Study Break

Hello again!  It's been so long since I've written. *sigh*  I actually have a paper due for my Law for Finance class tomorrow, but of course, I don't want to do it...so what's a better way to use my time than to write a new post and listen to music!

I'll keep this short because I really do need to finish researching and start writing, but while I was away, I thought about what direction I wanted to take this blog.  I've been all over the place with my postings, and I just wondered if it would be more interesting to have a set theme or topic to focus on.  I'll try this for a while and see where it takes me!

So, for this next month, I want to try to do one of those 30-day photo challenges.  I've seen friends do them on facebook, and it seems like a good thing to try.  I'll start that with my next post.  :)

Back to the Grind

10 days left until I take REG...time for the home stretch.  See you in two weeks -_-

Before I go AWOL, there are two great things I'd like to share:
1) I passed FAR and BEC!
2) This video is impressive:

Funny Pages

I ran across this note on a friend's Facebook and had a good laugh.  Enjoy!

HELL EXPLAINED BY A CHEMISTRY STUDENT

The following is an actual question given on a University of Washington chemistry mid-term. The answer by one student was so profound that the professor shared it with colleagues, via the Internet, which is, of course, why we now have the pleasure of enjoying it as well :

Bonus Question: Is Hell exothermic (gives off heat) or endothermic (absorbs heat)?

Most of the students wrote proofs of their beliefs using Boyle's Law (gas cools when it expands and heats when it is compressed) or some variant.

One student, however, wrote the following:

First, we need to know how the mass of Hell is changing in time. So we need to know the rate at which souls are moving into Hell and the rate at which they are leaving. I think that we can safely assume that once a soul gets to Hell, it will not leave. Therefore, no souls are leaving. As for how many souls are entering Hell, let's look at the different religions that exist in the world today. Most of these religions state that if you are not a member of their religion, you will go to Hell. Since there is more than one of these religions and since people do not belong to more than one religion, we can project that all souls go to Hell. With birth and death rates as they are, we can expect the number of souls in Hell to increase exponentially. Now, we look at the rate of change of the volume in Hell because Boyle's Law states that in order for the temperature and pressure in Hell to stay the same, the volume of Hell has to expand proportionately as souls are added.

This gives two possibilities:

1. If Hell is expanding at a slower rate than the rate at which souls enter Hell, then the temperature and pressure in Hell will increase until all Hell breaks loose.

2. If Hell is expanding at a rate faster than the increase of souls in Hell, then the temperature and pressure will drop until Hell freezes over.

So which is it?

If we accept the postulate given to me by Teresa during my Freshman year that, "It will be a cold day in Hell before I sleep with you," and take into account the fact that I slept with her last night, then number two must be true, and thus I am sure that Hell is exothermic and has already frozen over. The corollary of this theory is that since Hell has frozen over, it follows that it is not accepting any more souls and is therefore, extinct......leaving only Heaven, thereby proving the existence of a divine being which explains why, last night, Teresa kept shouting "Oh my G**."

 

THIS STUDENT RECEIVED THE ONLY "A".

If I Should Grow Older...

Sarah Kay:  If I Should Have A Daughter...

I didn't know what to expect when I clicked on this video, but once I started watching, I was sucked in.  Her words are so beautiful, and they paint such a vivid picture that reaches inside you and stays with you.  I especially loved the lines:

I'm going to paint the solar system on the back of her hands 
So that she has to learn the entire universe before she can say
"Oh, I know that like the back of my hand."

She's such a talented young woman.  I've heard other artists perform spoken word poetry before.  Some were good, and some seemed angry.  I would describe Sarah Kay's poetry as inspiring.  After listening to her talk, I decided to write a poem as well:

When my parents are no longer beside me, but are up in the sky

where the birds fly, where balloons float away

and become little specks in the universe,

When I look to the future, will I be happy?  Satisfied?

I've always had something pulling me forward:  

summers, college, graduation

When life becomes stable and smooth like a perfectly iced cake,

will I still feel the pull forward, or will the tide recede?

We have so much energy and vibrance as kids. 

Where does it all go?

Does it evaporate like steam, 

only to come down again as tears and sweat?

