Happy St. Patrick's Day!

I, sadly, am not wearing any green. I'm sure that's something most people wouldn't like to share for fear of being pinched, but hey, I can take the pain! 8D

Tuesday's retirement home concert was interesting, especially since it was a newly opened home and the audience was small. That place was beautiful; I felt like I was in a hotel. It was kind of eerie, though, seeing the cemetery right beside it. Getting to the place was a mini adventure on it's own, and it says something about my height when the heads of the other three people in the car were pretty much touching the ceiling (and making a fuss about the static being created by their hair) and I was sitting happily far away from the ceiling, haha. Yay for being a short female! ;D

Yesterday someone knocked on my door. I opened it, and there was Annie holding a knife.

It kind of freaked me out because it reminded me of the kitchen scene in The Butterfly Effect, with the knife, of course. Anyway, there were no shenanigans involving the knife without it's protective cover on. Safety first!

Rehearsal yesterday was fun, in a way, because we just played Man of la Mancha and the Cowboys Overture. Orchestra is always an interesting adventure.

People always seem to catch me in the lounge and scare me, haha. I guess that's what I get for always having my guard down!

Uhm, I don't have much more to say. I'm looking forward to spring break, so I can spend some time with my dear OChem textbook (and maybe physics)... Yeah. I must also remember to change my violin strings! I haven't done that in a long while... Anyway, I hope you haven't had to deal with too painful pinches! Fare thee well!

-Romee

Your Hair Was Long When We First Met

(Regina Spektor)

It's been a long while, neh? It just seems that when I do try to post, they end up being long and writing them is time-consuming because I'm so fond of going into details and recording everything. I guess that means I haven't changed much, since I still can't control my tendency towards long sentences. (:

Can you see how long my hair has gotten? It hasn't been cut since summertime, and even though it's heavy and pretty annoying at times, I guess I'm going to keep growing it out until I have at least 10 inches that I can cut off nicely without having too-short hair. Also, I am quite content with the curls of my hair, though they never stay in place, hehe. Since college started, I've gotten into the habit of keeping my hair twirled up into a twisted bun, secured in place with a band that is now white instead of purple. I do have a purple one, though, along with a blue and a black one, but... habits are habits.

Somehow my hairband collection (if it can even be called that) has grown to a grand size of, wait for it, THREE, yes, THREE headbands. I know, right? That's totally not that large of a number. I've been wearing the one pictured quite often recently, though. Each time I put it on my head, I think, Banba afro sealed (please, do see this at 21:23)!

Mentioning Kuragehime, I suppose I shall mention that I will attempt Tsukimi cosplay during attendance of the 2011 Kawaii-Kon as part of my ANTH 152A Culture and Humanity anthropological research project! Please help me out and leave me a message (or email) if you cosplay, know someone who cosplays, have any bit of opinion you want to share about your perceptions of cosplay culture and knowledge of cosplay culture! Then again... who reads this blog anyway? But really, I'm here to immerse myself in the culture and learn. Also, putting this out here on the internet increases the pressure on me to make sure I actually go through with this project! I'm kind of excited; cultural anthropology is just getting so interesting and makes so much sense. It also puts the world in perspective for me. I, as an individual, get put in place through anthropology. I guess that's what I'm liking the most; being able to see where the boundaries exists, to acknowledge the differences, and to make the connections so that positions and actions within society make that much more sense. I think taking these two anthropology courses to fulfill my Gen Ed FG requirements really is ending up to be worth it.

Anyway, enough with the rambling. Tonight the quartet I'm in is playing a community concert at a retirement home. I love this kind of thing. Adventure! Plus, reason to practice. I know it's been ages since I've updated, but I hope everyone's doing okay!

My prayers go out to Japan. It pained me to see the pictures and to keep reading the articles about the problems and the devastation. I really hope that people open up their minds and stop bringing up things like Pearl Harbor and making racist statements (and even religious ones, it seems), because if there's anything we should be learning about this disaster is that as humans, we are vulnerable. Nature still wins over us. Instead of saying things about who deserves what, we need to reach out and help, or at least, keep it in mind how much the world is tied together to other countries, how humans depend on each other.

