #1. So I suggested we give each other makeovers and act as if we're going out somewhere when clearly we weren't due to a stomach bug she was having. But it definitely took her mind off of it and I got all pretty and done up! It was super fun. So later tonight, I was heading off to bible study with my friends that I go to every week. When we finished talking we all just hung out and told each other funny stories and I was rolling on the floor laughing! It wasn't until I got home that I realized that I did Rule #2 the whole time! I'm not sure whether or not I am a girly girl, but I did like acting like one for a day!
I never in my life saw myself as a girly girl... EVER! So the first thing I had to do was observe how a girly girl acts and try to imitate her the best I can. So I called one of my old friends Jenna* (and if you haven't already caught on to this, * means I used a fake name) and asked her what her three rules to being girly are. Her response really shocked me and I think it will shock most of you as well. She told me: "First, wear a dress and makeup, point blank." (duh, I thought) "Second, smile and laugh in a genuine way... no fake stuff. Guys see right through that. And finally, if someone is being rude or insulting, throw manners out the window and let em have it! Release your inner tomboy!" Haha. Needless to say, I took into account that she was one with a bit of a temper when it came to people being treated like doormats in front of her. Lucky for me, I didn't run into any trouble today.
This morning, I was at home babysitting my sister when I remembered Rule #1. So I suggested we give each other makeovers and act as if we're going out somewhere when clearly we weren't due to a stomach bug she was having. But it definitely took her mind off of it and I got all pretty and done up! It was super fun. So later tonight, I was heading off to bible study with my friends that I go to every week. When we finished talking we all just hung out and told each other funny stories and I was rolling on the floor laughing! It wasn't until I got home that I realized that I did Rule #2 the whole time! I'm not sure whether or not I am a girly girl, but I did like acting like one for a day!
Monday, July 19, 2010
Day 30
Task: Write a song today about what you feel.
Oh my gosh! I have always wanted to sit down and write a song of my own. And today was the big day! When I was sitting up in my room with my pencil and paper in my hand, a rush of ideas came to me of what to put down. Should I write a song about love? Friendship? My past? So I drained all my thoughts out onto my drawing board and wrote one line or lyric I could use for each category. It was tons of fun! And I couldn't believe how creative I was being. Seeing as I don't know how to play any instruments very well, I chose to sing acapella (and because of my insane shyness). Most of my friends don't know this but I am terrified to sing in public and everytime I do, I have a mini panic attack before the song starts. But, hey I'm a work in progress as we all are.
I started humming a tune and wrote some lyrics down. It was really that easy! But I did promise myself one thing, when I learn to play guitar I am going to finish this song and perform it for my friends. I sure hope it comes out good and it can be something I can look back on with fond memory when I'm older. Readers, I know this may be asking too much of you but I want you to try and make up a song too! And let it be about anything you want! Forget about all those worn out love songs and maybe go a different route! Pure Enjoyment is just a few lyrics away...
Oh my gosh! I have always wanted to sit down and write a song of my own. And today was the big day! When I was sitting up in my room with my pencil and paper in my hand, a rush of ideas came to me of what to put down. Should I write a song about love? Friendship? My past? So I drained all my thoughts out onto my drawing board and wrote one line or lyric I could use for each category. It was tons of fun! And I couldn't believe how creative I was being. Seeing as I don't know how to play any instruments very well, I chose to sing acapella (and because of my insane shyness). Most of my friends don't know this but I am terrified to sing in public and everytime I do, I have a mini panic attack before the song starts. But, hey I'm a work in progress as we all are.
I started humming a tune and wrote some lyrics down. It was really that easy! But I did promise myself one thing, when I learn to play guitar I am going to finish this song and perform it for my friends. I sure hope it comes out good and it can be something I can look back on with fond memory when I'm older. Readers, I know this may be asking too much of you but I want you to try and make up a song too! And let it be about anything you want! Forget about all those worn out love songs and maybe go a different route! Pure Enjoyment is just a few lyrics away...
Day 28 And 29
Task: Go on a camping trip today with some friends! See the sites and take some sweet pictures of the scenery.
The main reason why I chose to do this was because I am the only person I know who has never gone camping before in my life. First off, I have to say that it was not by choice that I hadn't. My parents have just really sheltered me and my sisters our whole lives. Anything that seemed dangerous to them was a no-go. And I love them so much that I never complained about it because I knew that they were only trying to protect me in the only way they knew how. They never went on camping trips in the same way most people in the US do, and being from a different culture made it difficult to lead the same lives as other children. But that was all about to change this weekend! I was finally going camping!
So me and four amazing friends of mine went up to Lake Dillon for an overnight stay. I never laughed so much in my whole life! And I could tell you a million and one stories about what we did up there and the stuff we talked about but you really had to have been there for yourself. We went to an art festival in the town, the lake, and everywhere in between! And I took tons of pictures of the scenery, the flowers, and the people.
I was thoroughly satisfied with how the trip went and its safe to say that I plan on going camping again real soon! Admiring the beauty of the mountains really made me realize how much God loves us. So much that he would create all these things for us to just marvel at until we're left breathless in awe. And it cleared my head of all my worries, which is just what the doctor ordered. :)
The main reason why I chose to do this was because I am the only person I know who has never gone camping before in my life. First off, I have to say that it was not by choice that I hadn't. My parents have just really sheltered me and my sisters our whole lives. Anything that seemed dangerous to them was a no-go. And I love them so much that I never complained about it because I knew that they were only trying to protect me in the only way they knew how. They never went on camping trips in the same way most people in the US do, and being from a different culture made it difficult to lead the same lives as other children. But that was all about to change this weekend! I was finally going camping!
So me and four amazing friends of mine went up to Lake Dillon for an overnight stay. I never laughed so much in my whole life! And I could tell you a million and one stories about what we did up there and the stuff we talked about but you really had to have been there for yourself. We went to an art festival in the town, the lake, and everywhere in between! And I took tons of pictures of the scenery, the flowers, and the people.
I was thoroughly satisfied with how the trip went and its safe to say that I plan on going camping again real soon! Admiring the beauty of the mountains really made me realize how much God loves us. So much that he would create all these things for us to just marvel at until we're left breathless in awe. And it cleared my head of all my worries, which is just what the doctor ordered. :)
Day 27
Task: Perform the art of Kung Fu in a fake battle against someone.
Kung fu has always been an interest of mine since I was a small child. When I was five, I started learning Tae Kwon Do and have loved martial arts ever since. I didn't get to finish what I started because I broke my wrist during one of my sparring classes and was forced to quit. But ever since, I have never lost my passion to learn about all the types of martial arts. And I feel that I had to create this task because it was something from my past that truly gave me joy to do!
So, the first thing I did today was I went online to search for training videos about how to learn the most basic of kung fu moves. I learned how to do a lot of very interesting kicks. Here are just a few:
Inside crescent kick
Outside crescent kick
Roundhouse kick
Yup, everybody was Kung fu fighting! Huhh!! Haha, so I challenged one of my guy friends to a little battle where I could use my skills and I was pleasantly surprised with how well I remembered how to do everything. I kicked, blocked, ducked, punched, and took a bow when we were finished. It was awesome! And I also like the fact that he had a fun time being beat up by a girl... because he obviously wasn't trying to seriously hurt me. Haha. Sometimes, it really pays to be a girl.
Next time (and there will be a next time) I want to get a bunch more of my friends and we can have a mini-tournament! So keep an eye out for that task coming up because you might wanna join the fun! I really want to go forward with this and maybe start attending a class in martial arts. Since I have to go now, I'll close with a respectful bow... *bows* Bye!
Kung fu has always been an interest of mine since I was a small child. When I was five, I started learning Tae Kwon Do and have loved martial arts ever since. I didn't get to finish what I started because I broke my wrist during one of my sparring classes and was forced to quit. But ever since, I have never lost my passion to learn about all the types of martial arts. And I feel that I had to create this task because it was something from my past that truly gave me joy to do!
So, the first thing I did today was I went online to search for training videos about how to learn the most basic of kung fu moves. I learned how to do a lot of very interesting kicks. Here are just a few:
Inside crescent kick
Outside crescent kick
Roundhouse kick
Yup, everybody was Kung fu fighting! Huhh!! Haha, so I challenged one of my guy friends to a little battle where I could use my skills and I was pleasantly surprised with how well I remembered how to do everything. I kicked, blocked, ducked, punched, and took a bow when we were finished. It was awesome! And I also like the fact that he had a fun time being beat up by a girl... because he obviously wasn't trying to seriously hurt me. Haha. Sometimes, it really pays to be a girl.
