Life at the end of 2012

It's been a good long while since I've blogged.
Maybe because it was the end of the semester and there were other things taking up my time.

Maybe because I've had nothing new to report.

Or maybe it's both.

Now that the semester is over and I have no more homework or finals to stress about for a while, my mind is occupied, probably 99% of the time with what is coming in April. It took quite a bit of effort to get to this point and now I am just ready to be there.

I even bought a tour guide book/good phrases to know/a lot of good things to know book... *ahem* to memorize before I go so I don't look like a dorky tourist when I get there.


But let's be honest, I'm not exactly going to blend in... I think it's the white skin. Or maybe the curls.
Whatever. So I won't blend in, but I'm sure gonna try!

I keep having dreams about getting on a plane that just keeps flying, never landing anywhere. An eternal flight... I guess that could be classified as a nightmare. :)

April will come, I'd just like to skip over the four months between now and then. I imagine that Korea is just going to be one big party. Especially when I listen to this song. :) Ob

Obviously it's not going to be exactly like this... but I can be excited nonetheless. It's my dream and I'm livin' it!

P.s. The irony of this music video is that it is not filmed in Korea. :D But that's what I'm going to be doing in Seoul. The walking down the street and dancing thing. Not the graffiti or singing on stage for a bunch of people. :)

Don't tell me you didn't see this coming... Okay, maybe you didn't

This is one of those really important, epic-times-to-come posts. If you care at all about my life, if you only read one of my worthless blog posts, this should be the one.

Ready?

This girl is going to Korea!!!!

For those of you who want to know (and this is almost every person so far) I'm going to SOUTH Korea, not North.  I thought that was an easy one, but I have no trouble clarifying for those who may get confused.

Explanation:
Back in other posts, I may have mentioned my discovery of Korean culture. (Just a tiny bit... or maybe more than that.) At any rate, the short version of the beginning of this long story is that I walked in on my sisters watching a Korean drama (hereafter referred to as a Kdrama) and sat down to watch a few minutes because I had the time. Life changing moment (thank you sisters).

Let's go back a bit.

You also may know that after I left the folk dance program at BYU, I was a little bit lost, okay a lot bit lost as to what I was going to do next. Folk dance was THE reason that I came to BYU. So it took me a semester to work out what I was supposed to be doing, what The Lord wanted me to do.  Not an easy thing by any stretch of the imagination (and I happen to have a pretty stretchy one- just ask those who have read my thrice-written, never finished novel). The first step in this transformation was finding a new major... again. I know. Believe me, I know. So after spending some time with a counselor, and talking with a good friend, I discovered the awesomeness that is the Geography department. And, after jumping through some hoops, I became a Global Studies major. Woot. First good decision. But I still missed folk dance. In fact, I think it's safe to say that taking all these classes about the world and culture made me miss folk dance even more. But I promised myself that after fall semester was over, I would move on. I would not be sad anymore about things that I couldn't change.
It wasn't that smooth of a transition, but I sure gave it my all.
It was a little way into winter semester that the Kdrama thing occurred. One Kdrama. "Lie to Me" was a fun, uplifting, CLEAN show. I wasn't new to the world of subtitles, having already been an avid fan of Bollywood, so it wasn't that hard for me to enjoy the overly dramatic, heart wrenching, depressing, laugh-out-loud cheesy stickiness that comes with just about every Kdrama.
Next for me came the language. I have always had a bit of a talent when it comes to movie quotes and intonation... My sisters make me quote Pirates of the Caribbean just so they can laugh at me... Anywho... I began to really LISTEN to the words and what those sounds implied. And then I decided that I wanted to learn Korean.
So I started teaching myself. The alphabet, how to put words together, making shot sentences like "우유요." (Translation: "It's milk.") And then listening and learning vocabulary words. But it was never enough. I felt like I was missing out on some aspect that was vital to my learning experience. So I decided to sign up for a class that fall semester. Another really good decision.
I almost forgot to mention K-Pop in this ever-so important post. Have you heard Gangnam Style? Did you know that Gangnam Style is a Korean song? News people: Gangnam Style isn't even close to being a good representation of what K-Pop REALLY is! It's a fun song. But there is so. Much. Better. out there! Expand your horizons! Start with this: http://m.youtube.com/#/watch?v=AAbokV76tkU. Or this: http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Dww9UjJ4Dt8

Okay stop. Before you start the harsh criticism, I just want to remind you that it is a completely different culture there. Completely different. As different as tribes in Africa that walk around half naked or with piercings that cover their entire bodies. There is no need to mock their obvious femininity. They have a different idea of what is beautiful. This is CULTURE. This is what I am studying. Keep an open mind and appreciate. You don't have to agree or become a fan, but you do have to appreciate.

Off my soap box.

