Kung Foo

Ok so sorry that I suck so much at posting. So much for every day. But guess what, a couple weeks ago I went to the Provo farmers market and I saw a booth with some signs for martial arts. Well, what you might not know about me is that I have a passion for wrestling and getting out physical agression. I like to throw things and play fight with my friends. I have even beat some girls that are quite larger than I am! Anyways, when I saw this guy I just couldn't help myself. And he offered me a deal to try out their martial arts center at 3 classes a week plus a private lesson and the little robe thing all for one month, for less than $50! Sounds like a deal to me! So I did it!!!! And viola, today was my first day of kung foo class.

Now, you may not know that kung foo masters have serious standards. You cannot enter the floor without putting on your kung foo robe and belt. You MUST also bow before stepping on to the floor, and bow when stepping off. Class starts and ends with meditation. we did alot of push ups, dance like stretches (all 3 splits and various other poses.....I felt embarrassed because i've pretty much completely lost my splits now :/ ) And THEN we got to the good stuff.....beating each other up! In my class there are only like 8 of us, and the 'Sense'. Yup, that's legit. There is a sense. Then he taught us pretty much how to get someone off of you that comes up to you and grabs your shirt to beat you up. The moves were in about 5 parts and we practiced them over and over. I kind of feel like an expert in that area now. I even got out of a big strong boy's strong-hold! There are 2 other girls in my class, so naturally I am their partners. They are both very nice and pretty strong. I think I said "ouch" at least 5 times while they were practicing on me, purely out of instinct. However, these girls are very devout of the rules of kung foo-ism and so when I started to take my belt off at the end of class, they immediately started hissing at me "kneel!....KNEEL!" I guess you can only take your belt off when you kneel lol. Man this stuff is so asian. Welp, till next time....can't wait till I get to beat more people up!!!

some entertainment for ya

So has anyone noticed lately that movie stars lately seem to feel the need to make all of their videos into mini motion pictures?? Well, here's three that i've watched lately and find pretty entertaining.

"Last Friday Night" -This video is 8 min long, but worth the watch. Katy Perry in head gear is something that I just can't pass up. Also, the cameo appearance of Kenny G is priceless. I also like the video because compared to the lyrics of the song, its not nast. Beware of the credits though lol

"Next to you" by Chris Brown and Justin Bieber. This song is just SO GOOD! I discovered it last week when some friend found it on my ipod and i didn't even know it was on there. However, the random kidnap scene, strange explosions, tribal dancing and Chris Brown's awkward "i love you" are pretty good for a laugh. Its a twisted video, but it keeps my interest.

Yesterday some random friend just started singing this song, and I was like HOLY CRAP! Celine Dion is SO old school! I am not her biggest fan I admit, but I find this song a fun blast from the past, and pretty cheezy...esp the "there were moments of gold and there were flashes of light!" line. Haha enjoy!

Lost Boys

This blog definitely has its name for a reason. Lately i feel like my life is becoming a complete disaster, due to school and work. I am currently working 2 jobs. Ok will the second one is just a little one. I am teaching Cantonese to the little mishes at the MTC 5 days a week. And I now teach at a Mandarin preschool every Monday and Wednesday from 10:30 to 12. So not even a big deal. But its my first job at a real legit SCHOOL!! I can't tell you how grown up that makes me feel!!! I am also taking a mandarin class in the mornings, and a Mandarin Teaching class in the afternoons. So much Chinese in my life right now!!! And sometimes its hard to switch between the two languages. Today I got a new batch of missionaries and we have this new thing where we ONLY speak to them in the language for the first few days. Its really hard but really fun! I carry a white board around with me and write the romanization/english meanings on it while I speak to them. Today we had them introduce themselves and tell about their family, where they are from, and their hobbies. They learned how to say all of that in less than 2 hours!!! It was really amazing and let me say that I feel privileged to work there. Those missionaries are so precious and work so hard. It makes me love being a teacher, seeing how they push themselves. And today we got 12 new ones!!! It was crazy but I loved the energy that was in the classroom and all of their testimonies were things like "I know I want to be here and I can't wait to go and do the Lord's work". Man missionaries like this make me just love my job. Here is a little picture that my last missionaries drew me when they left. I'm the one on the far right! Its hard to let go of your students after 3 months. They promised me they would return with honor :)

Well today at the Mandarin preschool we had a grand ole time playing red light green light outside! The weather was great and it was fun to watch those little guys run around and just be innocent fun loving kids. They sometimes even hold my hand while we are playing! PRESH! But once we got back to the classroom I noticed that 3 of my favorite little boys were missing......and I asked the other teacher and she was like "they were here today!?" Ummm yeah.