Next time (and there will be a next time) I want to get a bunch more of my friends and we can have a mini-tournament! So keep an eye out for that task coming up because you might wanna join the fun! I really want to go forward with this and maybe start attending a class in martial arts. Since I have to go now, I'll close with a respectful bow... *bows* Bye!
Friday, July 16, 2010
Day 26
Task: Wave at and/or say hi to everyone who passes by you on the road today.
It's tasks like these that remind me of my days on the schoolbus when I used to sit way in the back of the bus and play SweetN'Sour with the other drivers. For those of you who may not have ever heard of this game, you wave at a driver and if he/she smiles or waves back at you that's considered sweet. And if they don't do anything and ignore you then he/she is considered to be sour. It was tons of fun! Ever since I can remember, I never had much trouble meeting people and making friends. And even though I never made friends with any drivers, I enjoyed being friendly to strangers nevertheless! People are way too guarded and don't push themselves to seek out something better for them. Which is exactly what this task is meant to break you out of.
So I was on the RTD today and made friends with 3 new people who were all from out of town! One was from Chicago, one from Boston, and one from Mexico! It was so fun. And I waved at around 20 cars as I rode by the highway. Some waved back, some didn't. But that wasn't the point. I decided that I will no longer rely on others for acceptance, only on myself. It wasn't easy to reach and act on that decision, but it was definitely worth the experience. Do you have anything you feel too uncomfortable to do out of fear of being judged by friends (or even complete strangers)? I say, how can you grow without pushing your own boundaries in order to have room to grow? Don't be a fish in a bowl when you're born to be a fish in an ocean!
It's tasks like these that remind me of my days on the schoolbus when I used to sit way in the back of the bus and play SweetN'Sour with the other drivers. For those of you who may not have ever heard of this game, you wave at a driver and if he/she smiles or waves back at you that's considered sweet. And if they don't do anything and ignore you then he/she is considered to be sour. It was tons of fun! Ever since I can remember, I never had much trouble meeting people and making friends. And even though I never made friends with any drivers, I enjoyed being friendly to strangers nevertheless! People are way too guarded and don't push themselves to seek out something better for them. Which is exactly what this task is meant to break you out of.
So I was on the RTD today and made friends with 3 new people who were all from out of town! One was from Chicago, one from Boston, and one from Mexico! It was so fun. And I waved at around 20 cars as I rode by the highway. Some waved back, some didn't. But that wasn't the point. I decided that I will no longer rely on others for acceptance, only on myself. It wasn't easy to reach and act on that decision, but it was definitely worth the experience. Do you have anything you feel too uncomfortable to do out of fear of being judged by friends (or even complete strangers)? I say, how can you grow without pushing your own boundaries in order to have room to grow? Don't be a fish in a bowl when you're born to be a fish in an ocean!
Thursday, July 15, 2010
Day 25
Task: Have an epic staring contest today with someone.
How come as soon as you tell someone that they can't blink, they have to blink ten times more? Staring into someone's eyes is one thing, not being able to blink until they do is another. Which makes it all the more entertaining to do! So I summoned one of my friends from high school to meet up with me for an epic staring contest! We both decided to prepare for it by going into the bathroom and staring at our reflections in the mirror.
Once we got all warmed up, we turned to each other and began round one. She blinked after literally 5 seconds! It was rather easy and helped give me a boost to my own ego. That is, until I lost the second round. Haha. So it was 1 to 1 and the next round wins. We both stared into each other's eyes as if the other person would vanish if our eyelids closed. About 30 seconds into it, she made an attempt to yawn without closing her eyes... no luck! Her eyes welled up so much that she had to shut them or risk her tears overflowing out of her eyes. And I was crowned champion of staring contests!
Feels good to win at something once in a while. I guess all those years of watching television and sitting in front of my computer weren't a waste! Haha. Well, not a complete waste anyway. Me and her scheduled a rematch in the future... this isn't over! I'll make sure to keep you posted on how it goes. Night readers!
How come as soon as you tell someone that they can't blink, they have to blink ten times more? Staring into someone's eyes is one thing, not being able to blink until they do is another. Which makes it all the more entertaining to do! So I summoned one of my friends from high school to meet up with me for an epic staring contest! We both decided to prepare for it by going into the bathroom and staring at our reflections in the mirror.
Once we got all warmed up, we turned to each other and began round one. She blinked after literally 5 seconds! It was rather easy and helped give me a boost to my own ego. That is, until I lost the second round. Haha. So it was 1 to 1 and the next round wins. We both stared into each other's eyes as if the other person would vanish if our eyelids closed. About 30 seconds into it, she made an attempt to yawn without closing her eyes... no luck! Her eyes welled up so much that she had to shut them or risk her tears overflowing out of her eyes. And I was crowned champion of staring contests!
Feels good to win at something once in a while. I guess all those years of watching television and sitting in front of my computer weren't a waste! Haha. Well, not a complete waste anyway. Me and her scheduled a rematch in the future... this isn't over! I'll make sure to keep you posted on how it goes. Night readers!
Day 24
Task: See how long you can stay awake all day and all night. But you can't have help from coffee, tea, soda, or sugar.
I remember when I was little and got sent off to bed and wishing I could stay up as long as I want! Well I figured that I should take advantage of the fact that I can now. So I embarked on a no-sleep day to see how long I could make it without any help. To be quite honest, the longest I've ever stayed up in my entire night was 24 hours. And that was because it was the day of my prom and I was so excited I couldn't sleep the night before and I was out all night having fun with my friends. My friends joked about my sleep deprivation because somewhere around 5am the next day, I began to act extremely loopy!
So, I went a good 20 hours without sleep! Sure, it isn't my record but then again I wasn't running on excitement and anticipation for half the day! I nodded off around 4am when all the good television shows were done airing and all they had were exercise equipment and kitchenware infomercials. I can definitely appreciate my parent's decision of a bedtime now because I was so cranky when I woke up this morning! Haha. Luckily, I took a long nap and was back to my usual happy self! Kids don't try this at home.
I remember when I was little and got sent off to bed and wishing I could stay up as long as I want! Well I figured that I should take advantage of the fact that I can now. So I embarked on a no-sleep day to see how long I could make it without any help. To be quite honest, the longest I've ever stayed up in my entire night was 24 hours. And that was because it was the day of my prom and I was so excited I couldn't sleep the night before and I was out all night having fun with my friends. My friends joked about my sleep deprivation because somewhere around 5am the next day, I began to act extremely loopy!
So, I went a good 20 hours without sleep! Sure, it isn't my record but then again I wasn't running on excitement and anticipation for half the day! I nodded off around 4am when all the good television shows were done airing and all they had were exercise equipment and kitchenware infomercials. I can definitely appreciate my parent's decision of a bedtime now because I was so cranky when I woke up this morning! Haha. Luckily, I took a long nap and was back to my usual happy self! Kids don't try this at home.
Day 23
Task: Set up an obstacle course in your house and time yourself to see how quickly you can get through it!
I think the best way to go about explaining this is by going through all of the things we had to get through. So here it is:
Jump over two boxes of old VHS tapes
Spin in the computer chair ten times while trying to throw a sock ball into a big bowl
Stop! Drop! and Roll!
Do the Macarena and the Cupid Shuffle
Military crawl under the coffee table
Perform a breakdance move on the ground
And finally, slide down feet first down the stairs!
I really don't think I need to explain how fun this day has been getting to my perfect time of 2 min 48 sec! But again I must urge you to try this fun task and make up your own obstacle course! Best of luck!
I think the best way to go about explaining this is by going through all of the things we had to get through. So here it is:
Jump over two boxes of old VHS tapes
Spin in the computer chair ten times while trying to throw a sock ball into a big bowl
Stop! Drop! and Roll!
Do the Macarena and the Cupid Shuffle
Military crawl under the coffee table
Perform a breakdance move on the ground
And finally, slide down feet first down the stairs!
I really don't think I need to explain how fun this day has been getting to my perfect time of 2 min 48 sec! But again I must urge you to try this fun task and make up your own obstacle course! Best of luck!