With pieces missing, things just aren't the same.

So, I hope to blog more often, keeping a tight hold on my tendency to go off on idea after idea.
Much love!
-Romee

We're Gon' Light It Up

Like it's dynamite (Taio Cruz)

Yesterday and today have been an adventure. I've waited for the bus and rode the bus for a while, did more walking than usual, and spent more money than usual. Paired with the past week or two of fluctuating amounts of sleep, I'm left a little tired, but satisfied. People are making everything better. I really do kind of want to just sleep, or go home and pet the cat and hug my sisters and my parents and my grandma, haha. That, and sleep in my own bed. I know, it's pretty terrible and silly for me to desire (or complain about desiring) things that are so easy to reach, compared to others who are an ocean (and maybe a continent) away. I don't know how you guys survive. ):

Anyway, in short:

Friday:
-did not feel like I completely failed this semester's first OChem midterm (I FELT like I did decently, but I can't be too sure), did not feel like Physics quiz was failed either
-signed up for First Aid/CPR classes (I felt guilty swiping my debit card for it, though)
-adventured to Ala Moana and was happy that there opened a door for Megan's Disney dream to be achieved! Also, smelled a lot of tea and ate a Parmesan-covered pretzel. Delicious!
-watched The Land Before Time and cried my face away

Today:
-brunch (ripe mango, mini pizza, breakfast foods with ketchup and carrots, chocolate chip pancakes!)
-Facebook message utilization!
-Punahou Carnival (shocking for Annie, Megan and I), immense scare on the Zipper with uncertainty and profanity and unending screaming
-Longs/Lego/Sephora/Thinker Toys adventure
-Dancing Greener at Kennedy Theater (AMAZING costumes and lighting, loved the piece from 1980), saw Janal!

It's been tiring, but it's been good. (: Pictures later!

Boundaries

I think this year, and this semester, so far, I have become more aware of boundaries. It feels like I pushed some last year and that led to a different perspective. That is okay, though; I'm learning.

This past week or so has been really crazy! Well, it felt like it was going by slowly.... but it went by quickly enough, now that I look back on how much has happened.

On Saturday, Jan. 8, I had some driving-around-in-circles time in a parking lot near my house, successfully parallel parking but still failing in perpendicular. I would like to say that I hopefully have improved. XD After, with Wiimotes and sliced banana creme loaf in hand from Foodland, I made my way over to Briana's house, and, though uncertain about where I was turning or where I was headed, arrived safely, in time to join the videogame dance party. It was a pleasant mishmash of dancing, and exercising, and acting silly, and petting dogs, and sneezing a lot. We got lunch at the shopping center (yay mahi sandwich and Jamba with immunity boost >_>) and then spent a good part of the afternoon at the Wii (monkey ball darts.... too difficult!), and danced our butts off for Phoebe to see over vidchat. It was quite hilarious, and great bonding time. But then then went off to CPK and I went home, sigh. ^^;; Exciting day, however.

Sunday, Jan. 9th was back to the dorms for the beginning of spring semester, yeah! I dragged all my stuff back, and then went on a calming adventure to Ala Moana Beach with Annie and Megan, where we only went into the water up to a little above our knees, took bunch of pictures, buried Annie's limbs in the sand, and all laid on our backs and read like the silly dorks we are. The water was nice and cool, and not that rocky, but the sun was pretty bright, so the books shielded our faces, haha. Being back on that beach reminded me of the end of summer. Good times.

We didn't know if our meal cards were working or not, so we went and ate at the Jade Dynasty newer dim sum place at Ala Moana, which was decided by the flip of a coin. Kind of not so good an idea. We did get food, but even more than that, Annie got irritated at the poor service (I mean.... it was kind of bad.), and then there was a scene in which Annie spoke to a guy in Chinese and he gave a kind of defeated/irritated look and said "Sorry I don't speak Chinese," shortly after which Megan laughed, and I kind of did as well, and it was just terrible, poor guy, but poor service. I don't know. It was an adventure, at the very least. It doesn't hurt to try...