So off I went on my hunt to look for the lost boys. I checked the bathrooms. I checked the halls. I went outside and saw nothing but a huge school like field with playground and moms off in the distance playing with their kids. I wondered if maybe their moms had picked them up early? But then that didn't seem like a very feasable option either. You can probably imagine the panic that was starting to go through my mind at this point. I started hunting around the grounds when finally I heard some squeaky little voices up in a big elm tree and there they were, hiding out thinking they were pretty clever. And in the preschool we only speak Mandarin to the kids but I went all MOM on their butts and just blurted out "YOU BOYS GET DOWN HERE NOW! YOU ARE IN BIG TROUBLE!!" Obviously I was not this upset about it.....I mean boys will be boys :) But still, I wanted them to understand that they can't just run away like that! I mean what if I had never found them? what would the parents say? Well they followed me all the way around to the front of the school where I made them point out which cars belonged to their mothers, and I went up and talked to each one of them. And when I came back to the curb where the boys were sitting, i found them all bawling their eyes out! too afraid to aproach their mothers. OMG can you say ADORABLE?? I felt so guilty for being so hard on them though and hope they don't hate me next wednesday because I really love those little guys! I have to say, little kids are def growing on me.

here's to visiting teaching.

So, many of you have heard of visiting teaching before. Its where another girl from relief society may or may not come over and talk to you once a month. She may offer her friendship, or advice in time of need. She may even offer her help when needed with moving or being sick, etc. Well I would just like to say that visiting teaching is inspired for sure. For a long long time my visiting teachers never came. But after my mish I guess God knew that I would need some rockin women to come and rock my world!

Here is my very first and only visiting teacher that ever came pre mish! (kinda sad :/) Her name is Drea. Short for Andrea. She took me under her wing during a summer when i was stuck in Provo, pretty bored and lonely. This girl is hilarious and fun and also very genuine. She took me with her on a trip to Winnemucka Nevada with her 2 step brothers. One of them, Tyler, became probably the best guy friend that I have ever had!!! And we had so many good times over the years. Yup all that started with visiting teaching.

The visiting teacher from this past year was one of my favorites. Her name is Megan and she served in Taiwan and we would talk for hours about our different missions. We would even talk about how much we loved our jade bracelets that random little Chinese people gave us, and she cried with me when mine broke lol :) She went shopping with me for ugly MTC skirts and she likes jamming to Justin Bieber too. She was one of the first women I actually liked after coming home from a mission. and I really needed that cause she is rad. And sometimes I am rad too.

Well, the universe has truly outdone itself because I really have the best visiting teacher of all time now. My visiting teacher rocks my socks off. She has the best taste in music of anyone I know. And the best style. WHY does that matter you ask? Well, when you are an RM my friends, you need all the help and mix CDs you can get :). I think she is probably the best looking visiting teacher i've ever had, and that's really sayin' somethin'! She brings me pumpkin cookies and goes to the park with me when I need to study. My visiting teacher is so devoted to me that she even stands by me in various annoying clubs in school that I have to be the president of. She came to my birthday party and out to get fro yo with me when I turned 2_. She has the best nerd laugh of anyone I know and definitely gives the best advice of any visiting teacher that I have ever had. If I could find a "I heart my visiting teacher" shirt and wear it around Provo, I probably would. Obvi. The last few days i've been a little emotional/doubting myself. And OF COURSE-she came over! And she talked to me-and i spilled my guts and she gave me oh so wise and beyond her years advice that made my heart feel so warm. The "everything is going to be ok in the end" kind of advice. And if it's not ok, then its not the end! I am serious folks, you have never had a visiting teacher this good. There is no other woman around here with a heart as warm and a spirit as strong as this woman. My visiting teacher even takes me with her on road trips to California :D Sure is lucky when your best friend ends up as your visiting teacher. :) :) :)

Love you Emileigh.

