Disney's 50th animated feature film is Tangled a tale based off the classic story of Rapunzel. I went with a group of old high school friends to watch this movie last week and in short, I LOVE IT! Visually, this film is the lovechild of Disney and Dreamworks. It reminded me of a moving stained-glass painting. The Disney team did a creative job of reinventing the story of Rapunzel and made it their own. It was funnier than I expected and it's always nice to have your expectations exceeded. After watching this, I'm inspired to redo the story of the Fisherman and the Magic Fish and make it my own too! This will be my creative project for the new year.
***Spoiler alert: I just wanna say that the lantern scene between Rapunzel and Flynn is SOOO ROMANTIC! I want to be asked out like that someday *0* hehe
The doodle above is of Flynn Rider, the male deuteragonist and a major hilarious hottieeee haha
Just came back from China, where there is a 14 hour time difference and I am jet-lagged like woah.
Have you ever experienced two extremes? In Egypt, I faced over 100 degree weather everyday and probably sweat buckets by the end of the day. In Beijing, it was well below zero degrees (-15 C) at the Great Wall. Ice crystals would form on my peer's eyelashes because it was so cold.
To appreciate one thing, like heat, you need to experience cold, or the absence of heat. To experience true joy, you need to know what true sorrow is. Even a little bit of each is good. Like the saying goes, "what goes up must come down" and vice versa. I believe in constant growth. I see these hills, valleys, and plateaus and I want to overcome them.
That's me on the Great Wall of China in below zero weather, feeling quite joyful.
Here I go on another whirlwind adventure, this time to the Far East to explore complementary and alternative medicines. The year 2010 was a good year to travel for me and I am so incredibly blessed to have all these amazing opportunities. This trip is definitely something I was looking forward to during finals last week. The next ten days are going to be frikk'n awesome. China, here I come!
"Just the Way You Are" by Bruno Mars is one of my favorite songs that came out this year. When I came back from Egypt, I asked my friend Joline about current events that I had missed out on while abroad. She told me to listen to this song. At first, I didn't think it was anything special. The lyrics aren't profound or complex and are relatively simple in its message. In this simplicity, I find it so appealing. This song dashes out any insecurities, fears, and low self-esteem that women have about themselves which prevent them from realizing how truly amazing and beautiful they are! I love to belt out to this feel-good song when I hear it on the radio. It makes me want to tell all my friends and family that they are amazing, just the way they are, faults and all.
Shout-out to some lovely ladies:
Jasmine: As my other half, you should already know that my beauty is a reflection of yours. They say that a person's beauty can be attributed to the company they keep. I'd say you've already won Miss Universe in my book.
Joline: Princess Arwen, you are the shining star of Elendil. You are beautiful because you're a deep thinker with a creative mind that knows no bounds. You = intelligent + musically talented + funny = HOT.
Mariham: My bodacious Egyptian roommate. You're going to have keep the men off of you when you move back to Fresno. If you got it, flaunt it. Girl, you definitely got it.
Jaclynn: Sassy, sexy, sweet, and smart all in a petite figure like you. IT'S TOO MUCH TO HANDLE! As Sean Kingston would say, "Somebody call 911, shawty fire burning on the dance floor..."
Preet: The Punjabi Pearl of Pacific. You are the pretty princess in pink who provocatively points to her pudge which I pine to pet while piping prose. Pie. You are no pushover and please stay poised, pretty, and perfect.
Ana Laura: Pequena, I love you so much! Your radiant smile and cute little dimple (note: singular) brighten my day like an oven light after baking cookies. You give me warmth and the feeling of joy. I'm so proud of the beautiful struggles that you've gone through. You are gorgeous little one.
Angelina: My first memory of you is at Ambo retreat during the circle time. We were asked to touch someone who we would like to get to know better. I knew I made the right choice because you've added so much joy and perspective to my life. You grow more beautiful each day.
It's finals week for us pharmacy students and many of my female classmates have gone au natural because studying > gussying up. It's nice to see them in sweats and without make-up. During this time, I feel that this song is a wonderful reminder that we are so wonderfully made.
Psalms 139:14 says it best," I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well." To my Creator: I feel beautiful because you shine through me even in my bum clothes and disheveled state of preparing for finals. Thanks again!
When I was younger, I would joke around with my dad how I was the son he never had. I'd rake the leaves, take out the trash, mow the lawn...I'd basically help out with any "manly" chores that my physique was capable of handling. During this short period in my life, I would often feel sad that my dad was stuck with me as his only child and that I wouldn't be able to carry on the family name for my dad or be that "son" he never would have. There are instances even today where I'd think it would be better to be a boy. No hassle of periods, child birth, being looked down upon in the workforce, etc.
