Bahaha

Yohoho, bahaha.

Currenty studying for Econ and Law. Woot woot...

... Not.

Tired... will make sure not to write a half-assed entry on the next blog post.

Til then!

Changes

It's that time of the year again!

Thanksgiving is now over, and Christmas everything is popping up here and there. Music, food, shopping, and school... all of these things are beginning to change. To be honest, I'm pretty stressed out right now about changes. Not the annual changes, but the little (and not so little) problems that seem to creep up on my life. I have so many questions and concerns that I feel like I'm about to explode... But I won't.

And I'm trying to remember how sovereign and just our God is, because if I can't acknowledge this during the hard times, I probably don't really believe it at all.

Please pray for me if you're reading this, and if you don't that's okay too. Still appreciate the read.

I'll write again soon.

Puzzled

So I'm not quite sure what's going on with me. This isn't the first time this has happened, but I thought I had the issue figured out already. Basically, I used to occasionally experience these episodes of suddenly not being able to breathe, see, or hear very well. I would first have trouble breathing correctly, then see spots instead of what's in front of me, and then the vision becomes blurred altogether. Next, my body would almost lose control of itself, like I couldn't stand up correctly. Everything just feels warm, blurred, and as if I don't have my 5 senses anymore. I used to think the cause was a poor diet or dehydration because of my first two episodes back in 8th grade and 11th grade. But it happened again randomly a year or two later, and it happened again just yesterday. I had definitely eaten and drank fluids, so what's the real problem?

It was pretty scary because I walked into the cafe like I normally would on a school day, but I began to feel very hot and stuffy. Then I started feeling sick and had a little trouble breathing so I grabbed some free water (yeah free water~) and sat down before ordering. The discomfort wouldn't go away and I started to remove my scarf, and then jacket, and felt the urge to just strip off as much unnecessary clothing as possible. I felt a little better for a minute so I went over to order my food, figuring that I should just stay here and eat because I need something in my body right now. But then it was happening again, and this time I couldn't see, hear, breathe, or walk properly. I almost left my credit card with the cashier because I had that much trouble concentrating and standing up. I felt so bad for the cashier because I must have come off rude or like I was on drugs. With that being said, I guess I'm much stronger than I thought because I was able to fight against physically collapsing on the floor (as much as my body wanted to). This was probably one of the scarier episodes I had because it was more intense, and the other times I had a friend with me to ask for help. Thankfully, I called Erica to give me a ride home because I was scared that it might happen again on my way home alone.

Lauren used to speculate that I had anemia, which would make sense except for the fact that my doctor told me my blood count was fine. I dunno, but I would like to know what I have in case it happens again so that I can be better prepared. So basically I didn't get any studying done yesterday, and I have 3 finals tomorrow and 1 on Thursday. Whoo, wish me luck. If you have any clue as to what I may have please let me know. I'd appreciate the help.

Stay safe and warm~

Friday Mornin Pancake Makin

So I haven't been posting these days, but that's because of the craziness of Week 9 and laziness of Week 10. As we are slowly approaching Week 11, finals week, I am beginning to feel a bit... unsettled. Is that weird? I can't wait for this trimester to be over but something just feels off. Maybe it's the fact that I know I won't be able to celebrate the holidays with my family and friends over break, or that I'm choosing to put myself in this position for temporary financial stability. Let's just hope things will run smoothly at the seasonal job and that I will be able to walk away from this experience having learned something.

Oh, and Lisa came back from Iceland on Thursday night! That ninja, no one even knew when she was actually coming home. But she brought me back some chocolate and cute socks ^^. More importantly, I got my roomie back. I am lucky, I got to see Sandra last weekend and now I get to eat and talk happily with my good friend again.






But anyhoos, yesterday Coffee & Scripture was cancelled so the housemates decided last minute on Thursday night to do Pancakes & Scripture at the Jewett instead. Granted we started 2 hours later than usual, but it was well worth the wait. I should know by now that when these folks say Pancakes & Scripture, they really mean pancakes and whatever else they can whip up because they know how to cook & Scripture. Haha. So Zach and Erica ended up making crepes, apple butter, apple sauce, a berries bowl, toad in a hole(s) and Melissa cooked some bacon and made fresh citron juice. Did I mention how much I love living with culinary and FSM students?




Erica and Cat :}



Food (I love seeing a full table like this!)



More food







So after a good hour or so of hearty conversations and laughter, we finally dug into 1 John and did the usual read and discuss format. Zach and Laurabeth had to leave early for work, so that left me, Cat, Erica, Andrew, and Melissa. It was definitely a good "morning" well spent. I don't know about everyone else, but I left feeling like I got to know everyone else a little better. As stagnant as it seemed, this whole week began to pick up after Wednesday in the most unpredictable and pleasantly surprising way. I feel like I've made a new friend in the house, seen people in a different light than usual, and felt the sincere efforts of brothers and sisters trying to be more intentional with their relationships. It helps a lot when I know that there are people who are struggling with similar sins as me, or just sin in general. It gives you a greater perspective in that you begin to remember that you're not in this alone, and that everyone has their own personal trials or tribulations. Jasmine and Melissa are right, we really should be taking more advantage of our situation; not everyone can be so blessed and have the community that we have available. Scott said that we are a typical "Christian college fellowship" group because many people do what we do. But the fact is that not every household is the same. The Jewett is unique. And what good would it be to live in such a house if there is no fellowship? In that case, it would just be a regular house with people who call themselves Christians. I'm just glad that the Jewett actually has community; we're not perfect, but we love each other.
I hope.

hahaha :)

Oldie

This was taken back in September; I just felt like posting it for some reason.