Day 22
Task: Create a fake cell phone out of cardboard and use it all day as if it were the real thing.
Does anyone remember what life was like when cell phones were merely a luxury that big businessmen had and everyone else had to fight over the same single house phone? I sure do. And those simpler days before texting was created when you only contacted people by calling them. I really miss those days.
So, I decided to go back to when I was 7 when I used to "play grown up" and made a fake cell phone out of cardboard. I even drew in fake number keys and a fake screen to make my cell phone seem more legit. It was a blast! And the best part was, I created my own ringtones and sang the songs out loud whenever 'someone called me'. My absolute favorite instance of the day was when I was in the local supermarket and 'someone called' so I started singing Don't Cha by the Pussycat Dolls in the checkout line. The looks people gave me were beyond any description I can give you! The checkout lady stared at me in shock when I pulled out my cardboard phone and began talking into it. And I'm not completely certain why but every single person waiting in line behind me mysteriously disappeared and went into the adjacent check out line! My best guess is they figured I was crazy, but I sure didn't let that stop me from continuing my fake conversation.
When I finally hung up I smiled at the checkout lady and went on my way. She was beyond speechless. And I wasn't expecting such a funny idea to be so empowering to me, I have had my phone within 3 feet of me since I was about 15! And today, I left it home and discovered that I didn't go into temporary shock. If you are like me and feel like you can't live without your phone, try and leave it for a day. I guarantee you will automatically feel liberated from your technological bondage. Yeah so you should...*cardboard phone rings* Oh, um... I have to take this. Gotta go! ;)
Does anyone remember what life was like when cell phones were merely a luxury that big businessmen had and everyone else had to fight over the same single house phone? I sure do. And those simpler days before texting was created when you only contacted people by calling them. I really miss those days.
So, I decided to go back to when I was 7 when I used to "play grown up" and made a fake cell phone out of cardboard. I even drew in fake number keys and a fake screen to make my cell phone seem more legit. It was a blast! And the best part was, I created my own ringtones and sang the songs out loud whenever 'someone called me'. My absolute favorite instance of the day was when I was in the local supermarket and 'someone called' so I started singing Don't Cha by the Pussycat Dolls in the checkout line. The looks people gave me were beyond any description I can give you! The checkout lady stared at me in shock when I pulled out my cardboard phone and began talking into it. And I'm not completely certain why but every single person waiting in line behind me mysteriously disappeared and went into the adjacent check out line! My best guess is they figured I was crazy, but I sure didn't let that stop me from continuing my fake conversation.
When I finally hung up I smiled at the checkout lady and went on my way. She was beyond speechless. And I wasn't expecting such a funny idea to be so empowering to me, I have had my phone within 3 feet of me since I was about 15! And today, I left it home and discovered that I didn't go into temporary shock. If you are like me and feel like you can't live without your phone, try and leave it for a day. I guarantee you will automatically feel liberated from your technological bondage. Yeah so you should...*cardboard phone rings* Oh, um... I have to take this. Gotta go! ;)
Day 21
Task: Today enjoy some popcorn and air conditioning in a local theater and watch a movie.
I love to watch movies at the theater! So, I decided to take my little sister and mom to see Despicable Me. As we got into the ticket line, I could tell the movie was gonna be packed. Everyone in the line had a kid between the ages of 4 and 12 yelling at their parents "I wanna see Despicable Me in 3D!!!" I thought it was rather funny because my parents would never let us act that way in public without a swift glare that would quiet even the most unruly child. So when we finally got inside the theater with our ticket, we found a seat up close enough to the center that we could enjoy the movie without breaking our necks in the process. And one thing I always love to do when I go to the movies is watch and review new previews of movies. Usually I just smile and nod at the person next to me if I like a movie and whisper "we should go see that."
So, the movie started and we were making our way to the bottom of the popcorn bag and soda pop. I never ruin a movie for other people so I won't say what exactly happened in the movie but if you ever saw a commercial about it, that's pretty much all of the best parts (I don't know why movie directors do that, seems like bad marketing to me... but what do I know?) Haha! Anyway, we all enjoyed the movie a lot and once it was over we clapped for it a little and walked out. I also found a new favorite phrase I heard in the movie that I'll close this day off with: IT'S SO FLUFFY!!!!!!!!!!
I love to watch movies at the theater! So, I decided to take my little sister and mom to see Despicable Me. As we got into the ticket line, I could tell the movie was gonna be packed. Everyone in the line had a kid between the ages of 4 and 12 yelling at their parents "I wanna see Despicable Me in 3D!!!" I thought it was rather funny because my parents would never let us act that way in public without a swift glare that would quiet even the most unruly child. So when we finally got inside the theater with our ticket, we found a seat up close enough to the center that we could enjoy the movie without breaking our necks in the process. And one thing I always love to do when I go to the movies is watch and review new previews of movies. Usually I just smile and nod at the person next to me if I like a movie and whisper "we should go see that."
So, the movie started and we were making our way to the bottom of the popcorn bag and soda pop. I never ruin a movie for other people so I won't say what exactly happened in the movie but if you ever saw a commercial about it, that's pretty much all of the best parts (I don't know why movie directors do that, seems like bad marketing to me... but what do I know?) Haha! Anyway, we all enjoyed the movie a lot and once it was over we clapped for it a little and walked out. I also found a new favorite phrase I heard in the movie that I'll close this day off with: IT'S SO FLUFFY!!!!!!!!!!
Day 20
Task: Turn every dish you eat into a kabob day.
Who doesn't like a good kabob every now and again? Some of you may be wondering where I got the idea of doing this as a task. Well I guess there's something very appealing to me about eating stuff off a stick (corndogs, any other kind of meat, marshmallows, cotton candy!) The possibilities are endless! But I didn't go for the easy foods to eat today. Where's the fun in that? So here is my menu for what I had today for my kabob meals:
Breakfast: French toast and bagel kabobs
Lunch: Turkey sub kabob (of course I had to cut it into smaller pieces)
Dinner: Veggie and fish fillet kabobs
I bet you wanna try and eat your next meal with a kabob, right? Well here are some tips I learned about foods to avoid when kabob-ing your meals... No rice, corn, or pasta can ever get into a kabob (trust me, I tried). So keep that in mind and I hope you all have a kabob-tastic day!
Who doesn't like a good kabob every now and again? Some of you may be wondering where I got the idea of doing this as a task. Well I guess there's something very appealing to me about eating stuff off a stick (corndogs, any other kind of meat, marshmallows, cotton candy!) The possibilities are endless! But I didn't go for the easy foods to eat today. Where's the fun in that? So here is my menu for what I had today for my kabob meals:
Breakfast: French toast and bagel kabobs
Lunch: Turkey sub kabob (of course I had to cut it into smaller pieces)
Dinner: Veggie and fish fillet kabobs
I bet you wanna try and eat your next meal with a kabob, right? Well here are some tips I learned about foods to avoid when kabob-ing your meals... No rice, corn, or pasta can ever get into a kabob (trust me, I tried). So keep that in mind and I hope you all have a kabob-tastic day!
Saturday, July 10, 2010
Day 19
Task: Write an acceptance speech of an award you've always dreamed of receiving.
And here's mine for the award of Nobel Peace Prize in Medicine (which is still a possibility):
Hi there everybody! Thanks for coming out! Gosh, I can't believe I did it! I have so many people to thank. First, I have to thank God! For giving me so many blessings and getting me to where I am today. Because I can assure you, I couldn't have done it on my own! Umm... my parents! Of course, without them deciding to have me, well you get the picture. And my friends and family members who all believed in me and got me through all those hard, stressful years of med school. And to my loving husband (I hope), thank you for supporting me and being there for me through my good days and bad ones. We all have this one body and we must take care of it in order to live long lives. You don't want to be 40 years old with arthritis or 20 with heart disease, so I urge you all to take a step out of your comfort zones and substitute good foods from bad ones. Go out and play with your kids. And if you are a kid, go ahead and put those videogames and cell phones down and be active! We all have it in us to be in shape and I feel we will unlock our true potential this year. Thank you for this honor I love you and God bless.