Do we learn to store it away like a prized piece of candy 

that we take out only on special days?

Do we pass it on to the littler ones and reminisce on the side 

because that's how it should be?

I enjoy speaking to older people because they always have stories.

As the words pour out through their weathered lips,

their eyes shine with the life of their younger years.  

When I grow older, I want to have stories to tell.

I want a library.

How can I gain so many experiences in such a short lifetime?
Experiences that are meaningful, unforgettable, unregrettable.
I can learn from others and create my own memories,
take every opportunity to live a new day, and not sleep them away
because I can sleep as much as I want after I die. 
Will that be enough?


When I grow older, I want to have stories to tell.
I want to understand why people do what they do.
I want to have opinions on things that matter.
I want to make good decisions,
even when I don't know what will happen.
I want to be able to fight when I must with passion and loyalty,
but when the war is over, I want to foster peace always.
I want to love unconditionally.
I want to be a good person, 
and I hope to inspire others along the way.

Drama = Addictive

Oh, dramas, how I love thou.  I try to stay away, but somehow, you keep pulling me back.  You teach me lessons about life, love, relationships, joy, sadness, longing, hope...and I don't even understand your language.  How hopeless.

Inspired by my post about Secret Garden, I've decided to write about the countless hours of Asian dramas I've watched throughout the past five years.  I just started watching dramas when I was a freshman in college, so my list is not extensive...yet.  Below are my favorite dramas of all time, somewhat in order from my favorite to least favorite:

1. Devil Beside You - This is probably my favorite drama of all time.  It's a Taiwanese drama that a family friend, T, recommended to me.  I may have gotten swept away with the cast because I watched this drama right after I watched Why Why Love.  It's very much a sweet love story about a girl and boy in high school who's parents begin dating.  I know, the plot might not sound too appealing, but the characters' love and actions for one another were very touching.  My only complaint in this drama is Mike He's hair...why did you have to use bobby pins?!?!
2. Secret Garden - This had me laughing from the very beginning.  See my post from March 16th for a more detailed review.
3. Boys Over Flowers - In addition to Secret Garden and Devil Beside You, Boys Over Flowers has made my top 3 drama list.  The common theme between them is that there is a great balance of comedy and romance in them, and the storyline didn't drag very much.  More specifically to Boys Over Flowers, it is the Korean version of Meteor Garden and Hana Yori Dango.  What I liked more about Hana Yori Dango was that it had more intense/emotional scenes in the beginning.  In Boys Over Flowers, I enjoyed the more modern fashion of the cast and set, and the plot moved along quicker.  I would recommend watching both if you have time, though.
4. Why Why Love - This has the same cast as Devil Beside You.  I watched this drama before I watched Devil Beside You, and I fell in love with the cast.  It's a cute drama about a poor girl who is working to help support her family, and she and her friend sell coupons with random tasks they will perform when people draw them.  The main guy, Huo Da, ends up getting a master/servant coupon, and the rest of the drama is about Jia Di, the main girl, fulfilling the task.  You can probably guess what happens...but that's what makes dramas so addicting, no?
5. Hana Yori Dango (Seasons 1 & 2 and The Final Movie) - This was the first drama I ever watched, thanks to the recommendation of my friend, L.  [He also recommended that I watch the Korean movie 200 Pound Beauty, which I really enjoyed as well.] Hana Yori Dango is the Japanese version of Boys Over Flowers and Meteor Garden.  I remember crying and laughing a lot through this drama.  Even though I wished some of the actors would cut their hair and stop wearing lip gloss, this show was worth watching.  I liked the storyline and the final movie was a nice surprise, which I watched a few years after finishing the actual drama.  This one will always have a special place in my heart.
   