You are probably thinking at this point, "This is all very well, Christina, but how did you get to actually going to Korea?"
Back in April, I happened to see a sign for a study abroad to India. Yes, India. What do India and Korea have in common? They are both in Asia! I know this is pretty crazy. Believe me, the story is even crazier! So... April. I didn't think much beyond, 'I should sign up for that.' I didn't really think I would get accepted. I assumed that they would want me to graduate. But a week later, I got my acceptance email. I was excited. It was something for me to look forward to. Unfortunately, it was also for into the future. A few months shy of a year and that gave me plenty of time to worry and wonder. But I was determined to step outside my bubble. So I put $1000 down toward securing my spot. I had a talk with my friend at work who was all about support and bolstered me up. Despite what everyone was saying about India, it would be a good experience. And I was dedicated to it. But then...
Fall semester came and I was ready for it. I had classes that I was hoping to enjoy and a study abroad to look forward to. Sometime at the end of September, my dad walks up to me and asks, "Christina, can we talk about your study abroad?" I said, "Sho, Daddy. What do you want to talk about?" And he said, "Can we talk about you going someplace else?"
Boom.
He proceeded to explain that he just hadn't been feeling good about it. I was upset mostly. I didn't understand why he couldn't just support me. That night as I was going to bed, I said an upset prayer to Heavenly Father, asking why my dad couldn't just believe in me for once. Boy, does Heavenly Father answer prayers.
The next morning, I woke up with an uneasy feeling. It was the same feeling that had been haunting me on and off for the past several months. This time, I followed it instead of squashing it. It led me to the Kennedy Center. I figured that it wouldn't hurt to walk in and just explain my situation and see what my options were. The first thing I saw when I walked in the door was a flyer for a brand new study abroad to South Korea. And in that moment, it was as though Heavenly Father was whispering in my ear that He has a plan. And I was reminded that fathers can receive inspiration for their families. I will be forever grateful that my daddy followed that prompting that he had. Not that BYU would ever take students someplace unsafe, but that this path is the right one for me.
A secretary listened to my situation and happily explained that it would be a simple process to change programs but that the $1000 was nonrefundable. But I didn't want it refunded, I just wanted it transferred! I took my problem all the way to the top. I started by emailing the student accounts manager and waited. When he didn't get back to me, I went to his office and he told me I had to go see someone else. Eventually, I ended up at the director of all study abroads' office. He knew who I was and began to look some things up on his computer, while I explained my situation to him. At last he said that transferring the $1000 shouldn't be a problem.
So I filled out the application for South Korea. It got quite sticky for a while because I was still enrolled in India, so nothing would happen to my money because I cancelled all of a sudden. But then I started getting emails from the director of India. So I eloquently told him my problem and he proceeded to lecture me on how India is a very time-intensive program and if I wasn't ever dedicated to it, I shouldn't have signed up and I might as well just cancel right away. Ouch. Needless to say (after he called my parents), I knew that I wasn't going to India, even if I didn't make it into the Korea program.
It took a long time for me to find out that I was for sure going. In fact, it was just yesterday. I got an email from the student facilitator asking me to come to an information meeting. Naturally, he told me and a friend the wrong room so we had to wait for 30 minutes... but we got there.
and then it was official. I am going to South Korea in May.

Pause.

It still gives me shivers.

...

Freak out complete.

I'm going to go all ecumenically philosophical now. If you don't want to hear about it, you've read all you really need to. :) (Mindy joke)

I have never had a BIG dream. My dreams have always been pretty rational because I am, for the most part, a sensible being. My biggest dream was coming to BYU to be on the folk dance touring team and that wasn't even fully realized. One thing I've learned, with help from a friend, is that it is okay to dream big. Even if someone tells you that it's never going to happen, dream it anyway! This realization led me to another self-discovery. Deep breath. I am so glad that I'm not married. There, I said it. It's a funny thing to consciously realize. I really am glad. Here's why.
There is so much in this world that I haven't done that I want to do. There was a time in my life when I wanted nothing more than to find a great guy and settle down, but I'm glad that didn't happen. Heavenly Father has a big plan in store for me, so big that he pretty much flipped my world over. Seriously. If I had been able to look at what my life is like today, two years ago, I wouldn't have believed it was true.
I think as human beings, especially in this day and age, we are so accustomed to getting what we want when we want it. Immediate satisfaction. The past year and a half has taught me to trust in His plan. Not just to trust, but to rely wholly on Him. An old roommate taught me that if He closes off one thing, it means that He has something much better in store for you. And I believe that. I know it. Because if He hadn't led me away from folk dance, I never would have found Korean and I wouldn't have this big dream for my future. A plan for my future. Something I have never had before. I honestly never imagined my life past college. And now I have. I know what I want to do. But that's for another post.

We are so silly. Time and time again, we get frustrated with God. We blame Him and think He doesn't care about us, about what we want. He probably just shakes His head and murmurs, "I care more than you know which is why I'm doing this." He knows what is best and we should, by this point in our lives, understand and accept that. Have faith that He is steering you down the right path, to your ultimate destination. Take a moment and look back on your life. Think about some of the things you wanted. Would you be where you are now if Heavenly Father hadn't given you nudges in other directions? Maybe you were lucky and your plan matched up pretty well with His. Lucky you

I am living proof that Heavenly Father cares and will guide us to where we are meant to go. He's had to push me pretty hard sometimes. It hurts. It can be the worst, but ultimately it will be the best.

Protect the Boss... or the One I Skipped

From left to right: Ice Cream, Jerk Face, Idiot Heroine, Cute Boy

So let's be honest about this one. It has a fun preface. I actually watched it before I watched Boys Over Flowers. But here's where it gets a bit... ahem. We'll get back to that.