Good night y'all.

Surreal Madness

I had IHOP for dinner and it's snowing in October... MADNESS I SAY!

What's even madder is that I couldn't even finish 2 dinky little pancakes for the all you can eat special! I should have came hungry... I blame Jake and his delicious strawberry-rhubarb pie... ::murmurs:: Speaking of, I'm very grateful to have partnered up with him. Thank you Jake for everything, I feel so bad because I feel like you did more work than me. It's usually the other way around for my group projects, I just hope you didn't feel too burdened. Honestly, what motivated me to work in a group for this project was the fact that he said he hated group projects. I believe this is his senior year, and I just wanted to show him that not all group projects have to be bad, and for him to graduate with a more positive perspective on the idea. I don't know how well this turned out for you, or how you still think of them, but I tried. Thank you for being an awesome partner.

What else... oh ehhehe I was in the apartment just chilling before project work and I heard Lisa sing "... Everyday I'm shufflin'..." LOL.

I love you Lisa.

As for tomorrow, the madness continues!

Unfold

I am loving this song recently.

Song: Unfold
Artist: Marie Digby

What I can remember
Is a lot like water
Trickling down a page
Of the most beautiful colors
I can't quite put my finger
Down on the moment
That I became like this...

You see I am the bravest girl
You will ever come to meet
Yet I shrink down to nothing
At the thought of someone
Really seeing me
I think my heart is wrapped around
And tangled up in winding weeds

But I don't wanna go on living
Being so afraid of showing
Someone else my imperfections
And even though my feet
Are trembling
And every word I say I'm stumbling
I will bare it all... watch me unfold
Unfold

These hands that I hold
Behind my back are
Bound and broken
By my own doing
And I can't feel
Anything anymore
I need a touch to remind me
I'm still real

But I don't wanna go on living
Being so afraid of showing
Someone else my imperfections
And even though my feet
Are trembling
And every word I say I'm stumbling
I will bare it all... watch me unfold
Unfold

My soul
It's dying to be free
You see... I can't live the rest of my life
So guarded
It's dying to be free
It's up to me to choose...
What kind of life I lead

Cuz I don't wanna go on living
Being so afraid of showing
Someone else my imperfections
And even though my feet
Are trembling
And every word I say
I will bare it all... watch me unfold
Unfold

I will allow someone to love me
I will allow someone to love me.

The Weekend

Ah, this weekend has been splendid! Just wanted to share a recap of it with y'all:

Friday
Coffee & Scripture: This is Erica, like a boss.

Did the usual Coffee & Scripture at the Harborside Starbucks study room with CSF peeps, but also went to JWU's first Food Day.
I had no idea this was going on since the school clearly did not advertise for this event. Good thing we came out to C&S because I would not have been able to experience the awesome FREE FOOD. So what exactly is Food Day you ask? Basically a whole bunch of representatives from local purveyors and farms came to visit JWU and educate the students about the produce our school receives for labs and such. They brought the best freebies: apples, squash, cheese, cranberries, etc. Although the food was amazing, I must admit that what won me over were the free magnets that had HACCP procedures and internal cooking temperatures on them!
It was nice to see where all the food we work with actually comes from! I love it when people take advantage and utilize the local resources around them because they just have so much to offer! I'm excited because there is more and more awareness about the need for sustainability as time goes by, and that's how it should be!

Not only did we get to meet farmers and purveyors, but we got to see JWU students participating in the event with some of our coolest chefs. They volunteered to cook outside for the day, using the different produce provided to make dishes like sweet potatoes and oven brick pizza! This is one of the few moments that actually represent what JWU is all about; it was so refreshing and pleasing to see our students getting involved, working hard, and most importantly, doing what they love.

Speaking of love, I finally saw Chef Stamm! Of course he would be helping out :) I haven't seen this man since last winter... it was so good to catch up with him. We must have stood there and talked for at least 30-40 minutes. Hahaha I took him away from the pizza station :} It is always such an encouragement when I speak to him, no wonder he is so loved. Oh! He also just got named one of the top 10 Chefs this year! It's pretty recent news so I don't know the details yet, but he deserves it. Congratulations Chef :D He also published his book The Pastry Chef's Apprentice , which I am buying right after I save up some money! Yay I am so happy for him :) I also hope you guys can keep him in your prayers; I am praying that he will be able to visit GH one day or even Coffee & Scripture! I told him about the Christian community I am a part of around here, and he said he might stop by and say hi one day ::crosses fingers:: I've been meaning to invite him for a while because I know his schedule is packed and that it's not easy being in the kitchen and maintaining a spiritual life. He grew up with a Jewish background, but I hope God will open up his heart and eyes to the saving Gospel.

My favorite man on campus (I was looking at the liveview instead of the lens, but Chef came out nice!):


Here are some pics from Friday, but the rest will be available on my Flickr account or Google+ or maybe even FB. I hate what FB does to the quality, but it's one of the easiest ways to share my photos. Plus all my friends are big FB users and keep requesting that I post them there, so we shall see! I know some other people who post up pics from their DSLRs too but they don't turn out as grainy and weird like mine :T I don't get it...

