![]() |
Nothing official here; just come chill! |
Welcome! ** Images For Use By Upgraded+ Only ** Welcome to my little Den! Here you'll find all sorts of things- mostly blog challenges, but mixed in, you'll notice: ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Make an A-Z list on a topic of your choosing. Stretch your creativity! ![]() I'm gonna go with Music Terminology, just because I'm teaching music right now and this should be interesting how things play out. ![]() A- Accordion B- Beat C- Choir D- Diminuendo E- Espressivo F- Flute G- Guitar H- Half Note I- Intro J- Jive K- Keyboard L- Lute M- Music N- Noise O- Organ P- Piano Q- Quarter Note R- Rest S- Strings T- Trumpet U- Ukulele V- Violin X- Xylophone Y- Yodel Z- Zumba Well this relates to me because I can play Piano, I've tried learning guitar, and I'm learning ukulele right now. ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Do you have any tattoos or want one in the future? If you had to have a piece of art permanently on your body, what would you want it to say about you? I once mentioned that if I were to get a tattoo, it may just be of the Hi-5 hand, and a small one on the inside of my wrist. Practically speaking though, tattoos are forever, and forever is just... too long to fathom having a piece of art on my body. ![]() So, no I don't have any tattoos. And no, probably I wouldn't ever want a permanent tattoo, ever. ![]() ![]() ![]() However, I'm in no way against temporary tattoos- those are fun. ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() Another realistically speaking reason I wouldn't get a real tattoo is, I have extremely low pain tolerance. So chances are I'd be yelling my head off as they did the tattoo, which wouldn't be a pleasant experience for either party involved. ![]() ![]() ![]() I also dislike needles. I don't like getting shots- when I was even younger- a toddler- I pulled out an immunization from my thigh that hadn't gone fully in yet. Mom had to call that same uncle to go into the doctor's office and pin down my arms so I wouldn't do it again. ![]() I don't know, maybe I *should* be proud of these "accomplishments"? ![]() ![]() |
What’s on your mind right now? Do you have any “brain worms” or current obsessions? If you didn’t have to blog right now, what would you be doing? This one's pretty easy. Given what just happened with the thesis, that. ![]() ![]() ![]() As for current obsessions, not really? I've been going to barre classes (I know, I mention that, like, every time now) and I enjoy it. I still prefer the dangers of flying in the air, to the safety of being on the ground, but I enjoy the difference of challenge, because they're both strength-based, but in entirely different ways. Barre uses weights and props to give your lower body a workout, but aerial uses apparatuses and your own body weight/strength to work out your upper or lower body, depending on what apparatus or class you're taking. I have considered making a vlog or instagram or something of learning aerial stuffs, just because it seems like of all the things people have decided to document in video format, aerial silks and aerial arts hasn't been one of them. And I can imagine that's probably because not everyone can afford to have, like, 20-foot ceilings from which to hang apparatuses. ![]() ![]() ![]() Also, I've kinda phased out Hulu and Netflix- I don't quite know why, but I just haven't been able to find a show I can focus on for that long- I watched Trinkets on Netflix- quite enjoyed that one, and I don't know if there will be a Season 2, but I sure wouldn't mind if there was. I'm also kinda watching Somewhere Only We Know- which is a Chinese drama set in college. I liked it at first because it was believable and the characters were relatable, but getting further into the season, the plot quality is slowly going downhill. As for Hulu, it has ads and I don't like ads. ![]() So, with phasing out Hulu and Netflix, I've turned to Youtube. Yes, Youtube sometimes has ads too, but they're usually shorter. I've found a new channel I rather like- about a (seemingly very rich) British family currently living in Dubai. They're called the Fizz Family, and they're all pretty decent- I appreciate how the teen doesn't take things for granted, and even on a "no-budget shopping spree" she only buys what she feels she actually needs. As for the younger sister, she's just cute- AND they have a baby in the family too. ![]() Currently, as I am blogging, I'm eating a Nutella ice cream with Biscoff cookies mixed into it. ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() So if I wasn't blogging right now, I'd probably either be in the shower or asleep/chilling in bed because I have a class to teach at 9 am tomorrow! Which also means that, given that it's currently 9 pm, I should probably get going off the computer and hop into the shower so my eyes don't feel so puffy and tired for tomorrow. ![]() |
I already posted about this in the newsfeed (see "Note: Thesis Update (It's not pleasant):
