Category Archives: Randomness

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These are a few of my favorite feelings

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Don’t lie. You know you love when these things happens. Or else you’re just weird.

(This is probably going to be the most Buzzfeed type of post you’ll ever see on here so apologies in advance but….it’s also my blog, my rules right?)

When you get home from work and can take off your pants.

When you are famished and you eat those first few bites of food.

When you get to that rest stop because you drank too much coffee to keep you up during your road trip.

When you finally brush your teeth to get rid of that icky morning feeling.

When you can just give into a nap and not have to fight to keep yourself awake.

When you find a blanket to pull over you to give you insta-warmth.

When you get butterflies in your stomach because your crush responds in a positive way.

When you genuinely are laughing out loud and can’t stop.

It’s the best isn’t it?

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GIFs speak louder than words AND pictures

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This past weekend was hella busy and I’m too tired to write actual words.

So let’s just use GIFs ok? I’m going to assume you are super smart and can piece it all together without captions.

So that was my weekend. How was yours?

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Just Write. Dammit.

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I was having a conversation with a friend the other day because I noticed that they hadn’t blogged in a while. Their reason was basically there was a lack of ideas for things to write about and so the commitment to keep blogging had waned down.

I get asked a lot how I manage to keep coming up with new ideas on what to blog about every week. I’ll be honest, it can be a bit hard. I’m writing about new topics every week, three times a week. It’s something that I am forcing myself to be disciplined about. There’s no one making me do this. I’m not being paid to do this nor am I trying to impress anyone with my blog. As in, this is not some creative outlet that I’m using to further my career.

How do I write? Basically I’ve come to realize that everything that happens in my life is a potential blog post. The good. The bad. The ugly. Though with any circumstance, I will use discretion. Names get changed or not even mentioned. The details might get shifted around. I’m not going to out anyone or spill all my guts on here. But when you see everything as a story you can share, it really helps you with ideas on how and what to write.

I believe if you really want to write, you can do it on just about anything. If I really wanted to, I could take any boring inanimate object and somehow create an entire backstory and a world based on it. Then again I have to do this when I play D&D so it comes in handy from time to time. I see blogging in the same way. Because I really want to blog, I’ll blog about anything and try my best to put an interesting spin on it.

Sometimes it doesn’t always work out with readers, sometimes posts that I feel are really interesting get super low views. And that’s ok. Because while I love comments and readers and seeing my page views go up, I’m also not really writing just for others. It’s for me. Am I the best writer in the world? Hellz no. But am I having fun doing this? Yeps. And until it stops being fun, I’ll keep doing it.

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My Love/Hate Relationship with Amish Fiction

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20150309_074940

The other day at lunch, I was outed as an Amish fiction reader. It’s not something I really talk about and I will rarely read an Amish book while I’m out in public but since my Goodreads account IS public anyone can see that yes, bonnet fiction shows up from time to time on there.

Amish fiction is still really popular in the Christian fiction audience. It’s a big enough trend that shelves are flooded with books that have a bonnet on it. There are enough readers that will buy all these kinds of books so that many authors will just turn to writing something Amish because it’s popular and will make a sale. The thing is I both simultaneously hate and enjoy Amish fiction. I actually don’t read as much as I used to because I kept getting frustrated with stories. There are some authors who I think share my views and therefore I gravitate towards them more.

What I like about Amish fiction:

I enjoy reading about the food in Amish fiction. Seriously, there’s a TON of food to talk about because everyone is basically cooking all the time. I’ve actually been to Amish country in Pennsylvania once myself and I can confirm that the food is every bit as good as you read about in the books.

I really like Amish fiction that questions the faith of those in it. What usually ends up happening is someone begins to wonder why they follow these rules blindly and why things are considered prideful even if it’s about developing a stronger personal faith. This might sound weird but I cheer when people leave the community. Now I don’t want them abandoning their faith but I want to really explore why they believe what they believe in and to really experience life. I enjoy authenticity and realism in my fiction regardless of the genre and this applies to this kind of fiction as well.

Basically I’ve come to realize that I treat the Amish as a culture no different than if I was reading a book set in a foreign country. I refuse to idealize and think of their culture as a utopia and I expect them to have flaws and problems just like the rest of us. When I read a book that shares that same opinion, I end up liking it.

What I hate about Amish fiction:

It’s so white. There are barely any non white characters that ever show up in these stories. Everyone who lives IN the Amish communities is white. And for some reason, all the tourists or anyone who ever comes into contact with anyone Amish is white too. They never seem to ever meet any POC characters in these things. It almost makes me wonder what happens if a small Amish child in the story sees someone who is black or Asian. Would they say something really awkwardly racist out of ignorance?

