Thursday, December 30, 2010

Bidding Farewell to 2010

Happy holidays! I'm wishing you all a great and prosperous new year!
Hello. It's been awhile. I must admit: I've been neglecting this blog somewhat. There have been things that I've been wanting to post about throughout the month but just don't. I'm sorry =(

The good news is that I haven't been neglecting this blog for nothing. I started a much less personal, more informative blog about complementary and alternative medicine. One of the few things I'm ultimately passionate about. I started it on Tumblr and it's been doing relatively well. Then I decided that I'd take it onto a different interface, Wordpress. This was for the convenience of persons unfamiliar Tumblr accounts so that they could leave comments, questions and suggestions while viewing posts and quotes on a much neater website.

Please, take a look at either (according to your preference) and share the knowledge of good health with others!


That's what I've been up to lately. I, personally, think there's nothing better that I can offer you right now than the knowledge of health and healing, naturally.

After a few weeks of looking around and comparing natural health schools, I've come to a decision about the ones I'm looking to apply to in 2013. I've mentioned the Canadian College of Natural Medicine before - this is now my second choice. My first choice is Bastyr University, a natural medicine school that stands at the top of all others. This is where I have high hopes of obtaining my much anticipated Naturopathic Doctor degree.

This month has been very natural medicine oriented for me. I'm determined more than ever to complete my current degree in allopathic medicine and move forward to my naturopathic degree. And, more than that, I want to share the knowledge of natural health to the world...it's nothing short of my largest goal in life: To educate the public about what true healthcare is.

If you know me, you'll know that this is nothing new. Although, if you know me, you probably didn't even know what it was that I'm ultimately working towards. Only after educating myself can I educate others, and so it is my "short" term goals that you may know me to have. I use the term "short" loosely as I'm planning for my naturopathic degree which I apply for in 3 years...for some, this is pretty far off. Should all go well, I could very well have an N.D. added onto my M.B.B.S. in 8 years. I can only plan...after all, many things can happen in that span of time and I will, of course, adapt accordingly.

All this to say one thing: my new year's resolution for 2011 is to continue to share what little knowledge I carry about complementary and alternative medicine with others and to learn what little I can as I continue my studies in medical school.

What's your resolution for 2011?

Sunday, December 12, 2010

mmm Cheesecake!

The main ingredients!
This is no secret: I love cheesecake.
This is also no secret: I don't cook. I don't bake. I basically don't like the heat that's exuded from every cooking surface.

I would very much like to learn how to bake a cheesecake though! So, my Mom and I embarked on a mission: to make the best cheesecake we can!

Attempt #1: crustless cheesecake. Total failure. 
We left it in too long and it ended up like a gelatin sorta dessert. It may have had something to do with the addition of flour...but I don't know. It would've been nice...if it had more sugar. We ate a bit of it and then just threw it out. It had no flavour to it really.

Attempt #2: cheesecake with crust. Semi success.
This one turned out pretty well! We left out some ingredients this time: vanilla extract and flour. We also didn't bother to leave it in the oven like one recipe had suggested. It turned out more like cheesecake and tasted more like cheesecake but it was too sweet! My Mom thought to put in a bit more sugar this time but we forgot that the crust would have sugar in it as well...so it was too sweet! x3


I worked with my Mom on this so I can't really just take the credit for it. Hopefully attempt #3 will be a total hit! We've had to experiment with the temperature and timing of the baking process because we aren't using a regular oven. We're using a convection oven so the baking occurs at a much faster pace and would be needed at a lower temperature. The recommended 90 minutes of oven time at 325 degrees followed by 250 degrees obviously wouldn't work for us. We had to assume about half the 90 minutes would be okay timing (we went with about 50 minutes). We didn't really play with the temperature so that may be why it ended up so golden brown at the edges - the middle was a little too soft too. So, next time we'll be lowering the temperature some.

It just takes a few simple ingredients to make a simple cheesecake but a LOT of money is spent for it. I'm not sure what it's like overseas, but in Barbados the ingredients are expensive to buy (especially now that VAT is now 17.5%). The little tin of sour cream alone could cost about $5; the crust about $10; the cheese...similar to the sour cream; then there's sugar and eggs; and I couldn't believe the dressing for it sells for almost $30 in the supermarket! (We so did not buy that!) Don't forget, there's also the expense in electricity.

So, here's a lesson to learn: when you see a whole cheesecake selling for $45 BDS, that's CHEAP (though, it may be more like $50-something now). Especially when it comes with the tasty lovely $30 topping. And don't forget, people are paid for manual labour as well! 

Saturday, December 11, 2010

Christmas Break Ahead

In precisely 5 days, I will be freed from the stress presented by final examinations. Then, Christmas break begins.

It's only too often that I speak about what I want to do with my future. If you ask me what I plan to be doing in 5 years, I'd say "I'll be in a naturopathic school." In 10? I'll be a graduated naturopathic doctor working hard to fulfill my goals.

But what of the near future? Say...Christmas break? Don't worry, I've got that all planned out as well. I don't focus only on the distant future. The unfortunate thing is that I don't tend to keep to the plans of the near future quite as well. I wonder why. Regardless, I've got a ton of things to do this upcoming break and less time to do it in. As I progress through medical school, not only is my summer vacation disintegrating, so is my Christmas. This year, I've got a solid 3 weeks or so. Here's what I've got planned in no particular order of importance:

  • Read! With 3 weeks before I start clinical rotations, I'll need to catch up on whatever information I possibly can! I'll probably sit and read Macleod's Clinical Examination...maybe 30 minutes a day? If possible, I'd quite like to include some more relaxing titles. I have yet to complete my read of the Left Behind series so I'd like to get a little further!
  • Create DVDs! You're probably wondering 'why' and 'what for?'. I have still to complete the editing for the incredibly fun karaoke night the M.S.A. had planned during freshers week for an M.S.A. events DVD! I also have to look through and edit the 100+ videos I took while in Shanghai for DVD placement. A slideshow with my hundreds of photos as well. All of that, for my family (and friends too if they care to watch).
  • Shanghai scrapbook! I have a ton of little tidbits that I picked up here and there during my trip to Shanghai and brought it all home with me. I figure it would be nice to put together a little scrapbook of it all rather than throw it all out.
  • ND schools scrapbook! Or something like it. I've chosen my favourite 4 N.D. schools that I plan to apply to in just less than 3 years' time. But first, I want to find out as much information as I possibly can for each!
  • Get caught up on TV series! There are a few series that I've been neglecting over the past few weeks so I'll be catching up on those. In addition to that, I started watching The Big Bang Theory and so I'll continue watching until I'm all caught up.
  • Watch anime! Psh. As if I could not include anime in my vacation plans! It's always there, it's just a matter of having the time for it.
  • Learn to bake cheesecake! I'll actually be making the first attempt with my Mom this weekend. Or...she may just make the attempt on her own since I have to study. I'll probably help though! But I'll learn to make it myself, for sure!

