I am finally taking a short breather. School has been rather hectic for me, and it's not over yet. Biology is more difficult than I had anticipated, but I'm managing. Physics is much more taxing. Not so optimistic in that area. I'll be lucky if I pass, but let's not leave something that important up to luck,hm? I took another religion class this quarter. It's not as broad, and focuses on the three major western monotheistic religions (Judaism, Christianity, and Islam). Chemistry was full. Hopefully, I'll be able to get into Chem this winter... Not that I'm looking forward to it.

   Life is sloping downhill, but you can't push it back up if you're moping around, right? I never agreed with that phrase, "It can't get any worse." You can always make a situation worse.

   On a completely different note, I've been noticing all of the publicity for the Twilight movie that's coming out next week. It reminded me that I never really discussed what I thought about it. I don't really say what I think of other books or series that I read, but this one gets a lot of attention, so I thought I'd throw in my two cents.

   First and foremost, know that I only read the first two books. I stopped after that, which sort of gives you a heads up on what I thought of it. Now, I'm not going to begin bashing all of the characters or the amazingly popular Edward. I'll start with the book itself... I like to think I've read a decent enough amount of vampire novels to say that this series is practically no vampire and all romance. Regardless of the fact that Edward and his family are vampires and they do vampire things, there's just not much vampire to the story. I don't really know how to describe it, but it's kind of like... The whole vampire thing is just a background, something to make the plot a little more interesting. It doesn't seem deep enough. Maybe the author goes into it more in the later books, maybe I stopped too early on. If it really is a vampire novel, however, two books is plenty to have deep material. In short, it's like reading about people with some powers thrown in, and saying the central theme is vampires.

   Characters? Let's go with Bella. She's one of those lead female characters that I dislike. Especially in the second book. The second book is incredibly, horribly repetitious. It is 90% "I miss Edward! Please, let me conjure his voice through hallucinations!" You can make the argument that she's young and in "love," but to me it just looks like infatuation. Their entire romance isn't realistic. Alright, vampires aren't realistic, but emotions have to be realistic. Their romance played out much too quickly and weirdly. Overall, I'm not a fan of Bella. She's wreckless and throws herself completely into her infatuation with Edward. It's almost as if she has no will of her own. Her emotion controls everything.

   Edward bothers me more than Bella, possibly because everyone adores him when there's nothing to really adore. Then again, maybe I'm being harsh. Maybe it's just preference. His character is not hot, in my opinion. My major problem with him is his absolute immaturity. Fact: he is a vampire. That means he is old. I can't remember his exact age... 90, give or take some 10 years? Why on earth does he think and behave like the high schooler he masquerades to be? He should be acting like an adult, yet he is so childlike that it bothers me. Yes, I understand it's probably because Bella is young and this is a romance, and so they both should be more like teenagers. Still, there are other novels with teenage protagonists that don't compromise the vampire's maturity. If the story says Edward is older than his "mother" because he turned before her, then he should act it.

   Jacob just blindly follows the pack and has a strong hate for the Cullens. Why, besides Edward being his rival? They're bloodsuckers, blah blah blah, but if they haven't done anything to people, it makes him look stupid because he can't think for himself.

   I think I'm done. There are just so many negatives that I didn't really find positives. The only character I don't mind is the Cullen who kind of sees the future. I forget her name, but she's not so bad. The most decent of the bunch. In the end, I understand the appeal of the books to teens, but there is just too much hype for too little goodness. There are better books geared toward that audience. It's not a complete failure of a series, but the attention it garners is incredibly undeserved.

   I want a winter layout. But don't expect it; I may let you down.

Tiffy finished typing at_ 09:55PM;

   Two days ago, I went to see Eagle Eye and Lakeview Terrace. They both looked like C movies to begin with, so I didn't go in with high expectations. Lakeview Terrace was a little worse than I'd anticipated, so I won't say much about that. Eagle Eye was alright. It wasn't bad, but it was kind of predictable. You got a general idea of everything in the very beginning... So that kind of sucked. It should have been more vague until the end. Other than that, the jokes are funny, the action fine, and everything else pretty much average. The only other thing I didn't like about the movie was the ending. [SPOILER] Sad to say, but I didn't like the fact that he was alive in the end... He should have died. It would have, in my opinion, felt more fulfilling and right. All of his life was spent in the shadows of his brother and everything, and he never did anything to shine until this moment. Giving his life and knowing that he accomplished something great, as well as finished what his brother started, what his brother could not accomplish, would have been much more satisfying to see. It would have been great closure on his life, I think. Instead, he lives. And then starts some kind of relationship (?) with the other chick. Admittedly, I was expecting it, but I was hoping they would not go in that direction. Throughout the entire movie, there was no romance between them whatsoever. Throwing in that kiss in the end was too awkward. They seem better as friends anyway, and it has nothing to do w/ the age difference. It's just their personalities and how they interact with each other. They're just better-suited to be friends as opposed to lovers. Then again, that's just me. It makes sense that people would want the main character to be alive in the end. It is fully understandable, but ehh. Oh well.[/SPOILER]

   In other news, the California Academy of Sciences opened. I've been wanting to go there since the beginning of last year and was waiting for it to open this whole time. I'm psyched for the Rainforests of the World exhibit and the Steinhart Aquarium. It's fascinating to think of how difficult it must have been to plan. You have to get the temperature, humidity, plants, et cetera to correctly match the animals' original habitat. It's amazing and complex, and I hope people appreciate how tough it was to do all of that. I plan to go after I save up some money. Then I need to save more for Christmas presents!