This semester, I've been spending a lot of time with my Rho Pi Phi brothers down the hall from me. The picture to the left is of them and me at our annual Christgiving Potluck. I like to study there and ask them questions about life. One of them asked me, "Why do you always come here?" And I defensively answered, "Because I enjoy the environment and your company". It's come to the point where one of my bros said that I was part of the boy's club. I really do enjoy the sound of that and I am not sure if it's because of that wishful longing to be a boy when I was younger or the fact that it feels nice to pretend they are the real brothers I never would have had.
But then I remember how good I have it as a woman, of what God knit me to be in my mother's womb. Like with many things in life, I have come to terms with my double X chromosomes. I admit, I am a Daddy's Girl and I wouldn't have it any other way.
To the right is a picture of our womanly apartment (finally!) at our fraternity mixer. I really love them.
Preet and I watched Inception last Thursday at our school theater. In addition, last week's PHRM 111 quiz was on the gastrointestinal system. In a fit of extreme nerdiness and geekery, I spawned this ridiculousness. So what if no one with a medical background might not understand this or if they haven't seen the movie. Their loss.
Dr. Guire is a great professor, but I would totally pay more attention of Leonardo DiCaprio or Joseph Gordon-Levitt was teaching the class, lol.
Dr. Jasti teaches a portion of our PHRM 114 class and the content of his lectures mainly consist of drug history, patenting, formulation etc. In his words, "The topic is rather dry, but I'll do my best to juice it up, ok?"
One of the ways he's attempted to liven up the class is through the use of an online tool called Poll Everywhere. You basically text or instant message an answer to the corresponding number that is given on the screen and the class can instantly see the results. On the first day, Dr. Jasti made an open poll where the class could submit ANY answer. After that, he stuck to 4 multiple choice. Haha, pharm students are so mature...
White-Asian-Egyptian-Roommate is a name one of my roommates lovingly calls me at least once a day. The white is in reference to my pale skin, the Asian is, well, I’m Asian, and the Egyptian has been recently added due to my frequency of talking in Arabic and love for Egyptian food.
I love how culturally diverse my apartment is. And yes Jaclynn, white people have culture too. And I love being Vietnamese-Chinese and I’ve come a long way in embracing this.
In 2007, I went to Kentucky for a mission trip. The area where my team was specifically serving lacked much ethnic diversity. I remember spending time with our family, the Burchettes, and their son Jake, I forgot his age but he was pretty young.
“Are you from China?” Jake randomly asked me one time in his Kentucky accent. I told him no and that I was born and raised in California.
“But you look Chinese! How can that be possible?” He replied. I explained to him how my parents immigrated over and blah blah blah. I then asked him what his ethnicity was and after some explaining of what “ethnicity” meant, he turned to me and proudly said, “I’M KENTUCKY!”
This story brings a smile to my face each time I think about it and I admire Jake’s boldness in embracing his “ethnicity”.
For the longest time I was not able to embrace my identity as being Vietnamese and Chinese. When people would ask about it, I would quickly mutter “Vietnamese” and emphasize the “Chinese”. I remember one time in high school, a friend was listing all the “admirable” contributions of each major Asian country. For example, South Korea has awesome TV dramas, China’s ballads, Japan’s anime, etc. Yes, it was a shallow observation looking retrospectively. Anyway, she asked me what Vietnam had to offer and I didn’t know except for the stereotypical, “nails”. I was ashamed of being Vietnamese because of the embarrassing stereotype of poor Vietnamese immigrants of only being qualified to handle manicures and pedicures, even more so because my mom did nails as a part time job to support herself and her growing family. I, sadly, rejected the “Vietnamese” in me.
I have come to realize that the beautiful struggle my parents went through is not something to be ashamed of. To be ashamed of this past is to discredit the effort and hardships they put forth in order to be where they are today. My mom no longer does nails but is a quality engineer and manager for a tech company. I’m very proud. And just like how Jesus washed the feet of his disciples, I am now able to look at the art of nails with great humility, pride, and respect. I’m not comparing my mom to Jesus but I want to say that she has great humility. And humility is not thinking less of yourself but thinking yourself as less than others.
Hi, my name is Antoinette. I’m not white, Egyptian, Native American, or Filipino. I’m Vietnamese and Chinese.