6. Coffee Prince - I didn't think I would enjoy this drama as much as I did.  It's about a girl who pretends to be a guy to work as a fast food delivery boy.  She ends up getting a job at a coffee shop that only hires males.  It's very comedic and also sometimes uncomfortable/embarrassing to watch as the girl and her boss grow to like each other but deny their attraction as two males.  It's definitely a different approach to the traditional storyline. While it ended up being a love story, what sets this drama apart is that the audience can see the relationships develop between the characters at the friendship level.  There is a loyalty, concern, and caring nature they have towards one another that you know will continue long after the honeymoon and drama is over.
7. Stairway to Heaven - This was the second drama I ever watched.  It's more serious than the shows I usually watch and very cliche, but it is one of the classics that is worth watching.  Kwon Sang Woo is also a good reason to watch it, too.
8. Other Dramas - I've also watched the following dramas as well:  My Girl, Full House, It Started With a Kiss (Seasons 1 & 2), Fated to Love You, Pasta (didn't finish)... and probably a few others I can't remember.  They all had their good moments and many of them are very popular.

Good sites to watch these at were Hulu and Mysoju.  My friend, C, recommended I watch Ups and Downs in the Sea of Love, and I am currently in the middle of My Lovely Sam Soon.  Even as I finish one, I'm always looking for another good one to watch.  I don't know if I can handle the very sad ones, but I may have to start moving on to those once I run out of comedies to watch.  Oh, dramas, you complete me.

Resilience

Almost two weeks ago, Japan experienced a devastating 8.9 magnitude earthquake and tsunami.  Watching the videos of the black water sweeping away the buildings seem unreal, all in a matter of seconds.

I read an article in which a girl, who lived in one of the coastal towns, went into the city to buy something and then the earthquake hit.  Her mom called her and told her to run outside.  After the ground stopped shaking the girl called her mom back, but there was no answer.  And there hasn't been one since then.  I pray for this girl to have the strength to continue through this.  I pray for her mom that if she was swept away with the waters, that she is in Heaven now, watching over on her family.  I pray for all of the people affected by this, that they may persevere and have hope for the future.  A simple story has never touched my heart so deeply.

Aside from the miraculous stories of survival, the other stories about the nuclear crisis with the Japanese plants in Fukushima have made me admire the Japanese people even more.  When fears for a nuclear meltdown started escalating, most of the employees were evacuated, but a handful nuclear workers stayed behind, working in shifts of 50, to try to cool down the reactors (PBS article).  These people, who are everyday workers, are very heroic.  Even if there is no explosion, there will probably be life-long side effects from the radiation.  I am thankful for these people.  There are probably millions of other people who are thankful for them, too.

My generation has not had to experience many hardships throughout our lifetime.  My parents lived through the Vietnam War.  My neighbor, who passed away a few years ago, fought in the Korean War.  I don't ever wish for anyone to have to experience war, hunger, etc., even though I know it exists today all around the world.  When I think about what I would do in situations such as these, I feel a bit scared and uncertain.  It's amazing how instinctively brave and strong people can be.  My heart and prayers go out to the resilient people of Japan.

Heart Treatment

A funny chat I had with my friend, who's currently in pharm school:

• Me:  How are rotations going? Busy week this week?
• T:  Hahah! Struggling to finish my SOAP note right now. I have no motivation and I've hit a wall. Trying to type out treatment for heart failure and COPD...not getting anywhere! :(
• Me:  Alternative treatments for heart failure:
  1.  Get a new heart
  2.  Get revenge on the guy/girl who broke it, because revenge often makes you feel better
  3.  Give yourself a light shock by rubbing your feet against the floor as you walk to try to jumpstart it again
• T:  HAHA M! Love it!!! That was a good laugh! Thanks :)  Well that's a needed boost. Going to analyze this guideline to treat heart failure.

Maybe I should have been a doctor...

Secret Garden

Following the recommendation of friends, I watched a Korean Drama that recently finished airing called Secret Garden.  It was good.  Really good.  Not only did I like the actors/actresses (Hyun Bin is so dreamy and Ha Ji Won has an edgy yet soft side), the storyline drew me in from the first episode.  Here's a synopsis if you haven't heard of it before:  http://wiki.d-addicts.com/Secret_Garden.

The drama did have its moments where it was cliché and predictable, but what drama doesn't?  And even though some of the events in the drama were so out there that they could never happen in real life, there was still a core that I could relate to that made me believe that I had just witnessed a great love that was real and that love can conquer all.