   Today is the first rain of the season. Mmmm, I'm loving it.

Tiffy finished typing at_ 01:12PM;

   Last time, I said I might discuss my take on people who leave the person they're currently with because they feel that there are so many other people out there in the world, so you don't know if there isn't someone who's better or more suited for you. You begin to question whether or not this person is the one for you. Let me say that I have never thought this. Ever. I've thought about the question in general, but I've never thought of it in regards to my own life.

   If you're happy with your life and partner as it is, why would you need to chase after someone without a face? Maybe you want to spread your wings and meet new people. Maybe you can say it'll take a while before you find that person. It's all true, but if you're happy, why throw it away? I can't really grasp that concept. If I'd been feeling down about my relationship for a good amount of time, then that's fine; if everything's normal, however, then there's no reason you should leave someone good in your life. Or when you leave others because you get "bored." Every relationship will calm down after a while; it's a given that it's not going to be exciting after a while, but that's just what happens. It happens to everyone, so that makes it seem like you're in it just for the thrill of the chase.

   This is all from the eyes of someone who is more into serious relationships though. I have no problem with people who are just looking for something casual as long as their partner is well aware of that too. If both parties agree, then it's all good. It is cruel, however, to go in expecting a casual relationship and not somehow making that clear to the other person.

   Completely leaving the vicinity of romantic relationships, two deaths have occurred recently that I know of, and I've been unable to comfort anyone. It makes me feel most useless when someone is standing in front of me with traces of wiped tears in their eyes and I have nothing to say to them. It's not that I'm insensitive, or that I lack the common sense to be able to comfort someone. I can comfort with hugs, or listening, but there is little else I can do. I can never bring myself to say anything comforting because when I think about it, there is nothing you can say. If there is, I just haven't thought of it. You can ask if they're okay, and you can tell them everything's going to be alright, but none of those things are helpful, and they're both absolutely pointless. The person is obvsiouly not okay, and nothing is alright. I'm left without words because they either won't be true, or they won't do anything anyways. There's nothing you can say to change what's happened. The only thing left to do after such an event is to let the person take time to contemplate on his/her own. It's how one moves forward.

   I've never personally known anyone who's passed away until now. I didn't cry, but only because I was never close to the person to begin with. That doesn't mean I didn't feel bad, of course. I was watching his funeral today, and it feels very surreal. At one point in time, that person was standing in front of you, talking to you, walking around your house. It doesn't feel as if the person is now lying in the earth. It doesn't feel real.

Tiffy finished typing at_ 11:15PM;

   Okay, I should be sleeping right now, but I'm feeling pretty awake. This late at night, there isn't much to do except sit around with the computer in front of my face and let the thoughts wander. I had a conversation yesterday about relationships, people who chase after "what ifs," and how communications differ with other people when you're seeing someone. I'm not going to go into detail with my opinions on these things, but I will a little bit with the last one.

   I was thinking about it more because I watched Definitely, Maybe a little while back. A little background info: main guy plans to propose to his girlfriend. They are living in different cities for the time being because of his job, and he's friends w/ this girl at work. They hang out one night because it's her birthday and they go back to her place, sitting on the sofa. They're just chatting like friends and she's lying on his lap (or was it the opposite way around?).

   Anyway, I was wondering how many people actually consider this acceptable behavior. I'm not condemning it. If you can do that w/out blurring the lines of your friendship, then power to you. But that's the difficult part about it, isn't it? Maybe it just depends on the people. I'm not a touchy person in general, so personal contact is already slightly awkward to me. Even if I really try to consider it though, I don't think I would've ever allowed the other person to lie on my lap. The only exception would be if that person were my close friend, and I knew for an absolute fact that there was no attraction. Maybe this all goes back to the whole "guys and girls can never truly be just friends" bit. The quote, of course, assumes that you're straight, so how does that work out when you're gay or bi? It's different, depending on who you're attracted to. Obviously, I can't say that from firsthand experience, but thinking about it, it should be. IF the quote is true, that is. If I answer this honestly, I would say it's partially true. Now, this doesn't mean there's always an attraction. It's more of a self-conscious feeling. Not the same thing. Of course we all know it's possible to be friends, hang out, et cetera, but how close is too close? Maybe I'm just naturally a jealous person, but I don't think that's all of it; jealousy aside, I just wouldn't let a guy lie on my lap unless I have intentions. Or he's seriously injured. Even if he was a friend who was completely unattractive. And the same goes with roles reversed; you'd never find me lying on someone's lap unless I did it with a purpose. It just seems too intimate. Maybe it really does just come down to how comfortable you are touching other people in general. I'm probably not representing the majority, being someone who finds even hugs awkward. Perhaps as long as everyone involved is touchy, there's no problem. By everyone, I mean the person lying down, the person-cushion, and the significant other. If they're all touchy people, then there would be no awkward feelings because they're used to it and that's just how they act. If just one person in that triangle would not normally be touchy, however, that's when things get complicated. Lap-person can misunderstand cushion-person's allowing him/her to lie down. S/O can trust cushion-person all they want and have complete faith that nothing will happen... but that does not mean S/O is comfortable with it. When that happens, cushion-person can either ignore S/O's discomfort, or he/she can stop being as touchy with people. Every relationship requires sacrifice. Anyway, people should just be careful with what they do and what they say, because those two friends in the movie ended up kissing during that scene .