Food Day 2011:


Fresh Produce



For more pictures http://dstuchel.blogspot.com/2011/10/food-day-2011.html

Dinner with Lisa <3 She makes awesome ramen ;)

Project 365 No More!

Okay well I like to keep my word so I have stopped project 365! It breaks my heart because I really did try hard this time, BUT, fear not! The experience I had this time around has made me realize how much I love blogging and taking pictures at the same time :) So even though I have stopped project 365, I will continue to blog and post up photos from my daily life because it's fun to me. It is my own form of a stress-relieving activity, an escape from all this other crazy madness that is running amuck!

Again, I do this for fun so some photos may be random and less developed than others. I just enjoy sharing what I love to do, especially when I put in more effort into some of my favorite photos/pieces. I appreciate feedback as well; let me know what you think about the pictures b/c I like to see things from different perspectives too! :) This is just for fun so I won't take things to heart hehekekeke.

Well I left off with trying to post up Day 34, but realized that I only had every other day after that! So this was the photo and post that I was originally going to share for Thursday:

... continued...

11 hours baby, yeah yeah!

Woke up and realized that I failed to post my response to Dr. Almeida's discussion about sleep issues and college students... hurhur. Oh well, I don't regret it one bit.

Ended up going to my FSM class for only 29 minutes because we had a midterm that day, awesome! :D
So I went home and chilled until my group meeting at 3:30 p.m. I was in such a good mood that I decided to play with my face. Yes, play with my face.
Does it look okay? I'm still learning how to use makeup since I don't wear it... at all. Haha but I would like to learn b/c I want to be prepared for special occasions in the future. Plus, I take it as a fun form of art that will allow you to play with other people's faces :}

Twas a good way to start the weekend :)

Beauty Sleep: 34/365

Day 34: (Thursday)

Came home early because I was about to collapse from stress, fatigue, and my pd... found Isaac at our door about an hour after I got home because he wanted to stay somewhere warm, aww. Haha we chatted and man this guy never changes. Still very passionate about God, growing up into His kingdom, and knows much about biblical theology, yet cannot remember my name... ever. LOL. That's okay Isaac, I forgive you... again.

After Isaac left I watched an episode or two of Hart of Dixie before crashing into the most glorious sleep of my life!

To be continued...

::edit::

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!

I can't find a picture for Wednesday :'{ I worked so hard this time to keep up, I'm so sad...

Well, I guess from now on it's no longer Project 365.

Tuesday Night Torture: 33/365

Day 33: (Tuesday)

Yay, so all that PMS-ing wasn't for nothing! Haha, but it could not have been better timing because this night was "stay up for psychology project phase 1" night. I was invited to another Boonie "hangout" over Google+ but had to reject because I had to concentrate @_@. Ended up falling asleep from 12:30 a.m.- 2:30 a.m. and staying up the rest of the er, uh, morning.

You can imagine just what a beauty I was that morning. Hahahha.

To be continued...

Oh, and this is the porridge I made to help me stay up that crazy night!

Week 7: 32/365

Day 32: (Monday)

This was going to be the start of a long school week...

Another Week: 31/365

Day 31: (Sunday)

I... just don't know ahaha.

Went to the mall with Jasmine after church and got me a suit! Haha, I had an interview scheduled for the next day, which I ended up wearing different pants to anyways because my suit pants were too long. We picked up some Popeyes and Indian food for lunch and then headed back to the house for h.w. and such. Was a bit tiring.

JWU Hospitality: 30/365

Day 30: (Saturday)

Time to catch up on this project! Man it's been so crazy busy lately that I've only been able to snap photos daily instead of posting them and writing blog entries about them. Sorry :X Well, technically I didn't break any rules, but I just happen to like blogging about my day to go along with the pictures :)

So... Saturday!

Last Saturday I spent the day home-working and night eating out with Lisa :) Hehe, we went to Sura again (Sura is definitely the best Korean restaurant in Providence so far). We stuffed ourselves with my two favorite Korean dishes, Ojinguh Bokum, and Soondubu. It was packed that night; looked like a company went out to celebrate something at the restaurant. So after we ate our yummy food, we went next door to grab some hot drinks at Smallpoint Cafe. This is my favorite cafe in Providence because it is just so darn cute! The decor is reflective of their point to go green and stay local; they even use fettuccine as coffee stirrers! I also make an effort to stop by here on school days to grab my chai tea latte in the morning; I have never had someone make me a hot drink at the perfect temperature before, and I am happy that they offer semi-decent pain aux chocolats too. Boy do I miss those... T^T

Anyhoos, so I was going to head home after our coffee run, but Lisa ended up bringing me along to her friend's house. Her friend Sally was super cute and nice, and let us come over to make dumplings. Now mind you that there were no reaal dumpling skins at Stop & Shop, so we had to settle for wonton skins. They still came out well, but extra healthy tasting. I prefer pork and chives or mushrooms in my dumplings, but these tasted pretty good for turkey/ cabbage/mushroom/tofu dumplings! Haahah
We headed up to Thayer for some Fro-yo World and talked about crazy professors at JWU and then went home.

Twas a good time.

*P.S. doesn't Lisa look adorable in this pic? Hehehe

BAH: 29/365

Day 29:

BAH!