Our start of the semester floor meeting was that evening, as well. We played a game to learn about/demonstrate knowledge about each other, which kind of involved a lot of cheating, haha. Well, my group cheated. >_> It was interesting, though, and the actual meeting part actually passed by pretty quickly.

MONDAY marked the first day of spring semester. It was a familiar situation in CHEM 273 as it was very much like last semester in 272. There was review of last semester's final exam and I felt panicky because 1) I did not remember what I put down for anything at all, and 2) I think I made all the mistakes we were supposed to try to avoid. =_= No wonder. That very first class of the semester already made me feel like cram study reviewing all over again.

PHYS 170 was SOOOOOO packed. I saw familiar faces (whom I did not sit with, though), and I found the professor funny, especially with his talk of Black Forest Cake. I'm glad that the class seemed to be like review, or rather, what we were covering should have been review.

SPAN 201 was a very small class, and we all gravitated to the edges of the room like there was a big gaping hole in the middle, and if we didn't press to the sides of the room we would fall in and die. Our professor is very bubbly and enthusiastic and I like that because it diffuses all awkwardness. Though she seems to tune into pop culture a lot. I'm glad I could understand when she switched into Spanish mode, but then when we looked through the grammar guides... I realized I lack completely in distinguishing ability between all the subjunctive, and many other tense for conjugation.

ANTH 152A: the professor is awesome. He's dorky, but awesome and enthusiastic, and culture and humanity is definitely.... a cool focus for a course, with him. This class kept me riveted and thinking.

xxxx

As I finally get around to posting this, I realize that it's been forever since I last posted, and there has been so much that has passed. I'm sorry Blogger, for not taking my sweet time with you. Chem lab and Physics lab are yet to be covered in my details about college life, but for now.... I'll just list a few happenings of the past few weeks and I must then leave as I have a lot of things to.... catch up on.

• Watched the Green Hornet (loved this movie)
• nerf gun chases (painful...)
• Curry House (yum, haha)
• driving at night
• driving and going to eat shave ice

Yes, right now, my brain is not thinking creatively. Hopefully I can catch up sometime soon! Best of luck to you all, tahahhh.

If It's My Time to Go

(Color Theory)

1. WHY AM I SO SAD RIGHT NOW? I don't even get it. I'm just being a weak human being.
2. Do not worry about death; this post has nothing to do about it, though that lyric picked from the song that it is also the title of is from a song I am pretty certain is about death. The title of this post was simply picked because I was thinking about it being time for me to return to the dorms, following others already leaving to go back to their separate college lives elsewhere in the country.

Let me just say first: This week has been an adventure. Every day except Thursday seemed to have it's own little event, and that's pretty much kept me from feeling like writing whole posts or even recording short bits into my Moleskine. That's pretty terrible, considering it should only take a few minutes to complete the task on a daily basis.

The "biggest" adventure of this week has had to been with my debit card. Let's just say, that due to irresponsibility and disorganization, things occurred that prohibited me from using it, thus sending me into a panic and mass search around the home and the dorms. This adventure began on Monday and was only resolved and ended on Friday morning, meaning a week of worrying and poor relationships and desperation. But otherwise, this week was packed with being with people, which I had not expected at all. I am glad things worked out that way.

WEEK IN BRIEF (attemptedly):
Monday: Suddenly planned shopping at Pearlridge with Grace. The story is that I had planned to go there on my own to purchase needed gift cards and things, but then Grace also had the idea to go shopping on Monday, so it ended up a shopping adventure together. Not that I really bought anything, because the debit card troubles began there. I did, however, purchase two pairs of jeans (hahaha, sale). The only other thing I spent money on was the food from Great Kahn's Mongolian... BBQ, I think. I'm not so sure what it was called, again. The "medium hot" sauce did not seem that different from the "not spicy" option. Also, I think that was the first time I ate the water chestnut and those baby corns. I also decided I liked the tofu cooked in this way.