You know, writing this speech gave me extra motivation to work harder and be the best person I can be! Who knows? Maybe you'll hear this speech in twenty or so years! :D
And here's mine for the award of Nobel Peace Prize in Medicine (which is still a possibility):
Hi there everybody! Thanks for coming out! Gosh, I can't believe I did it! I have so many people to thank. First, I have to thank God! For giving me so many blessings and getting me to where I am today. Because I can assure you, I couldn't have done it on my own! Umm... my parents! Of course, without them deciding to have me, well you get the picture. And my friends and family members who all believed in me and got me through all those hard, stressful years of med school. And to my loving husband (I hope), thank you for supporting me and being there for me through my good days and bad ones. We all have this one body and we must take care of it in order to live long lives. You don't want to be 40 years old with arthritis or 20 with heart disease, so I urge you all to take a step out of your comfort zones and substitute good foods from bad ones. Go out and play with your kids. And if you are a kid, go ahead and put those videogames and cell phones down and be active! We all have it in us to be in shape and I feel we will unlock our true potential this year. Thank you for this honor I love you and God bless.
You know, writing this speech gave me extra motivation to work harder and be the best person I can be! Who knows? Maybe you'll hear this speech in twenty or so years! :D
Day 18
Task: Make up a famous saying and use it as many times as possible on other people.
When I first thought of doing this task, an interesting thought came to me. What kind of saying can I possibly use on other people that would convince them that it was a legitimate saying. So, I decided to make it one that would make people laugh:
"Remember, a man who leaves his newspaper out on his front porch too long finds it piddled on by the neighbor's shih tzu."
I know this from experience, and it is no fun trying to read what Garfield got himself into when all the pages are stuck together and smell like dog pee. So, basically, every time someone asked me for advice or words of wisdom, I fed them my fake saying.
"What if he doesn't like me?" "What should I do about this problem at work?" "How can I get his attention?" Yep, all of them got the same response. And even though it wasn't what they were looking for, they sure got a good laugh out of it! And that's what I'm hear for, to make people live with a little more joy and a lot less troubles. I had so much fun and now I have to go do some laundry, turns out some mutt "went" on my favorite shirt when I wasn't looking! Bye!
When I first thought of doing this task, an interesting thought came to me. What kind of saying can I possibly use on other people that would convince them that it was a legitimate saying. So, I decided to make it one that would make people laugh:
"Remember, a man who leaves his newspaper out on his front porch too long finds it piddled on by the neighbor's shih tzu."
I know this from experience, and it is no fun trying to read what Garfield got himself into when all the pages are stuck together and smell like dog pee. So, basically, every time someone asked me for advice or words of wisdom, I fed them my fake saying.
"What if he doesn't like me?" "What should I do about this problem at work?" "How can I get his attention?" Yep, all of them got the same response. And even though it wasn't what they were looking for, they sure got a good laugh out of it! And that's what I'm hear for, to make people live with a little more joy and a lot less troubles. I had so much fun and now I have to go do some laundry, turns out some mutt "went" on my favorite shirt when I wasn't looking! Bye!
Day 17
Task: Health kick day! Health is very important, so become more aware of yours today.
As Dr. Oz likes to say to his viewers, "The best way to live healthier is to start with your diet." So I did just that, I ate a fruit-filled cereal with fat free milk for breakfast! And it was fruit-tastic! Haha I remember growing up thinking french fries were vegetables and fruit punch actually had real fruit in it! Boy, was I wrong! And the older I get, the more I pay attention to what my body needs to stay healthy!
The next half of my day consisted of going to the gym and hitting the trusty elliptical! That lovely contraption and I have become very close in the past couple of months and anyone who has been on it can tell you, it does what its supposed to do! I jumped on that baby for an hour and I was sweating more than a criminal down at the police station! And the best part of working out is, you gain tons of energy! Seriously, I felt like someone jolted 1000watts of energy into me once I was through. And all that energy makes you feel such a euphoric high that nothing (no, not even drugs) can possibly amount to. If you were like how I was and didn't care for the "gym thing" I strongly urge you to give it another try! What do you really have to lose, right?
As Dr. Oz likes to say to his viewers, "The best way to live healthier is to start with your diet." So I did just that, I ate a fruit-filled cereal with fat free milk for breakfast! And it was fruit-tastic! Haha I remember growing up thinking french fries were vegetables and fruit punch actually had real fruit in it! Boy, was I wrong! And the older I get, the more I pay attention to what my body needs to stay healthy!
The next half of my day consisted of going to the gym and hitting the trusty elliptical! That lovely contraption and I have become very close in the past couple of months and anyone who has been on it can tell you, it does what its supposed to do! I jumped on that baby for an hour and I was sweating more than a criminal down at the police station! And the best part of working out is, you gain tons of energy! Seriously, I felt like someone jolted 1000watts of energy into me once I was through. And all that energy makes you feel such a euphoric high that nothing (no, not even drugs) can possibly amount to. If you were like how I was and didn't care for the "gym thing" I strongly urge you to give it another try! What do you really have to lose, right?
Day 16
Task: Draw a picture from your own imagination.
So, basically, I love to draw anything I can get in front of me. Art has always been a secret passion of mine since I was in Kindergarden art class. Unfortunately, every single art teacher I ever had was less than enthusiastic about my artwork so I gave it up for years. But it's back and better than ever!
Today, I decided to go to the park and sketch some pictures. I imagined a couple riding a bike where the girl was sitting on the handlebars and the boy was peddling her around. It was a really cute image I had in my head. So I decided to give this drawing the good old college try! And after about an hour of drawing, erasing, and more drawing, it turned out quite nicely if I do say so myself. It's definitely still pretty rough, but it has potential. So, instead of showing you what my picture looks like, I want you to imagine what my picture looks like and draw one for yourself! So go forth, my little Picasso's and DaVinci's, and have some fun!
So, basically, I love to draw anything I can get in front of me. Art has always been a secret passion of mine since I was in Kindergarden art class. Unfortunately, every single art teacher I ever had was less than enthusiastic about my artwork so I gave it up for years. But it's back and better than ever!
Today, I decided to go to the park and sketch some pictures. I imagined a couple riding a bike where the girl was sitting on the handlebars and the boy was peddling her around. It was a really cute image I had in my head. So I decided to give this drawing the good old college try! And after about an hour of drawing, erasing, and more drawing, it turned out quite nicely if I do say so myself. It's definitely still pretty rough, but it has potential. So, instead of showing you what my picture looks like, I want you to imagine what my picture looks like and draw one for yourself! So go forth, my little Picasso's and DaVinci's, and have some fun!
Monday, July 5, 2010
Day 15
Task: Perfect your s'mores recipe today.
Being the chocolate fiend I am, I love roasting marshmallows and making s'mores! And since today was so hot, I figured it was the best way to have fun after dark. My family and I fired up the grill and sat on the patio roasting and talking. You know what they say, a family that eats together stays together... or something like that. It was really fun and we ended the night off watching classic Bollywood movies that my parents watched when they were growing up. I think my fanaticism with Indian culture is genetic. :) Summer is all about being outside and spending time with the people you care about! So step out sometime and have an adventure, I promise you won't regret it!
Being the chocolate fiend I am, I love roasting marshmallows and making s'mores! And since today was so hot, I figured it was the best way to have fun after dark. My family and I fired up the grill and sat on the patio roasting and talking. You know what they say, a family that eats together stays together... or something like that. It was really fun and we ended the night off watching classic Bollywood movies that my parents watched when they were growing up. I think my fanaticism with Indian culture is genetic. :) Summer is all about being outside and spending time with the people you care about! So step out sometime and have an adventure, I promise you won't regret it!
Day 14
Task: Memorize a new poem or song today.
Remember when we were little and heard a song only twice and could to know every word of it? I certainly miss those days. Now I can't even recognize a song until the chorus starts... haha its embarrassing. So I decided to try a poem today that I read a couple weeks back. The poem is called "Messy Room" by Shel Silversteen (one of my favorite childhood poets):
Whosoever room this is should be ashamed!
His underwear is hanging on the lamp.
His raincoat is there in the overstuffed chair,
And the chair is becoming quite mucky and damp.
His workbook is wedged in the window,
His sweater's been thrown on the floor.
His scarf and one ski are beneath the TV,
And his pants have been carelessly hung on the door.
His books are all jammed in the closet,
His vest has been left in the hall.
A lizard named Ed is asleep in his bed,
And his smelly old sock has been stuck to the wall.
