Archive for April, 2008
{ April 28, 2008 @ 12:41 am }
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{ Gardening, Personal }
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A lot of false starts—I practically killed my pea plants I fussed over due to aphid panic. SO—part II XD
I received tomato and pepper transplants in the mail—I’ve never gotten live plants in the mail before except a tropical fig my cousin sent me. They seem really healthy—not a lot of roots but I hope they’ll grow. Each one is different. 2 of the 4 tomato plants are hanging upside down in strange contraptions I got for my birthday—we’ll see. So 2 tomatos and 2 peppers are in pots together.
Mom got basil that’s struggling a little bit—yellow leaves like the zucchini. I wonder if they’re missing nutrients….
Due to the withered state of the pea plants and a few tragic deaths I bought 6 baby corn plants from Whole Foods to fill the empty space in the pot and my heart XP But what am I going to do with corn?!?!!? They’re growing like weeds—strange narrow, semi-translucent green leaves that look like ornamental bamboo. Really pretty in full sun but I can’t plant them in the ground due to our poor soil so they’ll have to live with pots XD This’ll be interesting…
My lilac is finally budding!! After weeks of steady new green growth after I cut it back over the winter it’s almost ready to bloom. The rosemary continues to grow crazily and the grape leaves are slowly appearing one by one but they aren’t growing any larger. Most are smaller than my palm. All the mint and agrimony miraculously came back. The fruit trees are fruiting and bees are mating. It’s a super heat wave right now during the end of April. We have the cooler on currently for the grandparents XP
The garlic chives are growing strong and clumped close together—but they’re not very thick or tall. I planted some regular chives around the borders to see if that will encourage growth and fill up the space. However, I have tried cutting them back to ~1 in tall and they seem to grow back thicker than before which is encouraging.
Everything is still struggling after the massive aphid invasion. Dad’s cutting back the weeds in the yard but the plum tree seems a little fruit-stunted this year. Yay for summer!
{ April 28, 2008 @ 12:30 am }
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{ Gardening, Personal }
{ Tags: chives, Gardening, peppers, plants, tomatos, vegetables }
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My Garlic Chives
Mom’s Peppers
My New Tomatos
Budding Lilac
{ April 25, 2008 @ 11:06 pm }
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{ Personal, Work }
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I really need a steady job, and I’m beginning to realize that it’s not just for the money either, even though that’s a crucial factor. I really want the security, and the absence of constant stress worrying about what position to take and following up on dozens of phone calls about interviews. After a year and a 1/2 doing the temporary thing I’m just tired of bouncing from one place to the next. I know I shouldn’t be so choosy and face the reality that I need to work, no matter where and for how long. But I stress easily, a bad habit, and I’m aching for the security of not having to worry about money. Every purchase is painful–I get over it better than I used to, but even not worrying when I know I should is painful.
Then again, an 8-5 job mon. thru fri. ate up a sizable chunk of my free time but I need to learn to handle it. I need to face reality but I want the stability of permanent employment. Doing something fun is just a bonus–but I’m also tired of having a droll job that I shuffle through just to get through the day. You can’t constantly be on alert for another opportunity within the company if you’re faced with that tedious monotony every day–it just saps you of strength, energy, and vitality. That’s why I didn’t get anywhere at Google or perservere in min. wage jobs in highschool. Your job has to have meaning and you need to feel good about what you’re doing. You also have to feel that you’re doing your job the best you can because it’s personally satisfying and makes you feel good about work. That’s what I’ve learned through all these jobs–it’s the afterglow at the end of a long day that serves as a signal about how your job is fitting into your life. A job is a job, working for others, but never neglect the pivotal fact that a business is based on people, and you’re one of them.
{ April 22, 2008 @ 3:36 pm }
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{ Uncategorized }
{ Tags: Exercise, Running, Working out }
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I’ll admit I’m a bit of an exercise freak. I worry about my body image way too much even though I’ve gotten better about not mentally pummeling myself for indulgences. But I worry if I don’t run more than once a week even though I’m trying to cut back to spare my knees. I do sit ups, and make sure I walk a lot every day. I guess it has become a bit of a mental hang-up, but I was talking to my Japanese sensei who said that in Japan, walking isn’t only necessary it’s considered vital for your health, and it’s not uncommon for people to carry around pedometers. The golden number is 10,000 steps a day. I think that’s a little more obsessive than my current issue, but mine is just as deep-rooted. Then again, the only sport I can do well besides badminton is running. I love to run–not super distance running–but I enjoy a good jog. I like managing my breath, feeling my whole body turn into a wind-organ pumping air through every muscle and limb. It feels good and uses my entire body so I feel healthy and cleansed afterwards. And it helps alleviate any issues I’ve been having about food or just a regular bad day XP
{ April 22, 2008 @ 3:29 pm }
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{ Food }
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My fav.–zaru soba with tsuyu =)
I’ve been eating vegetarian since I was 16. It’s not really a pro-animal decision although that’s really important too. I just don’t like the taste of meat >< My family eats a ton of meat products almost every day–I just got burned out. Plus–there are SO many other fun, amazing, and delicious things to eat!