My snoozempal agrees.

Here We Go Again: 28/365

Day 28:

Career Fair, ah!!! Ran around all day worrying about career fair, networking, and lunching, and job hunting, MAH!
I'm tired.

I'm eyeing Wegman's and Whole Foods.

I'm learning to let go of Disney... ::wince, tear::

I'm confused.

Time to Go: 27/365

Day 27:

Midterm, class, and quiz.

Grocery shopping, dinner, good-byes.

That was Wednesday.

Doesn't Dai Lo look pretty here?

Authority, Love, and the Commune: 26/365

Day 26:

We ran on a Monday schedule because of Columbus Day, so I was ready to have those 3 back to back classes but found out that Professor Farrell cancelled class... With a 2 hour gap in between, I just didn't know what to do with myself haha. But things panned out and I met up with Peony and Dennis afterwards. I got to give them an informal tour of the museum, HAC, REC, and CCE building. We ate at Harborview for dinner (man I haven't been there in a while too) before heading over to TNT. So we finally made it to TNT and heard Travis speak about "connecting Authority and Love", which really didn't happen because he reviewed the two previous messages and ran out of time. Oh Travis. Haha, it was good though! I can't wait for the next meeting so that we can connect the two and hear what he has to say. I'm so happy that some of my good friends got to meet my other good friends. :) They seem to really like The Jewett and said that we have great fellowship here. Join the commune LOL. No.

Oh yeah, and I studied for the psych midterm, yay...

Back: 25/365

Day 25:

Rise and shine! We woke up early Monday morning to catch our bus back to Providence. It was certainly a looooong day, but productive nonetheless. We got to experience our first Zipcar rental goodness and drove over to Newport! We did the dangerous cliff walk (which really wasn't so dangerous), stopped by a beach where we saw the cutest baby seagulls, and wrapped up our trip with quahog stuffies by the ocean drive during sunset. Afterwards, we went back to The Jewett and had nice long conversations before we went to sleep. By the way, Monday just seemed incredibly long and late when in reality the whole house was feeling exhausted at 8 p.m. Strange...

I Get It: 24/365

Day 24:

I get it. I'm not a good daughter nor am I a very good person. I lack manners, I can't save even if my life depended on it, I'm whiny, immature, and selfish. You wish I could be this, or you wish I could have done that. I'm never enough and I never will be. And the list goes on, I already know all that.

But is it too much to ask that just for once you don't bring it up when we see each other?
It's not like I intentionally try to sabotage you or make life harder on you. Cause really I don't even have the patience or time to do so.

Sometimes my friends find it hard to believe that I don't show how much I value family or just how things work for me and my family. It's not like I want my own family in the future to be the same way, but you have to understand that it's hard to change the one you're already a part of after so long. You may have a family that eats at the dinner table together every single night and calls to check up on another; or one that talks to each other and hangs out like best friends and willingly helps you out when you need it, but not every one is so fortunate. Yes effort counts, but if you don't get along, find it hard to trust each other, lack respect for one another, and can't understand/reason with each other on an emotional and or intellectual level, you can't possibly say that things would be the same if you just "try".

I am just so sick of getting lectured about things I already know, and I am disgusted by your lack of trust towards me. Go ahead, doubt me. Complain about me. Eventually I'll grow indifferent. After all, I just need some time before I can stop depending on you.

Yay Congratulations, I'm a bitch.

What else is new?

Bread For the Soul: 23/365

Day 23:

Woke up later than usual because I had too adventurous of a Friday (still love you Peony and Dennis). Got ready and headed out for a haircut/trim before I met up with Lisa. I decided to try out a new salon and the hairdresser asked me, "Who cut your bangs?" And I wanted to say that I got a haircut last month from Cinderella Hair Castle when I suddenly remembered that I trimmed my own bangs a few weeks ago. So I said, "Uh... me?" and asked if it was that bad that he noticed right away. Now of course asians are quick to sugar coat things, "Yeah, next time come here to get your bangs cut. It's only $5." LOL.

Anyways... Had a study date with Lisa(r) today at the Bay Terrace Panera. I was able to tackle some homework, but there is still much to be done... With that being said, I don't regret not finishing everything up today because it was filled with a meaningful time of sharing and discussion. I don't think I have ever been able to talk to someone like that in my entire life... that was pretty impressive Lisa. The questions and exchange of thoughts were almost non-stop by the end of the night, did you notice that? And they were pretty stimulating and deep too... so thank you for today.

Then I got home in time to eat out with David and Louise. Plans to make dinner and or go to CAC flopped... oh well, the night was not wasted.

Exploration Day : 22/365

Day 22:
I am just so tired from today that I can't even write everything out right now...