It's a fairly long list filled with a number of time consuming activities. How much of it will I be able to complete in 3 weeks? Only time will tell. We'll see how it goes. As long as I don't waste my days away playing The Sims 3.

Monday, December 6, 2010

Days Come & Go

The days are passing by quickly and slowly. Quickly, because I haven't been studying much for the exams I have which start in 2 days. Slowly, because there's so much I'd like to do but can't since exams are coming up and I need to be studying. You know how it is, when you want something after a particular date, it just seems to come too slowly.

It's December. The final month of the year. The month honoured to usher in the new year...on the Gregorian calendar, at least. The month with the festive holiday celebrated in most places around the year. The month that children look forward to presents and cookies and cakes and all sorts of holiday foods. The month I have final examinations.

Time has passed so much faster than I could anticipate. It seems like just yesterday I returned from my Shanghai trip. To me, those memories are still fresh as ever in my mind: the scents, the emotions, the environment, the food, the language, the people. This is why I like to travel - for the new and rejuvenating feeling, the fun and adventures that I'll never have at home. It saddens me to know that I won't be travelling this Christmas holiday.

The next week and half will come and go, faster than I'll anticipate yet slower than I'd like. These days will be filled with the strains of examinations and studying and will hold no more than 5% fun (because I refuse to miss out on watching The Vampire Diaries - otherwise there'd be 0).

StressSee you in a few days.

Saturday, October 30, 2010

Tomas Comes & Goes

See my related YouTube video!: Clicky

Today, Barbados was the first target of the tropical wave turned tropical storm turned hurricane, Tomas, a fiesty storm with a lot of spunk to share. Without warning, we were hit with brutal winds and rain. Tomas was reported as a strong tropical wave on Friday evening and by 11pm the same night, Barbados was under hurricane warning. How did that happen?

I went to bed one night to some overcast skies and a little rain and I was woken up by a text from my cousin celebrating that she didn't have to do her music exam today because the island's on lockdown. Wait. What? On lockdown? What happened overnight?! I'm a pretty heavy sleeper so I really didn't hear the gusts of winds and heavy showers that went on while I was living happily in dreamland. Oh, and then I realised that electricity had left us.

Photo by: Kreigg Yearwood

We don't have a battery operated radio at home but I was lucky to have charged up my battery last night! So that was my radio for the day. Listening in on 94.7 FM, I heard of all the damages and atrocities happening around the island by, at the time, tropical storm Tomas. Things were pretty light in my area but it sounded to me that St. John had the biggest burden. Roofs went flying, pailings went flying, trees started falling and taking some power lines down with them. One lady even reported that a power line in front her home was on fire. And a few people lost their homes to the strong gusts that wound up to hurricane force winds in some parts of the island. Poor souls. Lucky for them, there are people around who are willing to lend some homeless families shelter.

Photo by: Stefon Griffith

Tropical storm Tomas was upgraded to a category 1 hurricane by 11 a.m. this morning. Err? Yeah, that's right. A tropical wave became a hurricane in much less than 24 hours (I'd say about 15 hours). And Barbados was in the centre of it all. Slightly unusual, no?

Waking up at 5:40 a.m. and being without electricity for the following 11 hours, I've had a rather uneventful day and some difficulty studying for my upcoming exam on Thursday. At the moment, it's still a bit windy and rainfall has been heavily on and off all afternoon. With the reinstatement of my electricity, came the re-establisment of my internet and so, here I am! Unfortunately, many parts of the island won't be so lucky as they'll be without electricity over the next few days as the Barbados Light & Power works hard to fix the fallen poles and broken lines.

Who'll be in line for Tomas' terror next?

Feel free to comment and share your Tomas experience here. =)

Monday, October 25, 2010

Indications of Change

Everyone goes through various stages of life trying to find who they are and what they like. People are constantly changing as they grow.

When I was a little girl, I used to love the colour pink, Barbie, long nails, nail polish, long hair, dresses and wearing my Mom's oversized shoes. A was truly an adorable little girl.

When I was a youthful teenager, I developed a nasty hate for the colour pink, discarded any prior attachments to Barbies, left behind my positive feelings about heels and pretty much became a tomboy who liked dark nail polish, long hair and nails. When I started taekwondo, the nail polish and long nails went "bye bye!" and I happily left them behind. By then, I developed this interest in awesome baggy pants and had couldn't give a care in the world about things like make up or fashion. In fact, those things were virtually non-existent to me.

Ever since I've entered medical school, I've evolved further into another person altogether. I still have quite the distaste for the colour pink, grew to like heels (but only thick ones that aren't any taller than 3"! Those pointy stick heels are absolutely absurd), grew out of the baggy pants but still prefer pants over skirts. I'm starting to grow to like skirts too! I still like my nails short, but that's because it's easier to handle my touchscreen accessories with short nails...or, no nails. I'm not a big fan of nail polish because it's like poison to your nails. Bad stuff. My hair? I'm absolutely loving it short these days and that's because I have problems with keeping it long. Recently, I've gained an interest in make up.
It's interesting to think back on my interests in previous stages of my development and I often wonder how I will further develop in the future...at some point, I'll reach a level that's just right for me. I've developed reasons for the things I do as life moves along...like my reasons for keeping my hair and nails short, and why I don't use nail polish.

In much the same way as a single cell develops into a talented human being, I'm developing. I'm changing. I'm learning. I'm growing.


What about you? Have you ever sat down to think about how you've evolved over the years? 

This was my reflection on my physical appearance and interests over the past 20 years. As for my personality and internal development, I guess I can save that for later. =)

I'll tell you one thing that hasn't ever wavered: my love for cute things and stuffed animals!

Friday, October 22, 2010

Looking Towards The Future

This past week, I've been absolutely obsessed with one thing in the whole entire world: Canadian College of Naturopathic Medicine!

CCNM Logo

I've looked at a couple of naturopathic schools, gracefully skipping over the ones in the U.S. If you're wondering why, it's just because, for some reason, I'm not very fond of having to reside in America for any length of time. I'm not sure why. Maybe it's just New York that I'm uncomfortable with, but the country just doesn't sit with me very well. Granted, I haven't visited many other states...I've been to Florida but my memories there are too vague. Don't get me wrong, it's nice to visit and I'd very much like to visit other states in the U.S.

So, I've looked towards Canada and England. I haven't found any places in England that's really caught my eye the way CCNM has managed to. In fact, I'm starting to wonder how it so firmly managed to gain my priority attention. Maybe, just maybe, it was meant to be. Things just happen like that, you know?

