a real life zombie house!

Yesterday was fun because we visited our cousin at his job and commuted to Star City where we went to "Scream Park."  It was basically a horror mansion where you go through different rooms and maze-like corridors with people with professional zombie make up.  It was really fun because, of course, our group consisted of 3 screaming girls that jump at the slightest thing.  It was scary for me but I think I finally got used to it towards the end.  I think the scariest thing is anticipating when and where the next zombie is going to pop out or break into a run towards you.  Since they technically can't do touch you (just get as close to your face as possible) you do get used to it  towards the end.  Although, some of the scenes really are quite grotesque you get flashbacks of them hours afterwards.

It was fun because it was like being in an actual scary movie, but with zombies that couldn't hurt you.  

Today we are moving out of our condo, which I will actually miss.  It's closeness to the Fort, reliable WIFI access, and familiar urban setting are some of the perks of this place that I'll miss.  The only drawbacks were the cockroaches, lack of a drying area for wet clothing, and lack of certain cleaning materials.  I also appreciated the gym, pool, and feeling of security - we could feel safe coming home a little tipsy even at 4 in the morning.

Will load pictures later!

Tuning out Negative thoughts and Remembering my own Humanity

I forgot to write in my journal today so I'm going to blog.  It's been a long while since my last post.  It seems I introduce every other post in this way.

I'm here at Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf and an infernal group of rowdy kids are here in my usually quiet sanctuary.  I'm just glad that I have A.R. Rahman's music to drown out their annoying noise.  And that I have a nice spot with an outlet.

I had a semi breakthrough when I was running on the treadmill today.  I noticed that I am usually really stressed when I'm around other people, so much so that for some reason, they get in my head for the smallest things.  So instead of turning that usual "habit" into something negative, I turned it into something empowering for me.  I guess I could do the same with these kids, but right now it just annoys the f*** out of me.

I'm going to need another soundtrack before I get tired of this soundtrack.  I especially like Tera Bina and
Mayya.

language quote

"The world reveals itself in a certain manner to the Japanese writer, and in quite another to the one who writes in Finnish. A writer’s language is not just something she uses, but a constitutive part of what she is. This is why to abandon your native tongue and to adopt another is to dismantle yourself, piece by piece, and then to put yourself together again, in a different form."

A nice quote from a ESL blog I read today.  It actually references this article from the Opinionator blog that I'd been scouring the web for, during my senior year of college.  Funny how I find it now, years later.

green things

Today I went shopping with my mom.  There were a ton of people out and about because it's Veteran's Day.  Afterwards, we binged ate chips with a delicious salmon dip.  It was indulgent.  I fell asleep watching Cumberbatch's Sherlock after drinking a Vienna style amber lager from Trader Joe's.  Not my favorite beer, but it had an interesting smooth flavor.  

mmm.  Kale, cucumber, apple and mangosteen in my Curious Traveler Shandy glass.

My journal! Yeah Snape!!!

Just some random green things from today that I thought were worth sharing.

trees

The foliage today was really beautiful. The wind carried dancing leaves through the rays of sun.

Trail meets the railroad tracks.

I made "Japanese-style" rolled eggs yesterday.  I added cheese and onion to it.  They were excellent; I downed them faster than it took to make them.

...whatever the hell I want!

 So I realized that I hadn't written in a while. I noticed this because of all of the photos I had saved on my phone from days I should have been uploading them onto my computer.  I don't want this to be an overwhelming photo post, so I'll try to limit it to select favorites.

Lately, I've been surprisingly well. I exercise fairly consistently, am becoming more conscious of the things I eat, am aware of the time I waste, but most importantly, I am able to pick myself up when I know I'm in a very low place. I've become more patient with myself and it has really helped my productivity, I believe. I'm afraid of regressing, but I am also hopeful. While it's the fear of regression that lurks in the back of my mind, I have a kind of hope that keeps me going. It's nice. I also noticed that I am more comfortable hanging out with my family and dealing with conflict and criticism. (I just need to make a decision with the whole TEFL thing now.) I think part of the reason why I feel more comfortable is because I am realizing and finding my role in my family. I know that this sounds really late in the game to realize that, but I guess better late than never? I don't know why this has been so important to me, but I guess I just wanted to be in a place where I know that I belong. I wanted to make this family situation work because I realize that my parents don't owe me anything, and that I wanted to appreciate them for everything they have given me, regardless. I think I always felt indebted to them, but I just didn't know how to show my appreciation, which was frustrating for me. It was difficult to do this in a way that didn't impede on my sense of self.


When I was taking a walk one day, I remembered this blog, and it's purpose. Before, I didn't want to expose myself too much, just in case it became famous. Haha! But now, I figure it is my one space where I can really vent anonymously, so why should I limit myself? Maybe if this blog does become famous, it won't be too bad to let people know what kind of a person I am. This is "a place to share ..."

Is this movie set scene? 

A turtle's pretty shell.  I found 2 turtles in my path that same day! 

FOOD

Pumpkin Cake with Maple Frosting.

I'm getting better at making camote.

Strabanapple Smoothie.  No sugar!

Hello World!

Test

Cool it actually worked !!!

and it's still working!!!

so happy... So I've been teaching myself html on codeacademy which has actually been pretty fun. It's a good way to spend these early waking hours. I've been awake for a while because I fell asleep incredibly early. The site is pretty awesome because it is so interactive that it makes you feel as if you are playing a game instead of learning. Or maybe, the learning is so enjoyable it feels like a game. I hope to practice what I learn there on my blog! I hope that I can put what I learn on that site to good use. In any case, it's a good introduction to programming.