1.30.2003

Jason, Jason, Jason...

Now this comic strip truly reflects the wit and humour I admire about the Foxtrot... :) (more or less...) Enjoy!!!

Man, if anyone can find me a 2003 Foxtrot Calendar that's 75% or anything around 50% off (since all 2003 Calendars are practically on sale now), PLEASE BUY IT FOR ME!!!! I will pay you back... 'cause I'm having sooo much trouble find it :( I found a "Le Petit Prince" one today, but I want 365 difference comic strips instead of just 12.

That's all for now. Take care!!!

1.29.2003

Focus

I'm currently waiting for my last class of the week... :) Anyway, I'm at the Rotman lab, not doing much... the only reason I would be in the building is for the computers...!

Anyway, I just had one of my accounting classes, and I must simply say that the class isn't downright interesting, but not totally boring. The fact that the prof dances to his lectures at least once per class is interesting enough. He's also very dramatic and charismatic... 'cause without his personality and style, the stuff we're learning would be very boring... I mean, who really cares about the quality of earnings and what not? (Okay, fine... many ppl do in the biz world, but certainly not I... at least not at this stage of my life)

A few weeks ago during finance, I was completely bored out of my mind, and decided to write a list of topics I would eventually blog about, should I run out of any spontaneous rants and raves. These were all trailing thoughts of some sort, and I realized that sometime during that particular day, I went from one thought to a few other thoughts which didn't really relate to the original thought at the end. From simply seeing a practically empty York Transit bus... I went on to think about the days where I took the bus frequently (during high school), to a certain crush (and how I would try my very best to "bump" into him while walking to a bus stop), and so on.

This whole situation made me realize how much trouble I have w/ focusing on anything, let it be with school or other matters... I guess I can't really sit still or stay put at a stage in time... I always gotta be moving :) I mean, as much as my prof in my accounting class entertains us w/ his dances, I ended up multitasking by writing notes and playing Dope Wars on my Palm (at least I broke my new high score... I'm now up to $2 million something!!! I know, it's still rather low, but at least I'm in the millionaire stage now! And see what I mean by drifiting off... had I not remembered that the topic of my blog was on focusing on things instead of dope wars, I would've continued to ramble on...) Same with the spiritual side of things... I used to (and still do occasionally) have problems focusing on prayer... if someone else was praying out loud for a group, I would listen, but somehow end up drifting from one of the prayer items to a completely different and unrelated thought.

Focus and determination... I need more of it :)

On a completely unrelated note, for the first time ever, I was involved in a conversation about American Idol... which is rare since I hardly watch the TV, with exceptions to the Chinese TVB shows.... hehe.

Question(s) for the Week

1. Any good books for recommendation?
I'll be heading up an all nighter on Thursday night w/ a good friend of mine... so can anybody suggest a relatively good read that doesn't involve too much thinking or analysis?

2. Anyone know if it's possible to convert a mp3 file to a .wma file? Please let me know...

Thanks in advance :)

1.28.2003

American Idol

After hearing endless rants and raves about the show, and seeing such hype w/ my friends and cousins in the States, I decided to succumb to the pressure and watch the show :) Actually, I was just around the TV when it was on. Anyway, I'm pretty impressed with some of the contestants... but was laughing my head off when this guy decided to sing "Ain't No Mountain High Enough" because before he sang it, it was Simon's favourite song... but that quickly changed.

I was more or less surprised to see how cold Simon, Randy, and Paula (the judges) were in judging the contestants... talk about attitude. While glancing at MSN's headlines, I saw this article interviewing Randy and his thoughts on the American Idol.... certainly, it's great to be honest, but I suppose there's a fine line between giving a discerning comment and dissing someone. With that, I wasn't thoroughly impressed. Gosh, Hollywood attitudes :P

Anyway, don't expect that I'll be sitting right in front of the TV next Tuesday at 8, tuned on Fox. Hehe... it's not a bad reality show, but it's not one that I will get myself hyped up about... unless if Simon took that five (or eight?) year old kid who auditioned with him to Hollywood. But despite the kid winning the hearts of Randy and Paula, the kid's staying where he belongs... back home w/ his mommy and daddy. :)

More ramblings from Holz

- Does anyone know how to set up an FTP account w/ the utoronto webspace? I know how to do so, but apparently, my method doesn't work for Trish... she's been having problems posting lovely pictures of LV bags, interseting models, as well as other things... Please address!