CCNM is a very well accredited naturopathic school that would allow me to practice as a naturopathic doctor (N.D.) in Canada and U.S. states that allow such practices. It's got a rivetingly rigorous programme that would seriously challenge one's mind and skills. Clinic work is even incorporated from semester 1! I think that's pretty amazing. And the degree encompasses a wide range of natural medicine techniques from acupuncture, botanical medicine, hydrotherapy and Asian diagnosis techniques (such as pulse and tongue diagnosis)! It's amazing! It's just so exciting!

I've been looking at the website every day since the day I discovered it and I manage to find new information floating about. I've even found a Survival Manual from last year on the Naturopathic Students' Association (N.S.A.) website. It's an excellent guide for people (like myself) who are unfamiliar with Toronto and the general area, as well as a basic guide for surviving first year. I've discovered a list of clubs at the college, the nearest food places, shopping places, health food stores, subway exits and more. It's just been all fun for me.

Now, if you've managed to read this far into my slightly obsessive post, you may (or may not) be thinking that I'm a little crazy for finding all this information for a school that I cannot attend for, at least, another 4 years. Yeah, that's right, I've mapped out my future for, probably, the next 4-8 years. So, I know exactly what I want in life, big deal. You may be thinking "Geez, why don't you just focus on the studies at hand so that you could get good grades to make it into the school!" Well, you should read my previous post.

I've lost any motivation I once had to properly study for medical school. It's been one boring day after the other and I feel like I'm being taught little in my classes. No motivation = No studying. Discovering CCNM has lit a fire in me that no other school or programme I've seen has managed to do. I'm motivated to do well once more because I have something to work towards...somewhere to work towards. An escape. A dream, almost forgotten.

Of course, there's also the fact that I don't know what kind of procedures would be necessary for me to apply to CCNM. Now that I know, I know it's not exactly the simplest procedure and I know that my university is far from efficient. So, it's best to learn these things early so that I'm properly prepared and don't waste any time in life.

That almost-forgotten dream? I remember when I made the resolution like it was this morning.

Sunday, October 17, 2010

More complaints...

Dear all,

I've not forgotten you. I could never so easily forsake my blog without any forewarning (though I'm sure I've gone much longer without making an entry). Life has just been...a bore.

Classroom
This is more or less the set up of the class I'm in. Every day. Minus the American flag. It often feels like I'm in secondary school again. The only upgrade is that I'm in a building with solid walls, roof and floor. I basically spent my final year of secondary school in a broken down shack. Not that I'm complaining.

Often, I wish we could make use of our own lecture theatre on campus but that's a dream that will have no chance for realisation. I'm moving over to the clinical setting next year. That lovely lecture theatre I'd like to have my lectures in? No more of that. But day by day, I drive to campus, sign a sheet of paper with each hour of class I'm in to indicate that I was indeed present because attendance is oh-so-important, you know, just like when we were in primary school.

A daily routine of sleeping, eating, going to class, eating, going to more classes, eating, studying and sleeping once more (with some showers here and there to keep clean) has taken it's toll. I've been doing this for 16 years of my life without a break in between and, you know what? I'm tired of it. Tired of living the same days over and over again. Tired to the point where I've no motivation to pick up a book and study anymore. No motivation. Every opportunity for a break from this cycle is welcome. That's partly why I'm glad I joined the M.S.A...it brings the only difference in my current academic life. Starting January, there'll be more hands-on experience and not-as-much classroom experience and I'm looking forward to that, immensely.

It's no secret that I've been dying to leave the island too. The life I live here is, as stated above, quite routine. A cycle of daily events. There's little else to do in the country and I can't do anything about it. Today, I gave myself a little excitement: I searched for naturopathic schools in Canada. I searched for naturopathic schools in England awhile ago too. I know these two territories are great places for me to obtain the degree I strive for. Search and search and I found the one I'd absolutely love to go to for my ND: Canadian College of Naturopathic Medicine.

So, watch out Toronto, I'm making my way over in 4 years' time. Wait for it. My great escape.

Tuesday, October 5, 2010

Proper Supplementation?

I'll admit that I'm not really a big listener when it comes to class these days. For some reason, they bore me and don't keep my interest for more than 30 minutes, if so much. Those that I can listen to for an hour or more are certainly the interesting ones. That said, this semester we're doing a course in human nutrition. In my most honest opinion, all doctors desperately need to know about human nutrition...desperately. So, I'm glad that it's a part of the degree here.

Who better to teach a course about nutrition than a dietitian? Well, I can actually think of more qualified persons for that role. Regardless, this is one of the persons we have teaching the course...the others, know little of nutrition. As previously stated, I'm not a big listener in class and the dietitian is impeccably boring to listen to but, from the little I have attempted to hear, dietitians (or maybe just this one?) are only knowledgeable in diets and food nutrition. You must be wondering, what more do they need to know? Well, I'm certainly being taught about supplementation where needed but the knowledge in this aspect of nutrition is so mightily limited that a biochemist could teach this same information.

What a bore. And a disappointment.

This is why doctors who do happen to know something about supplementation and natural products don't actually know how to properly use/suggest them. Because they're not properly taught. Not even basic general things about supplements like the fact that not all brands are good for everyone. The cheaper 'brands' are incredibly low quality compared to the more costly ones and so they do very little to supplement the body's need. And then there's the fact that one brand that may do well for one person may not do so well for another. 

But such is life. This is how doctors and medical students are taught. If they want to learn about all aspects of nutrition in its proper form, they'll probably have to go to a natural medicine school...or make good friends with alternative or complimentary medicine practitioners, though that sort of relationship isn't very common. Why? Because, for some reason, consultants in natural medicine and conventional medicine manage to clash instead of mesh. And I must add, it would actually be rather beneficial for the medical and wider community if everyone got along instead of bashed each other's treatment/management options. That's all I have to say.

Thursday, September 23, 2010

Mini-Series? =o

Well, I'm not promising anything here. Don't get your hopes up!


Have you met Tim? Well, here he is. A man who's 1 cm tall and has a curiosity for the (giant) human body. I did this one up a little while ago but it took me awhile before I got all psyched up for the voiceover. It's finally out though!

I had a friend suggest to me that Tim should have a little series of his own. His little adventures into the human body. An internal explorer. An internal biology teacher. Of course, for that to happen, I'll have to bend the realm of reality a little...oh wait...I already did, 1 cm tall stick men named Tim don't exist. =)

The only thing about this suggestion, as lovely as it is, is that creating Tim and scripting his adventures takes time! As a medical student, time is incredibly valuable and I'd like to know beforehand: Do you think Tim should have his own series?



Friday, September 17, 2010

I'm Tired

You know that saying that goes "Your eyes are bigger than your stomach"? I'm like that...but with life in general. I tend to take on just a little more than I can apparently handle and have this habit of falling just a little bit behind.