Cast:

Choi Kang Hee as Noh Eun Seol (aka our tough and fun-loving heroine who is struggling to find a job-- who isn't?)

Ji Sung as Cha Ji Heon (aka stupid male protagonist who is immature, rude, pretentious, rich, spoiled... you get the idea)

Kim Jae Joong as Cha Mu Won (aka the really nice guy who the heroine should fall for, but is an idiot and does not so...)

Whoops. Did I just ruin it for you?

Note: I did not finish this drama. And here is why:

Some of you that know me... may know that I get tied emotionally to things and K-Dramas are no exception. So when I started seeing the signs that Eun Seol was falling for Ji Heon, I backed out quick. I waited for Mu Won to put up a bit of a fight, but I knew that it was useless in the end, poor boy.

Here's the storyline:

Ji Heon is super duper immature but due to his connections, he is a director at a big company. (Connections= his dad is the chairman) Eun Seol, who had some behavior problems in high school, has since matured and is job hunting. Unfortunately, she can't seem to catch a break. By some mistake, she is granted an interview at this big company. Cha Mu Won (Ji Heon's cousin) is also a director at the company, but he is the opposite of Ji Heon. He is mature and hard working (and sweet as opposed to sour)... gives Eun Seol a chance when no one else will after she gives him a piece of her mind. She is assigned to Ji Heon and, not wanting to be fired, puts up with a lot from him.

Naturally, both men start falling for her....

You'll have to watch the rest to find out what happens. Really. Because I couldn't stand the idiocy of it all. :)

Rating: 5.5 and this is only for Jaejoong, cute thing. :)

Boys Over Flowers... or the one where I fell in love

When my sister first told me about Boys Over Flowers, I was a bit skeptical. I mean really... a high school for rich kids where the four top students call themselves F4 and go around torturing the poor kids? What is that all about? I say to all you skeptics now: Wait and see.

Cast:

Ku Hye Sun as Geum Jan Di (aka strong female lead)

Lee Min  Ho as Goo Jun Pyo (aka rude jerky protagonist)

Kim Hyun Joong as Yoon Ji Hoo (aka awesome, amazing, spectacular, sweet, thoughtful co-star)

Kim Bum as So Yi Jung (aka Casanova)

Kim Joon as Song Woo Bin (aka Don Juan)

Kim So Eun as Chu Ga Eul (aka best friend)

Plot:

I guess that I should start out with a bit of an explanation. Welcome to ShinHwa High School, school for the rich only, ruled by the mysterious F4 (F standing for 'Flower', meaning pretty boy). Things happen. Geum Jan Di, who is the daughter of a dry cleaner, ends up being given a scholarship to ShinHwa. Due to her strong personality, she ends up butting heads with Goo Jun Pyo and he declares her an outcast. Because of that, she is tormented at school without much relief. Only Ji Hoo helps her and he certainly does it in a roundabout way. However, it is the first scene that really makes the difference. You can watch the whole thing, but at this moment I would recommend only the first 5ish minutes.

Hee. When I first saw this, I remember smiling stupidly just like Jan Di does as she walks away from him. What can I say? I'm a sucker for a pretty boy who plays the violin. And the guitar. And the piano... :)

The hair... it grows on you. Seriously. Not just literally. 

Of course Goo Jun Pyo finds her defiance attractive and feels like anything he wants, he can have. So he gets pushy. And of course that leads to other things, but I shan't spoil the entire show for you here. Suffice it to say, I can't stand Lee Min Ho and his "Aish!"

Suffice it to say, Kim Hyun Joong is the shining star in this show. :) Aww... I'm blushing.

Rating: 9.5 Watch it and you'll understand, in the end, why I docked it half a point. 

The Secret Garden

One of the more popular Korean dramas, Secret Garden came second on my list. I don't know how it happened, I wasn't particularly drawn to it, I just started and didn't stop until it was over. :)
Our two main characters are: Ha Ji Won as Gil Ra Im and Hyun Bin as Kim Joo Won.

The story line is fun if a lot unbelievable. Gil Ra Im is a movie stunt woman and she has some pretty sweet moves. Kim Joo Won is the CEO of a large company and a total jerk. By chance, he mistakes Gil Ra Im for a popular actress which is how they meet. She, naturally, thinks he's a good for nothing son of a gun which oddly attracts him to her. Through a bicycle incident, a mysterious restaurant in the middle of the woods, and bottles of liquid that should probably read: "WARNING: this looks bad for your health. This IS bad for your health. Do not drink.", the two switch bodies. And that's where the hilarity of it comes in.

Hyun Bin does a fantastic job as Gil Ra Im. That's why it's so enjoyable. I'm not saying that Ha Ji Won does a bad job, merely that Hyun Bin does better. But then, it's easier for a guy to overplay being a girl for the most part. Anyhow.... funny.

RATING: 7

The best part about this drama, for me, was when they had switched souls. It got a tad bit long, but still thoroughly enjoyable the whole way through. Both main characters did a fantastic job.

Next up: Boys Over Flowers/ Boys Before Flowers

LIE TO ME or... where it all began

As promised, I am starting my long list. I hope you're open-minded aka... ya'll ready for this?