Whosoever room this is should be ashamed!
Donald or Robert or Willie or-
Huh? You say it's mine? Oh dear,
I knew it looked familiar!
Haha! I just love this poem because it is precisely like how my room looked when I was a kid. Memorizing a poem by Shel Silversteen is quite an honor for me because I look to his poems for inspiration whenever I feel the urge to write my own. This was such a fun task today and my family were amazed at my memorization skills. Here's a fun little poem of me signing off:
Take the day as it arrives,
Dream of living better lives! :)
Remember when we were little and heard a song only twice and could to know every word of it? I certainly miss those days. Now I can't even recognize a song until the chorus starts... haha its embarrassing. So I decided to try a poem today that I read a couple weeks back. The poem is called "Messy Room" by Shel Silversteen (one of my favorite childhood poets):
Whosoever room this is should be ashamed!
His underwear is hanging on the lamp.
His raincoat is there in the overstuffed chair,
And the chair is becoming quite mucky and damp.
His workbook is wedged in the window,
His sweater's been thrown on the floor.
His scarf and one ski are beneath the TV,
And his pants have been carelessly hung on the door.
His books are all jammed in the closet,
His vest has been left in the hall.
A lizard named Ed is asleep in his bed,
And his smelly old sock has been stuck to the wall.
Whosoever room this is should be ashamed!
Donald or Robert or Willie or-
Huh? You say it's mine? Oh dear,
I knew it looked familiar!
Haha! I just love this poem because it is precisely like how my room looked when I was a kid. Memorizing a poem by Shel Silversteen is quite an honor for me because I look to his poems for inspiration whenever I feel the urge to write my own. This was such a fun task today and my family were amazed at my memorization skills. Here's a fun little poem of me signing off:
Take the day as it arrives,
Dream of living better lives! :)
Day 13
Task: Do an interpretive dance.
I can't believe I've never done this before! And I knew exactly which song I wanted to dance to... "Hear Me" by Kelly Clarkson. So first things first, I got into my yoga pants and flexible shirt and stretched so I didn't pull anything. Then I went into my basement and blasted the music as loud as it would go! I wish I could've videotaped it but it was pretty epic. I was flailing my arms and legs around and mimicking the lyrics whenever the chorus came on. Interpretive dancing should be a sport, seriously! Because I was sweating when the song was over. Haha. Its simple activities like this that take only a few minutes that really count! I was pumped the rest of the day! I think I am gonna go put my iPod on shuffle and do it again! See ya later.
I can't believe I've never done this before! And I knew exactly which song I wanted to dance to... "Hear Me" by Kelly Clarkson. So first things first, I got into my yoga pants and flexible shirt and stretched so I didn't pull anything. Then I went into my basement and blasted the music as loud as it would go! I wish I could've videotaped it but it was pretty epic. I was flailing my arms and legs around and mimicking the lyrics whenever the chorus came on. Interpretive dancing should be a sport, seriously! Because I was sweating when the song was over. Haha. Its simple activities like this that take only a few minutes that really count! I was pumped the rest of the day! I think I am gonna go put my iPod on shuffle and do it again! See ya later.
Thursday, July 1, 2010
Day 12
Task: Host a movie marathon today
I don't want to toot my own horn when it comes to movie knowledge but I watch movies quite a bit! Everything from cartoons to comedies to foreign films (Bollywood is my favorite!) Anyway, it isn't the movies I like, its the movie experience. Having the ability to switch the lights off and enter a different world is as easy as pressing play! And I hate to say it, but books just aren't doing it for me anymore. Besides, every book worth reading is made into a movie now! Haha. So, I decided to channel my inner preteen girl and chose the twilight movies to watch today. Don't judge me! It was purely because I was planning to watch the latest movie Eclipse that day. Okay, go ahead and judge I deserve it. :)
So, first I watched Twilight with my little sister and friend Anna* in my basement. For those of you who don't know about these movies, it was when the two lead actors fall in love with each other. But the guy is a vampire and she's a human. I know, weird stuff.
Then we saw New Moon, which in my opinion is much better than Twilight. I have a little bit of a crush on Taylor Lautner and seeing him all buff and what not was pretty cool. He's my favorite character in the whole cast so it was pretty awesome seeing him and Bella, the girl, get closer.
Finally, we watched Eclipse in the theater. Now, maybe it was the fact that we went the day after it came out or whatever but it was packed!! Guess who filled 98% of the seats? Anybody? That's right! Twleve year old girls... and here I was a grown woman going to see it. Haha. But it was pretty fun to watch and the actors were much better in this movie than they were in the last two. I won't give anything away about what happened, but I kinda wanna see the last movie when it comes out. Just to answer some questions they left unanswered.
Movie marathons rock! Whether you watch Twilight like I did or Harry Potter or whatever you want! And not to mention how relaxing it was to just sit and let your mind rest from all the troubles and stresses you have. It was extremely cleansing and I think that I'll keep this task in my back pocket to do another time. I urge you to go see a movie too... and let me know how it left you feeling afterwards. I shouldn't be the only person enjoying my life, you should too!! Best of luck!
Wednesday, June 30, 2010
Day 11
Task: Perfect your model catwalk today. Practice until you'd put even Miss Tyra to shame.
Now for those of you who know me, you know I love to wear my America's Next Top Model T-shirt and strut my stuff like its nobody's business! So today, I decided that I needed to work on three key areas of my walk:
1) My stride and overall rhythm of walking
2) That wind-in-my-hair look when I walk
3) The look/pose I give at the end of the catwalk
So, I put on my best heels and got to strutin'! I even wore some new clothes I had bought earlier this week to get a model-like mentality like I was in the changing rooms backstage. Lucky for me, my bedroom has full length mirrors all across my closet doors so I got the chance to study how I was doing.
The first thing on my list needed the most work, so I walked back and forth in my room until I discovered the best looking stride and rhythm. I have to confess also that I used beats from songs on my laptop to keep the beat going constant... I had too much to think about to keep a steady beat in my head! But after about 30 walks up and down "the runway" I finally made it work!
Now I was on to number two on the list, which for me is a constant struggle as some of my friends would point out. See, my hair and I have been at war since I was about..... born. So, I try everything to make it blow the right way and it blows in my face (don't ask how). Then, I came up with the idea of nodding my head side to side in order to give my hair that extra push and it actually worked! After doing this about 10 times, my neck started to cramp. So I decided it was good enough for now. Maybe I should just invest in a portable fan? Ha!
Finally, I got to my personal favorite part of the model catwalk, the pose and look you give to the cameras! I have been doing different combinations of these since I saw my first episode of ANTM. I looked into the mirror and imitated looking at a photographer and I gave him all I got! 'Side pose! Pivot, other side pose! Head up, eye wink*, smile and turn back'.... catwalk gold! So, I tried all three at once (still wearing my heels, boy were my feet aching) and it came out perfect the first time!
Being a model for a day is some seriously hard work! And I didn't even get that far to see and empathize with them for the things they go through to stay as models. But it was also a really great and fun experience getting to fool around with my hair and makeup and clothes so I could look, act, and feel like a model. Miss Tyra, I think you would have been proud! :)
Tuesday, June 29, 2010
Day 10
Task: List 20 things you like about someone and give your list to them.
So, I have a ton of good friends that I could've given my list to. I went on facebook to look at all of my friends and landed on the perfect person! Let's call her Erica*, and she and I have only known each other for less than a year but have been really good friends since then. We hung out, talked about guys, you know girl stuff. Anywho, I pulled out my trusty pen and looseleaf paper and went to town! I even had Miley Cyrus' "7 things" playing in the background for inspiration. But I had to wait for the good part, not the part where she rants about why she hates the guy. But you know you like someone a lot when the speed of thoughts coming to you is faster than your hand writing them all down. It all just came to me, like my head was exploding with things I liked about her. She really is that awesome and I'm truly a lucky person to have her in my life. Some of the things on the list were referenced to old inside jokes and things I know only she would understand.
When I finished writing out my list, I began to prepare how I was going to give it to her. I practiced in front of the mirror and said the phrase "I have something that I want to give you" in a million different ways! I was thinking I would see her later on today, that way I would give it to her and be able to see her reaction. Unfortunately, plans got a bit mixed up and she didn't end up hanging out with us tonight. No worries, though. Next time I see her I'll give it to her. :)
Day 9
Task: Learn how to say a trivial phrase in five different languages.