Okay, that's not entirely true. I take on as many tasks as I know I can handle. My only problem is that I'm incredibly good at wasting my time. Now, I like to keep really busy so that's why I've been doing all that I've been doing lately and that's perfectly fine. I can easily have very sufficiently efficient days. But if I get tired, the way the stress of last weekend left me, I tend to get rather lazy and fall behind. As a result, I'm behind on work at school despite the fact that I'd really like to read up the necessary information.

I typically spend a grand portion of my days on computers and I've become accustomed to that...to staring at a big 17" screen all day long. But I'm tired of it. A lot of my reading material happens to be online and that's fine...it's printable. But I'm even given chapters on Google Books to read and that's just not very efficient to me but at the same time...I don't want to read them on the computer. So it's like, hmmm, what to do? Somehow, I end up catching up on Naruto or sleeping.

The joys of stress; of being tired; of university.

Friday, September 10, 2010

Boooooring!


Medical students are work-oriented individuals; studying is impeccably important. Nobody's dumb in medical school, one has to be smart to get in and then be smart enough to stay. For typical medical students, the importance of work relative to play is pretty much like this:

work > play

I'm perfectly fine with that as long as no one works all the time and cuts out all elements of fun and enjoyment in life. Anyone would go crazy, literally. Work hard, play hard...that way, all the stress from work feels worth it when you take a little break. It's like studying: try studying non-stop for 8 hours. How many people can actually accomplish that? Few. The little breaks help us to sit back and see how much work we've accomplished, to let it settle in a little before we continue.

So, a little fun before the work bares it's ugly fangs is perfectly fine. It's a pity our freshmen can't see that yet. Maybe in a year's time. How boring that they don't understand the importance of play and interaction with fellow medical students.

This week has been so upsetting, frustrating and disappointing for a lot of reasons. I'm already falling behind...the worst thing anyone should have to do is play catch up in med school. I can't wait for the week to conclude. I'll pick up a book and enter 'boring mode'...forgetting the week ever happened.

To think...this week was the only reason for wanting to start the new semester. Bah.

Saturday, September 4, 2010

Jetlag


My last (and only) cup of coffee in Shanghai Pudong International Airport.

Jetlag.

I've returned to this place I currently call home. I had an amazing time in China. I miss Hong Kong already.

Classes commence first thing Monday morning. The joys of class and sitting in lectures, of seeing good friends and not paying attention to the lecture; the joys of my typical university life. Returning to the daily rituals and study sessions. Missing friends, old and new, experiencing great things overseas. Looking forward to meeting new people and making new friends at the start of this fresh academic year.

Details of my trip to come once my circadian rhythm has lined up with my current time zone...

Tuesday, August 24, 2010

Departing For Awesome Experiences

The time is soon here. I'll be flying away from Barbados. After three flights (one lasting up to 16 hours), I'll arrive at wonderful Shanghai! I'm so incredibly excited!!! I've been waiting for the day to come for 2 months and, in two blinks, it's here. Before I know I'll be returning to Barbados after another three flights. But it's okay because I would've had an immense amount of fun and travel.

I know China to be an extremely hot place. I complain about the heat here but I can't wait to see just how much hotter it is there. Last I knew, temperatures go up to 40 degrees Celsius there. I wonder what the humidity is like there, though. Hopefully it's not very humid because I get more than enough of that here...

Anyways, just a quick post to say "Bye!" =) I won't have direct access to this blog, Tumblr, Twitter, Facebook or YouTube while I'm there (courtesy of The Great Firewall). I'll try making posts from my email if I have decent internet access and time. Hopefully, it can work out well that way so that I can sort of keep you all with me as I go day by day. =)

P.S. This post was done through my email account...kind of like a test to see how things go. If I manage to make posts as I'd like to from China and images seem to be aligned anywhere but center or have funny sizes, then...that's just how Gmail attaches images. =)

Sunday, August 22, 2010

Letting Go of The Unnecessities

A lot of people are caught up in their lives doing the most trivial things. These are the things that keep them busy all day long but what purpose does it serve, apart from consuming our precious time? What does it really benefit?
"Time is the coin of your life. It is the only coin you have, and only you can determine how it will be spent. Be careful lest you let other people spend it for you." - Carl Sandburg
There are so many small distractions that make perfect time wasters, wasting time by the hour. Facebook applications, reading up on the lives of celebrities, website after website, what purpose do these really serve? Will these benefit us or the people around us?

This year, I've become more involved in a lot of things. Now a certified biofeedback technician and treasurer of the Medical Students' Association has given me more responsibilities to aid, not only for my own life, but the lives of so many individuals. As a result, I've started giving up much of these trivial time-wasting things.

I've deleted a number of Facebook applications, leaving one which I know I'll be deleting soon enough. I no longer care about what happens in the lives of celebrities. They live their lives however they please and there's no need for me to waste my time reading up and watching videos about them on fan-based websites. What's the point? If someone tells me about it, then so be it but I will no longer give my time to these things.

There are still many things to let go of...I'm slowly letting go one by one. The fan-based celebrity websites were the first to go, followed by my recent deletion spree of applications on Facebook. Needless to say, I've had a few friends say something to me about the deleting.
This is Earth and it's moon seen from Mercury. Image from Discovery.

When you see things like this, you realise that Earth, in itself, is such a minuscule blob in an expansive galaxy which, among galaxies, is small. Why do we dwell on the unimportant? Why not dwell on the beneficial? Why do we search for ways to waste time when we can spend it wisely instead? How about you pick up that hobby you've been dying to do again? How about you learn a new language? Why not prune those abilities and give them a polish? If you don't feel you're particularly good at anything then maybe you'll want to look to discover that thing you're good at. We're all good at one thing, whether you know what it is or not.

It may be a small world we live in but I'd like to be able to make a difference in it. After all, I only have one life and a short one at that.

Did you know that Earth and it's moon appear as a double planet from Mercury?

Friday, August 20, 2010

Pop It

I like my popcorn one of three ways: hot and buttery, hot and salty or hot and cheesy. Either way, I like it hot but why does it have to cool down so quickly? As a result, I've rarely purchased hot popcorn from our theatre in Barbados and so, I rarely purchase popcorn at all.


Thanks to my little kernel incident last November, I've become pretty cautious of popcorn. I take my time chewing one by one little by little. Chew chew chew...there's no need to rush down popcorn. When it gets cold, it gets cold...I prefer it hot but I'll eat it anyways. Food is food...who's to complain? =)

I say all this now to make absolutely no valid point. Just a random post about popcorn. Yum.

Sunday, August 15, 2010

10 Days before my disappearance

It's been an indecent 14 days since I last made a blog entry! I figured it was about time I remedied that.

