Extremely Belated Christmas Post

First Lesson of 2010

Do NOT depend upon others to upload pictures of you or events because there's a 67% chance it will be uploaded 5+ months later and 30% chance it will never be uploaded, leaving only 3% chance that photos taken by others will be uploaded within a desirable time frame. ((These stats are carefully documented from my own experiences)) Over winter break, I attended a New Year's party in which a lot of photos were taken by several different cameras, none of which were my own because my batteries died. :( I was naive enough to believe that the photos will be on FB for my viewing pleasure within a week.

The result of my laziness and naivete is that it is now February and the pics are no where to be seen. Okay, so what, a couple of party pictures weren't uploaded, big deal. YES IT IS A BIG DEAL for a camwhore like meeee! D: Every time I try to prod my friend into uploading the pics she either changes the topic or ignores me. Which makes me wonder "WHYYYY is she not uploading the pics!?" Is it simply laziness? Or they -leGASP- somehow got deleted and she's so traumatized from the loss that she refuses to speak of it? Or did they turn out horrible? There were a lot of funny videos and I DON'T CARE if I look horrible, I just want to see them! ><

Anyway, this isn't the first time I've had to mourn the loss of yet another set of photos. I am truly saddened to think of all the unseen photos in my life.

So in conclusion, I must bring my camera with me everywhere I go and shamelessly whip it out and coerce others into taking photos of/with me. :D

Off on a Tangent: One of my fantasies is to have a servant. I know many people probably wish they have a servant, but rather than having my servant do the usual chores such as cooking, cleaning clothes, or doing my homework I would much rather have my servant doing various odd jobs. Such as accompanying me to events or just on a good day and snap photos of my friends and I, finishing my half-eaten fruit, and combing my hair gently while I do my homework.

Anyway, back to the "Extremely Belated Christmas Post". Originally I wanted to upload the New Year pictures with the holiday pictures but after a month of waiting, I realize it's not going to happen.

A Bouche de Noel cake I made for French class. It's supposed to look like a log with snow on top. Fail. v_v

This is a little coconut boy a classmate received as a Christmas gift. It's mad adorable so I took a picture of it.

There's a new bakery at the mall. I love the decor, it's unapologetically pink and princessy!

My iTouch skin arrived!

.... Along with my present for the family, the "Grande Arbor Deluxe" set. :)

I had a little KTV party at my house. I originally wanted to invite some friends from Canada along with my friends in the US and go to Fuji's. But then since I got my pass to Canada, I decided to just invite a few US friends to chill at my house.

J showcasing his amazing falsetto in a rendition of "Because of You". When I first heard him sing at little G's last year, I was like "who is that girl?" LOLs. XD

At a dinner party celebrating big G's 17th. I committed such a faux pas that night. ^^; I wore this purple dress, which was the same one I bought for a guest at the dinner! LOLs now she knows she has a copy of my dress and big G's. Birthday girl's dress is the same one, but in blue.

My dinner, breaded sole fillet with mixed vegetables. I love the vibrant colors.

This is the downtown lit up with Christmas lights at night. It was very beautiful, every single store was covered in lights.

LOLs I know I look like Santa's little helper but I was not a festive mood at all. I wanted to just lounge around at home but my rents dragged me out to take Christmas pics. I didn't do my hair and makeup at all, just unwillingly pulled on some cheery clothes on and went out. I can't say I regret it though, the sights really were breathtaking. :)

Then we went home and warmed up with some nice green tea and chocolate mousse cake.

The traditional family photo. We didn't have a tree because my dad bought a huge stereo system and plasma screen instead, so my grandfather decorated our plastic plant with construction paper and ((LMFAO)) egg cartons!

OMG, this post just about killed me. Now I understand how strenuous it is to write and upload all these pictures, and there aren't even that many photos! I will no longer resent famous bloggers for taking so slow to update. Imagine the pain of having to sift through, photoshop, and upload hundreds of photos! x___x

Replies

Rushita-May: Yeah, it's weird because it's usually the parents who disapprove of their children's friends but in my case, I disapprove of some of my parents friends. XD I'm often biting back my tongue because it's not my place to criticize ((to their face, at least)).