An update on life: Ah yes, so I survived my first set of pharmacy midterms and it was amazing. No straight A's but I'm trying my best. I've had lots of ideas for comics but I haven't had time to transcribe them down. My friend Stacey from Georgia came out to visit me and friends during her fall break. Participated in a diabetes walk around the same time. Had a military full physical and that was an uncomfortable and new experience haha. Participated in a health fair where I consulted people on OTC drugs - so exciting! Oh, I also saw Maroon 5, One Republic, and Bruno Mars in concert at the Arco Arena last Friday. They were pretty much amazing. Afterwards, chillaxed with my favorite socal Egyptian brothers, ate homemade koshouri and watched Sing'n in the Rain. Those are some highlights of the past two weeks minus a lot. El7aya kwaysa! (that's "life is good" in Arabic)
I've had so many thoughts running through my head and I want to write them down! Mainly on ethnicity, fears, my lovely roommates, and vivid dreams. I'll get to it within the next few days hopefully.
Currently in Mariham's room doing some review for biochem. She's painting a big ole icon of Saint Demiana. It's really beautiful. I'm going to start up painting again this Thursday.
This past Sunday, upon waking up and taking a shower, I discovered a large red bump on my chest that is slightly to the left over my heart. At first, I thought it was a huge pimple and after allowing one of my classmates to examine it, she exclaimed, "It looks like a third boob". Great.
I'm sitting in the living room right now, careful not to move around too much because whenever the fabric of my shirt grazes my third boob, it stings and starts to itch. It's beginning to look like a bulls-eye mark and it is slightly aggravating to the touch. My roommate told me it was more likely a spider bite than a pimple and I think I would have to agree with her. Once midterms are over, I am definitely going to wash my sheets.
Also, this past Saturday, I went to see "Waiting for Superman" which is a documentary on the failing public education system in America. My heart broke for those children and their families. It is a very powerful movie. Afterwards, John Legend answered a few questions on education in America and his musical career followed by a solo performance of about 6-7 songs. He is absolutely amazing live. I am definitely going to buy his new album once this week is over. Why are black men so sexy, especially those who are talented and fight for causes? Dreeeeamy siiiigh
---> Edit (10.10.10)
So I bought John Legend's Wake Up! album and it is great! I was never a huge fan of his earlier works because it seemed that all he sang about was cheating on a girl and being horny but this new album is so much more mature in content. It might be a stretch, but I would almost put it up there with Lauryn Hill's "The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill". Been listening to it nonstop this past weekend.
This past week in my Nonprescription Therapy - Self-Care class we discussed oral pain such as recurrent aphthous stomatitis which is the fancy word for "canker sore". Interestingly enough, canker sores have no known cause while cold sores are caused by the herpes simplex virus-1, the same virus that can be found around your "hoo-ha" if you're not careful or are into that sort of thing.
As of now, I now know how to screen for cholesterol, blood-glucose, blood pressure, bone density, am CPR certified and am able to administer immunizations. It's only been a month and I can only imagine what other cool things we're going to learn in the coming months.
Last night Mariham showed me a dress that I have been looking for awhile. I emailed my mom to tell her what I have been looking for and she emailed me back with this response:
Dr (Candidate) Dinh,
The style is very elegant :). Good for the Dr to be. I just remember when you were young you had couple dresses similar to this dress and you were look real good on back days with those dresses. Now I know what abjectly you have been looking for, I will pay more attention when I'm shopping may be I will find this dress for you.
About the clubbing, of course you can take a break from studying but not in before midterm or final. Why don't you go after midterm?
Will see you this Saturday,
Love Mom of Dr (Candidate) Dinh.
Haha, I don't know what I find more amusing. The fact that she refers to herself and me as "Dr (Candidate) Dinh" or that I'm still trying to figure out what "abjectly" means. My mom is a fob.
This is Alex Salazar (vocals). I discovered him a little more than a year ago when my friend posted a link to one of his covers of Musiq Soulchild's "Just Friends (Sunny)" which I have listened to over 100 times today. My roommate is going to teach me how to play it on the guitar. His voice is so soothing. <3
Dr. Chan is a beast. He teaches my Molecular Cellular Biology class. This man speaks a billion words a minute, never seems to make a mistake, and knows all there is to biochemistry. At the same time, he looks like an Asian Mr. Rogers.
Midterm for this class is probably going to be killer but I'm a champ just like Chan. Let's do this.
One of my roommates gave me a moist towelette from Hooters today. On the back of the package it reads, "Bartender: Pharmacist with limited inventory". I thought it was pretty amusing.
Midterms are coming up in less than three weeks and I am expecting my life to get less than adventurous in the next few weeks. I've been trying to squeeze in as much social life I can muster before I cloister myself in my room where I'll probably turn two shades paler than I already am. This first year in pharmacy school feels like I am reliving my freshman year as an undergraduate all over again. This past weekend I attended my first ever toga party that the Greek life on the undergraduate side was hosting. Being surrounded by scantily-clad, post-pubescent teens with raging hormones straight out of high school made me feel really out of place.