 

We ventured both downtown and uptown. So many cute clothes at Papaya this time, I think. So many temptations! But due to my lack of money to really spend... Nothing really unnecessary was purchased. ^^

Haha random shot.

In the end, it was more of an exercise outing for me, rather than shopping, since things did not get accomplished. I do not remember what else happened on this day, haha.

Tuesday: Woke up early in the morning for the FIRST DAY OF CLASSES at the high school! Armed with my materials needed for Becca's pool party get together, I was dropped off at the high school. I visited some teachers (before school started), and received a cookie from my wonderful rookie Kristy, as well as a cupcake from the oh-so-enthusiastic Sarah. Both were delicious, and I got nice hugs. XD I walked to Becca's house and joined her in her adventure to Borders by Ward to return a some books. We stopped by Jamba Juice on the way back, but their gift card system was down ):

We headed back to Becca's place as it neared the time people were allowed to arrive. However, we ended up going to the shopping center, to.... Longs? to look for drinks that Ray would purchase. It was pretty silly an adventure, and Ray carried everything we picked out, plus ice, back to Becca's.

Upstairs we went (upon me learning there was no "13th floor"), and we puzzled over Becca's stove, as I needed to complete the task of heating up the pork adobo I had brought. It was fun. ^^ Ray tried Nutella (and did not die from it), and all was enjoyable. After we got downstairs, people began arriving, and things became a fun mishmash. The pool was ridiculously cold (thus leading to silliness, such as attempting to keep moving, and lots of splashing people and shooting people in the face). We played Apples to Apples, Blokus, Mad Gab, Spoons, Egyptian War, and Genie. Food was wonderful potluck. ^^

Pictures: here. Moments I really am glad I snapped:

I love how we were just so silly and carefree and.... still children at heart. That was the best thing.

I caught a ride home with Bri, but before we completely sat through the traffic battle, we went to Aiea and she and Sarah showed me Samurai. Such a nice, cute, little store. I want their snack food. Or, I just want to read everything in there, haha.

Wednesday: What began as a plan to get tasks done at UH and to go see Chronicles of Narnia: Voyage of the Dawn Treader (which I ended up not enjoying as much, and realized the religious aspect of) turned into an extensive adventure that I really loved, haha.

I got my ID validated (the new UPASS sticker is shaped like a fish!) and purchased screensaver tickets ($7 for Consolidated). I went with Becca as she got her textbooks (and I puzzled over what I should buy), and then we waited until Ray showed up before walking down to the dorms. Construction on the street made everything noisy and crowded-feeling on the walk there!

At the room I tore things apart looking for the thing I needed. It was, however, unsuccessful. We did leave to go see the movie at 1:45 at Ward anyway. And after that... we walked to Ward Warehouse and waited for Kat! It was decided we have dinner at the Old Spaghetti Factory. We looked at ATMs and played Mancala and thought about the past. When Kat and Andrew arrived, our party of 5 sat down to dinner and... it passed with laughter. Well, a little worry, too, but that soon lead to an adventure of its own.

Andrew drove home, and might I say... that was interesting. Hilarious -cough music "cover ears" ? cough-. A little frightening at times, but overall, a lot of fun. Traffic added to the adventure -cough, U-turn-, but it was all good in the end. Thank goodness. XD

Pictures: here.

Thursday: Day of rest.... not really. Searched the house more and read more of Orson Scott Card's "Enchanted."

Friday: This turned into another adventure as well.

I found the thing that righted all wrongs and thus set off on my adventure to purchase my textbooks at the UH bookstore. It took long because I was indecisive about what to buy for physics (ebook? binder version? hardcover version?), and uncertain about the chemistry lab book. I went back to the dorms to put things away, and moved pretty slowly in there as well because the bed looked so comfortable. XD