::edit::

So let's re-trace our footsteps:

-Woke up and got ready to visit St. John's, where the lovely Jessica Bang and Grace go to school. The commute wasn't so bad and it was relatively easy to find.
-Got an informal and quick tour of the school and sat down at the DAC building to chat for a bit before we headed out for lunch. That's when we walked by the staircase and on our way out JBang goes, "Oh, and you know Andrew" and I said, "No, no I don't" but then look up to see Andrew Yim! "Ah yes! I do know him!" Hahaha I forgot he went there... ^^;;
-Jess drove us out to Press 195, the place I've been dying to try out for the longest time since I always see The Regulars posting up pics of them Belgian fries. And needless to say, the place was pretty darn good. The sandwiches were not overwhelmingly heavy on the stomach, but left you satisfied. And I had a sip of the strawberry lemonade drink from there, yum!
-Later on we dropped Grace off at the library but turned around in the crazy traffic/mayhem of a day to return her wallet. Afterwards, we tried our hardest to find the Hall of Science but ended up going on a side adventure filled with never-ending road obstacles... literally.
-When we finally get to the Hall of Science, turns out the Groupon we bought would go to waste since the mini-golf course was closed :'{ Luckily the admissions lady told us to save it for another day since we arrived in time for free admissions. I hope Jess will be able to have fun with someone else at mini-golf next time and not get lost on the way there!
-After our time at the Hall of Science, we went back to her place and watched Bad Teacher. Oh boy, it was slightly inappropriate and awkward but entertaining for some parts. Still got a few good laughs here and there... gotta love crazy people.
-JBang walked me over to the bus stop and we talked until the bus came (<3).
-Went back home to grab a hoodie because it was FREEZING and I didn't want to catch a cold before I met up with the Nigerian Princess.
-Had a nice last minute dinner with Saaaandra at the wonton noodle place near White Bear. Technically the restaurant was closed but the owners were nice and took us in as their last customers, Thank you Mr. and Mrs. Wonton Noodle Shop People! :)
-Then we had ourselves some KUNGFU TEA and said our goodbyes to Sandra. Meanwhile, Peony, Dennis and I chatted for quite a bit before we went to Corona Park.
-Corona Park! Night time beauty! LICKING THE GLOBE!
-CLIMBING THE GLOBE... and failing.
-Wendy's.
-Tired eyeballs.
-Good times.
-Sleep.

The End.

A Little Bit of Home: 21/365

Day 21:

Headed back home after my FSM class this morning (which by the way turned out to be very rewarding because Professor Blum made us realize how going to class is a privilege) and arrived in the city around 5p.m. I saw two of my good friends in one night! What a blessing it is to have such friends <3. Sandra and I did Sentosa, but she had to leave early because of her internship in the morning tomorrow. But that gave me a chance to meet up with Lisar and just talk. It was a very nice night, thank you for your company!

Now I am pooped.

Time for h.w. and sleep. Night night~

Bah: 20/365

Day 20:

So much work...

Food Food: 19/365

Day 19:

Lisa gave me some of her pasta today mmmmmmm.

And then I had breakfast for dinner with Jasmine later on, double mmmmmmmm.

Who Knows? : 18/365

Day 18:

.______.

Blessed: 17/365

Day 17:

Wow our weekend is already gone! That's okay though, I get to go home after this week ends :D

Now recap of today:

So we went to church as usual around 10 a.m. for service and continued the series on Galatians; today's sermon was about Being Concerned with Inconsistency. It helped that Kevin talked a lot about why and how our spiritual lives are in danger because sometimes I feel alone in my struggles and abnormally bad compared to other Christians. The passage today was a clear reminder about how we naturally forget, become hardened, and are prone to being deceived in our faith. Funny thing is that we ended up carrying over some of the stuff that Kevin preached about to our "laundry party" today.

After we came home and ate leftover chicken curry, we headed over to the usual laundromat together and talked a lot while waiting for our clothes to get done. I don't know why, but recently the women of The Jewett seem to be unintentionally (or intentionally, who knows) living out some of the stereotypical female roles. Haha and by that I mean Melissa and Jasmine were knitting while all three of us sat together and talked about our feelings LOL. And the other day, they were on the 1st floor knitting while the guys sat there playing Call of Duty. Anyhoos! I was actually deeply encouraged by the conversation we shared at the laundromat; it made me realize how blessed I really am to have found a group of people who care so much about the well-being of our brothers and sisters. We may not all be close, and we may go around calling each other "haters"and tease each other about looking like "pink boo-bahs", but at the end of the day, I know we love each other despite our imperfections. I have never met a group of people who think about each other as much as they do, and try to become more involved in each other's lives because they genuinely want to help each other grow. Kevin mentioned today in the sermon that flattery can be dangerous since it seeks good for the self, whereas encouragement seeks the good for the one hearing. I just admire them so much for constantly putting in the effort to apply what they learn into their daily lives.

So after the laundromat we headed back to the house and I ended up making and eating dinner together with Lisa! Lisa, oh Lisa. Everyone seems to think you're a ghost (jokingly of course...) because you are so busy throughout the week! I truly cherish the time we get to spend with each other on the weekend, even if it's just sitting at home and talking. I miss hanging out with you girl. We talked a lot about Vietnam and traveling and our friends, and how she and Roxy really want me to go visit Maine this Thanksgiving break. I will go because I may not get another chance, plus I want to meet the people who mean so much to her that she can consider them her second family. I must admit I'm a bit nervous though; I didn't mean to make excuses and seem like I didn't want to go back with her in the past, but her family seems so awesome that I don't want to disappoint them. Plus, even though NY is only 3-4 hrs away, I do get home sick and want to see my friends :( But I will do my best to make beautiful memories with Lisa and the Wrights :)

Then I crashed the second floor and spent some h.w. time with them hehe. I've never seen the second floor so quiet and clean/clear of people on a Sunday night! (They all moved downstairs for the night.)

