happy _______

It seems like everyone is either totally opposed to V-day or totally celebrating. Like people’s status updates are either mopey about being single or lovey dovey, up on their SO’s nuts. Either they have extravagant, adorable plans to parade their cuteness in the candlelight or are staging “singles revolt type things”. (Sorry to pick on you, N.) Personally I really dgaf either way, it is what it is. If you need a day to be all heppy and do cute things for someone you especially like then today is the day for you! And if you need a day to gripe and whine and eat ice cream like the apocalypse is coming and calories come with no consequences then, again, go for it! Today is your day, too! Just when those without valentines are assumed to be glum on the 14th of February…it’s kind of a whuddafuck. Is society really telling us that we can only be happy if we have someone “special” in our lives? Should we REALLY be made to feel bad about being single? Stop looking for valentines, y’all. Be your own valentine.

Today my valentine is NorCal. Roses are red, violets are blue, yadayadayada, NorCal I love you. Yesterday I hung out at Donut Wheel with some homies and just sat and chatted. Something so chill and comfortable about being home, there’s no assumptions or presumptions and you just are who you are and nobody really gives a second shit. I love being home also because my parents take me out to eat the really delicious foods. Also because the stars are always nicer from here. And the guy who sells us donuts hates us as much as ever, too. It’s nice to be back.

I just don’t really care that much about today, it’s nothing really special to me. It didn’t even occur to me that today was the day to celebrate love and pink things between “intimate companions.” Congratulations if you are half of a duo! Congratulations if you are not! V-day should just be a day to eat chocolate and say haaaay to the people you like best. Though I’ve only done the former so far.

Anywho, I WOULD like to say happy lunar new year! Gong hay fat choy, send red packets my way! Hahaha I kid, I never really got much moneys from this holiday and I’ve never been one to complain. Tis the year of the tiger, which means my cousin is 12 years old. HOOOLY, time does fly. And tigers are charismatic and courageous and brave and such, so here’s to a year of tigerlicious times.

happy halloween mnonkin fabkers

I hate to overuse a cliche but okay, shitshow for sure.

Started off the night at Chipotle! FREE BURRITOS WHAT! The crew I went with ended up going back for seconds...and thirds. NOT FAT, I SWEAR. But yeah I only had 1.3 burritos so whatever y'allll! In retrospect Halloween weekend was like, the worst weekend EVER when caloric intake is concerned.
-five! five dollar footlong! I ate it in...basically one sitting...hahaha.
-burrrrritos YEE
-Del Taco. GOTTA LOVE IT, chicken soft taco, you are my best friend. Fried jalapeno rings, not feelin you as much.
-shots shots shots shot-shot-shots ERRRRBODDDYYY
So fat. SO, so fat. I should really just go back to dating the gym. (Elliptical, I love you, I'm sorry, let's give this a second chance. It could really work this time.)

Then I went to Newport Beach for "Nightmare on 29th"... I don't even know how to start so I will just...list things.

-hoes hoes hoes - the man version, as well as probably some girl versions too LOL. (My annoying side came out as I decided to document lap dances and face-licking of all sorts)
-and drunks. Drunks drunks drunks EVERYWHERE. Horny kind, loud kind, hand-holding kind (LOL), apparently the angry kind...and then just...more drunk people added into the mix. Drunk Tigger with ears askew, drunk Scot in kilt, drunk Donkey Kong, etc etc. Tranny messes, all of you.
-probably dropped my phone a thousand more times, because now it is even MORE crappy and broken-looking, and click-y. THIS IS NOT HOW MY PHONE SHOULD BE, IT HAS NOT EVEN BEEN THREE MONTHS!
-was force fed a shot out of NOWHERE, while I was in the middle of talking. Basically I guess he just poured it into my mouth when I was saying something, I'm guessing something like "WOW" cause you open your mouth big for that one. K I'm gonna stop talking.
-apparently someone punched in the side of a car and then spent the night in the drunk tank.
-also, apparently someone got STABBED on 29th street too...yeah wtfz guys
-basically gave this guy (who flaked on me, which is like #1 offense) shit all night, and punched him with my gold cuff YES. Mission accomplished. But it's okay, because
-he ended up peeing his pants later, HAHAHA!!!!!!! More ON than IN, BUT STILL!!! HAHAHA!!!
-sang along/dance partied to Taylor Swift with the guy who ended up in the drunk tank later
-then found Taylor Swift downstairs
-also met a girl scout and then proceeded to recite the oath whilst pouring Captain Mo, oh how far we have come.
-felt like I was back in Asia because it was literally 938472387 degrees in the house, plus sweaty humidity, so basically I felt like I was inhaling a mixture of BO and alcohol all night, which was definitely a highlight. NO.
-I made a Jewish friend named MITCH!
-someone randomly picked me up as a big sis, which is funny because 1. neither of us are affiliated because we both de-pledged/deferred and because 2. just wtf HAHAHA...oh well he offered me lunch so I will be taking advantage of this accordingly
-got hit on (?????) by very drunk/very taken boy...LOL but I dodged that bullet whew
-and got hugged a lot, which I really was not enjoying, because I mean, it was 23984793874 degrees in there, do we really need to share our body warmth? Really? Come on guys.