Vincent: My first follower! :D Thanks, I'm glad you found my ramblings somewhat interesting. ^^

Shrewds and Misers

There's a reason why I infinitely prefer being friends with richer people to poor people. And by "rich", I don't necessarily mean millionaires but people who've lived a relatively comfortable life. By "poor", I mean people who've grown up in harsh conditions, struggling and counting every penny to make ends meet. Most people are familiar with the whole "spoiled rich people" and the "kind-hearted pauper" stereotypes, but this hasn't been the case in my life. From my experience, richer people tend to be more magnanimous and gracious, while poor people are shrewd and calculating. Even if said "poor" person has a sizable bank account (due to their penny-pinching ways), they are poor in spirit. I've grown up with these kinds of people throughout my life and I've tolerated their miserliness until recently I realized what a disgraceful image they present to the world. It pains me to say this, but I've noticed that these xiaoqigui are mostly from mainland China. In fact, at dinner parties, most mainland Chinese couples are known to be.... less generous than Taiwanese or Hong Kong couples. Smallest dish on the table? Probably belongs to a mainlander. The first one to take back their dish? Mainlander. The one who takes the most food home? Mainlander. Some people are so unclassy.

Like recently, my parents invited this man (whom I really don't think much of) to our new house. Instead of accepting or politely declining like a normal person, he starts asking if he could invite a bunch of strangers. This isn't the first time this happened, his wife once sent a mass email inviting people to our house for what was supposed to be a private party. Of course my mother said no, and this shameless one actually acted offended and sniffed, "Haiii, but you don't have enough people. It'll be boring." Excuse me? This is our house, why the hell should we invite people we don't even know? His house is damn crappy but he wants to show off, so therefore he invites people to our house. -_-* What's more, he has uppity-attitude because he thinks we have no friends here and he's doing us a FAVOR by inviting these strangers. HAHAHAHA, if only he knew that my 'rents only grudgingly invited him out of courtesy! We have so many people and so many dinner parties, it would have been easier on us if he didn't came. Of course, he did end up coming, wife and sulking (but with a hearty appetite :D) teenager in tow.

A couple of days ago, my parents had yet another dinner party. It was a potluck for several families. One woman arrived and when my grandma greeted her, she hastily grunted, dropped her eyes to the floor, and nodded. Then she scurried (yes, scurried) to the living room. WTF? Okay, she's not a mouse nor is she a child, she should know basic manners. Is it so hard to look people in the eye and greet them properly? Some people have no social skills whatsoever. I am certainly not a social butterfly myself, but at least I make an effort to be polite and pleasant. While the other men and women were chatting, she and her husband sat stiffly in their seats by themselves. My grandma saw this and attempted to make some small talk. She gave monosyllabic answers and kept her eyes on her plate. v___v When the party neared the end, she asked my grandma for a bag and dumped the contents of a chip bowl into it. "My daughter likes these," she explained. No pleases. No thank yous. Ahhh, but this woman grew up poverty-stricken in the countryside so I can understand her actions.

This OTHER woman at the dinner party was more guofen. Throughout the party, she greedily ate the best dishes, taking HUGE pieces of meat, not at all considering the other guests who might want some as well. Okay, this by itself isn't so bad since it is a dinner party after all, and there's nothing wrong with a big appetite. I'm not against people who eat or spend a lot, but I hate people who freely help themselve's to other people's things while carefully hoarding their own (money, food, etc.). When the party was wrapping up, she immediately tucked away her own dish so the other guests couldn't take some of it home. In potlucks, it is usual for the guests to either divvy up the remaining dishes or leave it at the host's house. We had a large portion of my dad's chicken left over, and she declared that she was taking some home for her daughter (why do these people like to use children as an excuse for their greediness?). Sure, go ahead. But then she took the WHOLE chicken. Didn't even share with the other guests! Didn't bother with a thank you. And throughout the party, she kept bringing up awkward topics such as her husband's non-existant infidelity with a blonde woman who happened to fall asleep in a hammock next to his hammock. (LMFAOOO such a stupid paranoid woman XDD)

Today, a couple of days later, we ran into this woman again. And she DIDN'T EVEN GREET US. She clearly saw us and hastily tried to shuffle past us. Damn obviously trying to ignore us because we even made eye contact! My mom didn't let her off and said loudly, "Hi, (name)!". Only then she feigned (terribly) a look of surprise and exchanged a few words before leaving. Ridiculous! We only saw her a few days ago, she took the entire chicken dish, and now she doesnt even aknowledge us? What nerve, this woman. Ugh, no class at all.