It started with Lie to Me, starring:

Yoon Eun Hye (aka the Korean Amanda Bynes)

and....

Kang Ji Hwan (I thought he was the most attractive thing I had ever seen... I should have waited to make a statement like that)

Storyline:

It's a pretty involved beginning and, I will admit, the first episode was a bit rough  to get into. But at the time when I started the show, I had already watched episode 8 with my sisters so I had a little bit of insight into what I was getting into. Awesomeness!

The show starts off with the hero: Hyun Ki Joon. (My sisters and I had a running joke about calling him "Hunky Joon" :) Anywho, he owns a massive hotel and right off you can kinda tell that he's OCD. He has a particular thing with buttons being undone. I digress. You eventually find out that he's searching for his younger brother who let the country a while back because of some reason... which ends up being a girl, of course. I shall leave the rest of that to your viewing. No, I shant say another word.
Our heroine is the lovely Gong Ah Jung, also known as "Ah Jung-ahhhhh". (That will make sense to you later. :) She works for the government and after a mishap at an important event, she's feeling a little bit... undervalued. She goes to a club to get drunk and write her resignation letter on a napkin which is where she meets... nope, not the hero. She meets the hero's younger brother, Sang Hee. Sang Hee is a bit bored and he finds Ah Jung's drunken rants to be a bit amusing. Unfortunately for him, Ki Joon finds out that he's back in Korea and at the club and comes to crash the party. Sang Hee steals Ah Jung's resignation napkin and takes off. As both Ki Joon and Ah Jung follow him, they end up meeting and Ah Jung, due to a bee sting (yeah, I know) and her excessive drinking, collapses. Realizing that this crazy woman might just know something about his brother, Ki Joon takes her to the hospital and waits all night for her to wake up so he can ask her. She ends up knowing nothing and he feels bothered but she wants to repay him for her hospital bill. It doesn't end well. She's mad, he's mad. They part. The end. Or... not.

The other side to this story is in Ah Jung's past. In college she was madly in love with one of her school mates. She felt sure that if she passed her exam to work for the government, that he would notice her as more than just a study buddy and they could get married. Unfortunately, while she was doing all of her studying, her witch of a best friend ended up seducing and getting engaged to said man. End of friendship.
Back to present: Ah Jung is at a salon, getting her hair done when witchy ex-best friend AND husband (aka Ah Jung's first love) come in together. Ex-best friend proceeds to make Ah Jung feel terrible by saying "oh, you're not married yet? Well, that's all right. Not just anyone can get married, etc. etc. etc." At that moment, Ah Jung's phone rings. It's a sales recording, but Ah Jung pretends that it's her honey ("yahbo") just so that she can wipe the smirk off of the witch's face. It works.

And THIS is where the REAL story begins.

Through a series of unfortunate events (I suppose not so unfortunate), Hunky Joon is mistaken for Ah Jung's husband. The rest is for you to watch and find out. Hee hee. You will die laughing.

RATING: 9

On my scale of 1 to 10, when I first watched it, I rated it as a 10. I now rate it as a 9, simply because I have seen better, but not many... :)

Up next: Secret Garden

When you think He doesn't care, He showers you with LOVE

I'm sure many people have had similar experiences... life gets hard, sometimes really hard. And then some miracle occurs that turns your life around (or perhaps just your perspective). And we're so grateful and we thank Him every night in our prayers and promise to remember all that He has done for us. And sometimes we do. And... sometimes we don't.
As I'm sure many of you know, the past year has not been the easiest for me. There were a couple of times when I looked to the sky and said, "Heavenly Father, I'm trying really hard to understand why all this is happening to me. I'm trying to see it as a blessing but really, isn't this a bit too much?" Things just kept going wrong. Even as my life slowly started to improve and I didn't feel like laying in bed with a bag of almond M&Ms every day, there were still problems, things that I had to deal with. I got pretty frustrated.
And then, one after another, two miracles happened.
1) My sisters discovered Korean culture in the form of a tv show. I mentioned it here. (Go reread or read for the first time, or completely ignore- whatever suits you best.) I wasn't terribly interested at first... I mean, I've been a fan of Bollywood movies for several years and this seemed fairly similar to that so I wasn't against them. After some persuasion on my sisters' part, I sat and watched an episode. Two words. Life. Changing. I should probably dedicate an entire post to this. And I will. Once I finish my 12 page persuasive writing research paper. Ha. For now we'll just say that it started me down a major path. One that I never imagined or expected. Enough said on that for now. TBC later.
2) Acceptance into the India Study Abroad for Winter 2013. First thing people say when they hear that. "Wow." Second thing: "Why India?" I'm going to say it now and only once, so pay attention. I have no idea why India. It was pretty much a whim. I saw a big poster in the SWKT one day while walking to class and I figured that I didn't have much to lose. I applied, doubting that I would get into the program. I was sure they'd want me to focus on completing my degree so I could graduate. But somehow I was accepted. And then it was a great battle within myself. Should I be focusing on graduating or should I actually go to India? And what about the money? Thousands of dollars don't just materialize. And there were things that I wanted to do that I wouldn't be able to do if I did go to India. And then people started suggesting that I go someplace else. India is so very far away. Four months is a long time. It's not a clean place. It's so different there.... things like this. And even though I didn't want to, I started to get nervous. It took me a while to talk myself down. I kept telling myself that I needed to try something different. Stepping out of my bubble and into the real world would help me grow by leaps and bounds. I'm not a weak person; I can handle reality. But money was still an issue, as it usually is. So I went to the temple. The irony of it was that it was probably the shortest amount of time that I'd ever spent in the temple, but I still got my answer. I didn't know how, exactly, but I knew that everything was going to be all right. So I put my trust in the Spirit and pushed forward, putting down the payment to secure my spot and beginning the preparations. Despite the fact that I still didn't know how I was going to come up with the money for the trip, I didn't worry. I knew that He would provide me with the answer at the right time.
Two months ago, I received a grant from the government. Oh, what a blessing! It wouldn't cover the whole fee, but it would certainly help.
About a month ago, my mom told me to go to this Veterans Affairs website and fill out this form and submit it for a little financial aid. Thursday I received a letter saying that I my application had been accepted and I would be receiving the aid. According to my papa, $900 a month for up to 45 months. When I saw that, a huge weight lifted off my chest and I literally felt His love and I could feel Him saying, 'Yes, Christina, I do love you and I am looking after you.' I am so blessed to have a loving Father in Heaven who takes such good care of me despite all of the silly things that I do. He loves me unconditionally and He gives me great opportunities to grow and to experience incredible things. That is the beauty of this life.