- Seeing how I didn't know Superbowl was really Super Bowl (two words), it really shows you what a fan I am of the game... and MSN rocks... vote there for your favourite Super Bowl ad! hehe

- I cannot shop and chat at the same time. I came to that theory after separate Christmas shopping trips with Ian and Karen alone before the holidays. After FINALLY meeting up w/ Trish on Saturday (we were supposed to discuss a project together, then shop at the Eaton Centre), I confirmed my theory... as much as I love chatting with Trish, I couldn't juggle looking & browsing thru goodies and carry a flowing and substance-filled conversation. So next time I go shopping w/ a friend, it's not for catching up purposes, but rather for someone to help me pick something out :) For catching up moments, expect to find me in a coffee shop, or anywhere with FOOD :)

- My right hand has been ridiculously cold for the past two days... even with the heat cranked up high at my house. I wonder why... bad circulation?

- My accounting assignment is waaaaaaay too long. Prof wants anywhere from 7-9 pages; I have 10 already... hopefully someone will help me edit and cut down some of my BS :)

- Taking family pictures tomorrow at Loblaws; can't wait... :)

- Indigo has great deals for cards and stationary or decor stuff... I got some mother's day cards in advance for 99 cents each (and it's the fancy schmancy ones that you'd find at The Papery or L'Essence du Papier), and a nice fake-leather bound journal for $4 :) Find Christmas card deals in Spring :D and always go the ones either at The Eaton Centre, the one by Bay & Bloor, or the one by Yonge and Eglinton

- I wanna take a Toronto tour w/ Richard!!! Apparently, after hearing what he normally does during his strolls of Toronto, it sounds interesting... one main goal to achieve during reading week, 'cause not everyone is lucky enough to be spending it on a cruise :P :)

- NIGHT :)

1.27.2003

To Know You | Nichole Nordeman

It's well past midnight
And I'm awake with questions that won't
Wait for daylight
Separating fact from my imaginary fiction
On this shelf of my conviction
I need to find a place
Where You and I come face to face

Thomas needed
Proof that You had really risen
Undefeated
When he placed his fingers
Where the nails once broke Your skin
Did his faith finally begin?
I've lied if I've denied
The common ground I've shared with him

And I, I really want to know You
I want to make each day
A different way that I can show You how
I really want to love You
Be patient with my doubt
I'm just tryin' to figure out Your will
And I really want to know You still

Nicodemus
Could not understand how You could
Truly free us
He struggled with the image
Of a grown man born again
We might have been good friends
'Cause sometimes I still question, too
How easily we come to You

No more campin' on the porch of indecision
No more sleepin' under stars of apathy
And it might be easier to dream
But dreamin's not for me


=====

I've blogged the chorus of this song before. However, since Olive recommended one of Nichole Nordeman's CDs, I decided to check out Nichole Nordeman's webpage... and was suddenly inspired to find the lyrics to my all-time favourite song, "To Know You". I never realized how the other parts of the song - the verses as well as the bridge - meant so much. I felt that I really could relate to the lyrics, especially recently... notice that I bolded the last two lines of the bridge; "...and it might be easier to dream, but dreamin's not for me..." (I'll explain in a later blog when the right time comes) As much as I'd like to live a more ideal life at this time, or turn things around, I know I can't dream, but instead move on. As I mentioned, I'll talk more later about this...

Anyway, this song really depicts what an ordinary Christian goes through. Nope, there's no such thing as a perfect faith... doubts arise, worries exist, questions are raised. However, it really all comes down to what the Christian strives for - to know God.

Thought I'd share why I constantly think of this song... :)

Yay, the Superbowl is here!

If you know me well, you'd being asking yourself "when was Holly ever a football fan?" Rest assured, I'm not... and am sticking to my hockey roots. However, today's Foxtrot strip answers your question why I'm excited about Superbowl Sunday...

Click here for the strip

On the topic of sports, Vince is back and the Raptors won! We'll see how long their winning streak lasts for.

Anyway that's all from me today... writers block, plus the lack of motivation to work on my assignment :P At least I have five pages of non-cohesive writing done :D

1.25.2003

Encouragement

Yes.... "tonight" turned out to be 24 hours later than expected. :)

Anyway, as robin was sooooo anxious to hear from me (after leaving 55 comments haha!), I decided to take a break from writing my assignment and blog instead.