And then I went back upstairs because people need to sleep and wake up at 5 a.m. to work in the kitchen of Marketplace and all that jazz. Jia yo Melissa!

And I found out they were making cookies on the 1st floor so I really wanted some and asked Jasmine to get me one but of course she didn't :( I went back to my room all sad and ready to study when suddenly, :: knock knock:: dadadara! Andrew came up to give me a chocolate chip cookie! :D I was so touched... A-Wizzle came all the way up to deliver one cookie :'{ So nice, Thank you Andrew! And now all is right with the night. I can go to sleep feeling good.

In case you haven't noticed I like me my cookies...

Mi Gato es en Fuego: 17/365

Day 17:

Hola! Today we finally did our restaurant critique at Spain Restaurant in Cranston, RI. And I must say that it was pretty awesome hehe. First off, the parking lot was clear of any diapers (Yes, I said diapers! You would be surprised at things people do nowadays...) and had sufficient parking spots. Secondly, both the exterior and interior were very reflective of the Spanish culture. I felt as if we weren't even in America anymore; It was so beautiful.

So far I have had pretty good luck with choosing nice restaurants based off of yelp :) ::pat pat on the back::

Anyways, the food was not disappointing and neither were the prices. It's your typical $20+ meal for nice quality and more upscale service. I had myself an appetizer because I wasn't that hungry and it saved me money. Even though it was an appetizer, it was pretty filling for one person. Here's some pictures of my appetizer (Portobello Spain), another person's entree(Salmon something...), and their oh so clever version of a dessert menu.



Oh, special shout out to Erica for coming with me!!! Dinner two nights in a row with you my lady, what an honor :} <3

I don't know if Peony and Dennis would be up for it, but I would highly recommend that they try this out. Plus, I would totally go there again!

Friday Night and Rain is Fallin: 16/365

Day 16:

Thumbs up for a productive day ::thumbs up::

High five for eating chicken curry with Erica! ::high five::

Face palm for worrying about tomorrow and being all negative! ::face palm::

Haha, so today there was the usual Coffee & Scripture, and the not so usual computer lab h.w. date I ended up having with Erica and Cat (who was really watching Glee and New Girl haha). Afterwards, Erica and I headed home and stopped by Aldi's so I could buy some ingredients for ma chicken curry dish. This was probably the first time that someone other than me or Lisa had eaten upstairs in our apartment! Usually people flock to the second floor for food and the first floor to play Call of Duty (which by the way is no different than any other shooting game... but maybe when I finally learn how to walk properly and stop getting shanked all the time I will appreciate the game a little more. Thanks a lot Jake, those shankings were really necessary.) Then I ended up looking up my class CRNs for tomorrow because registration starts at... ::drum roll:: ... 6 a.m.! YAY!

Let's hope things run smoothly tomorrow. I want to finish most of my h.w. so that I can enjoy my restaurant critique experience @ the Spain Restaurant!

Food Tastes Better When... : 15/365

Day 15:

Food always tastes better when shared... I had no one to eat this with T^T

I just made some fried rice to stop the tummy from mumbling.

Group Dinners: 14/365

Day 14:

Melissa made us dinner tonight (Thank you Miss!). We had stuffed chicken with acorn squash and potatoes & carrots. Mmmm!
We also had a great time talking about our school and how America implements certain ideas about nutrition and health compared to the rest of the world. Nutrition, Michael Phelps, Culinary Arts, and Pam Anderson. Wait... what? Curious about the rest of our night? Haha, I would be too.

Love these guys.

Another Tuesday: 13/365

Day 13:

So I was right about feeling unsure of my first accounting exam... oh well, I will just have to try my best next time. Ironically though, I ended up winning two faaaaaaaabulous prizes! Haha, Professor Doonan gives out raffle tickets for participating in her class and hands out prizes to students who win the random drawings after each exam. I picked a binder and some highlighters because... well frankly, the other prizes will spike my sugar levels up way more than necessary. Thanks Professor~

Not My Cup of Tea: 12/365

Day 12:

Just finished the first two exams of the trimester today... I am so glad that is over with. It was stressing me out so bad last night that I couldn't sleep properly and kept saying the word 'accounting' over and over again in my head. Ended up waking up a hot mess, but all is good because I picked up some coffee before the first class.

Thank goodness psychology is interesting! I would have fallen asleep if Dr. Almeida was... well not Dr. Almeida haha. We talked more about Sigmund Freud today and the psychosexual development stages. Normally you would think a class would feel awkward about discussing anything related to sex, but today made me realize that we are seriously becoming adults. Freud's theory of sexual drive in psychoanalysis was very interesting since it relates to the unconscious, innate nature of human beings. As controversial as it might be, a lot of it actually makes sense. I can't wait for the next class on Wednesday when we can finish learning about the remaining stages.

My next two classes were exams, yay... But I got to go home early today since I finished my exam within 20-30 minutes. Geez, my anxiety level was so high that I started getting jitters right before the exam. Honestly, I don't feel too confident about the first accounting exam, but we shall see.

Then I came home in this considerably blazing hot weather in AUTUMN and just relaxed with the housemates (highlight of the day).
Ooh, I finally tried some of my Ten Ren's pu-erh tea that I brought from home. Not bad, not bad :)
I hope I get some better sleep tonight so that I can be more attentive in class tomorrow. I hate my FSM class, but I need to take it and I will need to use what I learn from it. I need a new attitude...