Hola readers! Como se va? Oh, how I love speaking different languages! And being born into a different culture than most Americans, I speak a separate language everyday at home! So, I thought I should give it a go by translating one phrase in five different languages. Being bilingual, trilingual if you count high school Spanish (which I don't), I figured this would be easy... Ay ay ay! Let's just say I wasn't expecting that my tongue had to do so many different kinesthetics to make out the correct sounding words. But it was super fun! I used it all day on my parents, my teacher, everyone! Well, I guess you want to know what the phrase was, don't you? Here it is in English: "Stop playing videogames and go play outside!"
Kids these days really need to do this, so I'm taking it upon myself to tell them, no matter what language they speak! Unfortunately, I couldn't put the correct accents into this document so if it sounds like there's something missing, I already know.
Now here are the translations:
French: Arreter de jouer des jeux video et va le jeu dehors!
German: Horen Sie auf, Videospiele zu spielen, und Spiel drauBen zu gehen!
Italian: Smettere di giocare i videogiochi ed andare il gioco fuori!
Polish: Prosze wysiasc gry wideo i idz odgrywaja poza!
Spanish: Pare videojuegos que juega y va el juego fuera!
Phew! My mouth is numb now from attempting to pronounce these. I swear I felt like a five year old trying to read the encyclopedia only knowing how to pronounce words that rhyme with 'at'. I hope that one day, I'll actually get to use this on a kid from a different country. Well, I have to go now, I've got to go soak my tongue in hot water... Ciao!
Hola readers! Como se va? Oh, how I love speaking different languages! And being born into a different culture than most Americans, I speak a separate language everyday at home! So, I thought I should give it a go by translating one phrase in five different languages. Being bilingual, trilingual if you count high school Spanish (which I don't), I figured this would be easy... Ay ay ay! Let's just say I wasn't expecting that my tongue had to do so many different kinesthetics to make out the correct sounding words. But it was super fun! I used it all day on my parents, my teacher, everyone! Well, I guess you want to know what the phrase was, don't you? Here it is in English: "Stop playing videogames and go play outside!"
Kids these days really need to do this, so I'm taking it upon myself to tell them, no matter what language they speak! Unfortunately, I couldn't put the correct accents into this document so if it sounds like there's something missing, I already know.
Now here are the translations:
French: Arreter de jouer des jeux video et va le jeu dehors!
German: Horen Sie auf, Videospiele zu spielen, und Spiel drauBen zu gehen!
Italian: Smettere di giocare i videogiochi ed andare il gioco fuori!
Polish: Prosze wysiasc gry wideo i idz odgrywaja poza!
Spanish: Pare videojuegos que juega y va el juego fuera!
Phew! My mouth is numb now from attempting to pronounce these. I swear I felt like a five year old trying to read the encyclopedia only knowing how to pronounce words that rhyme with 'at'. I hope that one day, I'll actually get to use this on a kid from a different country. Well, I have to go now, I've got to go soak my tongue in hot water... Ciao!
Monday, June 28, 2010
Day 8
Task: Create a schematic drawing of what you want your dream house to look like.
I always loved drawing when I was a kid, and I was pretty good at it too. I had what you would call raw talent because I never had any formal teaching of what or how to draw. So I dove right into it. Now, I don't mean to offend any architects or other professions who use schematic drawings, but I'm not a fan of them. They just look like a bunch of lines and boxes with no real way of seeing what the actual finished rooms will look like. So instead, I created my own form of a schematic drawing and drew in what I want each room to look like. That way, you can see what I'm talking about. Here's a small but very crucial part of what I want my house to look like, the living room:
Okay, so I know what you're probably thinking... Wow! That is one beautiful living room! Thanks to those of you who I guessed correctly. And I know every interior designer on television says not to mix too many colors or prints in their rooms, but hey its my dream house! I really enjoyed doing this activity among all the other cool rooms in the house. I encourage each and every one of you to do the same for your home one day. Who knows? Maybe if you put down your mental image on paper, it will have more of a chance to become a reality!
I always loved drawing when I was a kid, and I was pretty good at it too. I had what you would call raw talent because I never had any formal teaching of what or how to draw. So I dove right into it. Now, I don't mean to offend any architects or other professions who use schematic drawings, but I'm not a fan of them. They just look like a bunch of lines and boxes with no real way of seeing what the actual finished rooms will look like. So instead, I created my own form of a schematic drawing and drew in what I want each room to look like. That way, you can see what I'm talking about. Here's a small but very crucial part of what I want my house to look like, the living room:
Okay, so I know what you're probably thinking... Wow! That is one beautiful living room! Thanks to those of you who I guessed correctly. And I know every interior designer on television says not to mix too many colors or prints in their rooms, but hey its my dream house! I really enjoyed doing this activity among all the other cool rooms in the house. I encourage each and every one of you to do the same for your home one day. Who knows? Maybe if you put down your mental image on paper, it will have more of a chance to become a reality!
Day 7
Task: Give all your friends great big hugs!
Honestly, I coudn't have picked a better day to carry this task out! And it got me thinking where the hug originated from. So, being the curious person I am, I decided to look it up where the hug came from. So as it turns out, nobody really knows where it came from but the first time the term was used was in Scandinavia in the late 1500s (hugga)! Cool, huh?
Hugs are a growing normal form of affection nowadays because more and more teens and young people are using hugs to show their friends and families love and affection. People are even running Free Hugs campaigns all across the country and the world! You know why? Because hugs feel amazing and everybody wants to give and receive them!
So, I got to see all of my bestest friends today at my friends' house during a barbecue. I met them all through campus ministry and we all clicked really well! They're a great bunch!
Anyway, I got to hug several of them when I first arrived and hang out while eating junk food and playing ultimate frisbee. It feels so good to know that you have people who love you and that they want to show affection towards you. I will definitely use this a lot in the future... this isn't the end of the task. :)
Honestly, I coudn't have picked a better day to carry this task out! And it got me thinking where the hug originated from. So, being the curious person I am, I decided to look it up where the hug came from. So as it turns out, nobody really knows where it came from but the first time the term was used was in Scandinavia in the late 1500s (hugga)! Cool, huh?
Hugs are a growing normal form of affection nowadays because more and more teens and young people are using hugs to show their friends and families love and affection. People are even running Free Hugs campaigns all across the country and the world! You know why? Because hugs feel amazing and everybody wants to give and receive them!
So, I got to see all of my bestest friends today at my friends' house during a barbecue. I met them all through campus ministry and we all clicked really well! They're a great bunch!
Anyway, I got to hug several of them when I first arrived and hang out while eating junk food and playing ultimate frisbee. It feels so good to know that you have people who love you and that they want to show affection towards you. I will definitely use this a lot in the future... this isn't the end of the task. :)
Day 6
Task: Learn a cool new magic trick to show your friends and family.
I have to say, this one was a bit tough to do today. I never performed a magic trick before, even a childish easy one. I used to dream of becoming a magician when I was really young but never had anyone to teach me/show me where to learn tricks. So today was my way of fulfilling my childhood fantasy of wowing people with something they never seen before.
So I went online to Google (of course) and searched "how to perform cool magic tricks" into the searchbar and got over 6 million hits! So I decided to start at the top of the list and after about 10 minutes of looking at all the disappearing/reappearing tricks, I found a really cool one that I wish I knew the real secret of... doubling your money from $1 to $2! Boy was I excited! So I watched the instructional video they offered showing the trick and how to execute it for an audience. It was surprisingly easy! So, I practiced it a few times in front of the mirror to the point that I would be comfortable doing for other people. I was finally ready.
The first people I showed it to were my mom and little sister. To add a fun component to the trick, the video told me to use a magic word and have an audience member say it (gotta interact with the audience!) so I chose Alakazaam! It was awesome! They were so surprised that they shouted "WOW! HOW'D YOU DO THAT???" to which I replied, "My dear, a true magician never reveals her secrets behind the trick." It felt so good! After that, I showed my neighbors and some other random people I ran into... they were all amazed by it. One of my neighbors even said, "Can you double a hundred dollar bill? Cus I got bills to pay." Ha ha! Awesome day, and now I have to go make some food disappear! Bye!