A week and a bit ago, while doing my devotions, I came across the short blurb from Max Lucado (a Christian author)...

"Want to see a miracle? Plant a word of love heartdeep in a person's life. Nurture it with a smile and a prayer, and watch what happens...
... Don't forget the principle. Never underestimate the power of a seed."


What Max Lucado wrote is so true. I remember feeling quite bogged down with school, home, etc., and was feeling quite exhausted last Sunday... out of no where, I receive an email from Tammy, which was a treat! I guess postponing this blog was good too, 'cause my uncle just wrote me an email, checking up on me and also encouraging me, which was very relieving and comforting.

I remember back in the good old days of Malachi Fellowship (High School Fellowship at church); every week, we had to write an encouragement letter to someone (or more than one person if we wanted). It was kinda the highlight of the fellowship night at times for myself personally.

Anyway, the point is, encouragement can really help someone move along in their journey through life. Keep that in mind next time you see a friend in need, and I'll do so likewise.

1.24.2003

Wowzas. God works in the strangest, weirdest, funniest, craziest, most interesting (yet amazing) ways.

These past two days have left me quite speechless, for good and bad reasons. Without encouragement from friends and family, I won't be able to pull thru...

... originally I was gonna blog about my trailing thoughts but I think I wanna skip that topic and blog about encouragement instead. I will verrrry soon. :) (I have to step out right now. Watch out for Holz tonight!)

1.23.2003

Worth it all - Part II

Before I begin this entry, let's sidetrack a bit and talk about the "blog censoring" issue again. I remember talking to Lyds and Carol J. about it almost half a year ago. We talked about censoring everything from annoyances with friends to big issues evolving out of our lives. I think to a certain extent, I also censor bits and pieces of my faith & spiritual life in my blog to avoid offending anyone. Well, no long am I going to do that. I've decided even though I do have friends who aren't Christians and may feel a bit sensitive about it, I'm going to live my life and live God loud. By no means do I believe in converting peoeple (as in constnatly talking to people about God and urging them to believe), but I do believe that God wants me to show how I live as a Christian... and that if it's His will, He'll let me know when my friends are willing to know Him more. So, don't get me wrong as a religious freak or something; I just want to live my faith and put it into action.

Anyway, back to the original topic - "worth it all". I heard this song by Michael W. Smith a few years ago, during my MWS craze days. (Dont' get me wrong, but I still enjoy his music!). At first, I thought the lyrics were really cool, but I thought my personal life didn't reflect that. For sure, when times were good, I didn't seek God for help and barely spent time with him, but when it was hard, I came crawling to Him for what I, not what God Himself, wanted.

Recently, I've been going through a lot, spiritually and also with my family. My family has been getting along great, but each of us (there's only dad, mom and I) have been going through our personal struggles and problems. Let's just say, I've never experienced the emotional roller coaster so frequently before. Times have been good and bad for the past three-four weeks... and all along the way, and up 'til now, I'm still sticking with God. Thank God for His protection :) Now, I can finally say "when it's good, when it's hard, You know me, You know my heart..." and for that I'm constantly seeking Him.

Worth it all - Part I

Worth it all || Michael W. Smith

Sometimes I wonder
What it's like
To be living life
On the other side

Please don't make me feel
Like I don't know what's there
Proof is written
In the sky

Hey won't You listen
To me now
It makes no difference
If I wish upon a star

The only absolute
Is that the
Word of life is
Written in my heart

Oh I believe
Yes, I believe

Hey look at me, living life for You
When it's good, when it's hard,
You know me, You know my heart
Yea, yea, yea, I give up
Anything at all, when you call
All I know it's worth it all.

I know you're scared
Tto let me know you
I know you got
A heavy kind of soul

And I know it's
Harder to believe
In love when you're
Feeling all alone

They're taking bets
On who the lover
Of your soul and your heart
Is gonna be

They're taking on
All the things
That get you down and out
The moment you believe

I believe in you
Yes I believe in you

Rants...

I've been at UT for three years plus, and I just discovered a great place on campus that sells Christian books... I kinda knew that place existed, but didn't know that there were books inside that would be of any interest to me. This is the Crux Discount Theological Bookstore, right behind Wycliffe College on Hoskins Avenue... so for UT peeps who are looking for Christian related books, go there :) I got this book for $12.90! Anyway, a good recommendation from Holz.