I've been incredibly busy the past 2 weeks...doing a course, practicing what I've learnt and trying to learn more! Meanwhile, I still have a research project report to type up and hand in by next week. I'm no good at biostatistics and 1.5 weeks of cram teaching taught me next to nothing about it so it's relatively safe to say that I'm feeling very lost with this research business.

Whenever I get frustrated with school, I have a tendency to look for a distraction. This time my distraction is Roswell. I never really got to watch it when I was younger and I had the link to all 3 seasons sitting there in my bookmarks. I started watching and now I'm at episode 12. My oh my. If the only available links weren't megavideo, I would have a difficult time stopping myself from watching episode after episode like a marathon. The 54 minute break lets me work on my report but I get frustrated with it fairly often. Roswell is as good as I always hear it to be! =)

In exactly 10 days' time...I'll be disappearing from the face of the internet! Everyone must know by now where I'll be going...China! I'm so incredibly excited! The Shanghai World Expo is gonna be a blast. Not to mention, I get to see a friend again! The one I mentioned a few times before who's studying there. He's working at the Barbados booth at the expo and he's having such a great time...I'm so envious! Or at least I was. Now that I get to go to the expo myself, I'm pretty satisfied with life. =)

Sunday, August 1, 2010

That Feeling You Get

Many persons were not aware of this: I'm currently in Trinidad. I'll be here until Wednesday and then I'll be returning home. My trip wasn't entirely planned from awhile ago like my trips usually are...it was done just the week before. So, what am I in Trinidad for?

I'm currently taking a certificate course in Biofeedback Basic Training. Basically, I'm trained to use a machine. But, there's more than that. Maybe someday I'll explain this in greater detail.
"Energy is all there is." - Albert Einstein
This is the concept with which this training revolves. One must be open in mind, spirit and body to accept the weight and possibilities and challenges involved with what we're currently learning about. Open the mind to the energies around you.

Doesn't it sound interesting? Someday I'll talk about it.

My class consists of 8 people: from The Wellness Center in Barbados and the Center for Disease Prevention in Trinidad...my parents' companies. These people are being trained to use this system. Our ages vary but most people are in their 30s and 40s. I'm the youngest person being trained. Some people are very open and acceptable and don't undermine me. But, you know what? There's one person who is not. No words need to be said. I just know that this individual doesn't seem to believe in my capability...or merely refuses to accept it. You know that feeling you get when someone doesn't listen to what you're saying (even though you're right) because they think you're inferior? Surely, you do.

It's a bit of a rant from here on. Feel free to read...or not read.

Because this blog is read by so many people close to me that I'm unaware of, I won't even be specific about the gender of this individual. When this person does something and I question the reliability of what is being done, the response I receive is one that has the undertone of "who do you think you are to be asking that?". When this person turns out to be wrong and I interject with what is actually correct, the defensive position is suddenly taken and I start to feel attacked. It's like "you're not the tutor, you really think you know so much more than me?" -_-

The question is not that I know more or less. We are in the same class. We are learning the same thing from the same person. But, you know what? You may not be absorbing as much information as I am. You may not remember every single word that was said. I'm not saying that I remember every word but I do remember most. Once I pay attention and I'm engaged in what's being taught, I tend to soak in and retain information like a Bounty paper towel. Once this individual starts getting defensive, I instinctively do the same and then I will quote precisely what this person said and when they said it. Of course, no one's gonna just let go. This person? Refuses to admit to being wrong. How prideful.

Remember what I said about being open to the idea of energy and this course? Energy is a flowing life force and we have to learn to understand it. That is what this is about. How can you be open to the ideas that are being placed on the plates before us if you can't even be open to the idea that someone twice younger than you can correct you when you're wrong? How ironic.

How pathetic.

Thursday, July 29, 2010

M@D!

So, I'm one of those people who'll gladly waste their time watching anime music videos. Wow. I follow a couple of really good amv creators on YouTube and my favourite so far happens to be Soulvws who, might I add, is Barbadian. So much talent!

So, anyways, his latest upload was a M@D. Of course, I'm like, what's that?? I'm still looking into it as I don't really have the clearest idea quite yet. I just know that classic M@D videos are created by Japanese people and, so, originates from Japan. They're kind of like anime music videos, except you won't always find that the sources used are anime.

Soulvws' M@D video - using still images from various anime series

I searched around a bit and found this really amazing one:


I wanted to embed it but was getting a lot of trouble. You can watch it in the link above. The people on the website describes it as a masterpiece and I have to say that I totally agree. It's really great and quite an original work. Loved it!

So, I'll probably try to look into it some more. It looks like really interesting stuff. Like amvs but not quite? Something like that, I guess.

Saturday, July 24, 2010

Shanghai In One Month's Time!

It's been over a week since my last post and I feel like I haven't been posting as much as I should lately! For that, I apologise.

In precisely 1 month, I'll find myself on the other side of the world. It's so exciting to think about! I've said it before but, in case you don't know, I'll be making my way over to wonderful Shanghai to head out to the Shanghai World Expo that I've mentioned before and visit some other lovely sites in the city. I'll also be making a one-day stop in Hong Kong so that I get to see my family and breathe in the city air I love so much. One day in Hong Kong, surely it will satisfy me until my next visit, right?

Sometimes, I miss it there so much it hurts.

The research course that I've been doing the past 5 weeks is driving me crazy. I have a test on Monday that I can only pray for the best for. So, until next time!

*scurries off to cram*

Friday, July 16, 2010

Durability

What's more durable than a Nokia? I have no idea. If you can tell me what mobile phone company produces more durable products than Nokia, do let me know.

During the past week my dearest Nokia N97 mini has been through so much! It's the most unbelievable thing. I'm starting to think technology is rebelling against me despite all the love I have for it. No worries, though! I'm in ownership of a Nokia!

This little piece of tech must be one of the smartest decisions I've ever made (the other being the switch from PC to Mac). My Nokia has taken numerous falls onto hard tiled floors. Numerous.


Last Saturday, it slipped out of my pants' pocket as I was lifting my pair of jeans off of the bed (my bed's about 3 ft high) and fell to the floor with the most unpleasant sound ever. The result: the back cover came off and landed on one side of the phone, and my battery popped right out and landed on the other side. The keyboard shot open and the phone lay open (like the photo above) screen down on the floor. It looked like a disaster had struck. But like with any Nokia that has suffered through such a fall, I just popped everything into place and everything was good as new.

On Wednesday, it slipped off my seat in the lecture theatre at school and landed on the step below. Not a simple slip, fall and land. It went a lot more like: slip, fall, land, bounce off step, fall, land on the step below. Yikes. Two falls. I was devastated. After Saturday's fall, I was afraid it wouldn't work this time. It hadn't fallen apart but it did land on it's screen once more. I picked it up and all was fine. Phew!