   Maybe I'll talk about the "what ifs" next time if I'm in the mood. This one was a little weird because it's all very relative. Or is it? Maybe I am part of the majority and I just don't know it. Maybe people just don't like admitting it aloud. Or maybe they really don't think like I do :P. Good night.

Tiffy finished typing at_ 04:33PM;

   Man, I woke up at 1:47PM today. I guess that's normal for some people, but not for me. The reason for my late awakening? I meant to go to sleep at aroung 1 something last night, but instead stayed up tp 5AM... Watching videos and live concerts of Matt Nathanson. The guy says ridiculous things in between songs, and it's slightly entrancing watching him perform. I like being able to see the expression of the person singing, the body language, the emotion. I'm pretty sure he's not the only one that does this, but he's the main guy on my playlists at the moment, so yeah. Another thing I like about his music is the fact that you can hear emotion in recorded songs as well. When I hear recorded songs, usually I don't really feel much emotion from the singer. I understand the emotions being portrayed by the song, but I don't hear it. With him, I'm able to really hear it in how he sings. Or maybe I'm just not good at finding good artists to listen to? Either way, It's good stuff. And he did a duet w/ Ingrid Michaelson in a Borders. Good taste in music .

   Recently, I went to Valley Fair. I feel weird when I go into malls now, for some reason. I just don't buy anything. Maybe I feel guilty about splurging during my high school days, but at the same time it's more than that. I never really have money for that kind of stuff, and even when I do, I'd feel like I'm spending it on something useless. I have clothes. I don't need more, so why spend on it? It seems somewhat a waste of money, doesn't it? Oh, but it's so tempting. As much as I'd like to deny it, I do enjoy looking and, even more so, buying clothes. Like most other average girls. Except I never give in. It's a very conflicting feeling. That feeling of wanting something and the knowledge that you shouldn't want it to begin with. Ugh, it makes me feel shallow to care about clothing, etc. Is it considered shallow to care about it, or is being shallow only when you indulge? Isn't it also a way of thinking, rather than only your actions? So thinking it would make me shallow too? I don't know. I shouldn't go to a mall unless it's hot and I seek air conditioning, or I have money that I'd be able to spend without feeling guilty. It's not as if I can't handle looking through windows at pretty clothing or anything. I hope I'm not making myself out to sound like I'd jump at every clothing rack I come across because that's not how it is at all. I'm not hugely bothered by seeing things I can't buy since I'm rather used to it. It's not hard to contain myself. The only things I have problems w/ are the conflicting thoughts of "should not want."

   I cleaned up my room a few days ago because it was getting to be pretty bad. And, surprise, surprise, I cleaned my bookshelf. Yes, that white bookshelf with the mess on the bottom shelf. That bottom shelf with all of those packs of unused notebooks, and SAT and AP prep books (which were given to me. I've never bought one myself). Not to mention, all of those textbooks lying on the floor next to the shelf for various classes from a year at De Anza. Yeah, I've never resold any books yet. Some of them probably need to be sold on Amazon or something, because a few were bought from Borders. Anyway, I reorganized my shelves, added a cork board to my wall (my mom probably won't like the fact that there are a bunch of pin holes in her wall if she takes notice), and just did some general cleanup.

   Last week or the previous week, I went fishing with the Sir and my dad, resulting in my getting sick... and then spreading it to Stephen. We caught one fish out of the whole night, and I'm the one who caught it. I was happy and sad at the same time, watching that fish flop around. I felt both like an accomplished individual (don't laugh, I'd never been fishing before), and a murderer. Of course, I'll eat that fish. I don't believe in killing something for fun. If I caught him, I'll eat him. Or her. I despise hunting just for sport. I also dislike fishing for fun. By that, I mean catching and releasing. Yes, you spared the fish's life. But come on... You just speared his mouth with your hook. He's hurt, he's bleeding, and you throw him back in the water as if nothing's wrong because it's fun. So, fish... I've been avoiding eating fish lately since you know, me and that overfishing topic. You know, when the time comes where I begin to live by myself, I may consider going vegetarian. It's hard for me to do it now since my mom cooks. I'm not going to dictate to her what the family is going to eat, and I'm most definitely not going to make her spend money on cooking me a different meal from everyone else. But maybe when I'm off on my own. Kind of hard though, isn't it? Actually, I take that back. I probably won't become a vegetarian. I think I'll only eat meats I know were farmed and raised properly. When I eat beef, I want to know that the cow has been happily grazing on grass during its lifetime. I'm willing to spend extra money on happy cows and chickens. I don't want to preach to you and tell you you're immoral for eating what you eat, or doing what you do when it comes to animals. What I want to get out is how you treat animals, and the earth in general. Humans are animals. We may have more superier reasoning and thinking skills than most, but we are still animals. We live on the earth with animals. We do NOT own the earth and all its living things. I think that's something most people don't register, or even want to register because it makes their lives a little more inconvenient. Convenience is everything to people, and it's kind of sickening. We COHABITATE with other creatures, we do not, under any circumstances, RULE over them. We are not better than them. If anything, we're so horrible that at times I feel they're the ones that are better than us. We rely on this earth and its inhabitants to live. We act as if we're the supreme rulers of the land, but when the earth gets depleted of resources because we continue to take and take, we won't be alive. People should not disrespect the one thing they rely on to survive because without it, they are absolutely nothing.