Oh, I don't know what is it with me and twenty dollar bills today... I was buying some tokens from a TTC token machine and it ate up my $20 bill :P (Don't worry, I'll EVENTUALLY get my money back in a matter of weeks, according to the TTC customer service dude). Later on this afternoon, Ian and I went to Starbucks, and he treated me to a nice grande Caramel Machiaato (Sp?)... he paid the barista with a nice crisp $20 bill and ended up getting only $1 something in change. Apparently the barista didn't remember whether or not he paid $20 and told him to go back tomorrow to get the leftover change. :P Still... GAAAH.

Anyway, enough ramblings for now. Byee.

1.22.2003

I need sleep.

One note though... something I realised while studying for finance a while back: my mood is positively correlated with my mother's mood.
Haha :) Finance is useful after all...

Stay tuned tomorrow, while Holz focuses on rapid trailing thoughts :D

1.21.2003

Charles Schultz Philosophy

I was cleaning out my yahoo mailbox, and found this... quite an interesting read :) Enjoy!

=====

You don't actually have to take the quiz. Just read this straight through, and you'll get the point.

1. Name the five wealthiest people in the world.
2. Name the last five Heisman trophy winners.
3. Name the last five winners of the Miss America contest.
4. Name ten people who have won the Nobel or Pulitzer prize.
5. Name the last half dozen Academy Award winners for best actor and actress.
6. Name the last decade's worth of World Series winners.

How did you do?

The point is, none of us remember the headliners of yesterday
These are no second-rate achievers.
They are the best in their fields.
But the applause dies.
Awards tarnish.
Achievements are forgotten.
Accolades and certificates are buried with their owners.

Here's another quiz. See how you do on this one:

1. List a few teachers who aided your journey through school.
2. Name three friends who have helped you through a difficult time.
3. Name five people who have taught you something worthwhile.
4. Think of a few people who have made you feel appreciated.
5. Think of five people you enjoy spending time with.
6. Name half a dozen heroes whose stories have inspired you.

Easier?

The lesson:
The people who make a difference in your life are not the ones with the most credentials, the most money, or the most awards.
They are the ones that care......
Pass this on to those people who have made a difference in your life.
Don't worry about the world coming to an end today.....
It's already tomorrow in Australia !

----- Charles Schultz

1.20.2003

I need music!!

I have been listening to the same CDs and MP3s for the past while... I need some new music. Please recommend me anything!! :)
I'm actually looking for Jazz, Piano Music, Christian Worship/Pop songs and some upbeat music, but I'm opened to anything. Merci in advance!

1.19.2003

Another one of Holz's random tidbits

I'm mentally exhausted... but thought I'd post some random thoughts... things pop up in my mushed up brain randomly at the least expected times. :D

- Small world story
Tammy sent me a lovely email today :) I miss her a lot, now that she's off to school in the States. I messaged her on ICQ just to say "thanks" and everything, and we started chatting... and suddenly, she asked if I knew this girl by the name of Alexis.... turns out Tammy's rooming with Alexis, who used to be one of my piano classmates at Yamaha, just like Sharon. What a small world. It's quite freaky since this happened not in Toronto, but in the little town of Ithaca, NY. Hehe... still stunned.

- Lovely sunlight rays
Just a small lovely thought that occured to me as I was in the car... it was fairly cloudy today, but as I looked up at the sky, I saw a small gap between the clouds and the sun peeked through the gap, with its rays coming down from the sky in a lovely and wonderful way. Just reminded me that no matter how bad things could get, there's always the light that peaks through the smallest holes in your life that'll make you smile again :).

- Trish
Trish and I have this really weird tendency... we often make plans to meet up, but we never end up meeting... :( I was supposed to meet up w/ her tonight for some good chats at Milestones, but 'cause my mom had other lovely plans which interferred with mine, I couldn't go... I think this has been the third time we planned something (in advance too!) but had to cancel last minute. Boooo-urns. Okay Trish, next Saturday FOR SURE?!