Brave or My Very Own Disney Princess

The current Disney Princesses

Here's a little bit of info on a random part of my growing up years. I never had a Disney Princess that I thought of as "mine". I loved them all for different reasons but I never truly connected with one specific princess. I admired Jasmine for her spunk, Snow White for her graceful sweetness, Sleeping Beauty/Aurora for her innocence, Cinderella for her ability to forgive, Pocahontas for her courage, Belle for her acceptance, Ariel for her perseverance, Mulan for her resolve, Tiana for her dreams, and Rapunzel for her understanding. But never did just one jump out at me. (Okay, maybe Rapunzel did, but it wasn't exactly the same. She wasn't 'my' princess).
And then, at the midnight preview of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 (AWESOME!) I saw a poster. There wasn't much to it; it looked like a deep green forest with a red blob in the middle. Upon closer examination, I discovered the blob to be a head of red curly hair. And something sparked. My friend Mikey, who I was seeing the movie with, pulled up the preview for the movie on his laptop. There still wasn't much to it, but I was intrigued and I kept thinking back to that red-headed girl despite the fact that I had no idea what the movie was even about.

Okay so it's not as foresty as I remember

And then an extended preview came out. And it was EPIC!!!! See here.

And I got all these bubbles in my stomach. This was someone who I could relate to. And it wasn't just the hair. It was the heritage and the "I want to let my hair flow in the wind as I ride through the glen, shooting arrows into the sunset" and being brave enough to change my own fate. 

And I finally saw it yesterday with all of my princess friends. Merida is my hero. She is my princess. The movie was everything that I wanted it to be and more. For those of you who haven't seen it yet, I won't spoil it for you so GO SEE IT! But it fills my heart with so much happiness and excitement. And now I feel as though my childhood dreams are complete because I have my very own Disney princess.

Be Brave. Change your own Fate.

News flash: You can't please everyone

I'll tell you what now. Being a hero is not even worth it. Not even close. I should know. For the first time in my life, I thought I was a hero today. Turns out... I just caused a lot of drama and problems. And over what? This. Little ducklings. You wouldn't believe the amount of drama over these 5 little guys. You wouldn't believe it because I couldn't believe it and I was smack dab in the middle.
It turns out that rescuing ducklings from the storm drain isn't necessarily the good thing I thought it was. There's a lot of relief and clapping and back-slapping and then there's a pause. What to do now? Should we take them to the duck pond? Should we find the mother? We should definitely give the mom a chance to find her babies, for sure, right? Well, not everybody thought so. Whether a group decision or an individual, not everyone was going to be satisfied. So I set the ducks down in the shade with some water and went on my merry way. I'd done what I wanted to do for them and what happened next was not up to me, but up to the Almighty Creator. Perhaps by rescuing, I was doing a bad thing... survival of the fittest and all of that. Maybe they could have happily survived for a long time in the storm drain as opposed to getting eaten by a cat or run over by a car. Regardless, I did it and it was done. And then people started biting my head off. What did I feed it? It needs more water! We can't leave them alone, they need protection! I give up.

PEOPLE: They're cute, but they're DUCKS!

No good deed goes unpunished. All helpful urges should be circumvented. I'm just sayin'. Elphaba had it right. Morally, there's no right answer so I step away and say, "I just don't care anymore. Please leave me alone and I promise I won't go rescuing helpless animals anymore."

And there you have it.

....

Don't worry. If you fall down a storm drain and can't get out, I'd probably rescue you. But don't ask me to take care of you afterwards.

Vision

The title is for two reasons.

A) My poor doggy is going blind. It is so sad to me. She has been a light in our family for so many years, particularly the years that my mom had cancer and was going through chemotherapy. Her name is Theeb, translated from Thai to mean Angel. And she is definitely an angel. Best dog ever. Our neighbor used to say about our family, "They all have curly hair. Even the dog has curly hair." Yup, that's my little baby.