   I've had this urge to travel ever since finishing up my ICS28 class. Well, the want has been there for a long time. I mean, I've always loved traveling, but the urge has gotten stronger. I want to go away for a month or so. Maybe I'll go with willing people, and if they're not available, maybe by myself. The one thing I'm hesitant about regarding solo traveling is, unlike men, being female kind of puts me at a disadvantage. The idea of traveling alone at night in a foreign country where I know nothing puts me on edge. I don't even like walking from my car to the front door of my house at night, let alone traveling by myself at night. A scary thought, which is why I'd prefer having company, but I'm kind of picky. There are only a select few I would ever consider traveling with. I don't intend to travel leisurely, if that wasn't already obvious. My teacher suggested sleeping on the train at night if you don't want to pay for a place to stay at night (that's what he did) haha. That is, of course, if where you're going has a train anyway. If I really have to go by myself, I don't intend on even touching Asia. I was thinking Europe for a first time. Get a Eurail pass, go through different countries... Anyway, all of this requires money and courage. I need the latter of course, but the first is definitely a requirement.

   Before this entry turns into a 5-page essay, I'm going to stop here. Until next time, good day.

Tiffy finished typing at_ 06:15PM;

   Eh, it's kind of warm right now. Today has been rather dull. I can't think of what I feel like doing. Played games for a bit, got bored, thought of reading, and decided it was too hot to sit in bed and read... But maybe I'll do it anyway just for the sake of doing something since I don't really feel like browsing the internet. School starts on September 22nd, one day before my birthday. Nice . I hope I get into Chem. I'm 3rd on the waiting list, so I probably will, but it still makes me a tad nervous.

   Do you ever think in different languages? I've never thought in Vietnamese before, but I can recall years ago when I was much more into manga/anime/Japanese culture; Whenever I'd read things, or come across certain words, the word would come up in Japanese in my head rather than English. It continued on until some time in high school. After I started taking French, I started thinking more in French w/ the occasional lapse back to Japanese. I preferred thinking in French though (probably because I knew the language more). Now, however, I just think in English. I miss it. My French is going downhill!

   I played pool for the first time not too long ago. I'm pretty bad, but it was fun.

   I've really been craving cookies... Then again, I've also been eating more. Ah, coincidences. Time for dinner !

Tiffy finished typing at_ 06:46PM;

   It's been a while, hm? Nothing insanely important has happened since my last post. Well, actually, they were probably blog-worthy but I was just lazy. However, I will do a brief listing just for you, so here we go: camping, family parties, hangouts w/ cousins, movies, games till 7 o' clock in the morning w/ the Sir, summer school, car accidents in the parking lot, and huge amounts of forest fires (and the smoke they bring in).

   Ah, speaking of what's gone on, California legalized gay marriage. I thought it was sweet seeing pictures of eldery couples finally being able to get married, and then you've got those crazy anti-gay marriage vans driving around with signs and everything. Can you guess my opinion on this ? On the non-religious side, I just feel that the government should not be able to forbid someone from getting married based on sexuality. It doesn't really make sense to me, and the whole "marriage is between man and woman" doesn't either. Marriage is between people who have a deep caring, love, understanding, and whatever other adjective there is. There are a ton of heterosexual couples who are unfit to marry, but they're not barred from it. Considering it from the religious side, I still see nothing wrong w/ it. The only verse in the Bible that I can see is against homosexuality is in the book (not convincing, but I forgot which book it was) in the Old Testament where the laws aren't really followed anymore. For example, there's a law in there forbidding you to cut your hair or shave, as well as eat shellfish. It seems contradictory to pull that verse out and use it if you don't abide by all the other laws in the Book. So no, I honestly don't believe Christianity opposes homosexuality; it's the certain people that either don't realize it, or use religion to justify themselves and force others to succumb to their beliefs. Another thing: I've just stated that I don't think Christianity condemns homosexuality, but even if it did... Marriage is not, and should not, be ruled by religion. People all around the world get married and I can guaruntee that they are not all the same religion, or are even religious for that matter. I understand that it's just how things are since our nation is related to Christianity ("In God We Trust"), but the question is should it be that way? Marriage has been around before Christianity developed, so why should religion dictate who is to be married and who is not? Maybe I'm missing something. If so, fill me in and give me another viewpoint.