Faith is either 1) blindly followed with no questioning or 2) just in the background. I said earlier how I enjoyed the types of Amish fiction that question the faith. But I can’t stand when people don’t even really talk about why they believe what they believe. I honestly really don’t consider these books to be Christian fiction because faith is sometimes never even brought up.

The fact that people seem to love how safe and perfect these communities are portrayed. Notice I say portrayed and not actually are. I know fully well that things are not idealistic and wonderful in real life. Amish folks have their share of problems too. But in these books, I’m not sure if it’s the author’s intent but it comes across very much like these people have the perfect lifestyle and this is how we all should strive to be. Electricity and modern inventions are all wrong and if we only lived simpler lives, then we’d discover true peace and happiness. I’ve read so many comments from readers saying how they wish they could live like the Amish because they think it’d be fun.

It always amazes me how women in these books so easily will give up their lives for an Amish guy. I can only deduce that these women weren’t really happy to begin with and they never really enjoyed their current life. To give up your job, your family, your lifestyle to live in a completely different culture where, let’s face it you’re doing nothing but housework and most of your independence is going to be gone, just for a guy never sits well with me. I mean kudos if that’s what you want to do but it frustrates me at how many times this works out perfectly in these books.

I actually could go a lot longer on this topic but it’ll be WAY ;TLDR. If you’re an author who write Amish fiction, more power to you. If you’re a reader that enjoys Amish fiction, good for you. This is just how I feel because I want people to not generalize and just assume that everyone feels the same way about this genre.

Oh and for the record, in case you’re looking for something non traditional with Amish fiction? Amish vampire stories and gay Amish fiction exists too.

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It’s time for spring cleaning

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It’s now March which means it is meteorological spring.  I’m going to ignore the fact that there is snow, ice, and freezing rain outside of my window right now. And yes I realize that technically speaking spring doesn’t officially happen until March 20. But if people are going to drink pumpkin spice lattes in the middle of August and Christmas decorations appear in the beginning of fall then dammit, spring is now.

One of the big things that a lot of people do during spring (besides spring break or spring training) is spring cleaning. And I’m planning on doing a lot of that this year. Sure, I’ll be cleaning up a lot but not just necessarily in my home. I need to do a lot of spring cleaning in my life as well.

Books – I have WAY TOO MANY BOOKS. This comes from years of book blogging where I would get tons of books to review and then because there were so many I was unable to read or review a lot of them. Plus there is a weird mindset of mine that library books must be read before books I own because of due dates.

So what does this mean? It means weeding through my books and donating a lot of the books I know I’ll never get around to reading. Also despite the fact that I work in a library, I probably shouldn’t check out more than I can read.

Beer – I’ve been drinking a lot of beer over the past few months. Not like HUGE amounts but I buy every now and then. I’ve also realized that I’ve been spending a lot of money than normal buying beer.

So what does this mean? It means for the month of March, I’m not spending any money buying beer. I’ll go to tastings and try out beers and I’ll drink whatever is remaining of what I have at home, and I won’t object if someone buys me a beer. But I’m going to try to save a bit of money and not buy any new ones this month.

Food – Ever since I started working, I’ve been going out to eat more than I should be. This comes from working/commuting and getting home kinda late and being hungry and too tired to cook food. Plus, as I’m the type of person who prefers cooking for other people, being single has put a cramp on that lifestyle. So I just keep going out to eat. This needs to stop.

So what does this mean? I’m going to cook more and eat out less in March. I’ll go out to eat with friends but unless I have a free coupon or it’s an emergency, I’m not going out to eat and I plan on cooking more. I’ll have to do more grocery shopping, plan out meals in advance, and cook ahead of time plus make sure most of this is healthy but in the long run it’ll be better for me and save me money.

Health – I stopped running after my 5k last year. Mainly because I started working and my schedule wasn’t as flexible as it used to be. That’s turned out to be a bad idea.

So what does this mean? I need to get back to working out, lose some weight, and eventually make myself healthier.

Emotional state of mind – I’ve been doing quite well emotionally over the past few months which is a big relief to me. Despite some small bumps, it’s been a lot better than what it used to be. Still there are times when I’ll purposely do something that I know will be a downer.

So what does this mean? I need to stop making myself hurt when I do need to. This means stop intentionally doing things that where I know it’s going to make me feel hurt or sad. I can’t help when something unexpected happens and it’s out of my control. But if I know it already, I can stop it.

These are just some of the things I’ll be doing this month. We’ll see how I did come the start of April!

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What a Snow Day is Like for an Extrovert

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snowday

This past weekend, our region got quite a bit of snow. Now I know it’s not a huge amount for you folks out in the north or Midwest. Yes I get that you’re used to TONS of feet of snow and we folks down in the South don’t know how to drive. Fine, you’re better than us and we suck at life. (We really don’t, but that’s what you want to hear isn’t it?)