Oooh, I have to mention this for sure! Trish's blog is like another version of In Style mag :) So for the latest LV bags and trendiest designers, check it out :)

- Charlotte Church

One of the richest kids in the world, but that's besides the point. Ditching her talent in singing Opera for the R 'n B alternative, as heard on 680 news earlier tonight... my first reaction was "what a waste of a God-given talent!" However, I thought to myself again and realized even though she had the talent, maybe her heart wasn't into it... it would be better for her to do something that she actually enjoys rather than something she's good at but doesn't enjoy. Similarly, it's like Chinese parents forcing their kids to take piano; the kids may be brilliant, but they would rather learn how to dance instead... something like that. Ah well, just a small thought! :) Something to remind me of when I raise kids of my own in the future.

What a weekend. Spent most of it cleaning :) Studying? Barely got anything done.... can someone please kick me in the arse? (Now don't come all at once! haha)

1.17.2003

You've got a problem and nothing good is coming out of it? Think again...

I don't know if anyone has ever approached you with the question, "why does God allow bad things happen to good people?" Heck, when I was younger, I often questioned myself. Nevertheless, the recent events evolving around my life have made it possible for me to understand that God works at his own timing, and it's ultimately for the best. Sometimes, bad things happen 'cause we're so blinded by our own goals and desires, and only something big can knock some sense into us and wake us up to see what reality really is or makes us put things into perspective and realize what is really important in our lives.

Bad things also happen to make people change for the better. A career superman can think that he could combat every possible problem in the world, but when a big problem comes, such as an incurable sickness or something of that sort, the superman realizes that nothing can be down out of his own strength and power. He realizes the dire need to depend on others and simply let go. Along the way, he also realises that he's not invincible and more important things in life, such as family, matter more than a job that pays more than enough.

Why am I bringing this up? Partly because of this Chinese TV show I was watching a few days ago, how some family went into poverty and had to start from scratch to build the family up again... but through the process, the couples in the family grew closer, the brothers bonded, and people became less selfish and arrogant. My personal life has to do with it to a certain extent, but I won't go into details right now.

Just remember the next time you come across a problem or situation, that there's a very good reason for it regardless of the size. If God allowed the problem to happen to you, He certainly believes that you're strong enough to handle it, at least eventually... 'cause during the process of figuring things out, you'll become stronger and mature into someone He wants you to be. Also remember that you're probably not alone. Just as you think you've got the biggest problem, the person next to you may have more.

This is what I've learned this week... :) Seeing how I've got two relatively long blogs for today, it tells you just how much studying I did today... :D

Lately, I've been browsing through a few news sites (I get into this mood once in a while, especially when I want to procrastinate)... while my procrastination soulmate has left her roots and changed for the better (congrats!), I still give myself excuses to do anything but homework... I'm not sure how healthy this habit is :).

Anyway, back to the main point of this blog. I love City Pulse 24... gives you everything you need in less than a minute, from stock quotes, to weather reports, and of course, all sorts of news updates - on tv and online. As I was browsing through the webpage, I found this news story about Bryan McCabe's hairdo :) I saw the exact news story they made on CityPulse at Noon, and it was just hilarious, as they took McCabe's photo and made digital versions of him with different dos, from Austin Powers to Liam Gallagher. :D PLUS, good old Tie (yes, how can I mention anything about the Leafs without mentioning him?) made some hilarious comments :)

Speaking of Pulse24, I also love the Hughlites of the week - Hugh is one of the sports dudes of the channel and often has the funniest sports highlight clips which he shows on pulse24... my favourite thus far: some hockey player was stuck in the penalty box and the official that sits with him during his penalty asks him a question from "hockey for dummies" book :D

Back to some news and stuff I've been surfing thru... this article on living cheap kinda irks me. I mean, it's great to be cost effective and to save and be conscientious (sp?) about money, but the ideas the writer gives are BLAH. One of her top ten points is to volunteer since you get a lot of freebies... or to rely on other people's acts of kindness towards you. Geez. It's just as bad as smooching off of people. And her last point about giving up some DNA for money... *sigh* it's just irritating and kinda cheap and blah :P

Anyway, a blog filled w/ more substance is coming up... as soon as my brain cooperates with me :) (It's telling me to go take a nap now whereas I'm supposed to study... hehe :P)

1.16.2003

read THIS

I was pulled the nasty surprise (according to the article) this morning.... :P

From the article: "It's [Coffee Club Cards] just a tool that's been there for years and had run out its time. ... Our customers don't choose Second Cup because we have a coffee card." ~Alton McEwen, CEO of the Second Cup

Uhhhh, Mr. McEwen, think again.