Not relating to the picture but a thought-provoking question Pastor Brad asked us in church on Sunday, "What would you do for God, if you knew you could not fail?" I definitely wouldn't be a bartender but the first image that popped into my head was my parents.
They came up this weekend to drop off homemade food for me and to see how I was doing. When I have kids, I want to be as good as parents as they are.
Ever since my freshman year of undergrad, my engineering friends would always poke fun at us pre-pharms. I recently took my written test to see whether I would be certified to administer immunizations to patients and I feel pretty good about it. This one is for Todd, who's having a blast at NASA right now.
It's almost 2:30AM here and I just covered material on acne and fungal infections for my OTC and Non-Prescription Drugs class for...this morning. It's funny how stress is a factor in worsening one's acne. And then you stress out on your appearance and then you stress out how to cover it up and stress out more about the other 4 quizzes and exams you have this week and when you go about treating the problem, the darn acne just flares up again because you're cold and clammy from malnutrition and in an attempt to keep yourself warm and comforted, you rub your face with your nasty hands that's taken out the trash and the P. acnes are just having a ball with all the buffet of contaminants that you just served them. It's a vicious cycle I say and I don't think I am making a lot sense right now because I would prefer to be snuggled up in bed with my pillow pet. But here I am, drawing a comic about acne when I have an interview in about 5 hours. My roommate is beside me and she just asked me something about undecylenic acid and I think I just drooled from staring blankly at her.
In other exciting news, I took my skills assessment test today where I injected my partner with saline solution and I passed. Hip-hip-hurray!
Cosplay. According to the internet, cosplay or costume play is a form of art in which people dress up as characters or ideas. This past weekend, a couple of friends of mine and I cosplayed for SacAnime. So my friend and I have been wanting to cosplay since our freshman year of high school and we finally hit the local fabric store and whipped out the sewing machine to make sailor fukus, a Japanese school girl uniform. We even had a couple people who wanted to take pictures with us.
It was pretty fun and now I get to cross off "cosplay" on my bucket list of things I want to do. Costumes are fun to wear because it allows you to be someone else while you're wearing it but by the end of the day, I am glad I can just be me.
Sweat is fluid produced by sweat glands in our skin that percolates out of our pores. I've always wanted to use "percolate" in an entry and I'm not sure if I used it in the right context but I'll use the excuse that I'm no English major.
I've been doing the Insanity workout with some friends of mine and first 10 minutes into it, I'm pouring a storm. I guess genetics placed upon me overactive sweat glands. Sean T knows how to work you hard. In his words, "Get fit or GET OUT". Super encouraging I know.
Last week during our pharmacy orientation, my roommate was describing an awful experience she had with one of the transfer students in our incoming class. We'll call him Joe. Joe was talking, quite audibly, with his fellow transfers about our incoming class's overall GPA. He claimed that the rather low number was due to the fact that the pre-pharms didn't have to work at all to get into pharmacy school and that it was unfair of the advantage they had over other non-pre-pharms. After this, my roommate was paired up with him for an exercise and Joe asked her where she went for undergrad to which she replied, "Pacific" and Joe ignored her for the rest of the exercise.
I was so angry after hearing her story. I thought to myself, "How dare he judge us even before meeting us!" I'm at fault for having pre-conceived notions about people as well, but this guy's actions afterwards were just plain RUDE. I can attest that, maybe not for all but for most, pre-pharmacy students at Pacific work their ass off to get into the Thomas J. Long School of Pharmacy. We have shed blood, tears, and sweat to get this far and for someone to dismiss our labor as diminutive, well I have a pretty finger for you buddy.
So I've never pointed the middle finger at anyone, but to think it means I'm pretty mad. Despite his less than friendly demeanor towards my kind, I extended grace to him. While standing in line for the Rite-Aid BBQ, sweating in my business attire under the cruel Stockton sun, Joe was standing right behind me, talking about going to Barnes and Noble to study. I turned around and offered that he should try studying at the Health Science library or the main campus library so he could save gas. He said thanks and I resumed my place in line feeling less mad and filled with more love, but still sweaty.
After 3 grueling long hours inside Faye Spanos, the PharmD Candidates of 2013 emerge to the bright, outside world where we were surrounded by loved ones. Here's my freshman and sophomore roommate from undergrad Anna aka Roomie.
My favorite Pacific Copts and I saying "GIBNA!" to the camera.
My #1 supporters, through thick and thin, and oh how I love them.