I ran into Bronson and Corey briefly on the way out to get lunch and leave. I discovered I couldn't use anything on my meal card until the semester started. Or rather, I didn't have anything on my meal card to use to eat at the cafeteria. And so I set off to Ala Moana to procure lunch before I headed home. Rather than an actual lunch, I had a chocolate bubble drink courtesy of Ray (hahaha no caffeine please >_>), and we walked and talked until I got on the bus for a wonderful 1 hr 40 min + ride back home on the bus. It drizzled at the transit center and I started freaking out. I got home just fine... and practiced the violin for 2 hours. I picked up old solofest pieces (particularly Mozart's Concerto in G), and double stops, and some Mazas, and just... played. It felt so good. Even if the place where my violinist hickey was sore, and even if it felt like calluses were beginning to reform on my fingertips, it was just great to spend a lot of time, even if it was repetition on scales.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

This week was pretty crazy amazing. Or maybe not amazing, but just fun. And busy. And just... full of life. Worries, too, count as part of life, but it was great to be out of the house and be with people, and doing things for myself... and that sort of thing. Today (Saturday) I mean, was an adventure as well, but I'll write about that another time when I get the photos up and my head more organized.

I'm not so keen on going back to the dorms and starting school again, because if anything, this break just made me realize how much I've missed people and just being at home. I guess I'm going to savor this last night sleeping in my comfy bed here for a little while. XD

Yeah, I miss people already.

The Failed Attempts I Never Could Forget

(Motion City Soundtrack) 

Hey all! (I suddenly felt likes say-typing this. Welcome to the new year! It sure has been quite the adventure so far. I feel like I didn't close up 2010 well enough, though I really don't have the motivation to have a "recap" sort of post or thinking session. Yes, it should probably be more important to me that my grad year has passed... But I'm letting this New Year's slip by calmly without busting my brain about the past year in order to just leave it feeling relieved and at peace.

I feel like I need to write about that Tuesday before I do get into the past few days' events (why does this sound like it's so important a thing for me to be writing? Well. I don't know, haha. Maybe I can learn to blog better... In the sense that my posts aren't so... "this is what I did today"), so I shall do this (briefly) now.

While I did bring my camera along on the 28th, I didn't take any photos. Silly me. ):

Briana picked me up in the morning, and we drove up the mountains into Makakilo to pick up the oh-so-wonderful Justin, back from Oregon. It was slightly chilly and there was Taylor Swift playing, and silly back and forth and catching up on the ride to Stadium Mall. Upon arrival we payed our $8.90 each and then began the skating and the flying across the ice amongst tons of little kids with Jacky, Renee, and Sarah. Obstacle course indeed! Jacky and Sarah fell, hehe. We played Four Corners as a group and all got knocked out at once (yay corner 3! :P). Pepperoni pizza lunch and li hing mui covered gummy bears at lunch.

Afterward we headed to the bowling alley, Jacky driving with his "kthxbai"s, hahaha. We stopped at Starbucks, and Grace appeared to join us, and Jacky ran off drinking someone else's drink. XD Oooh. Upstairs we waited for a lane, and Maya appeared, and then we got lane 18, and the silliness began. Ohohoho Grandpa. I tied Sarah (yeahhhhh). Yay for light bowling balls. ^^ The people who came to be next to us were fast and a large group as well.... Oh silly us. It was fun.

I put my new Moleskine weekly planner to use beginning last Monday, and now that it has been 7 days, one week's page is filled. I am pleased, haha.

On Thursday I "pulled a Romee" and walked to Starbucks (instead of being picked up by Sam, haha). I bought a chocolate vivanno smoothie and her recommendation, which was yummy. As we were paying this lady came up to the register to pay for the man in uniform. I thought that was pretty cool and awesome a thing to do. She said "Thank you for your service." I smiled at that.

Sam and I talked for a quite a while. More catching up! How hard to believe that people have been more than an ocean away when they're sitting right in front of you. ):

I stopped by Longs on the way home 'cause my grandmother had asked for phone cards (which I ended up not buying). Yay for Chicken in a Biskit and Wheat Thins and Hichew being on sale! Also cotton pads for cleaning of the face were on sale.... Great timing.

I could not resist these ones that were on sale and RAINBOW. The color making no difference, really, but they all cost the same price on sale, and they were pretty, so HAHA.

Here is a random picture of Taylor in a box.

I love her haha. Notice the Gamecube and the Christmas garland. (: Cleaning up time...