As my phone has a touchscreen interface, I was so afraid of what would happen. With hard falls like those, something could crack below and then the touch sensitivity may just go kaput! That was my fear anyway. But no such thing has happened and I'm hoping it never will. This thing was expensive, you know!

Had such things happened to any other touchscreen phone, I'm not so sure I would be happily typing up this post. So, thank you, Nokia, for not making your touchscreen phones that much less durable than all your others.

Nokia, I ♥ you. Please, don't ever fail me.

Saturday, July 10, 2010

Flipped Out!



Some of you may or may not be aware that I'm in current ownership of a popular Cisco product: the Flip Mino HD (2nd gen).

Two nights ago, it totally flipped out on me and went bonkers (pun intended). Now, it refuses to turn on and I'm upset! The thing that upsets me the most is the fact that this is the second Flip that I've had. The first one I purchased had a very faulty screen and so I had to send it back and got it replaced with this one. It was working quite fine and well until the night before. In fact, I had used it during the day and had transferred all my videos and left it plugged into my laptop to charge before it started going crazy on me.

I think my relationship with Cisco's Flip pocket camcorders is just not meant to be. I've begun the search for a totally new camcorder. A proper one, rather than this conveniently portable pocket camcorder. And so, I look to Canon. I've been desiring Canon equipment lately and, as I can't afford to own a lovely DSLR camera, I do believe a camcorder will suffice very well. I've been researching...looking at lists, reviews and videos, I think I've pretty much decided on the VIXIA HF M31 which looks like this:
Doesn't it look yummy? I think it does. It's a very well equipped HD camcorder with a 2.7" touchscreen panel. Delish~. The only complaint I've seen from all the reviews that I've read is the battery life of the battery that comes in the box. So, many people purchase a larger battery pack and a separate charger. Which I believe I'll do...because approximately 1 hour of recording time just isn't cutting it. Otherwise, everything seems well up to par and I'm considering the purchase.

I'm feeling kind of excited about it! Just to note, I really wasn't this excited when I decided on buying the Flip. I guess I really shouldn't have bought it but it's too late now. I'm excited about this, so I'm sure this will work out well for a change. =)

If anyone happens to have any better suggestions for a camcorder, do let me know and I'll look into it!

Wednesday, July 7, 2010

Life In A Day

Today on YouTube Spotlight: Life In A Day.


Kevin Macdonald and Ridley Scott will work with the entire YouTube community to create a feature film that will be used in the Sundance Film Festival January 2011! What do you do? All that's required is that you pick up your camera and film your day (or someone else's) on July 24 2010! Anything you want, however you want. From the mundane to the extreme, they want it all. Then these guys will check out the (probably) millions of submissions and choose what they'd like to use to best express what's happening around the world in one day. Isn't that amazing?

You don't have to have a fancy camera (just one that shoots with good quality) and you don't have to be an expert with videos. Just hit record and upload. Videos are submitted to their YouTube channel and can be done any time between July 24 -31.

It sounds like fun! I'll definitely give it a go. Check the lifeinaday channel for loads more information! If you're interested, you should give it a shot too! It's kind of exciting! =D

Sunday, July 4, 2010

The Sands of Time

On Old Year's Night 2006, I sat in my friend's house and watched all my guy friends have a go at one game until 3 a.m. New Year's Day 2007: Prince of Persia - The Sands of Time.

Not once did I pick up a controller and attempt to play it myself but, surely, it was interesting to watch. I distinctly remember watching as my friend, Mark, was about to die he would do something that turned back time and engulfed the character in sand. I found it an interesting thing to do...mainly because he did it so often. It was an entertaining morning.

A memory hidden away in the back of my mind, this came back to me last night after I watched the movie Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time. A movie I found to be rather enjoyable but not so enjoyable that I would purchase the DVD to watch time and time again. It was a one-time-watch sort of movie for me and I wouldn't mind watching it again but paying to do so once is enough.


Admittedly, I haven't seen very many of Jake Gyllanhaal's movies but the few that I have, I've enjoyed and Prince of Persia is no exception. After all, how many girls could deny the stunningly hot bod that Jake built and toned in this movie? It was a relatively good movie, regardless.

As one who knows little of the game itself, I wonder how this movie turned out for the big fans of the game. I'll have to ask my friends after they've given it a watch. Hm. In fact, they may be very well upset that I watched it without them.

Thursday, July 1, 2010

On this day 13 years ago...

...Hong Kong was no longer under sovereignty from the United Kingdom and was handed over to the People's Republic of China.

Today is Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Establishment Day. Quite a mouthful, isn't it? Basically, on July 1st 1997, the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (or HKSAR) was established as it was returned to the People's Republic of China.

People often say to me "I thought Hong Kong was China." I usually reply with, "It isn't." It is a country on its own. You're probably wondering, "But how? You just said it was given back to China." In the same way, colonialism worked with the British and the Caribbean, and even the British and Hong Kong, a country remains a country on it's own. Or, at least, that's how I see it.

To be clear, when people think of China, they think of the People's Republic of China (PRC) because that is what China is portrayed to be...and that is exactly what China is. It's a country and a region on its own. Hong Kong is not a part of the PRC. And, hence, it isn't the same thing as China. The PRC has two special administrative regions: Macau and Hong Kong. They are a part of, yet separate from China. Get it? =)
At the Shanghai World Expo, you would find that Hong Kong and Macau have pavilions of their own as they are countries with cultures and practices of their own. But you would find that they also stand right beside the China pavilion as they are China's special administrative regions.

Get it now? =)

Sunday, June 27, 2010

And on the night of AnimeKon...

...I enjoyed myself...somewhat.

All I can say is that it was nice being out of the house and that I wasn't disappointed. In my recent post about AnimeKon 2010, I mentioned that I wasn't going with much expectation so that I wouldn't be disappointed. Such a smart thing to do. I was excited because I got to dress up but that doesn't mean I expected it to go down great.

In all honesty, if it had been called GamingKon or something, I wouldn't have gone and all the guys and girls who would go to "GamingKon" would have gotten all that they could ever hope for. They could never have been disappointed. Why? Because AnimeKon was really one big video game convention. The only anime-like things that went down (to my knowledge) include: cosplay and the showing of Final Fantasy: Advent Children...oh yes and I guess the fashion show was supposed to be related?

I had the great misfortune of being stuck in a meeting for most of the afternoon. During this meeting, people who cosplayed were around at AnimeKon and I missed a few other, more entertaining events. By the time I had arrived, few people were dressed accordingly and I was told about all the cool characters that were around in my absence. The only goodness I got to see was a pair of girls walking around in their costumes as: Kakashi and an Anbu. I had to sorta figure out the Kakashi character. This was my experience, having gone after 6 PM.


There was a fashion show that I got to see. It was short. It wasn't bad. But then again, I personally am not really one for fashion shows because I don't really get the fashion behind it. Yeah, fashion isn't my thing.