Then we stopped by another party for about two minutes, with one minute being devoted to me emptying my bladder.

THEN we came back to my apartment complex and played some beer pong (which I really do not remember).
-apparently I was talking hella shit to nobody but my own partner. TEAMWORK FTW. But it's okay because
-I DID NOT TROLL. One cup made, accomplishment I would say, especially considering my state of being...hahaha NTS, do not play this game when very drunk

And then I don't remember coming back to my apartment but...I MADE IT SAFE AND SOUND!

Good costumes I saw:
-JUNO & PAULIE BLEEKER!!! I took a picture of her belly. In retrospect that might be semi-awkward but do I care? No. Also this was funny because some guy thought she was ACTUALLY pregnant and mentioned that it might be harmful to her unborn baby to be downing that many shots, LOL.
-IDK, but there is a picture of some guy's nipple on my camera.......good.
-TAYLOR SWIFT! (: as mentioned before.
-there were a lot of babies. And just...naked people. Well, I mean, Mean Girls hit on an immortal truth: Halloween is the only time a girl can dress like a slut and not be judged for it. Apparently the rule applies to guys as well. But really, being naked is not a costume. I'm sorry.
-DeadMaus woooo
-"drunk all the time". He made a shirt with pictures of himself highly inebriated, that said "wanted by the FBI for being DRUNK ALL THE TIME" or something like that. Oh yeah this is the guy who I Taylor Swift-ed with and also the guy who punched in the side of the car and ended up in the drunk tank. So I guess his costume wasn't really a costume, more of a...real life identity type thing. HAHA.
-TOOL! He had a hat shaped like a wrench and then a shirt that said tool, I LOLed.
-some guy was an angel, I LOLed again.
-cute high school couple - football player and cheerleader. The football guy came in FULL GEAR. Those shoulder pads were NOT FUN to stand next to, especially when he turned abruptly and whacked my face
-then you got your regular crew of tramps and nerds, workout people and guys in corsets (which is REALLY not pretty, or even that funny, if you ask me)

But I'm not ragging on other peoples costumes, because okay, I don't even know what I was...basically people asked me what I was, and I just said "you tell me." So responses I got:
-Pocahontas (okay, this is initially what I wanted to be, but I totally thought I ditched that idea when I found this ridiculously shiny $8 dress at Buffalo Exchange. Apparently not, though? So I guess I win..)
-Cleopatra (that's the one I was planning on sticking with)
-Greek goddess
-shiny piece of shit. No, I kid. But yeah whatever.
-"pretty". HAHAHA......awkward, bye.