I've been lacking the motivation to do anything, let it be studying or blogging. Maybe it's the effect of Second Cup on me :P GRRRR.

1.15.2003

Damn Second Cup!

I'm surprised I waited this long to blog about this, but I must say something nevertheless. As I was anxiously waiting for my daily dose of caffeine yesterday at the Second Cup at Woodsworth College, I noticed a sign: "To all valued Second Cup customers... blah blah blah.... discontinuing our coffee club card distributions... blah blah.." WAIT rewind! NO MORE COFFEE CLUB CARDS?! GAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH! What a way to start my day (it didn't help either that finance was my first class for the day).

So yeah. What are those people in the head office thinking? Don't they know that the main reasons for their success is because of the cards? Otherwise, for $1.55, I would rather pay Starbucks for their paper cups rather than Second Cup's styrafoam... (however, I do enjoy the Second Cup ambiance more than Starbucks... at least after an hour, I come out smelling better from a Second Cup rather than a Starbucks)

I guess it's time to return to my Tim Hortons roots. Too bad there aren't too many of those around campus :(

Time to head over to Gerstein for some studying :) Tata!

So much for Studying!

Yes, my attempt to study has failed considerably. Either I lack the motivation to do so, or whenever I have the urge to study, I'm distracted by other things, such as cleaning my room, ICQ, and all sorts of other things. *sigh* Surprisingly, I've been logging on Asian Avenue more these days too. I'm starting to like the Gerstein library more and more ;) Thanks Ian for introducing that place... forget my "must be able to drink and eat while studying" policy.

Well, at least my desk is somewhat cleaner, and I printed out most of my auditing notes. Now, it's just a matter of actually reading them.

*sigh*

On a happier note, at least the Raptors (two straight!... surprise, surprise!) and the Leafs won, albeit I was upset that Domi's face was pretty much flattened by some dude's hand.

Early bedtimes these days... bigger *sigh* my mom's been going on a healthy, must sleep early mood these days... *sigh* so when she sleeps, pretty much I sleep too... speaking of which, must go to bed :(

1.14.2003

Doing something while I'm really supposed to be digging into the articles I have to read for my financial theory and accounting policy class.

This guy's website is kinda weird for my likes, but nevertheless, it caught my attention 'cause of all the interactive webcams and what not. Anyway, I never knew it was that complicated to set up so many interactive webcams :P

My favourite webcam so far is this one of Downtown Vancouver... the HK ones that I've found up 'til now aren't very pretty (well, I'm sure there could be better ones existing) on the Discover HK website.

Anyway, the search continues. However, I must kick my arse and get some studying done *sigh*. I'm coming to the conclusion that I can't work or study at home :P

welcome to the blog community!

This one's for you, Trish!

Yes, the girl I constantly talk to on ICQ... I must give her some recognitions... 'cause:
- she's the one that got me into online shopping... (it all started from a Danier leather jacket...)
- she's the one who always starts chatting w/ me on icq whenever I have the urge to STUDY!
- she's a real sweetie; even though it isn't really necessary, she feels terrible about missing a popeyes lunch w/ me and wants to treat me for dinner... :) Trish, things like this happen all the time! :D
- she got me some amazing COWS postcards when she went back home to BC and visited Whistler... (I must scan one of them when my scanner gets fixed)
- she makes life in ASUT fun :)
- she made me realize and appreciate a certain tall fellow more ;) oh, and she implanted the idea of Tiffany's into my head... :D (and she was the one who introduced me to the Else Peretti alphabet collection... hehe!)
- she's a great friend. thanks for caring during the past few weeks (u know about what... :D)

Anyway, Trish, welcome to the blog community! :D

1.13.2003

I passed law! :) ..... :) So far, no failing courses yet :) woohoo!

Another long day at school :P :(

I wanna...

I'm at a loss of words.... 'cause I've had a long and tiring day.
:(

I wanna go shopping now.... it's funny how I only wanna go when school starts. In fact, once school began, I decided to clean my room, something which I should've done over the holidays. At least I have shelf space now :) Seriously.... I wanna go shopping bad :( but school awaits.

I wanna take hip hop lessons. Anyone in with me? I'm inspired by the movie, Save the Last Dance. I can't believe I'm so incredibly cheesy :)

I wanna meet up with people. Unfortunately, school is in the way. Lucky co-op ppl... namely Karen-o :) (So when are we gonna partay?)