B) It is currently Vision Conference at work. Think of it as a company retreat. One person said, "We don't use the term 'retreat'. We call it a tactical withdrawal." Let me break it down for you: all of the full time employees are away for two days and all of the students get to play! Ahem. Well, we call it work, but it's basically permission for us to have a little bit of fun without being supervised by our bosses. I spent the time learning 한국의: vocab and double vowels. It's fascinating stuff! I'm also learning the lyrics to the song Love Like This by SS501. Should you like a listen, see here. CAUTION: View with an open mind and an understanding that this is a completely different culture. So don't be racist and make fun of them for stupid reasons. I am very passionate about this and will come beat you up with a noodle. You have been warned. Back to Vision Conference. Lots to think about and lots to plan for in the future. It requires a lot of thought and I am doing my best to look into my future, despite how that's not really possible. But I digress. Life, in each minute, is good and beautiful and I have very little to complain for.

There, you have been caught up.

Shout out to my Brissa! ;)

The Times That Try a Woman's Soul... and the times thereafter

It's been a while. I guess that happens when finals come up and there's a change in life's pattern... :) Needless to say, I survived one of the hardest years of my life. That is something to celebrate. First off, I completed my first semester as an official Geography major. And I've also come to hate the question, "So... what do you want to do with that?" Let's be honest. Some people know exactly what they want to do with their education. Some people don't and they go out post-graduation, and apply for a myriad of jobs. Sometimes it just works out that way because sometimes people are simply interested in LEARNING about something particular, not necessarily saying "I'm going to major in biochemistry because I want to make a lot of money as a doctor, because that is what my father did and what his father did, etc." Life doesn't always work out that way. Wouldn't it be awesome if it did? It was April 2012 that I was supposed to graduate. Due to my dedication to a certain dance program and my lack of foresight, I have changed my major a couple of times, thus pushing back my graduation date. Do I regret it? In some ways, yes. It would be nice to be completely done with school by now, the way I'm supposed to. On the other hand, I have learned SO MUCH! And I have lots left to learn. I have experienced a ton of things and I have yet to have the neatest experiences... like a study abroad in India. I may dislike school, but I do love to learn and I have gained a ton of insight from it. There. That's my shpeel on my upcoming super senior year.

Next. So... sometimes life is hard. And things start to fall apart. We've all experienced this in one form or another... unless your life is perfect. And then I hate you. Not really, but sort of... in an 'I love you' kind of way. Ahem. So during these times, we need something that we can hold on to to brighten our day or make us smile. This can be a person or an object and should ALWAYS be our Father in Heaven and our Savior. But that's beside the point. I am lucky enough to have bonded with my two older sisters this past month over something that is probably going to sound pretty ridiculous. Brace yourself. Ready? Korean Drama. There. I said it. Now, as silly as this sounds, it has changed my life. American media is dirty. And I didn't realize how bad it is until I watched something that is just as completely entertaining without all of the muck. Seriously, I don't think I've seen something so clean, void of bad language and innuendos since  I know you've all heard the saying, "Don't knock something until you've tried it" and I'm telling it to you  now. Really. Don't. Because you might just be missing out. Actually, I know you're missing out, but far be it from me to force my likes onto you. I just recommend it, is all. Continuing on. From this newly found awesomeness, I have begun to learn the Korean language. This has been in about the last week and a half. Okay, so it's not a common language and there really aren't many people who speak it here which doesn't make it that useful, but for some reason, I love it. I love the  90s pop culture, the bright colors, the hair that changes style and color every month, the boys that almost dress like girls...

SHINee

 Ask anyone who's talked to me about it; I'm very passionate about it. Whatever the reason, I'm grateful. I've never been so happy to sit down and study before in my life! Korea. I watch their shows, I listen to their music (SS501, SHINee, etc.) I'm learning their language. This isn't something new. I've always been passionate about culture. Why do you think I did folk dance for 3 years? Why do you think I'm a geography major? I love the world and I love learning about the people in the world. Korea is just the most recent example.

It's important to find things that uplift you, that make you happy. Be it a person, place, thing, etc. And when life gets too hard to stand, kneel. That's very important too. :) Here's to the next day in a brighter future. Cheers!

Teach as you would be Taught; Learn as you would have others Learn from you

Do you remember what it was like to be young? To sit in school and listen to the teacher talk? You had your good days and your bad days. The days when everything went in one ear and out the other and then the days that what the teacher said filled your mind with wonder...
Sometimes it even still happens. Shocker.
Here's the purpose.
My success level the past several months has been approximately 1%. Everything I have tried out for since April has come back as a "Thanks but no thanks." And it hurts. The first time was the worst blow (which makes sense because it was the most important thing in my life, at the time, and I had worked the longest/hardest for it) and then there were smaller things that came after, but every time it came with a no. Can I tell you something you probably already know? NOs get harder and harder to hear after a while. You think it would get easier... but it doesn't.
So I have this good friend and some other not as good friends who suggested that I audition for this summer workshop called ReMix Vocal Academy. (As an aside: my voice is not the best. Sure, I can hum a tune, but as far as the serenity and purity... the tinkling sweet musicality of my vocal chords... not so much. It's not fingernails against a chalkboard though... just to be clear.) After some ponderage, I figured, "What the hey. I'll support my friendly acquaintances and audition. What's one more "no" to my repertoire? So I ended up picking a totally random song (Like a Prayer by Madonna? What?) and sent in... a jpg. Ha ha... oops. And it wasn't a good-looking jpg either. My mouth was wide open, chin pushed back-nearing double chinness, my hair is flying (I was in the midst of a rotation). See here:

Awkward, right?