::edit::

I also need a hug, not one of those crappy hugs you give out of politeness, but a nice genuine hug.

A Prayer For Faith: 11/365

Day 11:

My heart is glad that you are my Father...

Galatians 3:26- 4:7

Saturdays = Lazy Days: 10/365

Day 10:

Everyone loves Saturdays; children love it because you can wake up later than usual for Saturday morning cartoons, and young adults love it because they don't have class and use the time to catch up on everything they couldn't do during the week.

I love Saturdays because they are just awesome in every way :). I was able to do laundry, catch up with friends, and go out for a nice dinner tonight. Lisa and I dined in a restaurant on Federal Hill, where they had the most amaziiiing calamari I have ever had! The gnocchi was pretty darn good too.

After dinner, we headed over to our favorite Cup N Roll cupcake place and got 4 free mini-green tea cupcakes :D Awesome~

Now I am currently using the "hangout" app on Google+ with Dennis, Peony, Lisa, and Martin. Whoooooo~ I got to talk to the roommate and Boonies. What?! Double whammy yeah yeah :)

Chewing Juice: 9/365

Day 9:

It's Friday, Friday, gonna get down on Friday. Whoooooooooooo!

...... No.

Actually I hate that song.

But anyways, today was very productive. I woke up and headed out for Coffee & Scripture with Erica this morning around 10 a.m.; I got back home early enough to relax, have lunch, go to Aldi's with Albee, and bake cupcakes too. Yay~ I tried putting a raspberry in the center of half the batch of chocolate cupcakes I baked and it turned out good :) Though I must admit, I am biased because i absolutely love raspberries. Raspberry is my favorite flavor for almost anything! Mmmmmmmmmmmmm.

So after baking it up, I got to spend some time with the Lisa and chat while she cooked and ate her delicious chicken curry with sweet potato as a substitute. It was so good @_@. Oh! And I called my brother today and we talked :} Hahaha it doesn't seem like anything too big, but we rarely talk and hang out so I do miss him... Turns out he had his Columbia University interview today and his NYU one last week. ::Crosses fingers:: I hope he gets into the school he wants! Then he will get to clean my teeth and whiten them for me in the future muahahahah!

Ah, I forgot to mention that I finally started decorating my room the way I had planned earlier this summer. I took the photos I developed and hung them up on yarn with clothespins like a dark- room/laundry clothesline. It turned out pretty nice, but I still have a whole wall to fill. (That's gonna have to wait since I ran out of clothespins and yarn :X Oh well, gives me more time to take and develop nice photos!).

And of course, the finale... ::drum roll:: I met up with COURTNEY! YAY! :D I haven't hung out with this woman since Yssingeaux, France. Tracy was supposed to join us but her car had to get towed :O But, we ended going to Sakura (where strawberry juice is apparently not really juice... we were joking about how you could literally "chew the juice" because it had chunks of strawberry in it hahaa) for dinner and had a lovely time. At least I hope she had a lovely time like I did o.o hahaha We were able to talk about a lot of things and it just made me appreciate meeting her even more during my study abroad trip. Gosh I love her. She also reminded me how evil Walmart is... (more about that if you talk to me or watch the crazy documentary) but I guess I had a really good time tonight because it showed me that there are still some good people in this world. Granted no one is 100% good or born free of sin, but even just by worldly standards she is just so freaking admirable. Smart, pretty, caring, ambitious, witty, and just oh so lovable. If only more Christians were like her... And what I mean by that is when someone is so driven, and feels so passionately about something, it just makes you wonder, "Wow, imagine if this person were to live for the glory of God", and think of how He would use her in different ways.

I was highly encouraged by our conversations tonight and I hope we will have more meetings in the future.

Let the Weekend Begin: 8/365

Day 8:

Yay! It's Thursday!

Even though it's gonna be rainy this whole weekend, it is still the weekend nonetheless. I went to go try out the new Asian restaurant (Sura) on Westminister Street next to Queen of Hearts downtown today with Jasmine. The food was pretty decent, but the waitstaff was a bit messy. Oh well, at least if I ever get home sick I know where to grab my food.

::edit::

Feeling home sick today, especially right now... T^T

What a Wednesday: 7/365

Day 7:

I think that should actually say "Welcome Aboard to... the Jewett!" Hahaha

I am pooped. Tonight was another group dinner night! We had meatloaf with rice-a-roni and spinach salad. It was good, but just served late. That's okay though, I ended up eating with a group of people from church that I don't normally talk to or hang out with. Now I know them a little better and feel at least a little more comfortable with them :). Afterwards, we just sat out front on the porch of the Jewett house for like 2 hours talking about weird cats and people hahaha.

Well, one more day of school to go before the school week is officially over. Thursday here we come...

Are YOU a Happy Cow? : 6/365

Day 6:

Are you a happy cow?
(They say people start looking more and more like their SnoozemPals ;) hehe Thanks Lauren, he is definitely more unique than a PillowPet).

I've got a lot of work to do these next few weeks... and I am only spending some time on this post because I am determined to finish this project first!

Back to the world of psychoti... I mean psychology.