The last day of the year wasn't going so well (let's just say my driving is terrible, especially for people who have to be in the car with me), BUT a good thing that came out of it was that we went to Best Buy and I got cheapy but colorful but decent earphones for Jaynie and I. Now my earphones match my iPod, hehe.

That evening we watched some Live from Lincoln Center until about 10, when we finally exited the home into the smoke-saturated air. So many aerials were going off, explosions. Also, those lanterns that the Star Advertiser were warning about safety made me think of the lanterns in Tangled, haha.

Jaynie built a tiny fire with the trash from boxes as usual. It slowly grew in size over the evening. XD

I like these kind of sparklers more than the Morning Glories... Though we had many more Morning Glories to use up that these kind of sparklers, haha. Both of them are pretty enough, though.

I do not know what that is on the ground by Jaynie's feet, haha! Also that bottle was used for holding the punks.

Mom cleaning up the pop-pop trash, Jaynie setting off the last of the fountains. ):

New Years was so different this year without our neighbors, and without any other family over. Also, no new boxes of fireworks were bought, so we only used leftovers, which were perfectly fine. The cul-de-sac was relatively empty. It's crazy because it's slowly becoming newer. The people in the "corner" across of us are relatively new, and they were the only others in our place setting off things, and even then, they were just the little kids fooling around. I hope none of them got hurt. Our two neighbors to our right just moved in over the course of this last semester (I do not know exactly when, sigh at not being home to see this happening). We met the ones right next door that evening after it hit 12, and they have two adorable little girls, haha.

Anyway, it kind of felt very normal. It also made me feel kind of sad. It was cool hearing the countdown exactly, though. ^^ After cleanup and everything, and showers, my sisters and I were still all wide awake, so we played some Brawl (which I failed extremely at, indeed). Then I was tired (of losing, jkjk) so sleep was in order.

When we woke up, we went to spend lunch at my grandfather's house (the "head of the family" on my father's side) for the annual New Year's/Birthday party. As usual, tons of relatives and lots of Filipino food. (: Our auntie's dogs kept fighting, though. And our cousins sword-fought, haha. After eating we went to hide inside the home, and played things like BS and Egyptian War (both of which I sucked at), and eventually, Spoons, which lasted for a while. We used little Lego men instead of spoons, though. It was pretty cool, because America's Funniest Home Videos (or whatever it is exactly; I always get mixed up) was on, and there was a clip of people really playing Spoons with spoons. XD

Yeahhhh cousin/sisterness yeahhhhh.

It was a decent New Year's day. (:

Then, today... was quite filled, I think. There was no room to write about it in my Moleskine, though. That's probably the only thing that bothers me; the weekends are squished in this weekly version.

We went to church int the morning. It was super packed, well over the 766 seating capacity. Still singing Christmas songs. It's been a while since we've been to a Sunday mass (and really, we don't go to Sunday masses often), and I really don't know how to sing the usual songs. Sigh.

Still lacking in jeans, I wore the black floralish American rag dress with my Converse, haha, YES. It also seems that I've been wearing the headbands from Grace on a daily basis, regardless of whether I am going anywhere or not. XD We headed to the newly opened Jollibee and stood in the ridiculously long line to buy a bucket Chickenjoy (with gravy) and halo halo. I like Ube ice cream a lot, haha. The chicken tasted normal. I guess I like gravy too! (:

When we were done with lunch.... I tried to make Milano-like cookies. I wanted some sort of cookie to use Nutella in, but the Nutella chocolate chip cookies just weren't seeming tolerable too me (it seemed like just too much chocolate D=). I cut the recipe online down to a third of what it originally was, which... Was probably a good idea, haha, seeing as how we were lacking in butter and powdered sugar. I spilled probably half a tablespoon of Jaynie's vanilla extract onto her chair, thinking when I poured it that it would have a thicker consistency...=_=;; (-fail-) Oh well. Here's how they turned out.

First half of the batter. I tried to make different shapes with the aid of a piping bag....