Yeah, I know.

So at the time when I got an email back saying, (in more polite terms) "We cannot look at your audition video because you sent us a picture, genius."
At first, I just laughed at it. Because only I could do something like that. A little bit later, I saw my good friend and we talked about how I had auditioned. She knew about the jpg. And then my mind went, 'Uh oh. If she knows about the picture, then that means that....' Two people I very much respect for their talent had had a good laugh over my idiocy. Part A) I'm glad that I could be of use as comic relief. Part B) EMBARRASSING!!! And all of a sudden I was feeling like a total loser extraordinaire. Never fear, Good Friend talked me down out of my tree and after some thoughtfulness, I realized it's always better to laugh at yourself than to feel foolish about a silly thing like that. That being said, when you send in an audition for anything(!) make sure that it's a video and not an awkward, non-flattering picture.

That was my learning experience.

Now for my teaching experience.

I teach every Thursday for two and a half hours in the evenings. It has quickly become a bright spot in my week. These girls that I teach are angelic little devils, but weren't we all at that age? So yesterday I sat down with the senior company and we had a good chat about why they danced. We then talked about what dance is and how our motivation effects how we do. And after this good, deep discussion, I challenged them. "Always be genuine in everything you do."
Everything I teach those girls, is something that I wish that I had learned at their age so that I could have used it more as I transitioned. It is important to share the things, that we find important, with others, especially with those who look up to us. So maybe I don't have the best technique, but I can teach those girls some very important things that will, if utilized, change their lives forever.

Moral to all of this? A) Always be genuine in EVERYTHING you do. Don't take a second for granted. B) Be a good learner. Listen to the things that other people tell you. You don't have to use them all, but the truth is, your 'teacher' might have a greater insight on a specific situation than you. And C) Teach keeping yourself in mind as a student. Think about what you have learned and what has been most valuable to you. What do you wish you would have known five years before you actually learned it? Share your light, your energy, your passion. That is what makes a good teacher.

What's a Holiday?

So what with today being the last day off in the entire winter semester, it has provoked some thoughts. Strange, I know.

Why doesn't BYU have a spring break?
I'm sure this is a question that many people have asked over the years. Is it a torture mechanism that BYU employs? Perhaps it is an effort to prevent the regular shenanigans that happen (you know, the ones that you see in those CSI tv shows where someone always ends up dead?)

CSI Miami: "Spring Break"

Here are my thoughts on spring break. Dearest BYU, before you allowed me to be called a student, you required me to sign this document that said "Honor Code" at the top. This Honor Code specified several things that I should not do, if I wanted to remain a student at BYU.

 

So, Honor Code, here's what I think. I think you should trust your students to do what they promised (on paper, I might add) that they would/wouldn't do (as the case may be). It's fair to your students to give us the week-long break that every other student in the world gets. We need mental rest just like everyone else. Going to a religious school doesn't make us immortal. In addition to all that, it's dark and it's cold. So please please please (!) consider having mercy on us poor, mentally depleted students and give us a nice siesta in mid-March

Sincerely,

a student who knows,

Christina

Lucky

It's funny how I completely forgot all about this part of my life until my mother pulled a cd of pictures out that a friend in the ward had given her. Thank you Sis. Peterson for giving me photos so that I will always remember how lucky I was.

I've said it more than once that I have never been lucky with the men. But I was once, though not in the way you'd imagine initially. This is Rusty. He was my buddy growing up for years. He would walk me home from church and endure my silly childish pranks and he was my friend. Truly that's about all I remember about him. Except that he had ticklish elbows... doubtful.

One day he decided to go off and get himself married. I'm pretty sure I was devastated, but he invited me to the wedding and I got to meet her and tell her that if he was ever bad, she could tickle his elbows and he would behave.

I haven't seen or heard from Rusty in a very long time which is as it should be, but the memory of his kindness to a young girl who had absolutely no self esteem will live on with me for the rest of my life. It just goes to show that it's the little things you do that have the biggest impact on the lives of those you touch.

Also.

Do you even know how hard it is to find a proper-looking head shot that doesn't make you look like your nose is too big or that your eyes are too small or that you're some kind of elf or a demon from the underworld?

....................................................................................................

Never mind that. It's impossible.

Double-sided photo printing, an insulting compliment, an obsession with music and a day of nerves...

So today is a rather intense day as far as days go. I probably didn't get enough sleep last night. Probably.