   I kind of wanted to share opinions on random topics from now on so maybe this blog wouldn't just be a "What did Tiffany do this month?" thing. Onto something less serious. Movies. Notable movies I've seen over the summer that I can recall off of the top of my head: Iron Man, The Dark Knight, Wall-E, and P.S. I Love You. Iron Man was good, and I liked the script as well as Tony Stark's character. The Dark Knight had great depth, great acting (Not only Joker, but Bruce Wayne/Batman, Harvey Dent/Twoface, Alfred, Gordon, and Fox were really good), etc. I don't feel like writing anything long, but it's one of those very few movies that I would actually consider purchasing. Wall-E was hilarious, indredibly cute, and had a good plot. It may come off as more of a children's movie, but it's definitely for all audiences. There are too many references in there for it not to be for adults as well. The morals and implications the movie presents is also targeted towards people of all ages. P.S. I Love You wasn't great and I wouldn't buy it, but I just watched it recently and it was pretty okay. I probably would've cried if I'd been watching it in theatres or by myself. It's sweet (what romance isn't?), but it's one of those movies that makes you place yourself in the person's shoes. In this case, how would you deal with your lover's death? I rewatched Thank You for Smoking the other day. Another pretty good (and hilarious) movie. You know, I didn't even realize Nick Naylor and Harvey Dent were one and the same until I rewatched it.

   Here are some other movies I want to see that are coming out, linked to their trailers for your convenience: I.O.U.S.A, Towelhead, and Traitor.

   I just heard a song by Matt Nathanson on the radio last night called "Come on, Get Higher" and it is love . I just like the overall atmosphere of the song and its lyrics. Apparently, he's from San Francisco. Umm, I've nothing better to do, so I'm just gonna post the lyrics. I don't fully expect you to read through it all since I, myself, am guilty of taking one look at lyrics (if they're posted on someone's blog) and moving on.

I miss the sound of your voice
And I miss the rush of your skin
And I miss the still of the silence
As you breathe out and I breathe in

If I could walk on water
If I could tell you what's next
I'd make you believe
I'd make you forget

So come on, get higher, loosen my lips
Faith and desire and the swing of your hips
Just pull me down hard
And drown me in love
(repeat)

I miss the sound of your voice
Loudest thing in my head
And I ache to remember
All the violent, sweet, perfect words that you said

If I could walk on water
If I could tell you what's next
I'd make you believe
I'd make you forget

So come on, get higher, loosen my lips
Faith and desire and the swing of your hips
Just pull me down hard
And drown me in love
(repeat)

I miss the pull of your heart
I taste the sparks on your tongue
And I see angels and devils
And God, when you come, on
Hold on, hold on, hold on, hold on, love

Sing sha la la la
Sing sha la la la la

Ooo Ooo Ooo...

Come on, get higher, loosen my lips
Faith and desire and the swing of your hips
Just pull me down hard
And drown me in love

So come on, get higher, loosen my lips
Faith and desire and the swing of your hips
Just pull me down hard
And drown me, drown me in love

It's all wrong,
It's all wrong,
It's all wrong,
It's so right
So come on, get higher
Come on and get higher
'Cause everything works, love
Everything works in your arms.

Tiffy finished typing at_ 02:09PM;

   It was exactly two months ago today that I last blogged. Interesting. Anyway, as the title says, it's only spring and yet it feels like summer. I'm pretty scared of the changes to come. I'm taking ICS 28 (Social Environmental History) right now, which is basically about the history of mankind's interaction with the environment and how it affects everything. It is probably one of the most interesting classes I've ever taken, and the professor is funny. We're on ancient civilizations right now, but it's not as boring as it sounds (to me, anyway). What other classes am I taking? Mmmm, PHTG 7, PSYC 1, and MATH 1B again. Yeah, it's kind of depressing. I told myself to make more of an effort this quarter w/ math. Did I tell you I didn't pass Chem last quarter either? I feel so incredibly pathetic. So, I can't be lazy anymore; or, I have to be less lazy. It's a horrible feeling at the end of the quarter knowing you wasted your parents' money. I feel so guilty I can't even describe it. Anyway, I'm taking summer classes to try making up lost time, and I need to look for a job to help my mom out. She's been too stressed lately and I really hate seeing it. I feel like hugging her when I see her. Charlie had better look for a job during summer too, or I'm gonna be really angry with him. Ahh, I hope gas doesn't go up too much over the summer, but we all know it's going to happen.

   I had a really, really weird dream last night. I was flying inside a whale, except the inside of the whale was like a spaceship and the whale could speak English . I wasn't alone, either. I was with a big group of people my age; we were supposed to be in the same class or something, except the class consisted of around 100 people or something. Yeah, no clue what it was about. Anyway, last night's weather felt really nice. It wasn't cold or hot, and there was a nice breeze that was flowing through my window. It made me fall asleep quickly. You know, I really appreciate small gestures like taking bobby pins out of my hair so I can sleep w/out losing them in the sheets or being uncomfortable. Stuff like that makes me melt hahha. I feel all warm inside and truly thankful, even though it doesn't seem like a big deal . It makes me smile :).

   I have a photography midterm coming up that requires me to go to the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art. Normally, I would be excited and definitely go, but now I'm facing financial restrictions and don't know if I should go. I might just look up the pictures online instead to conserve money. It's not just the mueseum ticket I have to worry about, that's why. I don't want to drive because I can't drive for crap downtown, so I know it'd be even worse in SF. Even if I do drive, gas is always a problem. If I go, I'd take the train, which equals money. Train fare + bus fare + museum ticket + food = $$$.

   You know what really bothers me? People who are selfish. You know what's worse? People who are selfish that live in the same house as you. I'll leave it at that. I know Melissa has heard my lovely rants about this several times . I hope this situation is resolved soon, because it's getting on my last nerve.