Pharmacy school has been very intense and everything I expected it to be. It's challenging and all the information I am learning is everything I need to know and want to know about this profession, place, and business. This entire week, I have woken up at 6:30AM to prepare for classes from 8AM til 12PM and then usually labs and discussion until 5PM. By the end of the day, I'm pretty tired but I have to hit the books so I don't fall behind. Most nights I go to bed at around 1-2AM and I rewind and grind again. I know I'll get used to the schedule but right now, it's been hard waking up these past few days.
Something else I learned this week, not only do pharmacy students work and study hard, but they play hard too. I think the past few nights have been filled with going out, clubbing, and indulging in adult beverages haha. I guess from all the stress and workload, we need some type of outlet to let loose.
When I look back on this blog and this particular entry some odd years from now, I want to say this to my future self: "Antoinette, your first week of pharmacy school was overwhelming and super fun. First day of lab, you're already learning how to inject shots! You've had over 100 pages of reading. And as an intern pharmacist, you can do everything a licensed pharmacist can do except hold the key to open the pharmacy. I can't believe you and Anna went clubbing. Stay away from strobe lights. Tracy Joy is pretty wild. Also, you're pretty crazy even when you don't have any alcohol in your system. Please continue to be the DD".
First week has been great being back at school. In one of our books we're reading, it says that to be a pharmacist you need to be a lifelong learner and let me tell you, I've learned so much within these past few days and I am looking forward to the next three years. Dr. Dinh will soon be in.
Often times while I'm driving and listening to the radio, I flip stations to hear my options. Wanting to gauge my ears out with a large pitchfork after hearing Katy Perry's "California Gurls" play on three different stations at the same time, I decided to pop in Kanye West's The College Dropout. This album is pure gold. I'm glad my opinion of hip-hop and rap has changed within the past year and a half. I'm ashamed to admit that I stereotyped this type of music with ghetto-Blacks only interested in sex, money, and power. Granted, there's a lot of music out there like that but I'm glad albums like The College Dropout exist to give me hope and insight on the world's issues. One of my favorite songs on the album is "Jesus Walks" mainly because Mr. West skillfully addresses the issue of why the media shies away from the subject of faith, but readily embraces sex, violence, etc.
I ended up buying his first three albums and though 808s & Heartbreak was alright and I have to listen to "Power" a couple more times to absorb what he's trying to say, I got to admit that I miss the old Kanye of his College Dropout days. But I'm looking forward to what he has to say and offer. Thanks to those who opened my eyes to this often misunderstood, poetic world.
This adventure involves Australians, a broken bone, and cardboard.
It's amazing how time flies by and in this case, it was 30 years for my dad to reunite with his best friends from high school after they escaped the Vietnam War. Within that time, my dad and his buddies were able to share stories and laughs over dinner at our house for the past few days. One of his friends, who managed to escape to Australia, Bac Hua has two daughter my age. So I had the wonderful opportunity to show these Aussie girls around NorCal and let them try wonderful things such as In'N'Out Burger, YogurtLand, and California Sourdough.
On their last evening in the area, we went to the Cheesecake Factory with my uni friends, Josh and Sam. I tried Sangria and Long Island Iced Tea for the first time! On top of a glass of white wine that I had earlier at the house, it was a very delightful evening with new and old friends.
Afterwards, Josh motioned for an adventure with not much detail. Putting faith in our friend, we decided to go along with it. It was 12:30AM and we ended up at an empty park with these massive stone slides embedded in a steep hill. If you have ever seen Avatar: The Last Air Bender, think of those mail chutes in King Bumi's earth kingdom - that's what those slides looked like. Since the slides were not made out of plastic, like normal playground slides, we had to use sheets of cardboard to slide down these slides to prevent burns. It was hectic fun. I could feel the adrenaline pumping through my body as I would see my friends fly down. Eventually, it was time to wrap things up. Before heading back home, Sam decided to slide down one more time in super speed. We watch him slide down and literally fly off the end of the slide, his cardboard disappearing into some random direction. Sam didn't move so Josh and I ran down to check on our friend to see Sam swearing and holding onto his shoulder. He tells us that he landed on his shoulder and thinks his collar bone broke. OH SHOOT.
It's 1:30AM by now and the 5 of us head off to the nearest emergency room to treat Sam. I'm pretty sure the Aussies weren't expecting to be waiting in the ER on their last day in America. Sam is admitted and we wait, and wait and wait. Apparently, the doctors forgot about Sam for about an hour. Josh ended up driving the Aussies back to their motel so they can get ready for their drive down to LAX. Josh and I wait for Sam and when he came out, he told us that all they did was put his arm in a sling and gave him some ibuprofen...haha. There was a lot of back and forth driving since Sam was unable to drive his car, on account of his broken collar bone. Eventually, everything got taken care of and by the time I got back home, it was 4 AM.