Advisor re...") but I felt that the character limit there was hindering my ability to properly express my feelings. I've also drafted (now sent) a response to Mary (the Honors advisor who was working with me on this case) : Hi Mary, Thank you for helping me with all of this. I also received Professor Reich’s email. In response to what Professor Reich said, I missed the deadlines because I was waiting for her feedback. For example, I began the submission process in November (11/13) for the introduction, sent a literature review in December, close to Christmas, and the methodology on January 14, which was when she replied saying what I had sent her weren’t full sections- her feedback was vague and difficult to understand, and while she made specific comments and suggestions, she didn’t exactly guide on what constituted a “full” section- having never written such a paper before, I felt somewhat lost. I eventually got overwhelmed with struggling from the lack of direction, and my friend who graduated from another honors program ended up giving me her thesis to use as a template for this draft I wrote and just finished. I understand Professor Reich herself is in Budapest, but is there anything I can do in person in Irvine to help this situation? I can drive down any day this week to discuss the situation, and really don’t want this thesis to be the only obstacle preventing me from graduating the CHP! Is there anyone else I might be able to get advising from for the thesis? I do want to get this in and finished before the new July 15th deadline. I've been accepted into the fall intake for the Multiple Subject Credential Program at CSULB and they still need an official transcript saying I've "officially graduated" from UCI. Please kindly let me know what I can do about this. I really appreciate your help with this process. Thanks, Dragon I'm just really upset about this whole situation- I mean, she's essentially messing with my future. I've gotten into CSULB for their Multiple Subject Credential program, I've already set my schedule for the fall, and I'm so ready to move on- in fact, I'm excited to start my classes because I know from here on out, the classes I take are going to be related to my job. No more GEs, no more strange philosophy teachers who are convicted of DUIs and refused admission into Canada... This thesis is literally the only thing between me and graduating from the Honors Program. Anyways, I really don't know what I can be doing about this because, yeah- after June 10, (her last email with me before she essentially dropped me, and her latest email pretty much confirms that too) SHE DIDN'T WANT TO WORK WITH ME ANYMORE. So HOW in the heck is she supposed to "meaningfully advise" me if she won't work with me? Seriously. ![]() Granted, she may've gotten upset I missed the very first deadline in November by like, a day and couple hours, and then thought I was a flake because I submitted some low-quality work I didn't know was low-quality (only in May was I told that the introduction to the thesis is a giant literature review- had she told me that from Day 1, or back in January, I think things would've been a little different, no? ![]() I've also gotten off the phone with Grandfather and Mom- Grandfather thinks it's discrimination. I wouldn't put it that strongly, but I also wouldn't put it past her to be discriminating against me. ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Respond to a current news story with your opinion. Share a link to the story if possible. https://time.com/5619999/instagram-mosseri-bullying-artificial-intelligence/ ![]() Well, there's my link. ![]() Let's just start with, this is a very long article. So if you wanna know what's in it, but you'd like to skim, the main points are: IG is starting to make AI to counter cyberbuullying, and they're hoping Facebook (their parent company) won't cut ties with them because they (IG) are depending on their (FB's) AI systems to help with this countering. ^^ That's essentially the whole thing in a very abbreviated nutshell. I'm very happy Instagram is doing this, actually. As I mentioned in "Invalid Entry" ![]() ![]() ![]() Now that I'm rehashing it, actually, I remember that I reported him because what happened was this- he sent those messages, then he blocked me. Okay, whatever, right? Then he unblocks me and sends another string of messages. ![]() Anyways. Going back to the topic of the article, I'm applauding this guy (Mosseri) for taking on this endeavor. If anything, yes, it will make me want to use Instagram more because of what he's doing with it, and use Facebook less, because of what they're not really doing. ![]() Two very powerful paragraphs in this article say: What it comes down to, according to Mosseri, is whether one thinks connecting people, and even the Internet itself, is a net benefit for humanity. “Technology isn’t inherently good or bad in the first place. It just is,” he says. “And social media, as a type of technology, is often an amplifier. It’s on us to make sure we’re amplifying the good and not amplifying the bad.” Instagram didn’t invent bullying. It’s a problem that crops up anywhere that people congregate online. Adults, from the President on down, are normalizing online abuse. Experts say that, as a society, we are failing to teach kids how the Internet works before setting them loose on it, at a time when they’re just starting to understand what it means to exert power in relationships. And they say that the fight against bullying can’t be waged by tech companies alone: there needs to be buy in from parents, schools and kids themselves. And it's so true. It's kinda like