But it snowed all day causing several good inches to fall and making the roads really bad so everyone pretty much stayed in on Saturday. Being as how I didn’t need to be anywhere, I stayed at home the whole day. These are the thoughts of someone who is extroverted being cooped up in their home all day.

9:00 am – Oh hey it’s starting to snow.

10:00 am – All I can think about are the lyrics to Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)

(Christmas) Oh, the snow’s coming down

(Christmas) Now I’m watching it fall

12:30pm – Dang it. I should have ordered that pizza. I’m really hungry now.

1:30 pm – I am angry at myself because I didn’t stock up at the grocery store beforehand. Food supplies are limited.

2:00 pm – Well, I’ve already read 2 books today. What am I supposed to do now?

3:00 pm – There is no one on Facebook or Gchat to talk to. Also…if I died today would anyone know?

4:00 pm – I am really bored right now. There is nothing to do.

6:00 pm – Well that was a long nap I just took. BECAUSE I WAS BORED.

9:00 pm – The Musketeers are on and that means I can live tweet with strangers. HUMAN INTERACTION THROUGH THE INTERWEBS SAVES THE DAY?

11:00 pm – There is nothing left to do. I’m just going to bed. Because I’m bored.

7:00 am – Whaaaat? Church is cancelled? Now what?

12:30 pm – The walls are starting to close in. We are reaching full cabin fever mode. AHHHHH

4:00 pm – I AM SAVED. I GET TO SEE PEOPLE TONIGHT. ALL IS WELL.

I know. Not entirely exciting but it did make me realize that while I can go a full day without seeing or talking to anyone, I really do need to be around people at some point to recharge myself. I wish I could be an introvert because I was basically living the introvert’s dream this weekend. But there’s only so many books you can read, so many TV show and Netflix you can watch, and so many of not talking/seeing a single other person that I can take.

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Cold Weather is the Best Time to Eat Ice Cream

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This may be a be a personal preference but I think it’s the best preference.

Winter is the best time to eat ice cream.

“Whaaaaaat?” is what some of you probably are saying. Why on earth would you want to eat cold things when it’s already cold? Why would you want to make yourself colder? Isn’t summer the best time to do this?

I suppose logically that would make sense. If you’re hot, you’ll want something to cool yourself down. And granted, a cold drink is always refreshing especially on a hot sunny day and you’re sweating and your throat feels parched. There’s nothing like an ice cold beverage quenching your thirst when that happens.

But that’s also a beverage. Have you really tried eating ice cream when it’s hot outside. IT MELTS. And it gets into a puddle and soon you’re covered in a mess and you wonder, why did I just spend money buying this.

Seriously, this is why ice cream tastes better in the winter. THINGS DON’T MELT. Plus I think your taste buds are also heightened. I went out yesterday with some friends to eat some gelato. It was pretty freaking cold in Northern Virginia yesterday and the gelato place we went to happened to be located in an area where the wind was blowing SUPER hard. But guess what? It was the best darn gelato I’ve eaten in a long time. Did I feel colder after eating it? Actually no I didn’t. I felt refreshed though.

If you don’t like feeling cold then that’s your thing. That’s why hot drinks also exist during winter time. Actually it’s the best of both worlds. Because during the summer, no one REALLY wants a hot drink when it’s super hot outside. But during winter: you can have both.

Ice cream. Frozen yogurt. Milk shakes. Frozen custard. Gelato. Root beer floats. They all taste better in the winter.

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Working Hard or Hardly Working?

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I’ve been at my new job for a few months now. I’ve learned A LOT about working in a library since then but of course there’s still so much to learn. Ever since I started working at my new job, I feel like I get the same reaction from people who don’t seem to quite understand what happens in a library. I really enjoy my job and it’s a great feeling to be looking forward to going to work every day. But just like everything in life, there are several misconceptions that seem to be in everyone’s mind.

No. I don’t sit behind a desk and get to read all day.

No. Book are not on their way out.

Yes. I can show you how to use the printer or the copy machine.

No. I have not read all the books.

No. I am not threatened by ebooks or Netflix taking away our business.

Yes. I do enjoy being around people all day.

No. It is never boring. (Sitting behind a desk doing contracts all day sounds boring, IMHO)

No. I cannot ban the noisy teenagers.

Yes. We do accept donations.

No. We don’t want your moldy books or old textbooks.

No. I can’t sit here and show you how to use the Internet all day.

Yes. I love my job.

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The Two Questions I am Asked ALL THE TIME

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I’ve been around for a little over 30 years. And ever since I started socially interacting with people, I’ve found that on a regular basis I get asked the same two questions ALL THE TIME. They are asked by a myriad of folk, young and old, strangers and casual acquaintances, all sorts of backgrounds. I’ve never really understood how some people consider these questions to be ice breaker topics but whatevs.