There was some good artwork and graphic designs around so I was pleased with the amount of that floating about.

What made it all worthwhile for me was seeing a bunch of friends that I don't get to see too often. So I was pretty pleased about that at least. Oh and I also got to dress up! I like being able to dress differently from usual.

So, if any of the guys at AnimeKon read this, here are my suggestions for AnimeKon 2011:
  • More anime! Otherwise, it's not AnimeKon. I expected to see a whole lot more anime-related things around.
  • Anime movies in the "Anime Theatre". Marvel stuff doesn't count because it's American.
  • Play some anime-related music: japanese music, theme songs, series soundtracks.
I think that was my biggest problem with AnimeKon. The fact that it had so little to do with anime and so much to do with video games. Anime conventions usually exist to promote anime, promote series that deserve more recognition. I didn't feel like the anime community was properly catered to. But it's something to work on for 2011.

Understandably, this could be difficult to tackle as there aren't really any anime/manga outlets in Barbados, to my knowledge. But using AnimeKon to promote this awareness would be ideal. There are loads of anime fans in Barbados but our source of it is only via the internet and a change from this would be nice, I'm sure. Video games are good, graphic arts are good, Marvel stuff is good but anime is great too! So, you have an entire year to try making AnimeKon 2011 a much more appealing event for anime fans such as myself (because I'm not a big fan of video games).

All in all, I think it turned out to be pretty successful.

Wednesday, June 23, 2010

On a night like any other...

...I sit and ponder.

You know how there are those nights when all you do is think? Think about anything: yourself, your future, your goals, your current situations, upcoming events, your friends, colleagues, acquaintances. Tonight was one of those nights. I sit and I see a future that hasn't yet happened and can only hope they will. Tough times are ahead as time will pass by but I know that I have grown enough to handle them and that they will help me grow more so that I can face the tougher.

Tonight is one of those nights...

...I feel inspired to do something great. It's one of those nights that I remember what I truly desire; one of those nights that I feel the fire of my passions kindle inside.

I had an interview Monday. Just a short, simple, relaxed interview with the Director of the Montreal Neurological Institute. I do believe it went well. This interview stirred up the emotions I feel tonight. Voicing the things I strongly desire have rooted them even deeper within me. Then, as I returned home, my Mom asked me what any mother would ask: How did the interview go? A question that merely reinforced my drive.

You probably wonder what it is that I'm so interested in, so passionate about. The things I enjoy studying, learning about, applying: holistic/natural medicine, genetics, the mind. I hope that one day, these three things will attain a perfect mixture in my career.

This summer we're doing a research course. A 9 week course that started this week. I've applied for an externship to do research at an external site in the hopes of seeing what true research is about. Rather than these silly "research projects" in Barbados that include survey. Surveys are boring and I hate statistics. Why did I say this? Because I've been somewhat interested in research before but, being unsure of what the field is like, I can't say I'm really interested or not. I do hope that I'll be placed at the site I'd like to go to and get first hand exposure to it.

When I was a little girl with a single-digit age, I used to like playing teacher. Of course, I also liked playing doctor. We already know which path I'm on. But I still haven't completely excluded the teaching aspect. I have a desire to spread good knowledge that people should know. Information that can change peoples' lives. Maybe someday, later in life, I may take up this role again. I have a friend who tells me that I explain things in a very simple way and I've come around a good few cases where I've helped clear up misunderstandings about many things for people. I apparently give decent explanations, even though I personally don't quite feel that way sometimes. Ha.

So, tonight was one of those nights that you sit and contemplate life.

Sunday, June 20, 2010

Father's Day Comes Again

"Any man can be a father but it takes someone special to be a Dad." -- Anne Geddes


There are many men in the world who truly live the role of a "Dad" and so many others who are truly undeserving of any such title. Just because half of your DNA helped make a new person in the world doesn't make you a Dad, it makes you a biological father. A man may have no biological connection to a child but still has a right to be a Dad.


"One father is more than a hundred schoolmasters." -- George Herbert


A Dad is a man who's there for you, cherishes you, takes the time to nurture, teach and protect you and becomes a good role model for his children.


"My father didn't tell me how to live; he lived, and let me watch him do it." -- Clarence Budington Kelland


Any man who takes no time for his children and only works is merely using it as an excuse for his lack of experience. A man becomes greater when he becomes a good father...a father any child would be proud to call "Dad". A good father knows where his priorities lie.


"A truly rich man is one whose children run into his arms when his hands are empty." -- Unknown


"A man's children and his garden both reflect the amount of weeding done during the growing season". -- Unknown 

I know I used a lot of quotes in this post. They pretty much say the same thing. If you have a father to proudly call "Dad", then cherish him and appreciate him. Treat him well this Father's Day.

To all the deserving Dads in the world, I wish you all a very happy Father's Day!

Saturday, June 19, 2010

AnimeKon 2010!


Barbados' first anime convention! To be held next Saturday, June 26th 2010 from 10 AM - 10 PM. No doubt. I'm going.

I don't have any costumes or anything so there'll be no cosplay for me (I sort of wish I could though) but I'll see what I can muster up from my closet. =) Even if I did want to cosplay, I wouldn't even know who to go as. But I do know I'd wanna be someone with a simple outfit. Complex, exotic articles of clothing do not make me happy...especially if they'll make me hot. I have a friend who may go as Afro Samurai. I think he couldn't have chosen a better character! If you knew him like I do, you'd think so too. =) I wonder how many people will cosplay for the event...

It's Barbados and it's the first. I'm not expecting much really but I'm hoping I'll get a pleasant surprise. Too much hope though, will leave me disappointed. So, I can't say I have a lot of hope or expectations but we won't know how this comes off until the day arrives! I've never been to an anime convention before, so I won't have anything to compare it to, at least.

Sunday, June 13, 2010

A Little Bit of Canada

A few days ago (4, to be exact), I returned from a trip to New York. I meant to make this post days ago but I've been busy. It was a relatively short trip, just 6 days long, but I had such a great time! Why? I spent the weekend on a tour bus to Toronto. Well, that's not the awesome part. The awesome part was getting to be on the road and see all sorts of great things. It was my first trip up to Canada!

The tour was a 3-day bus tour. We drove from New York through New Jersey then Pennsylvania and again through New York (upstate) before arriving in Ontario where we saw Niagara Falls at night. Niagara at night: beautiful. No picture could ever do it justice.

Wednesday, June 9, 2010

Symplicity Me

With a total of 13 votes, the results of the polls have come in. You can view them on the left. Thanks to everyone who voted!

I'm fairly indecisive about a lot of things and doing vlogs on YouTube was one of those things. For an entire night I thought "Should I? Should I not?". Then it occurred to me: Why not see if others would be interested in it first? People may like to read what I type on my blog but maybe they may not be all so keen to hear me talk.