They turned out so thin! And half chewy and half crunchy and not at all substantial ;_;

To hide the weird taste of this first bunch, and to fulfill the original purpose of this batch, I put Nutella in the middle like the Milano cookies, haha. It did help hide it. ^^ And yay Nutella, haha.

Jaynie crashed after tasting one. D: Jkjk. She was tired.

The rest of the batter ("second batch"). I was lazy for making shapes so I just emptied the piping bag in the middle of the pan, haha. There's a cookie below the two small ones on the left that Mariah says looks like a bear.

 The second batch tasted much better. Though, they were still chewy. ): OH WELL. It was fun.

I helped roll "Shanghai Lumpia" after, which was then only possible after separating those thin pastry dough sheets haha. Yay for trying not to tear things. XD

It was probably the most eventful Sunday I've had in a while. Also, I think I've had enough chicken for a while, haha.

This week must also be busy! And I must try to do something! And get somewhere! And have fun with people before school starts again and I force myself to be okay with the fact that I have physics everyday for the rest of the semester... Can I cry yet, haha? Just kiddinggggggg.

I must plan for tomorrow's shopping the adventure, or something. Welcome 2011!

Fight Off the Lethargy, Don't Go Quietly (Metric)

I think this Christmas, people were trying to turn me more into a girl. Though, of course, I did ask for those headbands, so maybe I guess I was kind of doing that to myself, but I am slightly horrified and amused at how things turned out. I also seem super prepped now to go shopping at Ala Moana because of gift cards.

Christmas felt.... smaller this year. But it was a great day with family, as we had lunch together on Christmas day (including our Korean neighbor who brought us kimchee and tofu salad =D). My auntie didn't make any pumpkin crunch this year, haha, that's one thing I missed at this past gathering. At some point, Beatles Rock Band and the Wii came out and was set up downstairs in the living room, and we all played together, singing and trying instruments. Jaynie, Mariah and I all ended up battling for scores on instruments though. Quite a rush of entertainment. Also, it's so hard to sing the harmonies!

Since laundry hadn't finished being done or dried since I came back from the dorms, I was severely lacking in appropriate housewear, aka jeans/capris/shorts. Thus I resorted to wearing the dress pictured above under a normal t-shirt. A lazy appearance and a crazy appearance at the same time. I do like the colors of this dress, though. And the fact that it's kind of a giant bow at the top. American Rag <3

Ala Moana gift card, PINK water bottle (I must get into the habit of actually drinking water), Victoria's Secret Berry Kiss perfume

"I Just Want Someone to Share With" - it smelt like cookies.

While I don't have a photo of the lilac, dainty blouse thing I also received, I do have the one above. My sisters are so silly in finding these things. XD

SO MUCH HARDER and so much more detailed.
We are eternally grateful, Ray.

Speaking of Rock Band 3, as far as we are, we are enjoying Metric's Combat Baby, Chicago's 25 or 6 to 4, the Flaming Lips' Yoshimi Battles The Pink Robots Part 1, and Rilo Kiley's Portions for Foxes. I still want to play with people no matter what.

IT HAS A BOW. From Grace.

IT CHAINS MY HAIR TO MY HEAD. From Grace.

The card Grace included was so beautiful. I will always love her art!!!

Speaking of presents, I still have to give people theirs. Sigh. While this holiday break is great being with people important to me, I still haven't seen people that I was around so much during senior year and during summer. It leaves me feeling a little empty, realizing that things are always going to be a race against time and things are going to require so much effort to return things to the way they were before. Perhaps I was ill-prepared for this break, but I guess we just have to do what we can, and what emerges tells the truth.

If there's anything monumental that kept slapping me in the face this past semester and still slaps me this break, it's the knowing that relationships with people are hard to keep, even if effort is put in, because people change, and life keeps going, and nothing waits. But that's existence, anyway. So, thank you everyone for all the happiness you bring into my life. I'm sorry for all the trouble and pain I've caused in return.

I will write about yesterday's Ice Palace/Aiea Bowl adventure in time, hehe. I must now eat breakfast.

And we'll all be / Portions for foxes...