Something Old, Something New, & Something Blue: 5/365

Day 5:

So my accounting professor was out today and I was able to meet up with Jenna earlier! I also met her friend from Brown, and gave the both of them an informal tour of my school haha. It was fun fun except for my back... I was carrying two extra textbooks for no reason since my last class got cancelled. We visited the Culinary Museum and played "Trouble" (haha Regulars, the tradition carries on!) thanks to my good friend Courtney, who helped get us inside even though the museum was technically closed. Love ya Court! Overall, a pretty nice day. Made a new friend, saw an old friend, and spent more time with the Jewett- mates after I got home. We watched Sweeney Todd... not the best movie, but interesting nonetheless. Sorry, but after a while, it's not too hard to predict what will happen in the end. Up until a few minutes ago, I was on the 1st floor chatting up with the other housemates, yay! I think I have already grown comfortable around them; much faster than I thought since I can wear my hair and clothes the way I do normally at home... which is pretty kooky haha. Oh wells, let's hope tomorrow has something even better in store. See ya~

Sunday & School: 4/365

Day 4:

It's been a while since I have done a ramen-homework night. Arg here comes Week 3... yay...

Who else is tired?

Saturday Adventures: 3/365

Day 3:
So we have been here for almost 3 years now and have never explored Newport before... quite sad huh? Well now we can proudly say that we have =). Lisa and I left for Newport early in the morning and got there just in time to feel hungry enough for lunch by the water hehe. We went to this cute seafood restaurant called "Barking Crab" and each got very filling meals. Lisa ordered the Crab cake sandwich platter, while I ordered the classic Beer battered Fish & Chips. We also split a quahog stuffie appetizer, it was amazing! Mmm, I looove seafood. The appetizer did end up having a uh, not so HACCP item inside of it... but the manager was nice enough to personally apologize and replace the starter. Now that is an example of good customer service (Flushing needs to learn more about this area tsk tsk). She also said, "You guys must be in the food industry" haha. You bet! After stuffing ourselves with delicious food, we decided to walk around (and digest) and explore the beauty of Newport.

The weather was lovely, the company was lovely, and the day has just been absolutely peaceful. Actually, it's been a while since I've been able to say that.

Lisa reminded me today that I am so blessed to have the life that I do, and how I am much better off than most people in this world. I guess I have been allowing sin to occupy my heart for so long that I have gotten distracted from remembering and dwelling on God's grace. I ran away from my precious Heavenly Father when I actually needed Him the most this summer... But, something about today just felt so... easy. I wanted to smile and thank the Lord for everything He has done for me, my family, and friends. I really need to learn how to trust and depend on Him more because without Him I don't know where I would be.

So today I just want to say Thank You God for every blessing, trial, and new experience you have given me or put me through. I love You.

One of Those Days: 2/365

Day 2:
What an awesome day... I woke up too late for Coffee & Scripture so I was pretty bummed, but I did get to meet up with Jenna and Andrew (briefly) from back home, for lunch at Jolly Rogers Cafe near RISD. Thanks for the treat Andrew! :) The atmosphere is so different from that of JWU's; it feels more like a peaceful colonial town, whereas our school just feels like city/school... Haha. Oh well, anyways! I'm so mad that I forgot to bring my camera this morning :( Their Jolly Rogers sandwich was amazing! Love chutney, mmmm. But all is good because I was able to catch up a lot with Jenna and go around Providence shopping with her until 5-ish. Came back home and went to Aldi's for a couple of secret ingredients for Jasmine's secret birthday cupcakes tomorrow keke. Got to talk to the roommate a lot more tonight, which is awesome because she is so busy with her internship throughout the week. Oh, I forgot to add that I received a text message from Lauren today! :D She now has access to a phone PTL! I miss her so much; being apart from your best friend is hard... especially if they are having difficulties while training in the navy. So yeah, I didn't get to do much of any homework like I anticipated, but I had a great time talking to Lisa tonight. A lot of laughter and healthy sharing. Fine, Sandra was partially there too <3 Well that's all for tonight. And here is my picture of the day... left for you to imagine the rest of what happened today :)

Last Attempt: 1/365

This will be my final attempt at Project 365. If I fail to keep up this time, then I will just give up on the project completely and continue to take pictures freely.

As I looked back on the pictures from my first attempt, I really did enjoy reading about all the stuff that had happened. Even if they were silly or seemed insignificant to other people, the pictures evoked feelings and memories that I wanted to remember.

With that being said, I really hope that this last and final attempt will be successful. September 15th, 2012... you are my goal. >:)

So without further ado, let's begin.

Day 1: Today was nice because I only had 1 class in the morning and I was able to avoid all the rainy muck outside. With all the extra time I had I decided to relax and play around with my Nikon baby. Mind you I am still an amateur photographer, but I love it nonetheless. I think my favorite part about taking pictures (besides the magic of capturing the moment of course) is the process of looking over them and appreciating the uniqueness of each photo. I tend to define a picture as "good" or "bad" based on several things such as composition, clarity, lighting, color, etc. But most of all, I like to study each picture and edit it according to 'feel'.

I just want to clarify that you might be seeing more pictures of myself in the future, not because I think I'm beautiful or anything, but simply because I am the most available subject I know. So I took these two today and have been especially fond of playing around with black & white editing recently. Again, I am no professional, but I just like to share my pictures. So enjoy :) or don't. Haha.

Greetings from 1A.