One of my favorite greetings I learned in Egypt is cheek kissing where two individuals kiss each others cheeks alternately. It's normally done between same genders. At first, I was very surprised when an older Egyptian woman would lean her face toward my face, all the while I was thinking, "WOAH, TOO CLOSE TOO CLOSE!" and she would lovingly kiss my cheeks about 2-4 times. I got the hang of it where I was greeting all my good female Egyptian friends that way. It was a wonderful way to show someone that I was genuinely happy to see them. I wish people would convey that more, in any form, whether it be a hug, a simple question inquiring about their day, or a smile. We're just too busy, it seems, to even do that.
The above text is a link to a newsletter I made in Microsoft Word detailing my experiences and the lessons learned on my mission's trip to Egypt this summer. Yalla beena!
Also, some things I did not include in my newsletter: + Jumped in the Red Sea + Only got sick ONCE, and it was on the last day (thanks for all your prayers!) + Jumped on a donkey cart and garbage truck + Sailed on the Nile River + No one could really pronounce my name haha so I gained 7 new nicknames: Magnoona, Nerfertiti, Armoot, Georgette, Nighty, Foofy, & Netty
"Then we can land in the motherland, Camelback across the desert sand". Lupe Fiasco's "Paris, Tokyo"
Riding a camel across the Giza Desert with the Pyramids as our backdrop was definitely not an expectation on my trip, but was surely fulfilled. More adventures to come.
In less than 24 hours I will be boarding an airplane for a 6 week summer adventure across the globe serving the people of Cairo with only 3 shirts, 3 pants, 5 pairs of panties and socks, my Bible, and toiletries. This is going to be intense. If God can feed 5,000 people with 5 loaves of bread and 2 fish, I'm pretty sure I can get by with a limited wardrobe and comforts.
It hasn't really hit me yet but I'm sure it will once I am completely by myself. Dude! @_@ Rabena maak.
Spent the afternoon in good company and eating delicious homemade curry and macarones. My friend and I got to talking about our families, which brought me to tears. It's amazing how much our parents struggle for us no matter what they went through.
When I came home, I asked my mom about my dad's past. This is what she told me: "When your daddy was young, he was very poor. His dad was killed when he was very young. He had 7 siblings. His parents gave him away because they couldn't afford to take care of him. He lived with different aunts and uncles from month to month. He spent half his time in Vietnam living in a Buddhist monastery. One of the nuns, who was his aunt, stored up enough money for him so he could escape the Vietnam war.
He will never stray from Buddhism, no matter how hard you try Antoinette, because of this".
That Buddhist Societies class I took my freshman year never really gave me any deep understanding as to why my parents were raised Buddhist, but in the brief 10 minutes I spent with my mom, I understand now.
My eyes tear up whenever I think about the struggles my parents went through to become the people they are today. I'm always grateful.
So I just read chapter 498 of Naruto and I really liked it. No spoilers! To commemorate this week's chapter, I did a quick, little doodle. I will be sad when this manga ends but I think it'll be another 2 years before that happens haha.
One of my biggest pet peeves, next to not refilling the toilet paper while you're on the can so that the next person is only left with one square or an empty roll, is indecision.
Not saying that I'm not a victim of indecision as well. I dislike the feeling of being trapped deciding among choices, even if it's as benign as choosing what ice cream flavor I want to eat.
I can only imagine what a life of indecision would be like. It's impossible to truly be yourself if you're always in a constant state of ambivalence. How is it possible to find yourself when you're split in the middle? Maybe indecision comes from the ego and simply being is from the soul. Indecision springs from decision's hesitation. Oh yes it does! So let's not live lives of indecision because at most, our lives would be interesting. I don't want interesting, I want a freaking adventure!
Jasmine is a Persian name. Its meaning comes from the flower that shares its namesake. People have said that the name Jasmine also reminds them of a pretty, gentle, and free-spirited girl.
Let me tell you more about the Jasmine I know.
"Pretty" does not do her justice, in fact, she is RADIANT. I would compare Jasmine to a clear night sky - shining, bright, face comparable to the full moon and hair like a meteor shower against a blanket of black velvet.
And like the night sky, the depth of our friendship is fathomless and beautiful. The blessings of this sisterhood is numerous like the stars.
Genuine, honest, trustworthy, insightful, loving, thoughtful, respectful, fearless, sensitive, emotional, curious, are a few words to describe her.