That leads me to the question, can love really conquer all?  I remember asking my ex this once.  He didn't believe that love was enough to get through all of the hardships of life.  It's hard to argue against this when the facts show that the divorce rate in America is almost 50%.  [As an aside, I've always heard that money is the number one reason for divorce.  Interestingly, this article states that money is just a surface issue, and more serious problems lie underneath:  http://articles.moneycentral.msn.com/CollegeAndFamily/SuddenlySingle/MoneyIsntTheCulpritInMostDivorces.aspx]

I, on the other hand, still believe that love can be one of the strongest forces in this world.  It acts like a magnet.  If the feelings are mutual for both people, then nothing can keep them apart.  If it is only one-sided, though, then it doesn't matter how deep or intense one person's love is; the relationship won't last.  Granted, I don't see love beating down every door or stop sign in its way very often, but I have seen it triumph at least once in this lifetime.

During my last Christmas break two months ago, I went along with L & L to pick up my cousin from his friend's, N, house.  We went inside the house to say hi to N's parents and his other friends and found out that N had just proposed to his girlfriend, S, of about 5 years in front of the Waterwall.  It sounded very romantic.  He had told her to dress up because he was going to take her to the museum and dinner afterward.  When they finished at the museum, it was still early, so he suggested that they go to the Galleria area to pass the time before they went to the restaurant.  When they walked up to the Waterwall, a group of maybe 10 friends were there waiting for them, and N proposed to S.  She said, "Yes!" :)

Before we left, we asked S if she had told her parents yet.  She said she hadn't and that she was going to wait a little while.  She was planning on spending a few days at N's house until then.  A little background on N&S:  N&S started dating during their freshman year of college, and after they graduated, they both moved to California to go to grad school.  Extremely smart people with great hearts and personalities.  They were from different religions, though.  N's family was ok with this, but S's parents were strongly against the relationship from the beginning.  Although our parents are not the same people as we are, it's inspiring to see the two of them be together without any hesitation or resentment for their situation.

Love is not always easy, but the best things in life are worth fighting for.

And what about 10 or 20 years down the road?  After all the passion of our younger years has died down, and we're left with the ordinary routines of everyday life.  Would we still believe that it was worth it to compromise on having kids, on moving to another city, on being less religious, on spending money, etc, etc, etc?  Who knows.  This is a whole other topic in itself.  But for now, I still hope for some of that crazy kind of love so I can have memories to look back on when I'm older.

Code Blue

On Friday, I took my second CPA exam, BEC.  I studied for about three weeks for this exam, but I felt better about it than FAR.  There's always more test anxiety when taking a first test, so that was probably part of the reason I felt more confident.  There was also less material to cover, and I felt more comfortable guessing.  My next exam, REG, is scheduled for April 15th.  Remember to file your taxes!

Thanks to my roommate (<3 you L), I went to see Blue Man Group perform at the Long Center.  It was a good way to enjoy a few laughs and relax.  Pictures of the performance are included below.  My favorite part was the finale when they had all of the streamers and balls floating around the audience.  It was like one big dance party.

After the performance, we went to the car and sat there for at least half an hour without any cars moving on our floor.  Although the Long Center is pretty, the functional set up of the place is not good.  The parking garage is very long and narrow, which takes forever to exit.  In addition, the garage exit is very close to a stoplight, so probably only 20 or 30 cars can exit every few minutes when the light turns green.  Because it seemed like we weren't going to go anywhere anytime soon, we decided to walk across the Congress bridge and catch the bus home.  S decided to go pick up her car later.  I took a few snapshots of our walk home.  This is such a scenic city, that even walking back was enjoyable.




    

Aside from the adventures of these past two days, my life has been pretty quiet.  I did make a new dish: Tortilla Soup.  I found the recipe on Allrecipes (http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Catherines-Spicy-Chicken-Soup/Detail.aspx), and it is a keeper.  After reading through the suggestions by some of the reviewers, I decided to tweak the recipe by only using diced tomatoes with green chiles instead of the canned whole tomatoes and tomato soup.  I also substituted black beans for chili beans, left out the salt and sour cream, added chili powder at the end according to my preference, and topped the soup off with baked tortilla chips.  Usually, I don't cook soup because it takes a long time for it to cook, but this is definitely a soup worth waiting for.  I'm getting hungry just thinking about it.  Definitely give this soup a chance, and it will win your heart over.