Also I was very unaware of how drunk texty I am.
-I REALLY MISS YOU HOME PEOPLE. Sorry to Neri for getting the full brunt of my drunken homesickness. Also my first text reads "I breally ahev to pee rght now." So thanks Neri...for reading about the state of my bladder....yeeeeah.
-Thanks to Tim who basically made my night with this piece of quality texting: "Ur a mnonkin fabker baller ! luqo" (WHAT IS LUQO? But "mnonkin fabker" is definitely entering my daily vocabulary)
-"RAPE RAPE RAPE" (?!?!?!)
-"Woowowww m drunk when id this haoppen." (Self, please stop texting. And the time stamp reads 1:45 AM, so I guess there is your answer.)
-at least that was a change from 12:01 AM, "I need to bhe more drunkk"
-then to Nate: "Hoep youre having a better night than me. Fuck," -- was I telling him to get some action?? (; HAHAHA just kidding friends
-1:46 is when I wanted to be back in the CPT I suppose. "Im drinkk take me home )))):::" That is really a scary smiley face, four mouths and three sets of eyes. Monsters really do come out on Halloween. But I guess this is still better than the hoards of emoticon-overusers :D :D :D :D :D :P :P :P :P :P ;) ;) who once texted me on a daily basis before I non-subtly snipped them out of my inbox and life.

So yeah, I woke up around 10 this morning still in full costume, just...on my bed. Must say it was kind of surprising but at the same time very relieving. Lol. Cleaned up, went to Del Taco & de-briefed the night...and now a full day of homework and school business to deal with. And yeah, apparently I KO'ed while listening to Super Mash Bros, so add that to the list of other random music I fall asleep to (NERD). HOLLA, MUSIC THREAD.

so actually

SUMMER
June 12 or 13: come home
June 21: leave home
June 22: move in to my APARTMENT hollaaa (:
June 22-July 29: summer school
July 30-August 23: home
August 23-September 12: Indonesia
September 12-September 19: HOME
September 21: school starts

COOL...visit me please. Empty apartment, Disneyland & the beach close by.
Kind of a bummer, I'm only gonna be home for like a month total. OH WELL, such is life!

I'm on a bus

motherfuckers, take a look at me.

YES! The title is indeed true, because I am blogging to you live from the Vietnamese Bus*. Slash Highway Five. It's a great day out here on the highway for a number of reasons:
1. the sun is shining! (even though I can't feel it and all the shades are drawn..)
2. I just found out this bus has wifi. LEGIT
3. the Jacki Chan movie about the Tuxedo is playing...which is a huge upgrade from Miss Vietnam Global. (Although I do love a good pageant show)
and of course,
4. "I'm On A Boat" has been stuck in my head for the past 3-4 hours, except the remixed version that my head created, "I'm On A Bus"...it's pretty great.
All in all a successful trip thus far. My estimated arrival time in Irvine is probably around 4 or 5, and from there I have a nice lonely evening and perhaps a kickback to attend if plans legitimize. (Is that even a word?)

*For those of you who are interested, I skipped out on the sandwich after finding out that it really is actually ground liver. And no, there is no nail salon. Unfortunate, my nails could use some work.

I just looked out my window....SHIET, MIDDLE CAL! D: Shoot me now. This giant bus is gonna kill so many butterflies and bugs. And there are no nice trees and hills for me to entertain my eyes with. Which leads me to the second list of my blogpost:

Why NorCal is Far Superior (from both SoCal and MidCal, if that even counts as a segment of Cal.)
1. THE AIR. So much more fresh, crisp, clean, more adjectives that remind you of a salad. Honestly, I can see LA from some parts in Irvine and it looks kind of like Mordor. Smog is no fun, kids.
2. Trees. There are a LOT more trees. And it's just a lot more dense and green and lush. Plus we have the REAL trees (ie Redwoods) not the wimpy little trees that I don't know the names of. They're nice too, but Redwoods will always be my favorite.

3. Hills. I never really noticed, but Cupertino is constantly receiving a giant hug from the hills on pretty much all sides. And they are GREEN and fabulous. I just want to run up all of them and sing about how the hills are alive with the sound of music. But then I remind myself that I am not in that great shape and I am also not Julie Andrews, so I will content myself with driving up the hills with my friends (HOLLA highway 9!). NorCal has soo many great lookout spots; perhaps I'm just not well acquainted with Irvine enough to know where the good spots are, but so far the only place I know of is the top floor of the parking structure. WIN.