I have to say, this one was a bit tough to do today. I never performed a magic trick before, even a childish easy one. I used to dream of becoming a magician when I was really young but never had anyone to teach me/show me where to learn tricks. So today was my way of fulfilling my childhood fantasy of wowing people with something they never seen before.
So I went online to Google (of course) and searched "how to perform cool magic tricks" into the searchbar and got over 6 million hits! So I decided to start at the top of the list and after about 10 minutes of looking at all the disappearing/reappearing tricks, I found a really cool one that I wish I knew the real secret of... doubling your money from $1 to $2! Boy was I excited! So I watched the instructional video they offered showing the trick and how to execute it for an audience. It was surprisingly easy! So, I practiced it a few times in front of the mirror to the point that I would be comfortable doing for other people. I was finally ready.
The first people I showed it to were my mom and little sister. To add a fun component to the trick, the video told me to use a magic word and have an audience member say it (gotta interact with the audience!) so I chose Alakazaam! It was awesome! They were so surprised that they shouted "WOW! HOW'D YOU DO THAT???" to which I replied, "My dear, a true magician never reveals her secrets behind the trick." It felt so good! After that, I showed my neighbors and some other random people I ran into... they were all amazed by it. One of my neighbors even said, "Can you double a hundred dollar bill? Cus I got bills to pay." Ha ha! Awesome day, and now I have to go make some food disappear! Bye!
Thursday, June 24, 2010
Day 5
Task: Speak in Acronyms and IM speak today.
OMG!! 2Day waz soooooo mch FUN! LOL :)
We all know somebody (or someone's teenage daughter) who speaks and/or writes like this. So I gave it a shot. I never really used to mind when people spoke this way, okay I did but at times I was guilty of doing it too. I'm notorious for my sideways smileyface and lol, I admit it. The phrases I came up with today were pretty funny seeing as IM speak is generally a bunch of letters and numbers. Here are a few:
CTCIWSTDOS!!= Change the channel I wanna see the Dr. Oz Show!! (*I'm a huge fan)
LGTTMABCAPAS!= Let's go to the mall and buy clothes and purses and stuff!
And my favorite...
AFAICSSSCWAIMFTOUWDKWTHIGO!= As far as I'm concerned, sports shows should come with an instruction manual for those of us who don't know what the heck is going on!
So next time you get the chance, you can impress your friends with your hip slang speak with these trusty acronyms! TTFN!! (Ta ta for now!) :)
OMG!! 2Day waz soooooo mch FUN! LOL :)
We all know somebody (or someone's teenage daughter) who speaks and/or writes like this. So I gave it a shot. I never really used to mind when people spoke this way, okay I did but at times I was guilty of doing it too. I'm notorious for my sideways smileyface and lol, I admit it. The phrases I came up with today were pretty funny seeing as IM speak is generally a bunch of letters and numbers. Here are a few:
CTCIWSTDOS!!= Change the channel I wanna see the Dr. Oz Show!! (*I'm a huge fan)
LGTTMABCAPAS!= Let's go to the mall and buy clothes and purses and stuff!
And my favorite...
AFAICSSSCWAIMFTOUWDKWTHIGO!= As far as I'm concerned, sports shows should come with an instruction manual for those of us who don't know what the heck is going on!
So next time you get the chance, you can impress your friends with your hip slang speak with these trusty acronyms! TTFN!! (Ta ta for now!) :)
Day 4
Task: Genuinely complement every single person you come in contact with.
"My goodness! Did you do something to your hair? It looks fabulous!"
"Hey tiger, have you been working out?"
"Those earrings really bring out your eyes!"
Ah, compliments. We all love receiving them. Hearing one good thing can really turn around your day for the better. Today, my prime targets were the people in my Chem class. Since I haven't spoken to many of them in the past, it was much easier to start getting to know them using my compliment as an icebreaker. I started it off by telling my professor that I liked her earrings. But I think her expression said it all, her nose scrunched up and she squinted her eyes... she thought that I was being a kiss-up. "Thanks", she said not changing her expression. But no worries, that didn't stop me. I gave everyone compliments in my class, and I didn't make it obvious that I was doing it either. I just kind of let it slip into conversation and out of a class of 12, here was what I got as a response:
7 polite thank you's
4 reciprocated compliments
1 raised eyebrow and "what do you want?"
That last one was pretty funny since it was an older lady, she seemed very suspicious as to why I complimented her out-of-the-blue. Understandable. And, I think it was cool that I got a few compliments out of it too! Hey, like I said, we all like getting them! Another interesting thing I found while doing this is that guys take compliments as flirting, which was not what I was going for at all! Oops, sorry gentlemen for giving off the wrong signal. I'll definitely work on that in the future...
"My goodness! Did you do something to your hair? It looks fabulous!"
"Hey tiger, have you been working out?"
"Those earrings really bring out your eyes!"
Ah, compliments. We all love receiving them. Hearing one good thing can really turn around your day for the better. Today, my prime targets were the people in my Chem class. Since I haven't spoken to many of them in the past, it was much easier to start getting to know them using my compliment as an icebreaker. I started it off by telling my professor that I liked her earrings. But I think her expression said it all, her nose scrunched up and she squinted her eyes... she thought that I was being a kiss-up. "Thanks", she said not changing her expression. But no worries, that didn't stop me. I gave everyone compliments in my class, and I didn't make it obvious that I was doing it either. I just kind of let it slip into conversation and out of a class of 12, here was what I got as a response:
7 polite thank you's
4 reciprocated compliments
1 raised eyebrow and "what do you want?"
That last one was pretty funny since it was an older lady, she seemed very suspicious as to why I complimented her out-of-the-blue. Understandable. And, I think it was cool that I got a few compliments out of it too! Hey, like I said, we all like getting them! Another interesting thing I found while doing this is that guys take compliments as flirting, which was not what I was going for at all! Oops, sorry gentlemen for giving off the wrong signal. I'll definitely work on that in the future...
Day 3
Task: Imagine that you are an undercover spy whose mission is to find a homemade bomb created by Dr. Evil to destroy the world.
Secret Agent L reporting for duty! Dr. Evil has gotten away for the last time, now that I and my new recruit Agent R (my youger sister) were on the case!
Boy, oh boy! This was quite a task to perform all by myself, so I gathered some help from my little sister in locating and disarming the bomb. First, we needed to get disguises so nobody would recognize us. I impersonated an old lady wearing a headscarf and bifocals and R put on a wig and sunglasses so our enemy, Dr. Evil, wouldn't be able to identify who we were. Using our drawing board, we drew out a map of all the places we have to go in order to find the missing bomb. Then we got right into it! We searched every room, bathroom, and closet in the house! But we ran into some trouble on the way... in the blue room (my room). We got on my laptop to see if we might find a clue when all of a sudden, the door slammed shut and we were locked in! Then all of a sudden, a video popped up on the screen of Dr. Evil~I made this before we started using photobooth and distorted my head so I looked like a villain~ warning us that we will never get to the bomb in time and that he will rule the world. Lucky for us, R and I were trained by the best monks in China the art of Kung Fu. Together, we kicked the door down and were back to searching for the bomb. When we got downstairs, we heard a mysterious ticking sound coming from the wardrobe closet. We carefully opened the door and lo and behold it was the bomb! We quickly tried to disarm it but we were running out of time. So we cut the red wire and managed to stop it with 7 seconds to spare! Dr. Evil's plan was foiled once again and the world was safe for another day.
Needless to say, this was an awesome adventure! I haven't pretended like that since I was a little kid. And R was ecstatic that I came up with a fun game we both could play together. I always thought that when you grow up, you have to act older and throw out all your thoughts of make believe. But I was very, very wrong. You are as old as you feel and today I was 8 years old! Imagine how happy everyone would be if they tried doing this even once. Well, I better sign off now, my Barbie has a date with Ken and she doesn't have anything to wear! Toodles, readers!
This message will self-destruct in 10 seconds. 10....9....8....7....6....5....4....3....2....1...
Secret Agent L reporting for duty! Dr. Evil has gotten away for the last time, now that I and my new recruit Agent R (my youger sister) were on the case!