Usually I have cereal in the morning or granola, salad or veggies for lunch, and a veggie burger or some type of protein for dinner like tofu. It’s fun—and my favorite cuisine is Japanese which incorporates a lot of soy. OK—honesty time. I’m not a strict vegetarian–I’m a… what is it? Pesco something? I eat fish–I’ve always loved fish and went fishing with my dad almost every weekend during the summer when I was little. Of course, I rarely eat it–it’s a hastle to cook for myself so I usually just eat some shrimp and crab here and there which is easier to get in small quantities.
I’m a taste person–I completely support free range and non-cage practices but I put a few drops of milk on my cereal, eat egg substitute, and enjoy ice cream. Yogurt very rarely, my main dairy is in a slice of ff cheese now and then and ice cream XP I just don’t like meat….lol Don’t know why exactly—my cousin’s finicky 4 year old Ethan absolutely refuses to touch meat and can tell when you grind it up and add it to something. Mine’s not as instinctive but I absolutely never want to eat meat ever again. Even the Boca burgers that “taste like meat” are repulsive. I’m happy as I am =)
{ April 21, 2008 @ 7:23 pm }
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{ Personal, School }
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So as a way for me to keep track of the complicated process, I’m going to document everything XP Today I: (it took 2 hrs!!)
- sent online application for MBAOne at San Jose State
- requested transcripts from Linfield, Mission, Evergreen, and San Jose City (done online)
- wrote personal statement as part of online app
- printed out separate required documents like resume, statement, and copy of app. to send out once I have confirmation about letters
- e-mailed Linfield alumni rep. for info on getting letters of recommendation
NEED TO DO:::
TAKE THE GMAT!!! ><
I’ve been putting this one off for a while—but I need to have submitted scores by the end of May. At least they don’t ‘necessarily’ require high scores. And then, if I do that, the next step is to have them help me enroll in summer classes X_X Yikes!!
{ April 15, 2008 @ 1:07 am }
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{ Personal }
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His name is yuugure–bright and vividly red like the sunset. He’s like a small flame–I forget how active and feisty betas can be since mine was sick. He passed away on Saturday–I buried him amidst many tears 
We went through so much together! I would have done anything for that little fish and regret all the things I must have done wrong. I’m deeply sorry if my actions hastened his death–I sincerely pray they didn’t but if they did I’m willing to do everything I can to repent. And he had such a difficult life.
Now I have yuugure–he’s beautiful and loves his new rock home. I never gave Gypsy anything in his bowl–my roommate said they like simplicity and a confined space. I’m not sure how much of that is true–but I’ve learned at least that they’re finiky eaters.
I’m making a lollita costume with Cassi!! I’m super excited but I have to work out and lose a lot of weight–big problem XP
I had an interview with Anthropologie last Wednesday–I still haven’t heard back but I’m definitely hoping they’ll call!!
{ April 15, 2008 @ 1:03 am }
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{ Japanese }
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SUNSET:
yuugure 夕暮れ is commonly spoken. but tasogare たそがれ is more frequently used in songs.
tasogare
yuugure
haku akari – dim or faint light / half-light of early morning / twilight
kure no koru – lingering faint light of twilight
nishi akari – twilight / western evening sky
hakubo – dusk / nightfall / twilight
hakumei – twilight / dusk / faint light
kure kumo – twilight clouds
kure shoku – dusk / twilight scene
kure yuki – twilight snowfall
yuuyami
{ April 8, 2008 @ 1:47 pm }
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{ Personal }
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Yay for birthdays–I’m still a bit jaded but I love event planning and cooking for people–it’ll be fun today XP Mike bought me gorgeous flowers in a wicker birch basket and two huge number balloons–so sweet!! The flowers smell gorgeous–a bright summer bouquet with pink carnations, yellow daisies, and red roses. I’ll open a few gifts this morning, let mom sleep in, then we’ll go to lunch in the afternoon at my favorite restaurant at Santana Row–Tanglewood! I haven’t been there since our Secret Sister dinner. The waiters are all super cute, the food is amazing–especially the salads, and their drinks are bar none. Then Cassie comes over after–there’s lobster on the menu tonight along with carrot cake, tropical fruit salad, and strawberry sangria. A fruity, summery party because I’m hoping it will break tradition and not rain today =) Still unusually cold for this time of year–windy with a biting chill that lingers despite the sunshine.
My Japanese class is almost over–3 more sessions. My attention is wavering–it seems like the more I study the less I learn. I guess that’s a not-so-subtle hint to start studying for the GMAT. Plus the interview was a miss so I have to send in resumes with Kelly. It’s so frustrating–I have excellent marketable skills in a tight market.
The protest is in San Francisco tomorrow–I really want to go but Mike does have a point—it’s not really fair to the torch bearer. But then again–who’s fault is it that China was picked to host the games? I’ve never been to a political rally–not one that’s central issue anyway. That would be neat to see the torch being carried ^_^
I received so many nice cards this year from Laura, Uncle Allen, and Babi. I wish I could send thank yous for sending cards XP I don’t need gifts–I just like a day set aside for me when everyone knows I’m special for the day XP Speaking of which I seriously need to go to a bar to get free drinks lol