Last but not least, here's a brief update on my crush life.  Sadly, the crush I mentioned in the last post has already faded.  Every time I saw the guy, he acted like he normally does but made no signs of being interested in me as anything more than just a friend.  After a few days, I felt that giggly feeling slip away when I was around him, and all was back to normal again.  Do crushes usually work this way?  I always thought that if you liked someone, that feeling would stay around for longer than two weeks.  Maybe there are levels of "like," and this one just happened to be mild.  I'm still happy that I felt it, though.  It was like a breath of fresh air, and it helped me hope for something more.  It helped me believe that the next best thing in my life could just be right around the corner.

Happy Day

Happy Valentine's Day!

My parents are so cute.  They surprised me by sending this card in the mail.  I love that it's handmade!

Over these past few weeks a lot has happened.  I took my first CPA exam, FAR, a week ago.  I drove back home for the new year and had planned to take my exam on the 4th.  The roads were icing over, though, so the testing center closed that day.  Luckily, I was able to reschedule my exam two days later on a Sunday morning.  It was tough!  I kept reading blogs and hearing people say that the Becker practice exams were easier, but I definitely didn't feel as confident leaving that testing center as I would have liked.  My next exam, BEC, is in 11 days.  Time to get crackin' again!  Exam scores come out in March...There will be updates to follow.

In terms of new places I've been to, I went with some friends to Not Your Mama's Food Truck.  It was DELICIOUS!  We tried the fried chicken and beef tongue (see pictures below).  The portions were a good size.  Although one order won't make you unbutton your pants, you will feel satisfied.  To fill a guy's appetite, though, you may need to order a side along with the main dish.  So far, this has been my favorite food truck.  The fried chicken was cooked perfectly.  It had a crispy skin that wasn't overdone, and the sauce was finger lickin' good.  The beef tongue melted in my mouth, and it was so flavorful without being fatty.  It was nice to sit outside and enjoy the food, and Chef Ron can be a hoot, interjecting here and there.  I would highly recommend Not Your Mama's Food Truck to everyone!

For entertainment, I watched Black Swan starring Natalie Portman and The King's Speech starring Colin Firth during these last few weeks.  The Black Swan was a dark movie and the point of view of the movie was more psychologically deranged than I thought it would be.  I never knew the story of Swan Lake.  Here is a brief synopsis:

There was a princess who was turned into a white swan, and she could only be turned back if she found a man who truly loved her.  One day she meets a prince, and starts to fall in love with her.  However, the black swan, the white swan's evil look-a-like, seduces the prince, and the white swan loses the prince's love.  As a result, the white swan commits suicide because only through death can she be free.

I thought the story was very beautiful and tragic when I heard it.  Throughout the movie, I could see the transformation of the white swan into the black swan, and I kept thinking about the loss of innocence.  Once the curiosity of seduction and vengeance showed up as the black swan, the innocence of the white swan had no chance of surviving.

As for The King's Speech, I thought it was one of the best movies I had seen in a long time.  It's about Prince Albert's journey of overcoming his speech impediment.  I will give it to Colin Firth, his acting was great.  He won a Golden Globe for best actor, and I hope he wins an Oscar as well for his role in this movie.  I haven't watched anything else lately, but I do want to go see Just Go With It and No Strings Attached when I have time.

To wrap up my update, it is Valentine's Day!  As Spring rolls around, I can feel the love in the air, and it makes me smile.  Recently, I've started liking this guy.  I've known him for a while, and recently we've had more time to just talk about everyday things because our schedules overlap.  I admit, I feel giggly and smile a lot when I see him.  It's very cute.  I don't know if anything will come from this, but it is so nice to have a crush on someone again.  It gives me hope that there is a guy out there who can make me laugh more than I've ever laughed before and make me feel more alive than I've felt in a long time.  Well, he may not be doing it actively, but at least I know I can allow myself to think of a brighter future and enjoy it as it comes.  So, this Valentine's Day, I did not have any guy to call "Mine," but it was a happy one, nonetheless.  <3