Boy, oh boy! This was quite a task to perform all by myself, so I gathered some help from my little sister in locating and disarming the bomb. First, we needed to get disguises so nobody would recognize us. I impersonated an old lady wearing a headscarf and bifocals and R put on a wig and sunglasses so our enemy, Dr. Evil, wouldn't be able to identify who we were. Using our drawing board, we drew out a map of all the places we have to go in order to find the missing bomb. Then we got right into it! We searched every room, bathroom, and closet in the house! But we ran into some trouble on the way... in the blue room (my room). We got on my laptop to see if we might find a clue when all of a sudden, the door slammed shut and we were locked in! Then all of a sudden, a video popped up on the screen of Dr. Evil~I made this before we started using photobooth and distorted my head so I looked like a villain~ warning us that we will never get to the bomb in time and that he will rule the world. Lucky for us, R and I were trained by the best monks in China the art of Kung Fu. Together, we kicked the door down and were back to searching for the bomb. When we got downstairs, we heard a mysterious ticking sound coming from the wardrobe closet. We carefully opened the door and lo and behold it was the bomb! We quickly tried to disarm it but we were running out of time. So we cut the red wire and managed to stop it with 7 seconds to spare! Dr. Evil's plan was foiled once again and the world was safe for another day.
Needless to say, this was an awesome adventure! I haven't pretended like that since I was a little kid. And R was ecstatic that I came up with a fun game we both could play together. I always thought that when you grow up, you have to act older and throw out all your thoughts of make believe. But I was very, very wrong. You are as old as you feel and today I was 8 years old! Imagine how happy everyone would be if they tried doing this even once. Well, I better sign off now, my Barbie has a date with Ken and she doesn't have anything to wear! Toodles, readers!
This message will self-destruct in 10 seconds. 10....9....8....7....6....5....4....3....2....1...
Wednesday, June 23, 2010
Day 2
Task: Sing in your car really loudly to whatever song is playing so the people driving around you can hear.
Alright, so let's be honest with ourselves for a moment: everyone sings in their cars when their favorite song comes on! If you say otherwise than you're lying, my friend, and you should come clean. Whether its rock and roll or polka~does polka even have lyrics?~ we all like to sing-along to our favorite tunes. Today, I tested out my vocal skills for the traffic masses. I warmed up with Taylor Swift's "You Belong With Me". Just as I got to a stoplight, I turned to the car on my left and began serenading a 75-year old man in a bright yellow convertible! He just smiled and waved his index finger back and forth like an orchestra conductor would to his company. As I drove off, we waved goodbye and I continued singing loudly down the street. In my 30something minute car ride, I sang everything from Lady Gaga to Skillet! I really had a blast living out my "cruising with the windows down and the music up" fantasy!
Now I really wish that all of my experiences today were that great, but unfortunately they weren't. My loud singing was received with shocked stares, blank stares, angry stares, basically I got stared at a whole lot. One guy even put his music up louder to block out my singing. But it was people like "old convertible guy" who made it all worthwhile for me, I know that I made someone's ride home a little brighter~of course, not as bright as his car! Ha ha. One of my favorite quotes is by George Horace Lorimer:
"You've got to get up every morning with determination if you're going to go to bed with satisfaction."
Day 1
Task: Speak in a british accent all day long.
'Ello there gov'na! Lovely day! Would you like a spot of tea with your crumpets? Pip pip!
Okay, so I really laid it on thick today with my british accent. The Queen would've been proud! Seeing as this was my first task ever, I think it went very well! It really made me admire how actors can change their accents to whatever their role calls for! And seeing as I'm a typical American girl, I don't encounter this accent too often. Also, if a guy is the one speaking it, I'm automatically more intrigued and fascinated with him! Come to think of it, I don't know why we girls get all worked up when we hear a british guy speak. I guess its because he could be saying "Can I get a ham sandwich?" with that accent and it still sounds romantic! Ha! I'm not sure why I went off on that rant but anyway here's how one of my conversations went:
Me:(british accent) 'Ello! It's bloody hot out here isn't it?
Stranger: Um, yeah I guess. Summer is usually pretty hot.
Me: Might you know where I would find the lavatory? I can't seem to find one.
Stranger: Uhh, the bathrooms are down there (pointing).
Me: Jolly good! Thank you, sir!
Stranger: No problem. (giggles as he walks away)
To be honest, I think he was expecting Ashton Kutcher to jump out and tell him he was being Punk'd or something. Most of the conversations I had were of that same nature. However, it was really tough to keep my accent purely British... sometimes words came out in an Australian accent! It was certainly a lot of fun going out and doing it. And hey, if I gave people an interesting story to talk about to their partners at their dinner table tonight, great!
'Ello there gov'na! Lovely day! Would you like a spot of tea with your crumpets? Pip pip!
Okay, so I really laid it on thick today with my british accent. The Queen would've been proud! Seeing as this was my first task ever, I think it went very well! It really made me admire how actors can change their accents to whatever their role calls for! And seeing as I'm a typical American girl, I don't encounter this accent too often. Also, if a guy is the one speaking it, I'm automatically more intrigued and fascinated with him! Come to think of it, I don't know why we girls get all worked up when we hear a british guy speak. I guess its because he could be saying "Can I get a ham sandwich?" with that accent and it still sounds romantic! Ha! I'm not sure why I went off on that rant but anyway here's how one of my conversations went:
Me:(british accent) 'Ello! It's bloody hot out here isn't it?
Stranger: Um, yeah I guess. Summer is usually pretty hot.
Me: Might you know where I would find the lavatory? I can't seem to find one.
Stranger: Uhh, the bathrooms are down there (pointing).
Me: Jolly good! Thank you, sir!
Stranger: No problem. (giggles as he walks away)
To be honest, I think he was expecting Ashton Kutcher to jump out and tell him he was being Punk'd or something. Most of the conversations I had were of that same nature. However, it was really tough to keep my accent purely British... sometimes words came out in an Australian accent! It was certainly a lot of fun going out and doing it. And hey, if I gave people an interesting story to talk about to their partners at their dinner table tonight, great!
Monday, June 21, 2010
Introduction to the 365 Days
Have you ever felt like you were just surviving each day as opposed to living it? Not really going anywhere or doing anything with yourself? I sure did, a lot. I remember when I was a child and didn't have a care in the world. I could just LIVE and enjoy myself. I'm not sure when that feeling ended but somewhere along the way it did. And I got swept up by all of the pressures and troubles I was having that I forgot about the most important thing in my life, my happiness. I've seen plenty of people say "Get up and go live!" but I was too afraid to step that far out of my comfort zone and do something. I became complacent with my life and lost all enjoyment of it.
It wasn't until very recently that I realized how much I was wasting my life being unhappy and how little time any of us have on this earth. See, a close relative passed away recently and it came as such a shock to the entire family. We were all devastated when we received the news. No one could believe that someone's life could be cut so short and without any warning. So I went for a drive in my car to try and get my mind off of it and turned on the radio to WAY-FM 89.7 and Britt Nicole's song "Walk On The Water" came on. As I listened, my favorite lyrics came on:
"What are you waiting for?
What do you have to lose?
Your insecurities try to alter you.
You know you're made for more.
So don't be afraid to move.
Your faith is all it takes
and you can walk on the water too."
As the song continued to play, I realized that I was the only person keeping myself from being happy. So I came up with a plan to inject some joy into my life for the next 365 days. Each day consisting of one fun and/or interesting activity I will perform for the entire year. And thanks to one awesome friend by the name of Angi, I will blog each and every day about what I did that day. I hope you have as much fun reading about it as I have actually doing it!
It wasn't until very recently that I realized how much I was wasting my life being unhappy and how little time any of us have on this earth. See, a close relative passed away recently and it came as such a shock to the entire family. We were all devastated when we received the news. No one could believe that someone's life could be cut so short and without any warning. So I went for a drive in my car to try and get my mind off of it and turned on the radio to WAY-FM 89.7 and Britt Nicole's song "Walk On The Water" came on. As I listened, my favorite lyrics came on:
"What are you waiting for?
What do you have to lose?
Your insecurities try to alter you.
You know you're made for more.
So don't be afraid to move.
Your faith is all it takes
and you can walk on the water too."
As the song continued to play, I realized that I was the only person keeping myself from being happy. So I came up with a plan to inject some joy into my life for the next 365 days. Each day consisting of one fun and/or interesting activity I will perform for the entire year. And thanks to one awesome friend by the name of Angi, I will blog each and every day about what I did that day. I hope you have as much fun reading about it as I have actually doing it!
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