Either way, writing and talking are two different things. Not a single person has told me that they don't think I should give vlogging a try. This surprised me a little bit. I'm not really the most vocal, outgoing person around, not to mention, I'm the kind of person who lives happily behind a camera and is rarely in front of it...so, why did everyone think I could do well to be in front of a camera and make videos for YouTube? I still wonder.

Blogging and vlogging are like two different worlds. I love blogging. I remember when I first started off this blog I wasn't at all sure what I would write about but I decided to make one anyway. One and a half years later, here I am, still blogging and absolutely loving it. There's no real direction for the blog in the things I write about. It's all random stuff but it's helped me to become somewhat more expressive and I like that.

I don't know how vlogging will go...and I don't even know what I'll vlog about. I have a couple ideas so far. I'll do my best to make it not-so-boring. I've already uploaded a video from January. Something I did with a couple of friends in all boredom. I hope this vlogging thing goes well!

So, if you're interested, check out my channel and subscribe! I'll love you forever for it. =D

Tuesday, June 1, 2010

Video Logs?

Commonly known as 'vlogs', video logging has stormed through YouTube (somewhat) for years! I've watched a few...here and there. A lot of them tend to be pretty interesting. A lot of them also aren't. But what can you do eh?

I was talking with a friend of mine last night and our conversation about penpals went from there to me doing vlogs. What? Me doing vlogs? Hmm...I'm not so sure about that. At first I just took it as a joke and laughed about it but then, for some reason, I started thinking about giving it a try.

I'm actually still thinking about it. I haven't yet decided yet. I'm having a hard time trying to decide. But if you vote on the poll on your left, you can help me make my decision! Would you watch me if I did vlogs on YouTube? If I did them, you'd probably get to see a bit more of Barbados. =)

<-------- Vote! =)
(voting closes June 9th at 12PM)

Friday, May 28, 2010

I Bowl.


Recently, Casa Grande, a hotel in Barbados, opened up a bowling alley. Last night, I went with a bunch of friends and had my first try at bowling. And it was awesome!

This place just makes me like Barbados a little bit more. This is a hotel that typically doesn't do well in business so I think this was the wisest thing the owners did. For years, we've been wanting a place that had something fun like bowling! Now, it's here and it's become my favourite place on the island. There's good food, good setup and a good atmosphere. The atmosphere in this place is such that I don't even feel like I'm in Barbados anymore. And, sadly, that's one of the biggest reasons for my liking this place so much.

There's also bumper cars and a little arcade section so you don't have to play just bowling.

I mentioned good food. When I looked at the menu, I was most pleased to see that they don't have a meat-filled one. I got myself a nice Vegetarian Club which came with fries which was well presented to me. It was a lot to eat but it was all so delicious!

No doubt I'll be heading back here time and time again. It makes for a really great liming spot.

Thursday, May 27, 2010

I Want That!

How rare it is for me to make two blog entries in the same day! And just hours apart too! I browse the internet all the time and I find stuff I find interesting all the time but sometimes, I find something so eye-catching that I just want to tell someone. That's why I blog. =)

Have you ever watched a movie and saw something you liked and said "I want that!"? It happens to us all the time...or, at least, it does to me.

Did you guys watch Iron Man 2? If you haven't, shame on you! It's great if you like movies about Marvel characters and awesome tech. Iron Man 2, just like Iron Man, had amazing eye-popping technologies here, there and everywhere that just made me go "I want that!!" The same goes for the props in the movie. It's all classy and modern. But one particular object stood out to me the most...the most realistic thing in the movie that made me go "I WANT!!!" And, if you saw the movie too, you just might have thought the same thing.
Throughout this scene, I was just wishing they could focus on the double pendulum continuously swinging on Pepper Potts' desk!

Remember that? It's called a Double Pendulum. ThinkGeek calls it a Swinging Stick Kinetic Energy Sculpture and sells it for a whopping $239.99. Wow. Sometime in the future, I'll get one. Hopefully. It's so magnificently hypnotising.
One day, when I have my own office or desk or home somewhere in the world, I'll own one of these. I hope.

There's just one more thing I would love to have on my desk, near a windowsill: the Classic Radiometer.
When I first saw it, I thought it was interesting. It certainly caught my attention. The little blades inside spin when exposed to light in a process called thermal transpiration. Science is so awesome. I stopped with the physics two years ago so I'll not go into that.
Where did I see it? I first saw it in Wong Fu Productions' short "When Five Fell" and in some of their previous shorts as well.

Little things like these make me happy. Once it's interestingly unique, I can't help but like it.

There She Is!

I came across this amazing animated series today and I just thought that I had to share it. The series has 5 short episodes more or less about a forbidden love between cat and rabbit. It sounds odd, I know, I thought so too. Initially, it was a sweet, light-hearted, funny story that eventually turned into something more.

You can watch them below or watch them in perfectly quality here: There She Is and use the sidebar to navigate to the next steps. I'm sure you'll enjoy them.

"There She Is" by SamBakZa
Step 1: There She Is

Step 2: Cake Dance

Step 3: Doki & Nabi

Step 4: Paradise

Final Step: Imagine

What do you think of the series?

Wednesday, May 26, 2010

Artsy

Salamander tsuba. Sword guard. Forged by Brian Chan. He makes swords too!

Crafts. Music. Drawing. Painting. Writing. Poetry. Film.
≈Creativity≈

When I listen or see the things people create and it's great, I feel inspired. The desire to create something great just bubbles up inside. I think it's the inner child creativity in me.

When I was smaller I used to love making stuff. I was always making stuff...a hand-crafty sort of person. And I used to love it. But it's been years. Ever since I got my first laptop, it all went down hill. I slowly stopped making stuff and spent a whole lot more time on the computer. I still do. And I don't make stuff at all anymore. It's so sad. When I made my Mom an origami flower for Mother's Day, I felt that little child in me try to tickle her way out. Making something with my hands again...it felt amazing. I'm going to try to get the creativity flowing once more and hopefully keep it going. It's a gift I don't think people should so carelessly let go of.

Done with a single piece of paper. No cuts or anything.

For instance, this guy: Brian Chan. He does origami, graphic designs, metalwork (above).
I love Wall-E! So, of course, I absolutely loved this work of art. Brian is a genius!

See more of Brian's genius at work here. I saw this and thought it was quite nice:

Artists of all kinds. I'm finding more and more of them on YouTube. But, that's a story for another time. Musicians, graphic artists, photographers, film makers...they grab my attention and inspire and motivate me to do more for myself. (It explains my recent interest in photography!) Remind me that I have it in me to make something great too. I still try to keep up with my poetry. =)

We should all try to explore the gifts we have. Whether you're aware of it or not, you have a wonderful gift unique to you and only you. What's your gift?