I guess poor really doesn't mean the amount of money one owns. People who are poor in spirit will always be poor even if they are billionaires. I really don't believe that people who are poor in spirit can attract great wealth anyway. I just feel like these people are always trying to take advantage of me/us in some way. Their minds always seem to be along the lines of "What's the minimum contribution I can make to reap maximum benefits hehehe?". I feel sorry for their children, being instilled with this philosophy. I've seen a few children who would've been good people but are now corrupted by their parent's shrewdness. And the cycle goes on....

LOLs a funny picture to lighten up this rather heated post. XDDD

2010 New Year's Resolutions

I never make New Year's resolutions but 2010 is my year

. I can already feel the difference between this year and the past two years. :D

1. Keep my nails long (So far, so good)

2. Comb my hair at least 50 strokes a day

3. Open up a Let It Grow account and save $40 a month

5. Run 2 miles a day at 5 mph except on Sundays

Coffee House

I was pleasantly surprised when I attended Athen's bi-annual coffeehouse hosted by Athen's literary magazine. My old school held monthly Coffee Houses, which were gatherings of about thirty students drinking coffee and watching performances. The Athens Coffee House was in a similar vein, except on a larger scale. It was like seeing a life-sized version of your favorite doll.

The first thing I noticed was that Athens' vibe felt totally different from Rochester's. Everyone's look was very "artsy", like I'd stepped into some underground scene. The Rochester jersey so commonly seen in my high school seemed completely out of place in this crowd. After eyeing the crowd, I was immediately drawn to the steaming vats of Caribou coffee and tables laden with baked goods. I was expecting a dingy little cafeteria with maybe a few clumps of people so I was surprised to see packed room decorated with pretty holiday lights. The back walls were transformed into a makeshift chalkboard where people leave their little doodles.

I think I watched about twenty-something performances. Most were acoustics and vocals. Favorites of the night:


1) a wonderfully exotic song called "Mayya, Mayya". The whole crowd was stomping and clapping to the beat. I was so taken with this performance, that I had to ask friend what song it was and search it up on Youtube. Not to be biased, but I think the singer at the Coffee House sounded better.

2) An acoustic rendition of the theme song to the Fresh Prince of Bel Air. The tune was so different that I didn't realize what song it was until I heard the lyrics. I used to love watching Fresh Prince and most of the people didn't get it. I felt like I was in on some secret joke. XDDDD



3) A quartet singing "You Belong With Me". Musically, it wasn't that extraordinary, but how can you resist the catchiest song of 2009? The video recording on my camera captured mostly nothing but blurry lights and my off-key singing hurhurhur.

4) The ukulele! Being the genius that I am, I was going around cooing "Oooh, look that little guitar! It's so adorable. How did she find one that small?" until someone kindly pointed "Ummm. That's a ukulele -_-." Honestly, I don't even remember what the song was because I was so enraptured by that ukulele. I think "ukulele" it's a perfect name for a cute mini-guitar. Ukuleleukulelekukulelekukuleleukulele. It's really fun to type too. Ukuleleukuleleukuleleukulele.



5) The reason I went to Coffee House! A performed "The Call" by Regina Spektor accompanied by C on the guitar. It's such an exquisite song and it was certainly worth the wait!

The singer and I. :)


The music, poetry, and coffee.... It was one of those nights that makes you think. I just had to express my appreciation on the chalk wall. <3 Unfortunately, I ended up drinking wayyyy too much coffee and stayed up until 4am. D:


Random spazz: Lately so many people have been saying that I look younger than I am. Whenever I say that I'm a senior, people's eyes bug out and they go "What? I thought you were like a sophomore!" Even some of my friends forget that I'm a senior. :(


-sigh- I suppose it's true, but I think it's just because of my haircut and when I have no makeup on. Nobody said I looked younger than my age when I had my digital perm last year. >_>

On The Outside Looking In

I already know that I don't belong. Usually the feeling is subtle, but today I was ostracized in a very obvious way: gift exchanging. It's extremely awkward to stand in a group and make small talk, while trying to ignore the little packages being passed around you. I felt more out of place than ever, standing there smiling stupidly and overdressed in my knit dress and boots.