The greater part of my day has been taken up with discovering the many companies that do NOT print double sided. You can imagine my distress when Walmart said that they didn't! After checking at three or four more places after that, I spoke with a friend and she said, "Christina, print it at home!"
I suppose it would be good of me to explain. Tonight I have an audition. My first for a play, unless you count sixth grade when I auditioned for Romeo and Juliet and probably only got the part because I had a British accent (applause for my dear Papa). But the elementary aside, I am considerably nervous to display my voice for judges.
I do not have an astonishing voice. I know that. But what I do have is perfect pitch. So despite how I sound, I will always be on key. That is a bonus, is it not?
Back to my morning...
So after a few trial and errors, I finally got it to print at work. Huzzah for work! Onward.
On my way to work, I ran into an old friend. He flagged me down to say hello and ask how I was doing and then he said to me (drumroll) "Wow, you're looking really good, now that you're not doing folk dance anymore."
...
At the time I didn't stop to think about it and I came back with a witty joke about how everyone on BYU Campus is either in the exercise clothes or all dressed up saying, "I'm a BYU business major!"



 But after a few minutes of walking, I thought... wait a minute. Okay. So I wasn't always gorgeous when I was dancing....


But I sure gave it my all! Poor kid probably didn't even realize what he said. :)

I've gotten into this bad habit of putting my life to a song.

Yesterday it was: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KhO6zGh7VD4

A few days ago it was: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4AWRHBHDVlQ

Last week it was: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p4m_xxjCoXw&feature=related

A week and a half ago it as: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hRXlyoVlWTs. Don't tell me those boys aren't adorable. :) This has nothing to do with my life, I just like it.

And today? It changes hour by hour. Ha! This'll do though: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AmTg0cSMF98

So... I should tell you that Rachel Platten is a new discovery of mine and she is AWESOME! Check her out.

Wish me luck and perhaps I'll tell you what my song is tomorrow. ;)

Things to think about

1. Studying Don Q in Humanities brings up strange emotions inside of me. Super emotional emotions... right.

2. I get upset when people take more than their half of the lane. I'm like, "Seriously! Here I am, practically swimming under the lane lines while you're jaunting down the center! Do you even know what sharing is?"

3. Swimming makes me verrrrry tired. I'm in bed between 9:30 and 10 every night.

4. I am currently obsessed with chips. Sun chips mostly.

5. While driving one of the service vehicles on campus, I feel superior to most human beings... and then it stops.

6. Wheat Thins have become my way to survive my classes.

7. Painting little white strips across the top of my nail makes my nails curiously beautiful and I find that I like to admire them during class while teachers are lecturing. Oops.

8. Secondly. I still don't like nail polish.

9. Without fail, ABC's Castle always makes me smile.

10. I miss my friends. 

11. I really love my sisters. 

12. Chocolate is a gift from Heaven (but I already knew that, like, 100 times over)

13. Who names their company "Cackle Fresh Egg Farms"?

14. Kindle Fire? Awesome.

15. Toasted tuna for lunch on Sundays (excepting Fast Sunday, of course) is a tradition that I miss. :(

16. Lark Rise to Candleford is HILARIOUS! It doesn't matter who you are or what genre you prefer, it will make you laugh. 

17. Geography is one of the greatest things to study! If you haven't taken a class, you should!

18. I never play Words With Friends with friends. Only with my family. Odd.

19. If my father weren't LDS, he would probably be a preacher. 

20. That's enough.

21. One more... Books. Can't get enough of books.

Now I'm done.

If you can, I seriously recommend it...

Here's the dealio.

Starting this last Monday, I have been exercising consistently every day. The thing that makes this different and special and easier to keep up is that I'm swimming! It's so much easier on my body. I don't feel like my legs are going to fall off or that my knees are going to break, or that I'm going to roll an ankle. It's just nice.

Yes. 6:30 am is early. And yes, that means that I get up at about 5:45 to get ready and pull everything together for the day, but seriously, folks, it's worth it. No joke. I have been feeling so good this week! I'm awake and warm when I get out of the pool and  I get ready and eat a bit of breakfast before my first class at 8.

It's my first week and I'm so tired today. I can tell that I've been doing extra stuff that is taxing on my body, but it will get easier and I will get better and faster and more athletic and buff and skinny... those are all good things, right? Right! I'm not saying that I'm gonna be the next female Michael Phelps because that is SO not going to happen. I'm definitely one of the slowest in the pool, maybe even counting the cute old folks doing their water aerobics, but I feel good about myself and that's all that matters, true?

So what are you saying, Christina? I'm saying, come swim with me! It makes a world of difference despite how early it is! I'm happeeeeeeeeeeeeeey! (Okay, so there's no 'e' in happy, but you get my point)

Peace out, enjoy your weekend.

 

But honestly, check out that muscle definition! :)

A New Year

It's a new semester and a new year. A chance to start over, to act like the last 4 or 5 months never actually happened. Well, not to act like they never happened, but a chance to improve life. To learn from what's happened and come back stronger and happier. And I'm going to give it everything I've got.

It is custom to have at least one New Year resolution. I shall tell you what mine is. It is to have friends... or, more accurately, to have a social life. Last semester, I was a total hermit, cooped up in my room with my homework and that was all. I barely saw anyone who wasn't related to me. But now I am determined to step foot outside my comfort zone and be a real live person again. Life is going to be new and different and refreshing and AWESOME!

Now... there is a bit of a disclaimer here. I may need some assistance from those of you who are still willing to call me 'friend'. This means a short text inviting me to movies, dinners, parties, etc. Because you love me and I love you. Right? Right....

Let's celebrate the new year with big hugs, yeah? xoxo