   I read this thing the other day about a girl who was worried that her boyfriend didn't love her because he hasn't said it and it's been about eight months since they've started going out. It was probably one of the most ridiculous things I've ever heard. Okay, maybe not, but that's still pretty bad. She was comparing their relationship to her friend's, where the guy told the other chick he loved her within two weeks. Okay... I really hate it when people throw the word "love" around. You do not love someone in two weeks. I flat out refuse to believe that. I'm not one to believe in love at first sight. To me, it's impossible. To love someone, you have to know them very, very well.

   Ah, my entry is cut short. I'm going to a BBQ today, so I have to go shower. Maybe I'll resume another day. Bye bye.

Tiffy finished typing at_ 01:08PM;

   To start off, it's a nice day today. For some reason, I always tend to feel like blogging on nicer days. Then again, I guess that does make some sense .

   A little while back during the President's Day weekend, I hung out w/ Donna at Valley Fair after going to Golfland w/ Stephen, his brother, and his cousins. It was pretty fun (both events). It felt... Hmmmm... How should I describe it? Even after about five-six years, I did not feel all that strange. I mean, I can't deny that it felt perhaps slightly awkward, but for the most part it wasn't (for me, at least). The awkwardness was so little, in fact, it was almost nonexistent. It just felt like... hanging out w/ someone? I dunno if that's normal, or if I'm unemotional and indifferent; I would like to think it's not the latter, and I honestly don't think it is -- I can be very emotional. I didn't feel indifferent though, I felt relatively comfortable actually. I guess that's fine haha.

   Not too much has been happening in my life, except for the fact that I'm getting lazier and lazier. It's actually rather interesting 'cause I tend to almost want to do work on nice days. Of course I still think things like "it'd be nice to run around outside right now and do something," but at the same time I'm in the mood to get work done. This morning, after dropping off Stephen and reading for an hour till my first class, I got out of the car. I saw two classmates of mine walking back to their cars, which struck me as kind of odd. When I reached the door to my classroom, I saw that class had been cancelled. Niiice. We have an exam on Friday, haha. I experienced a mixture of grief and happiness, then went back to my car to read some more. Then, I went to go copy some stuff for my mom at the library. "Some stuff." It took me about an hour or so to copy everything; I swear the people at the checkout desk were looking at me, wondering what in the world I was doing there for so long in front of the copier. My right leg started to ache 'cause I'd leaned on it for that hour. Smart me for not switching off, hm? Anyway, after that, Stephen and I went to have lunch w/ his mom. It was pretty good, but I didn't have too big of an appetite today. We got some milk tea, then I dropped off Stephen and went home. That was basically my entire day so far!

   I am currently reading this book for English: What is the What. It's kind of an biography of a man who faced the civil war going on in Sudan as a boy, but it's labeled under fiction because all of the conversations and such are derived from memory and may be a bit skewed. I would consider it a good book. Actually, I would consider it one of my favorites, but I can't really call it that right now 'cause I haven't finished it yet. It's definately not a difficult read at all, so you should read it. It's a page-turner, to me .

   Homework calls!

Tiffy finished typing at_ 02:03PM;

   So much for going to the mall w/ cousins haha. There's a storm right now, but that's okay. I don't mind much. In fact, I rather welcome it; we need rain, so it's a good thing. Also, it means I can stay home to play Rune Factory !

   Ah, it's nearing the end of winter break. I start school again this Monday. I didn't get into the math course I wanted, so I have to wait until next quarter; hopefully, I won't completely forget everything because that's what I usually do. In place of math, I'm taking an elective course. Since it's an elective though, I'm contemplating whether or not I should take another elective for four courses total. Perhaps I shall do that...

   It feels as if it's time for a new layout, but I'm fond of this one and I don't want it to go just yet . It shall stay!

Tiffy finished typing at_ 10:42AM;

   Happy New Years, even though I may be sort of late. 'Tis the time for New Years resolutions to be tested. I wonder what percentage of people who make resolutions actually keep them. I'm pretty sure it's a small percentage. I haven't made any resolutions for this year (or last year, for that matter), but I kind of want to just to see if I can keep it. What should my resolution be? I've already done something bold recently, and it's only the start of the year. It made me feel good though, stepping outside of my comfort zone. I hope all goes well, but I'm not necissarily expecting it to. Anyway, hmmm... How about my resolution is to drink at least one full glass of water a day? Hahaha, okay. I know how pathetic that sounds, but I really do lack water. It makes me guilty and ashamed to admit that I can't even do that much for my body .

   Ever since the world map was mounted on my wall, I was thinking that it'd be a good idea to research countries one-by-one whenever I don't have anything better to do. I spend a lot of time just sitting sometimes, so I figured it'd be better to actually take the time and put it to relatively good use. I've nothing specific in mind like how long I'm going to take on each country or anything, so I'm not sure how to go about it. I don't want to put a structure on it like one month do this country, the next do another. I just plan on going with the flow. I'd planned to work on a collage this break, but I didn't get around to doing it. Maybe another time, but hopefully I don't keep pushing it further and further, and never get it started.

   Colbie Caillat's music is pretty good. It's mellow and sunny-sounding. I think of spring or summer, and a nice breeze. Give her a try; hopefully she won't disappoint. "Bubbly," "Feelings Show," and "Tailor Made" are recommended.