4. Character. I feel like NorCal is not as manufactured and planned as SoCal. Especially Irvine, which was plotted out specifically and planned meticulously by the Irvine Company. Hooray for having a Utopian style town (bleh) but um...I like towns and cities that grow. I can't really explain it, but just looking around the streets of NorCal you KNOW that there's character and stories and growing. SoCal just feels too materialistic and image-conscious.
5. They say we have nothing, but honestly we have everything. We have the Bay. The beaches, the hills, and everything in between. We have great cities like SF and we have Santa Cruz and scenery and real trees...and we have Tahoe! Although that is kind of a drive.
6. NorCal has tons of Priuses! I saw one that was painted really nicely; it was an ocean scene I think? Then it blended into a rainbow. THE POINT IS we are environment-friendly! Unlike Mordor and those smog producing Orcs. I hardly ever see Priuses in SoCal and when I do it makes me a little happy inside. Haha.
7. The people. This one is kind of a given.


Which leads me to the discussion of a most fabulously-spent holiday. It's hard to believe that a little less than a week ago, Nate, Crystal and I were careening down this same highway, killing bugs without a thought, heading for HOME and friends and happiness. I can honestly say, although this break seems to be ending prematurely, it was very well spent in great company. It just fits, like puzzle pieces nawmean? I guess I didn't truly realize the significance of HOME before this break, I don't know why. I have a lot more to say on this subject but as it is, this blogpost is already quite long and I know that if I got into the details it would be more self-reflective boring-for-you-to-read material. So I will hold off on that and write about random things instead.

The guy sitting catty corner from me was writing in his moleskine earlier. I wanted to pat him on the head, but I held myself back. I'm giving Nate a holla by using his fave phrase, "catty corner." And when I was asking how to spell it, this greatness happened:
N: catty and kitty are also exceptable
C: okay
C: ACCEPTABLE*
C: SHIET SON, YOU JUST GOT CORRECTED
N: shiit
C: I AM GOING TO BLOG ABOUT THIS.

So I did. Also he gave a really weak excuse:
N: I woke up like an hour ago so gimme a break

Hahaha, oh meepkins. Not getting off that easy. This is a victory that I am going to relish forever. CHyeah I just immortalized it into my blogspot. What now.

Last night I had a dream that I was on my way to class and I got a phone call from a mystery number. I picked it up, and it was none other than JASON MRAZ. He was calling to tell me that he wanted me to dance in his music video or something. And do you know what I said???? "Can I call you back later? I'm in class."
I take that as a really good sign for my grades next quarter. You don't just turn down Jason Mraz! I was surprised at my dream-self when I woke up.

Anyway, spring break was The Shit minus some sourness with my parents that I can forget about. I am re-energized for the hardest quarter this year, and I'm ready to work hard and slack off less. Being home reminded me that there are good people in the world and that there are reasons to prove yourself and have ambitions. It was just the breath of fresh air that I needed.

edit// 4pm
In my dorm room! Just added some pics...and this is me at the end of the Vietnamese bus trip:


YAY

end of an era

As Natalie brought to my attention last night during the countdown, this year was the last year we could wear those spiffy "2009" glasses. Cause next year we'll be ringing in 2010 and there will be an awkward line hanging in the middle of your face and a 2 all alone by your ear, and this imbalance is definitely a no-no. So sad, so sad. But I guess we'll all just deal with it. haha

Happy 2009, guys! (:

So for most of us, "our" year of 2008 is over. Sad, I know. 2008 was a pretty great year from the start, filled with fun times & friendship & growth, yay. I feel like we are all really growing up! We graduated high school and all went off to college and started learning (hopefully) and having fun (duh) independent of each other and our previous MV lives.

People tend to do these "best of last year" moments at the start of a new year, but my memory is too crappy for me to recollect all the times that made me happiest. Thank goodness for photographs, or these countless happy times would probably be lost forever within the tangled realms of my mind. Thanks for being a part of my fantabulous 2008 though, everyone. (: I truly wouldn't change a thing!

I am ready to kick some ass in 2009. I know I'm never good at sticking to New Years Resolutions, but I always make them anyway. I feel like I learned a lot in 2008 and my resolutions just involve some things to keep in mind more often than I did in 08. So it should be easier to keep them this year...right? Please?

Winter break is pretty much over! ): Half of my to-do list remains unchecked, but there is a lot more that happened than I ever thought to list so I am not going to be a baby and whine. There is always spring break, unless I visit the east coast which is a possibility? Unsure. How strange, though...this will be the first quarter I go through straight without a little break to come home. 10 whole weeks! Ah well, absence makes the heart grow fonder...and hopefully by the time I come back to NorCal, it won't be so damn cold.