Moral of the st0ry? Visiting teachers really do make a difference. I promise.

personal museum.

alright guys: here is day 2 of the daily posts! Ever wanted to have your own museum?

try this link: http://www.intel.com/museumofme/r/index.htm

pretty sweet

RSS

Dear Readers,

guess what! in honor of my sucking at blogging, I have made a new goal. I am going to post at least something EVERY day for the next month. I actually really love blogging and feel good about getting some stuff out of my heart and into the open space since I really fail at writing in my journal. And I think this will make my posts alot more enjoyable for all of you because lets be honest, when I don't post for awhile, my posts are LONG. And I know many people would rather read a short to the point post with lots of pictures. But what am I saying...this is MY blog! So if you don't like my lack of pictures and excess of words, get the crap off here!

Ok here's today's post folks. Its about hand bags. Boys i'm very sorry I made you waste a minute of your life to read to this point lol. But I am going to be honest with you, in a lot of ways I am not a girls girl. I don't spend tons of time looking at clothes or accessories online. When I actually go shopping to an actual store I have to make myself think and re-think about what I buy and try on and re-try on before I buy something. Now I don't do this because I am OCD or because I can't decide. This ritual also makes anyone who shops with me completely miserable, but inherently has become my defense mechanism against restless shoppers syndrome. Now, what is RSS you ask? This condition is most commonly found among white middle class females and among almost all asians. Sufferers of RSS buy the first thing they see that looks sparkly, or cute, or VERY brightly colored, or whatever in the store even if they haven't really looked at it that well or tried it on. It is also the result of just wanting to buy SOMETHING and get the he** out of the store! Women (and some men) that suffer from restless shoppers syndrome often suffer from owning a lot of really ugly clothes, or clothes that go out of style quickly due to being ugly. Restless shoppers are often bamboozled by sparkley/bright colored things things to the point that they are blinded to the true hideousness of the item they are buying. Now, I wasn't always aware that I have restless shopper syndrome, but due to my loving sister, it has become apparent to me that I have a severe case and now have a strict no ruffles-no sparkles-no rhinestones policy. If you think you suffer from RSS, know that there is hope. You CAN beat this. My prescription would be to start looking at a lot of fashion blogs/Jcrew Catalogues.

Now, here is my point. Every bag that I have ever owned, I bought on impulse because it was cute, or had because my mom gave it to me, or i inherited it from my sister. I have never actually spent real money on a purse. This is something that a lot of women obsess over and spend a lot of money on in their lifetimes, but OH NO not me. I would much rather save my money to appease my never ending wander lust. But all that is changing my friends. I have been changing my ways and I decided that I want to buy a bag. An actual bag. Maybe even a nice one that will last. I went to the mall. Both malls actually. Went in every-single-store. FREAK I looked on every online store. I then turned my little sister, the queen of style in desperation. I even bribed her $10 to help me in my search, with no actual intention of paying her real money. (I know I am a horrible sister......but I was desperate). After all of our hunting, little sister found THIS:

This is a nautical bag from Anthropologie that retails for 69.99. It is absolutely adorable and i love the rope straps and the nautical look, which my friend who is also very good at being fashionable, says is 'way in' right now. The inside is even bright red. I love everything about and after looking and looking and looking, I just really want to buy this one. 69.99 isn't even that bad for Anthropologie! This was the prettiest and cheapest bag on their website! However, I have never paid this much for a purse before, nor have I ever intended to. So i'm pretty torn right now. Hopefully i'll make the right decision.....

quad cruisers

OH hey another post!