Tiffy finished typing at_ 10:39PM;

   I've been feeling pretty good lately . There have been quite a few changes to my room since the last time I blogged:

     01. Got six more fishies along w/ my betta, and two small tanks. One tank is on my desk and the other is on my nightstand.
     02. Stephen and I rearranged my room back to how it used to look before it was painted.
     03. He bought me a poster of "The Creation of Adam" (only the two hands), so now it's up on the wall.
     04. I now have the world map in front of my face on the wall above the monitor so that I won't be too ignorant regarding geography.
     05. I've actually been successful in keeping my room clean.
     06. Reorganized my bookshelf. It's much cleaner and less cluttered!

   There might be more, but I can't quite think of any right now. Anyway, Merry Christmas all (or whatever you may celebrate)! Ah, did I mention I chopped off my hair? It's so short that it doesn't even go past my shoulder ! Yeah, this is basically the shortest length to which I've ever cut my hair. I got kind of tired of its getting tangled often, so there you have it. My mom said I look like Charlie, but most people liked it :). I'm pretty satisfied w/ it hehe.

   Now, I must be off to eat Christmas dinner. Have a lovely evening and be careful on the road!

Tiffy finished typing at_ 06:22PM;

   I realize I've been neglecting my blog lately, and it makes me feel pretty guilty. I remember the days way back when I first started experimenting with HTML and such. I started off on Blogspot and messed around with the templates already provided. Back then, all the way up until... Well, I can't remember the most recent time that I was actually really absorbed in this blog. I do remember, however, spending lots of time with it and feeling so accomplished after making a layout, even if it wasn't great. Even if I don't post as much on it anymore, I don't think I could have the heart to ever even think about getting rid of it.

   As usual, I'll probably discuss school and the weather. School as been a bit stressful lately, even if it shouldn't be. The assignments don't seem to be too difficult; I think I just happen to be getting lazier. I started off much stronger than how I am in the present.

   The weather, I admit, has been pretty nice. Unusually nice, wouldn't you agree? I mean, it's supposed to be autumn and the sun is shining as if it's summer or spring... And it's already mid-November! I recall other years, when it would be raining and pouring in just September. Don't get me wrong, it's not that I don't enjoy this weather; I do love it. What I don't love, however, are the implications of it and what it will mean for us in the near future. Already, there's a drought occurring in the Southern areas of the U.S. California is one of the states listed to be in danger of drought within the next so-and-so years. Sure, it's supposedly many years from now, but it's still happening and I think it's safe to say we should start conserving our water while it lasts. In the small town where the drought is occurring, water is only being run for, I believe, three hours per day. Ladies and gentlemen, I present the consequences of our greed and mass consumption. The earth is teaming up with karma to fuck us over for sure.

   Have you ever gotten that feeling when you begin to think about people you used to go to school with, and realize that there are people you would have liked to talk to but never did? I get that sometimes. You think to yourself, "Hmm, that person seemed pretty interesting. It'd be cool to have gotten to know them better." Sometimes, I also think back to a certain person. On the surface, her current personality reminds me of people I probably wouldn't befriend seriously, but I get urges to say "It's done. I don't care anymore, and I haven't for quite a while. I've no feelings of animosity toward you. How's life?"

   I watched The Green Mile last night and I highly recommend you do too. I had vague memories of the movie because I'd watched it when I was in elementary; obviously, since I was in elementary, I don't remember it much and I probably didn't understand a thing. It's a very good movie. Made me cry several times throughout. I plan to read the novel some time or other.

   The earthquake that occurred a little while back made me realize one thing: cell phones are pretty much utterly useless when you're trying to contact loved ones in the case of an emergency. It was probably one of the biggest ones I've felt. I guess I could've felt slightly bigger ones a long time ago, but I don't recall any. I don't know why, but it just feels like some sort of ominous warning that the big one is just waiting to happen.

   I have more to say, but I'm not sure what it is. By that, I mean I don't know what I feel like saying after so long. But something's there. Maybe I'll be able to think of it later. I'm going to go to Costco with my mom now, so until next time...!

Tiffy finished typing at_ 01:42PM;

   Ah, the first week of school has ended! Every day this past week has left me feeling pretty tired by the time I get home. I don't know if it's 'cause I'm not used to carrying books anymore or if it's just mentally draining, but that's just what happens I guess. My classes are okay, as are my teachers, but I definitely notice the homework is larger in quantity; or, maybe it just seems that way to me because I get home at nearly 7PM and don't get much time to work on it. Anyway, I'd say one of the most notable things at De Anza is the fact that Asians are most certainly the majority. And, out of that majority, I'd also say that half of them are Chinese and Korean. Of course, that estimate is probably somewhat far from accurate. I just happened to notice while walking around campus (and sitting around in class) the amount of people who tend to speak Chinese and Korean. Even if they don't speak it, though, they sure as hell look it. It's not that it's necissarily a bad thing; like I said, it's just one of the first things I noticed this week.

   I don't really feel like talking about too much, so I suppose I'll just leave it at that, hm? Good night!

Tiffy finished typing at_ 12:20AM;

   ...Is exactly how much I appear to be blogging! I write in my journal more often than I write on here, which sort of astounds me because it's typically the other way around.