She shares a deep love for the world's peoples, justice, simplicity, and ridiculousness :) I don't know who else would dress up as a takami roll for Halloween, support a child in Thailand, speak out against the sex-trade, live in an apartment with the bare necessities, invite me to pick strawberries and green eggs, stalk old people with me while whispering in their ears, dress up as secret agents and pretend to be body guards, visit me even though we go to different schools, cry with me when I share my heart, laugh with me because we met a little boy who looked like Prince Zuko, or get fat with me while eating free samples at Farmer's market.
Any guy would be so fortunate to be with her! I'm so excited to see what the future has in store for my dear Jasmine.
This is a glimpse of the Jasmine I know and you should get to know her.
This is the Horsehead Nebula that is embedded in the vast and complex Orion Nebula. The "head" is actually a large cloud of dust.
It reminds me of a black knight piece escaping a chess board in the sky. Let's call him Nebbie.
Instead of being confined to a game where every move has been strategically planned out beforehand, Nebbie is saying, "Screw that! I'm jumping off this mind-game!" without knowing where he's going to end up or what he's going to do. I like Nebbie's boldness, even if it may seem haphazard. At least he's found a place in the sky with a nice view.
When they say that the sky's the limit, it really is.
Ever wonder why you were given the name you have? I used to hate my name for the longest time because it was so different from all the other kids.
This is the story of why my name is Antoinette:
When my mom was a young adult, she had to escape Vietnam during the Vietnam War in the 1970s. She escaped by means of refugee boats where she spent countless weeks out in the open ocean, forced to drink her own urine at times to survive. When she finally came to the United States, she lived in Mobile, Alabama with a sponsor family. She then moved to New York where her cousin was currently being supported by a different sponsor family. This family was part of a church and it was in this church where my mom met the pastor's wife who helped her with life skills and English. This woman's name was Antoinette.
Somewhere down the timeline, she met my dad. They decided to get married and start a family resulting in me. My dad wanted to name me Vicki after Jill Whelan's character on the Love Boat (LOL) but my mom said otherwise and named me after a wonderful, beautiful, caring pastor's wife.
After gaining more perspective on why I was named so, I've learned to love my name.
Went to the dentist's today to get my annual check-up. Fortunately, no cavities and my teeth are in good shape. However, my lower wisdom teeth are slowly growing at a slight angle which might impact my precious pearls.
Why are wisdom teeth called "wisdom teeth"? I asked my dentist and she told me to look it up haha
According to Dr. Florine, these third molars "...usually erupt in the late teen years, which coincides with passage into adulthood and is referred to by some as the age of wisdom; hence 'wisdom teeth'".
I'm 21 now and I have seen a lot of people my age do dumbass things, myself included. It makes me wonder that the standards at which this time was dubbed "the age of wisdom" must have been much higher than it is today.
Speaking of wisdom...though I am no King Solomon, I've been blessed to receive a few pearls of wisdom myself.
I cannot change people: I cannot make you stop cutting yourself. I cannot make you believe I am still your friend when you push me and everyone away. I cannot make you less immature, cowardly, or selfish. I cannot control what you do but I can control what I do. As much as I want the best for you, it is ultimately your choice to be the change you want to be, for better or for worse.
Forgiveness: Gaining the ability to forgive is no easy feat. In fact, forgiveness is not a one time choice and you may spend your entire life forgiving to settle the matter in your heart. It is better to be free from anger, sadness, and pain through forgiveness than to live a life filled with spite and bitterness. Also, forgiveness does not deny responsibility of behavior so if the one who hurt you continues to be a dumbass, it's ok, let it be and simply love them haha.
I cannot rely on my own strength: Human strength can only go so far until we collapse under the weight of all our burdens and responsibilities. When you rely on your own reservoir of strength, what happens when this resource runs out? Or if we place our strength in someone and they fail us? We are helpless, weak, and vulnerable just like how we came out of the womb. I feel that it is important to put our strength in a higher power that is unlimited, ever-flowing, and never-failing. For some that may be an idea, deity, etc.
The latter part of this entry pretty much sums up the major lessons I have learned within the past 5 years. Thanks Steve, Jasmine, Joline, and Mike.
It feels so good to be blessed with wonderful, caring, and supportive parents like mine. It has been a long road on this faith journey and it will continue to be so. This is a little praise post for the Big Man upstairs and to mom and dad.
During dinner, my family and I got to talking about my trip to Egypt and how I would be determining whether if I wanted to do the kind of work in Egypt in Vietnam or something.
My mom started saying how angry she got at my aunt who was discouraging her saying things like, "Once your kids graduate, make sure they get a job right away!" "Egypt is way too dangerous! Why are you sending her there?"