I live at a place called Santa Barbara, the complex not the city in California. Now, just to let you get an idea of what this place is like, everyone loves to hang out. There is a grassy place in the middle of our complex called 'the quad'. People like to hang out in there and chat, flirt even if you will, but never make a move because they don't have the........somethings. people here also love to be spastic and spontaneous on purpose, just to make themselves feel youthful. But, planned spontaneity,.....well.....doesn't that defeat the purpose? You catch my drift. There are many people that I like to call "quad cruisers". They hang out in the quad, thinking themselves very 'bad a' and even hipster like. Some of them don't even live here. And I'll have to admit, I think they are pretty cool too, whether it out of admiration or out of jealously or possible disdain, i'm still not sure. But quad crusing status is something that I have yet to embark on, out of personal preference. However, tonight around 11:30 I was on my couch minding my own business and I heard voices....many many voices coming from said quad area. When out on the lawn there arose such a clatter, I sprang from my couch to see what was the matter. Away to the quad I flew like a flash, tore through the bushes, and arrived at the bash. When what to my wondering eyes should appear, but a million and one people ive never seen before playing rootbeer pong. And as soon as I got out there, It felt like I was in some new hipster land. There were tables everywhere and guys and girls flirtin' it up and the people from our ward were huddled around in a little corner taking cover from the ruckas. We were invaded by the r. beer pong brigade. And it felt like one of those parties you go to where all the hotties are out and on the prowl for other.....hotties. and the point of the party is to look cool and be young, not really to play ping pong obviously. And when I was out there kinda fenagling around and seeing what was going on, I realized that I was over it. I'm over pretending to be some wanna be hipster and having to be involved in everything for fear of not being accepted. I'm over wearing skanky clothes and fawning over certain boys that get all the attention. I'm sick of having to try so hard to fit in to stupid things like this quad cruiser scene that are so pointless/not at all meaningful to my life! And i realized that its ok that i'm busy and actually have ambitions for my life that don't involve chillin' for hours a day. Its ok that I like to have meaningful conversations instead of talk about TV shows and quote movies all night. Its ok that I don't want to be a quad cruiser and its OK that I am who I am. And it's also ok that quad cruisers are who they are. I feel really good about this realization, and now I need to sleeeeppppppp

oh HI blogging world!

Life lately has been busy as ever! I am past due for some life updates. Well I went to California last week! My first time ever in San Fran!!! I am almost done with this term, and today was my last day EVER glass blowing. My little missionaries just left the MTC last night and I saw a big white bus cart them away towards the airport (tear). They grow up so fast! And I also took a second little gig working at a Chinese immersion school teaching Mandarin to little kids (and not well I might add). All in one day I had to break up ninja karate chop fights, corrale children throwing crayons as deadly projectiles, and calm a crying but speechless little girl who was terrorized by the boys throwing the crayons.....all in my third language. MAN. OH I forgot to mention how I got sick for like a week and had to miss my singing jury at school because my throat hurt so bad and there was so much snot up my nose that It probably could have filled a baby wading pool once all blown out. That sure is a nice visual huh? want to come and swim in my pool of SNOT? Didn't think so. I also infected 6 other people and counting who admire and revere me for sharing with them my priceless germs for sure. Yup.

OK So now i'm just rambling. Want to know why? Mostly because it's been a long day, and now I can't sleep. And sometimes that happens when things are written on that little chalk board on the inside of my head that can't be erased yet. And the inside of my eye balls just keep staring at that chalk board and just won't let it go. But tonight I went into my email and and I saw about 3 emails from Lyndsi Shae that I haven't read yet. If you don't know about her you should because she's my best friend and she's servin a mission in California. And her latest email talked about how its her birthday and Pday so they were playing water games and the Elders dumped a huge barrel of water on her head. Their sign of admiration i'm sure. And how after that all of the missionaries were talking about how their families have no idea what their daily lives are like. And Lyndsi was like "its so true though, this week was so hard; a roller coaster of all roller coasters emotionally" And she didn't even want to talk about it, which is unusual for Lyndsi because she never has a problem expressing herself, or with using too many words. But I could feel the extent and depth of this hard week, and it made me remember those days and those weeks being a missionary pouring my soul out all over the street with no one listening, with nothing else to do but speak about Jesus in a foreign language to people who don't give a crap that you poured out your blood sweat and tears to bring them this message. and eat food that you've never even seem before. And sleep. And then get up and do it all over again. And I remembered the days where I felt like I was doing it all by myself and it was HARD. And I know God was carrying me but sometimes it was so hard to feel, even though if he wasn't, I couldn't have done it at all. When I remember those times, those days, I realize I am ridiculous for thinking that my day was hard today. I did nothing hard today. I tanned at the park, ate tacos with my friends, and cleaned my room. Shame on me for thinking my life is hard. I went back to my old mission account and started reading some of my sent emails and I remembered exactly how hard it was. And so beautifully great at the same time. And I remembered where my strength came from. My patience and my virtue and my faith. I remembered them in a time of need in my life and I am thankful for EVERYTHING that I have. I am thankful that I can do whatever I want, whenever I want. I am thankful for my best friends, esp Lyndsi Shae that showed me this right when I needed it. Funny how best friends do that. They help you when they don't even know they are doing it. Please read this woman's perfectly written words. Her optimism, wit, and wisdom will change you.