   Last week or the week before, I woke up in the morning; looked outside my window; and smiled. The smile widened when I actually got outside. It's finally beginning to reach autumn again! I love cooler weather and welcome the clouds that roll in. Autumn is very much my favorite season .

   With autumn, of course, comes school. My classes start on the 24th of this month, so I might have to take the bus for the first week since my birthday falls on a Sunday and DMV won't allow me to take the test on Saturday . Also, there's a two-hour gap in between two of my classes and I'm kind of doubting that I'll be able to find a job that would hire me for two hours... Well, I can hope (or dream).

   Have I ever mentioned buying a Nintendo DS Lite? If not, then there you go. The only games I have for it are Final Fantasy Fables: Chocobo Tales and Animal Crossing: Wild World. I finished the first and well, I don't really think there's such a thing as beating Animal Crossing. I'm kind of tempted to buy Rune Factory: A Fantasy Harvest Moon, but I'm pretty tight on money at the moment. As of right now, I need to buy an external harddrive and MySims when it's released. Anyway, I don't think you care too much about my expenditures, yeah?

   What other exciting or not-so-exciting news do I have? Ah, my cousin's wedding is coming up soon, so I'm looking forward to that; otherwise, it's pretty much day-in/day-out at the dry cleaners on weekdays and going out/staying home w/ or w/out the Sir on weekends. My plant has been dying. It flourished for quite a while, but the little ceramic egg container became too small for the plant and we failed to switch containers quickly enough. Now, it's alive but barely managing. I do hope it survives and grows larger again. It's kind of growing and dying at the moment; no net gain.

   I'm going to go watch a movie or figure out something to do now, so perhaps I'll blog again some time. Don't count on it being soon though !

Tiffy finished typing at_ 09:15PM;

   It's been getting quite warm lately, but do you know what makes the heat unbearable? That's correct: working at the dry cleaners. The pressing machines and all that other good stuff make the little store an oven; even customers can feel the heat just walking past the door! My arms get somewhat sore because I have to lift them constantly for about seven hours a day, so that doesn't help much either. The job itself isn't difficult, but it just leaves you a little tired. Then again, I suppose most jobs tire people.

   I took the placement test for Chem1A/Bio6A at De Anza Friday and wow, I don't think I did too well. I probably failed on account of my not-so-spectacular memory and the fact that I haven't seen any chemistry since Sophomore year. It's too bad the test is all based on Chemistry. If it included Biology, I probably would have done better. I think I tend to recall terms better than things that deal w/ mathematics or numbers.

   The people who own the donut shop near our cleaners are nice. They give me extra donut holes and let me get away w/ donuts when I'm running low on cash .

Tiffy finished typing at_ 08:45PM;

   It is a lovely day today~!

   I watched Music & Lyrics about two days ago and it was pretty funny (and cute). "PoP Goes My Heart" and "Way Back Into Love" are so freaking catchy -- especially the former. Hehe, I love watching the video for it. Ever wonder why Drew Barrymore always gets sung some sort of sweet, silly song to her in movies? I have.

Tiffy finished typing at_ 05:40PM;

   Today was a fairly good day, minus my having to take Part 1 of the AP Stats final . I wasn't late for first period for once, thankfully. We didn't do much in that class either, so that's good. During break, I hung around in Mrs. Ehrlich's class 'cause I didn't feel like hanging out w/ the group that I normally hang around w/. It's not as if anything's going on, it's just that I find it a little dull and I just stand around anyway. I think I'll probably just stay in Mrs. Ehrlich's class until the end of the year (maybe). It feels good in there :).

   After school, I hung out w/ Vy and Melissa. Well, there were other people too along the way haha. It started out w/ Vy, Shirley, Kevin, Melissa and I. We went to get donuts, then went to Target, and then Eastridge for a little bit. After that, Kevin & Shirley were dropped off and we went to school to pick up Jason and Tracy. Finally, we went back to my house and hung around for a while. For most of the time, we were just playing cards. They all left at around 3-something and here I am now.

   I love the feeling of being in different people's cars. Maybe I'm just odd, but I get a unique feeling in everyone's cars. Each person has this different atmosphere and it feels nice. I've never actually been in a car where I didn't like how it felt. I haven't gotten that nice feeling often enough since my cousin went to San Diego :P. Well, that's about all I have to say for today. Have a lovely day .

Tiffy finished typing at_ 03:46PM;

   Greetings! As you can see, I have finally returned. I told myself a long while back that I wouldn't blog until I changed the layout. Initially, it was supposed to be a sort of incentive for me to actually work on the layout; obviously, that didn't work out too well. Well, that's past and now it's spring, it's green, it's lovely, and it's wreaking havoc on my eyes & nose .

   I'm not going to talk about too much, but I'll say that on Mother's Day, we (Charlie, Melissa and I) made fruit tarts for my mom. Also, I've been watching quite a bit of TV lately and falling alseep on the couch. What else, what else? Stephen bought me a dart board, although I truly and honestly say I am no good at all. I've also got an Eggling from the Discovery Channel Store now, and it's growing nicely . Okay, I'm going to leave now. Good day!



This isn't how it looks presently, but I want to take pictures of it as it grows :).

Tiffy finished typing at_ 07:15PM;