I realize I spent a lot of time this break just sitting at home doing whatever I wanted. Reading, watching TV/movies, writing, taking long baths, haha. When you write it all down like that it seems like I had a pretty unproductive break but I think it was some well-deserved me-time, offset by the hangout sessions with friends who keep me sane & happy. Hoo-hah. Win all around!

2009, here I come!

christmas day

Merry Christmas, all!

Is it just me, or is Christmas rather uneventful? This isn't necessarily a negative thing, believe me, I appreciate the uneventful days just as much as the days jam-packed with fun. But in my history, Christmas has always been a day when everyone just sits back and takes a breath. Which is good; most of us are living life too quickly without truly appreciating the present.

I woke up nice and late today, quite a change from the days when my sister and I would wake up at six in the morning to start opening presents. Presents were not a focus this year; I guess the real gift of the season is that I'm with my family and friends. Cheesy, perhaps, but I truly couldn't be any happier. Plus, gifts can be overrated. Cards, on the other hand, are too often underrated. I appreciate a heartfelt and well-written card much more than the big box attached...because cards are for keeps! And I like reading what other people write.

Plus, I keep cards for ages and ages. I still have birthday cards from when I was in seventh grade packed away, and any letters I get are stored similarly. I stumbled upon a letter I received from my pen-pal soldier in April 2007 and it made me wonder where he is and how he's doing...I hope he's with his loved ones. I can't remember why we lost contact. And I will admit, it worries me a tad.

Anyway, after a delicious Christmas lunch (my mom went all out and cooked rack of lamb, mmm!) I went driving with my dad. Quality father-daughter bonding time, no? I haven't practiced driving in quite a while so I was a little rusty to begin with, but I got more and more comfortable as I continued practicing. License, here I come! License is one of the words I spell incorrectly ALL the time. Thank goodness for Firefox's spell check feature.

My family + Crystal (who actually might be a distant relation, hahahah) are leaving for Tahoe early tomorrow morning. I can't wait to hit the slopes once more! Hopefully I won't fall on my face and be a complete failure and then some, but as I learned today with my driving, going back to something you haven't done in a while isn't easy as pie.

I hope you all had happy days as well. (:

holiday cheer

My suite, view down the staircase, and the common room. (:

My hall is amazing with decor and Christmas spirit! We sang Christmas carols tonight as our hall was judged for holiday decoration. And we ripped up paper and pretended it was snow and made snow angels and sang and danced and dressed up, and it was super cute! This was right after our hall banquet where we all got dolled up and pigged out. My hall seriously rockkkks.<3

Pretty much I am filled to the brim with holiday cheer! And optimism in general.

Like the fact that I missed one and a half out of two classes today don't phase me none! Also I am increasingly optimistic about my essay due Saturday and my bio final on Monday, both of which require much more work on my part. Does that tell you what a good mood I am in right now? I feel like I can do accomplish anything! All I have to do is get around to doing it..haha.

It might be the caffeine talking. I had a double shot Starbucks thingy today and perhaps the caffeine is hyping me up into some over-energetic/optimistic freak of nature. Could be that.

The Best Day by Taylor Swift is such a cute, simply happy song. Simple happiness is hard to come by, and I wish I could embody that feeling of peaceful, quiet joy the way that she does in this song. Appreciation of the smaller moments and simple pleasures is really important!


The Secret Santa gift I got! How scandy, as my friend Monique would say. Hahaha

it rains when you're here and it rains when you're gone

Don't ask me to explain the title, it would take waaay too much effort. All I have to say for myself is that Taylor Swift is the greatest. Also, this blows my mind: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZSfhyjKr7pE&feature=PlayList&p=7A8772C4056060AD&index=0. Favorite! This paragraph made no sense.

Everyone is at the hall dinner tonight, but I decided to skip out on it and opt for a study sesh/quick dinner duo. So that is what I am doing, except for that first part. Catching up on blogs seems a much more worthwhile way to pass the time, and I truly can not concentrate on studying when the leaves of my Caesar salad are the size of my face. (Seriously, eating this salad is ridiculous. Dressing splatters everywhere when I attempt to force even one oversized leaf into my mouth.)