The feeling didn't really hit me until J was happily playing with his little treat baggie and asked me if I got one too. "Ummm no... I didn't get anything," I replied candidly. I didn't realize how pathetic it sounded until I said it. I instantly regretted saying it because it was so embarrassing to see that pitying look in his eyes. He tried to give me his treats, which of course I refused so he gave me some gum. I appreciated the thought but "low" is the only word I can use to describe how I felt.

The problem with our youth group is that it's so closed off from outsiders. When I brought my friend S to visit the church, we ended up hanging out only with each other since no one was willing to talk or include her. Several times, people have come to the church only to never return again. They end up going to other churches. I'm deeply disappointed when I hear this because there were quite a few people I'd liked to have been friends with. This rather unwelcoming attitude was displayed again tonight, when there was a foreign exchange student from Germany. After the initial round of brief introductions, she was mainly left alone. I, along with a couple of my friends and the group leaders, held up a decent conversation but during the free time I saw her by herself again. I ended talking to her the entire time and no one else gave her so much as a second glance.

I've had reservations for a while now but tonight something in me has bubbled over. I am so over this church and everything about it. I've been going there nearly every week and tired of it. I dislike it so much I want to remove myself from anything associated with it. When I leave for university, I have no intention of returning there. I will never "visit" this church unless it's absolutely necessary. It's not so much hate or anger I'm feeling than... That disgust you feel when you eat the same thing breakfast, lunch, and dinner, every single day of the year.

In the meantime, I'll stay active. Then I'll just stop. And if someone asks me why I never come, I'll just reply, "I felt like an alien."

The Party Don't Start 'Til I Walk In....

Mmm, I had a blast last week. Or actually, two weeks ago. No, three. I never seem to be able time blog on time. -__-


Anyway, I attended a friend's black-and-white themed sweet sixteenth a while ago. I'm always up for innovation when it comes to partying instead of the same old pizza and lukewarm games. When it comes to parties, this one definitely brought the sexy back.

I bought the birthday girl a cute little purple dress with removable straps. I really wanted to use up the adorable Martha Steward bags I bought two years ago, so I baked some sugar cookies. I found this purse-like fancy gift bag as well. The overall effect was so pretty I just had to take a picture of it. Sadly, Lao Ba deleted the photo. Ugh. ><

The food was served buffet-style in silver platters. I chose chicken breast, fettucine alfredo, string beans, garden salad, and garden bread. Simple but delicious.




The highlight of the food was, of course, the birthday cake. The cake also matched the black and white theme with white cream and black frosting in a flowery design.


The birthday girl really stood out amongst the sea of black and white in her golden party frock.



I danced the rest of the night away along to the DJ. Of course, all the current mainstream hits were played. Favorites of the night: Tick Tock, Boom Boom Pow (I literally screamed when the DJ played it), Down, and yes, Party In The USA. Strangely, Lady GaGa didn't make an appearance. :( At one point, feeling playful, I walked up and said in my best Tiffany voice, "DJ.... Put it back on." I forget which song it was, but he did! No one caught my little joke though because they weren't SNSD fans.






The birthday girl hired a professional photographer as well and there was a section where the guests took pictures with her. He snapped away while we were dancing and some people found it a bit creepy, but I must admit I enjoyed feeling famous. I can't wait to get the photos.

It was a great night. I enjoyed mingling with the other guests. The only downer was that my dress kept sliding down so I couldn't dance as freely as I would've liked. Note to self: I must find a way to make that dress stay the next time I wear it.


I couldn't resist stealing a balloon. XDDD

Window

Sometimes I wonder where my brain is. I've accepted the fact that it left for a permanent vacation ages ago but it gets a little lonely up there.... :(

So one evening I was in my room wondering what is the point of closing the curtains. There's no need to block the sun since I get up so early. I'd have to draw it open every morning to let some sun in my room anyway. Why not just keep it open? After thinking about it for a while I concluded that closing the curtain is absolutely pointless.

A few days ago I was changing in my room when I looked out my bedroom window and saw my neighbor's Christmas lights shining brightly. That's when I realized windows are see through which means that I can see them, and they can see me, in all my nakedness. I also realized that I'd been changing in front of windows in friends' houses as well because I'd been using them as a mirror.

.... Using the window as a mirror is probably not a very smart idea, especially since my window faces the main street. v__v