food. Food isn't particularly good or bad, but depending on what you do with it, it is what you make it to be. One scoop of ice cream won't kill you, but eating a whole tub most certainly won't be great for your health. Tying this back to tech and social media, isolated situations might not kill you, but constant reminders of what your peers are doing without you, or what celebrity is doing what, might just, if the peers know how to purposely push the right buttons. That's why my social media numbers usually stay low- I only add people who A. want to add me, or B. I'd like to know what they're up to every now and then. As for bullying, it happens everywhere, yes. I remember in elementary school, this girl (purposely) poured dirty paint-water on my hand as I was washing up, then claimed it was an accident. ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
What fictional character do you admire? What specific characteristics do they possess that make them attractive? There are a couple characters I highly admire. Jack West Jr, for starters, as well as Shane Schofield, from Matthew Reilly's books. They're the first two names that popped into my head at the moment, since I just finished reading The Three Secret Cities, which is his newest book in the Jack West Jr series. I admire them because 1. They know alot about alot. Granted, this is the author's research and the knowledge he gains from what he finds is what he gives the characters, but I learned quite a bit about history and mythology from reading the books, actually. ![]() ![]() ![]() 2. They fear nothing. Like, absolutely nothing. ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() 3. They're resourceful. I guess that kinda has to be a built-in skill when you're always facing off against tyrants, hired assassins, and other, lethal groups of people, but it's definitely a good trait to have. In a sense, I do usually work with what I have as well, but they do it in a more dramatic fashion, which makes it fun to read about their adventures and near-misses- as opposed to "oh, I have cocoa in the pantry and all the ingredients for chocolate banana muffins, so let's make that" ![]() 4. They have super cool tools/gadgets. There's nothing like having cool technology that attracts people to you, right? ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() 5. They're still human. As I mentioned before, they have families. And in the most recent book especially, you really get a glance of Jack's home life and family dynamic. His daughter is in college and has a boyfriend, for example, and he seems like the kind of guy where, if you saw him on the street, you probably wouldn't even recognize his face if you saw him again. ![]() Note- Jack and Shane are from two separate series, but they operate in the same "world", since Shane has made an appearance in a Jack West Jr book before. ![]() ![]() |
It’s the Sunday News! Reflect on the first week of July. Are you on track to meet you goals? What are your plans for the rest of the month? Hmmm I don't exactly have goals for July given that it's now summer break and I'm so done dealing with anything academically related, since I'm essentially done with the thesis and waiting to hear back from the advisor. If she doesn't reply by Monday, I'm emailing CHP again to let them know this is what's happening. I've written two thank-you cards for graduation presents, out of 8 (I think 8). I need to do more of those for sure, now that the thesis is done. I wrote one while doing the thesis because I had to send Sis some mail and I sent her some cookies to make the flat-rate box a bit heavier, so I figured I'd send her the card as well while I was at it. ![]() So I suppose one goal here is to finish those thank-you cards. ![]() Plans for the rest of the month- I am going to a conference for Chinese School teachers later in the month. I'm also somewhat planning to visit DancerPalooza in 2 weeks to see if I can pick up any kiddos who might be interested in music lessons. Yes, it's a dance conference but hey, dance needs music, right? And maybe some kids will have an older sibling who's there for dance but they're not- and music classes might be a fun thing to stick younger kids in while the older ones are off doing their thing. ![]() ![]() Other than that, I'm probably just going to be chilling around and seeing what happens the rest of the month. I've been practicing the uke every day, so maybe I'll haul out my guitar, get it tuned, and start that up again. I keep saying "maybe I'll do X" because I've been lazy and non-committal. ![]() For sure, though, I'm going to finish the 2-week barre trial. I'm ever so slightly disappointed that it's not all barre stuff, in the sense that with aerial, you spend a good amount of time on the silks or apparatus and learning tricks and stuff- at the barre, you start out with various other conditioning stuffs, before moving to the barre, and then moving away from it to do other stuff- so actual time at the barre is pretty limited. Regardless, I'm definitely getting a good workout out of the classes- I've never had sore triceps before, but as I did a stretch today, they burned! I just tried doing it again as an experiment and good grief, they still burn. ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Make a list of five things you wish you could be a master of. Be sure to explain why you chose what you did. At first I thought this was three, and I was thinking that there's no way three would be enough for what I'd wish. ![]() So my FIVE would be: 1. Memory (remembering things ![]() 2. Baking 3. Mind-reading (didn't say it had to be realistic ![]() 4. Aerial stuffs 5. Musical instruments As for why.... 1. Memory- I'm always forgetting stuff. ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() 2. Baking- I do enjoy baking! Not necessarily cleaning, but baking is quite fun. Measure all the ingredients out and get it into some form of batter, portion it out, put it into the oven, wait a certain amount of time, and then bam you've got some edible goodies. ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() 3. Mind-reading- I'm the type of person where if you try to discreetly insult me, I'll likely miss the point and chalk it up as another comment. ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() 4. Aerial stuffs- that really shouldn't come as a surprise. ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() 5. Musical Instruments- As I mentioned previously, I'm learning ukulele and guitar (somewhat) and I learned piano in high school for like, 7 years. ![]() ![]() ![]() |
What did you dream about doing as an adult when you were little? Have you been able to achieve any of your childhood dreams? Share a fact about your life now that you never imagined would come true. As far back as I can remember, I wanted to be in Hi-5. I mean, they were pretty much my childhood idols/heroes/everything you look up to. ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() So obviously, that definitely didn't work out. ![]() ![]() Fast-forward... 4-5 months, though- and there's an announcement on Facebook- they're going to the Baby and Toddler Show to perform (and sell merch) in Melbourne! And they have a "click here to get tickets". Guess what? Tickets were free! And upon Googling, the venue was AT MY SCHOOL. ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() I met the cast afterwards and it was a great time. I went back on Sunday because they sent an email on Saturday night saying my ticket was valid the whole weekend. I got another goody bag because I was supposed to meet with a classmate to work on a linguistics project but she forgot, so I ended up staying the whole day and meeting the cast again. And meeting this crazy dude named Stevie who "verbally" accosted me via Instagram messages for mentioning him in my blog post about the event. ![]() ![]() Now let's fast-forward another 2 years.... I've since learned that Charli's hula hoop "swing" is actually called a lyra. It's probably my favorite apparatus ever in aerial classes, and I've learned how to do some pretty cool stuff on it ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() So 2 facts about my life I never imagined (in case my rambling threw you off)- 1. Meeting Hi-5, and 2. Learning Lyra! |
What is your go-to dish to bring to a potluck? Does your family have any traditional recipes? (In Hawaii, these appetizers are called “pupus” ![]() In Cantonese, appetizers are called "tou poon," or "head dish" (the dish that comes at the head of a meal, not a dish of heads ![]() ![]() I admittedly have never been to a potluck. I was only ever invited to one, and I ended up backing out because it was off campus, I didn't have a car, and I didn't feel super safe going to someone's place whom I hardly knew, plus I hardly knew the people I was going with as well ![]() ![]() Actually, my philosophy class was also supposed to do a potluck but then the professor got sick and canceled class- and the potluck. He's the guy who got busted for driving with substances/under the influence of whatever and was banned from entering Canada because of it- and he claimed to be a good baker ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() Anyways. ![]() ![]() ![]() With that said, my salads are yummy, because those don't require cooking. Anything that mostly requires assembly, I'm pretty decent with. Avocado toast? yum. I add tomatoes and occasionally, grilled chicken if I'm going to exercise later. ![]() My redemption here is I can bake! ![]() ![]() Baking on the other hand, was always relatively easy. Take the cinnamon rolls out of the container, plop them onto the cookie sheet, put them in the oven, set the timer, wait and you're good to go! ![]() ![]() And then I reached 27 pages on my thesis on Friday so I made chocolate banana muffins to celebrate- there were a dozen of those, so I gave 4 to Shadowfanglerz and I've been eating one for breakfast every day since. ![]() Sooo yeah, if there was a potluck, and I absolutely had to make something, I'd bring dessert. Otherwise, go to the store and get some chips. ![]() Oh and there's a part 2 to the prompt- traditional recipes.... My mom cooks, in case you didn't get that from above. ![]() Her sticky rice is also amazing- the literal translation of it into English, though, is "oil rice," so I think you can imagine how bad for you it is, but also, how good it tastes.... ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() So yeah, if we had to go to a potluck and bring something, Mom would probably do the teriyaki salmon. Although, knowing Mom, we wouldn't even be going to a potluck in the first place. ![]() ![]() |