To which my mom replied, "I know she's my only child but if she doesn't go, who will?" and then my mom told me, "I'm really proud of you Antoinette". I almost wanted to cry. I'm tearing up a little right now even haha.
Even though my parents and I believe in different faiths, I am grateful we agree on the value of doing good for the world's poor and giving back to the community.
In my general biology class sophomore year, I asked Dr. Thomas what the order for penguins was. He didn't know so I looked it up myself. It's Sphenisciformes btw.
Penguins are quite the little gentlemen. They're pretty much fearless, social, and stay true to their mate (at least for the breeding season). Plus, they sport fashionable tuxedos that would even make Fred Astaire jealous.
To be a penguin for a day would be glorious. But I don't know if I would be comfortable looking like everyone else lol. Except for that guy second to the right.
If someone were to ask me what my favorite body part is, I would say these hands of mine. While on vacation in Oahu with my family, we had the wonderful opportunity to witness several hula kahiko dances. Even though it was my 4th stay on the island, the dancing never gets old. A big part of the dance is that it tells a story through the subtle movements of the hands. The hands tell the story (not the hips! haha).
I'm looking at my hands right now. My fingers are rather long and knobby looking. Knuckles protrude a little too much and my palms have a tendency to get a little swampy. They're not perfect and I am proud of the things they have done and at the same time, wish they were capable of undoing some of the not-so-proud things I've done.
What story would my hands tell me?
When hands were fashioned, I think they were meant to do things like tickling, holding each other's hands, helping a brother up on his feet, etc. Isn't also interesting how much destruction these hands are capable of too? Like stealing, killing, abusing, etc. There's so much these hands can do! Grinding drugs with a mortar and pestle, drilling teeth, playing the guitar, doing "air quotes", picking our noses, and among other things.
As I prepare for my summer travels, I think about all the different sorts of people I'll be meeting and missing. After much thought, I've narrowed it down to 5 friends I can't wait to meet in the future. Onwards...
Nomadic Herdsman: Ok, the likelihood I am going to run into one of these guys is low but after reading The Alchemist, who wouldn't want to meet a shepherd boy turned adventurer in search of his dreams? Can you imagine the stories and seeds of wisdom just frothing out like a rootbeer float? I'll meet you Santiago at the Pyramids.
Prophetic Artist: Whatever they do, say, think is pure gold. Even when they sneeze, flecks of gold sprays out like a shower of sunshine. One cannot help but be overwhelmed and moved by their art that is blessed by the divine. I just want to be inspired. ----->(Update 07.30.10) Amy Shain
Wine Aficionado: As a somewhat newly fledged 21 year old, I have developed a slight taste for alcohol and it would be great to have a buddy who knows what's good and what's bad while also enjoying a glass/chalice/flagon/uterus with me while making fun of each other in my attempts in building up enzymes to resist the Asian glow! ----->(Update 05.31.10) Found him! And he was under my nose the entire time: Stephen Anthony Lee
Knight: Not one of those school/club mascots, but someone who embodies the Chivalric code. It's probably close to impossible to uphold those ideals which makes this friend all the more rare and worth getting to know. Next to my best friends, this friend is almost too ideal. This type of friend is more figurative than literal, though it would be cool if he/she had a horse.
Parkour Dude: Who wouldn't want an urban ninja as a friend!? It'll be hard to keep up but at least I would bring a first aid kit in case of any accidents lol.
Cut off 10 inches of hair today to donate to Locks of Love. My 7th grade Algebra teacher once told me that when a woman cuts her hair, her life is about to change. I feel that this is an accurate transition at where I am in life right now.
Also, got my typhoid vaccination for when I go to Egypt this June.
As you can tell by the picture above, I have totally not unpacked my room since moving out of my residence hall on Saturday.
Travel to all continents (4/7) (Jun 10) to Tokyo (Apr 05) to Paris (Jun 10) to Rome to Brazil to Chicago to New Orleans
Learn how to ride a motorcycle how to play a song on guitar how to skateboard Arabic (conversational) how to use Illustrator how to solve a Rubik's cube (08)
Other cosplay (Sep 10) ride a camel (Jul 10) join a musical (Mar 07) get my work published (08) be on a brochure (Spring 10) go sky-diving sew a quilt (Aug 07) swim with dolphins see a concert: LUPE FIASCO!!! (Mar 10) go skinny dipping in an ocean, lake or river sell a piece of art paint a mural graduate as Dr. Dinh
On-going have one-on-ones share and receive knowledge and wisdom watch live theater/musicals collect shot glasses