I signed up for classes! Winter quarter consists of Management, Psych, and Humanities Core. I'm looking forward to next quarter, but not everyone else is. It's going to be BULLY for a ton of people and everyone will be studying all the time or at class or labs and we will have no time to socialize! Yeah, right...that's what they say now. But you know for sure that we'll be staying up late doing nothing as always.

So I stayed up until 4 AM yesterday, not studying. Duh. I was doing this riddle website with a couple friends and I strongly encourage you to attempt it! There are 20 questions and yes, it took us quite a while, but I do enjoy a good riddle. Too bad I am stubborn with things like this and ABSOLUTELY MUST finish all the riddles even though it is 4 in the morning and I have completely disregarded studying! Anyway. Here is the link: http://urlriddle.googlepages.com/

This late bedtime was really not a good idea. Instead of waking up at 7 to turn in my housing application as planned, I woke up at 10. So I missed the ideal housing app turn-in time as well as a shopping date at the vendor fair! ): After the fastest shower I've ever taken I went to class and then to Albertson's and finally onto a shuttle to Vista Del Campo, my apartment complex for next year.



VDC is freaking sweet. I don't really know what else to say other than that. Hopefully I'm going to be living in a 4 bed/2 bath apartment with Lesley, Sarah, and Jacki. I'm super excited to decorate and have my own room for the first time in seventeen years!! I kid you not.

I made it to the vendor fair eventually and bought another scarf to add to the stuff I bought yesterday. I spend way too much money, thanks. Stimulating the economy is definitely a top priority for me.

All the halls in Middle Earth are being judged tomorrow for their holiday decor. Our hall is pretty decked out; we have a wreath, stockings for everyone, giant candycanes, dangling dreidles, a tree, lights EVERYWHERE, and more! Today I sat for a good hour and made longlonglongg paper chains to hang on the banister and I must say it is pretty fab. Snowflake cutting is happening later in the night and I am thuper exthited! It seems like I am getting very into the holiday season this year, or maybe it is only because my hall is so damn cute. Anyway, paper-chain making was very therapeutic and it made me feel crafty, so the hour spent really was for a good cause.

I have progressed into a state of mind where little matters to me other than the right now. I really like being busy and having things to occupy me; the slow days are nice every so often, but a schedule with something always happening keeps me content and prevents me from focusing on things I really shouldn't focus on. Hoorah.

Also, hoorah for bandwagon hopping:

post a memory of me as a comment for this entry.
it can be anything you want.
maybe your first, maybe your favorite.
& post this to your journal and see what people remember of you.

tuesdays are less awesome

I missed my first class today and barely made it to my second one. I really could've just skipped that one as well, seeing as we did absolutely nothing productive.

I can not wait until I get home! My mom texted me today and told me that she was getting spicy chicken (MY FAVE!) and cooking Thai food for dinner tomorrow night. A home-cooked meal has never sounded so appetizing, especially after all my Ramen dinners.

Lucky find: my friend from my hall has 60+ swipes left. So she is swiping me in tonight and I love her. The end.

I recently started watching How I Met Your Mother after a bunch of my friends told me how great it was. So, being bored and not wanting to do my homework (what else is new), I logged onto Sidereel and watched the first couple episodes. DAMN it is funny. I'm currently downloading the first three seasons from my friend's hard drive...and for the rest of the night, I'm pretty much packing and watching HIMYM.

This show got me to thinking. Isn't it true that a lot of people meet their future spouses in college? What if you end up getting married to that one random guy you stole a pop-tart from that one time? Or that guy you drew on when he was passed out in the hallway? It's weird to think about the significance these people might have in your life. Who will stay a good friend and who won't?

The holiday season is getting me excited! (: Though I am pretty broke, which is a bummer. My hall is going all out for the holiday decorating competition. We're hanging snowflakes from the ceiling and wrapping the banisters/windows in lights and garlands/tinsel. Everyone is wrapping their door, and our common room is going to be decked out with a fat tree and stockings with everyones name! And to be PC we're putting up banners for Kwanzaa and Hannukah too. HOORAH.

In a little less than 24 hours, I'll be back in Norcal!