1. Where are you from?

2. No, where are you REALLY from?

If you ask me in this way, I’m going to tell you the truth. I am a Virginia girl and have been my entire life.

I was born in Southwest Virginia, I grew up in Southeast Virginia, and I currently live in Northern Virginia.

Technically, I’m a Southern girl.(I say technically because personally I do not feel that Virginia is in the South. Geographically, I’m not sure why Virginia was in the Confederacy because when you look at the map, we’re sticking WAY UP compared to the rest of the states). I say “y’all”. I used to watch NASCAR. I drink way too much sweet tea. I am happiest with Southern comfort food. And it could have been worse. My dad turned down a job in Alabama when we were very young. I could have been the Asian girl with the thick Southern accent who had to make a choice between going to Alabama or Auburn.

People get really disappointed when I say this though. But if you ask me where I’m from, this is where I’m from. I’m proud to be a Virginian. It’s so different in each part of Virginia. Southwest Virginia has mountains and the Hokies. Southeast Virginia has the beach, Pharrell and Rudy from the first season of Survivor. And Northern Virginia is where EVERYTHING’s at. Our state is full of history (part of the reason why I did study history) and there’s so many awesome things about it. Seriously I do love my state.

Oh I see. You want to know my ethnic background. You want to know where my ancestors are from. Because Asian looking people could not have originated in Virginia. (I could argue Pocahontas and the rest of the Native Americans.) Well you see, when you phrase it the way I listed above, you’ve basically telling me I don’t belong here. And that everything I just told you about MY life here in Virginia doesn’t matter to you. When you ask it in this way, you’re not interested in issues that I may have faced as an Asian American in predominately white community or discussing stereotypes that Asian Americans face. That is not why you are asking.

I am open to talking about my ethnicity because believe it or not, I DO realize I’m not white. (Maybe on the inside only) Truthfully though, I just look Asian, I’m really more American because that’s all I know. I am respectful of my background and culture and I do try to learn more, but if you’re trying to get the deep lowdown on Asian culture, I am not the best person to go to unfortunately.

To sum this up, if you want to know, it’s perfectly fine. Just ask politely. Don’t demand it. This goes across the board with asking ANYONE about their background. If you’re curious, it’s ok. We don’t mind talking. Just think before you ask. That is all.

And to answer your next few questions before you ask

    • No, I’m not an expert with chopsticks
    • No, I don’t like anime
    • No, I’m not super good at math
    • No, I don’t know martial arts
    • Yes, I do eat a lot of rice
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Blades of (non) Glory

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skating

When I was growing up and watching the Winter Olympics, I wanted to be a figure skater. When you’re a young girl, that’s the best sport ever. Plus, two of the best US figure skaters at the time were Asian American. So naturally I wanted to be like them. There was one small catch: I’d never been ice skating before.

In fact I didn’t get to go ice skating until senior(?) year in high school. And it actually wasn’t horrible. I mean there was no way I could ever see myself doing a jump and landing on that tiny blade but it was fun to get out on the ice. I remember having a good time with my friends skating around the rink. I did it again in college too and once again remember enjoying myself as I was actually pretty good at moving around the rink at a decent pace.

Fast forward to this past week.

It appears that winter sports and I just don’t seem to mix anymore.

We already know how I don’t ski, though I gave it a shot. Well, this past week I went ice skating due to a friend’s birthday. Even though it’d been about a year and a half since I last went to our local rink, I wasn’t worried about it. After all, I have a 100% record of NOT falling on the ice. I know, it’s hard to believe but it’s actually true!

I was a little nervous because the worst part is always when you get on the ice for the first time. But then, that feeling of being terrified never really went away. The weird part was I found myself unable to really move on the ice.

Believe it or not, I can actually skate. You wouldn’t have guessed it from that night but I used to be able to move pretty darn well, at least being able to hold my own. But yet that night, I found myself lapping the rink exactly six times in 60 minutes. Yep. It took me ten minutes to get around the rink each time.

Michelle Kwan I was not that night.

More like this instead

I think it’s the fear of falling and not being in control. I hate that feeling. It’s also probably the fear of breaking my ankle and it’s a risk I’d rather not take. I just could not get my feet to move faster than a turtle’s pace no matter how much I wanted to.

The strange part is that two years ago, I went ice skating at that exact same rink and I was perfectly fine. To be honest I think part of it was due to not feeling like I had to one up someone anymore. When you already feel like you’re the worst at something among all your friends, instead of trying to do better, I think I just sort of give up. But when I’m with someone who is worse than me (especially if there’s a hidden motive), I feel the urge to out do them and it motivates me to do better.

This is not to say at all that I didn’t have fun. I actually did. Trying to concentrate on not falling was quite the challenge. I think though that unless something drastic happens, my ice skating days are probably numbered. It is ok. I gave it my best shot and I’m ok with it.