I wanna see people visit my guestbook. It's feeling awfully...

I wanna see the Raptors win. WAIT - they DID! Haha... and surprisingly, they won against the Timberwolves... :P

I wanna go away for the reading week... unfortunately, I have a midterm the monday right after the break. Unlike some ppl, I don't have a cruise awaiting for me in the Carribeans :P *eyes twitch!*

I wanna meet up for coffee with Tammy, my 1am-coffee-buddy. Sadly, she'll be leaving for Cornell in a matter of hours. :( I guess I'll have to wait until April or May. (9 weeks...!)

I wanna digital camera. I think I'll start a camera-for-holz fund.

I wanna be less self-centred... haha I think my entire blog just contradicted this wish :) Seriously, I think I really should stop thinking about what "i wanna" sometimes and think about what others want... :D I think this will be a goal for me - to stop thinking about myself and what I want all the time.

I think I'm going to sleep now :)

1.12.2003

I wonder who's gonna be the 6000th visitor... :)

1.11.2003

Random Tidbits

- Peanuts, anyone?

Well... Ian and I went out for a short trip to Montana's for some grub and some hockey. Normally, we'd sit by the dining area, but opted for the bar area instead, since it was closer to the TV. I guess I've been really tired recently, and have been quite... forgetful, per se. So anyway, I decided to head over to the barrel of peanuts to munch at while waiting for the food to come... and asked Ian if he wanted any.

What's the big deal, you're asking me?

Well... normally, when I offer Ian any peanuts, he'd be very sarcastic and say "yes, please!" and I'd be laughing my head off... and normally, I INTENTIONALLY ask him if he wants any. However, today, I just offered it to him without thinking. In fact, I forgot something... Ian's allergic to peanuts. Luckily, it struck to me that I was making a big mistake and I realized I forgot. Ian, on the other hand, thought I was joking all along about the peanuts until I sat back down and told him I totally forgot... he was quite shocked too... hehe. (Haha, yes, me and my little attempts to harm him... tells you how often I do so!)

~ The Auditor

I cannot believe some weirdo in this universe decided to write a novel (actually, a novella) about the life of an auditor. As if all the interesting topics of this world disappeared and auditing was the last option. *sigh* I also cannot believe I decided to read the novel beyond this week's required chapters... (this novel is actually a required text for my auditing class, strangely)... I couldn't put the book down for some reason, despite it being very dull. At least the part about the main character's first ever audit put me to sleep, and the next thing I knew, I was asleep for 8 hours.... :)

~ Loblaws!

I've been wanting to share with you about my current obsession: Loblaws. Well, it's actually the brand new MEGA Loblaws that just opened near my place, by Bayview and Hwy. 7. It's huge inside, and there's actually a fitness centre (GoodLife fitness), cooking courses centre, the grocery store itself, a photo studio, and a huge take-out restaurant inside. I'm in love... :) It doesn't help that I'm also in love with PC financial and PC Mastercard... :) Must go again sooooon :)

1.10.2003

- I'm Blue :)

Yes, according to the personality thing I took yesterday during the career management class I'm currently taking told me my colour was blue... and that careers that match my personlity include public relations, human resources, and all that stuff... ANYTHING but accounting. Haha... Funny, huh?

Anyway, this course I'm taking is a 5-week course, and it's offered to 3rd yr commerce students for free :) And we get a lovely luncheon at the end of the course... (actually, it's the session where we're taught business etiquette :P) At first, I wasn't really looking forward to coming down for the class, since I didn't have any other courses.

However, things got interesting as the session progressed. We were asked to close our eyes and imagine whatever the instructor was telling us to do... so she told us not to think about anything. GREAT TIMING. I had to go to the bathroom bad, and as she was counting "10, 9, 8, ...., 3, 2, 1", I was thinking "I gotta go... I gotta go!" Nevertheless, she basically told us to imagine that we were waking up in the morning in the year 2018, and observe the surroundings of our imagination... what clothes we decided to wear to work, how we got to work, how our cars & houses looked like, where was the work place, etc... anyway, here goes the exercise:

=====

In the year 2018, Holly wakes up at 7:44am (yes, we were told to look at our "clocks" in our little imagination thingy) and gets ready for "work".... she opens her closet and slips into comfy Roots fleece pants and a black t-shirt/sweatshirt. Looks as if she's ready for a jog. However, she packs a bag with black pants or something like that. Anyway, off she goes to work... nope, not in her lovely car nor on The Better Way, but by foot. She looks back at her house... (yes, we were forced to look at the house we lived in) and it's a nice cozy bungalow/split level home in the suburbs. Haha... with a job like hers (continue reading later), how could she possibly afford such a nice home? :)

Anyway, Holly jogs to work (however, in 2002, Holly rarely goes to the athletic center, let alone JOG!) and.... wait a second... she stops into a second cup, just a few blocks away from her house. Hehe, she's probably getting some coffee for a loooong day at the office. But no! She goes into the manager's ofice, changes into her second cup gear, and starts serving customers. :) Then she goes in and out of the office, handling some paperwork and what not. (At this point, it finally struck to me that I was gonna be a manager of a second cup) During the middle of the day, Holly decides to make a phone call to that special someone... her mom :) (Again, we were asked to think of that special someone to call... sorry if I gave any false hope to anybody in particular! *wink*) And the day passes by quickly...

...Holly returns to her cozy home... and she's wondering where the kids are. Oh yes, they're at their grandparents' place... so where's the hubby? Hehe she doesn't know :) (Well, actually, I DO know but heck, I'm not gonna tell you here!)

Anyway... wanna guess the ending of this little dream of the future? :D

Note: It's quite weird... all of us in the course are commerce students... so after the exercise, I asked some ppl about their little dream... must ppl dreamed of wearing nice suits (one girl actually told me she was wearing a gucci suit) and big tall office buildings... on the other hand, mine's is rather simple-minded. Heh.... I wonder how many other ppl had a simple dream like mine.... :)

1.08.2003

School has started... and I thought I could get away this week by slacking off a teensy bit. After going to this one accounting class today, I don't think I can afford to slack off anymore. In fact, I already have an assignment handed out, due in two weeks. *sigh*

I think I need to remind myself of this one word, perseverance...

Mom somewhat happy, me not too worried, although somewhat stressed about other matters. :P

1.06.2003

How can I forget to mention this - let me tell you... the power of prayer is AMAZING. God works in wonderful ways.

:D

Mom happy, me happy. Those of u who know what I'm talking about, ask me :) I will share.

Look Into the Eyes

You know how people can tell if you're lying or not by looking into the eyes? I find that quite true... :) (No, I wasn't lying... I thought it was a way to start sharing my thoughts)

These past few weeks, I've been spending a lot of time at home, generating a lot of thoughts and what not. Going through different experiences, I realize that behind every person, there's a different story to be told, which may be very different from how they appear on the exterior. As I bumped into a high school friend at Discount Textbook Store today during the mad frenzy of textbook searching, she asked me how I was, and said my eyes told her that I was very tired. In fact, I am... not simply physically tired, but also emotionally.

I remember watching the Taiwanese Mountain Children's Choir perform at my church sometime in the Spring, and seeing a girl singing with tears streaming down from her eyes. If you looked at her from a distance, you would've thought she was a little kid who probably didn't go through much... but those kids in the choir have gone thru a LOT more than what you and I could've gone through. For starters, they're mostly orphans... and have lived in poverty or in homes filled with abuse and violence before living in the mountains. Spiritually, they're probably much stronger than you and I... 'cause they have truly experienced what God's love is.

While drifting off into lala land during economics today, I was thinking how intelligent and knowledgable my new prof was. She's quite young; in fact, she looks like one of us!! However, who knows what she went though in order to get to where she is today... perhaps she went through a rough childhood, and somehow made it off to Yale and got her PhD... or perhaps she's had a good life all throughout her years. Who knows.... it's really not for me to know, but I'm sure she may have an interesting story.

Anyway, it's getting late... my mind has kinda shut down already. Just remember, everyone, even your friends and loved ones, has a story of their own... some may have it hidden deep inside themselves, some not... but nevertheless, never think of someone for what you KNOW they've been through... rather, keep in mind that they may have their own hidden experiences which shaped them for who they are.

1.05.2003

Happy New Year!

... although I know I'm quite late w/ my wishes & greetings.

As I've mentioned in my last post, I do have other priorities recently that have prevented me from blogging regularly... also, my life has been very uneventful for the past two weeks... so not much thoughts came out of my brain. :)

I suppose the new year comes with new goals and so-called resolutions... I guess I know I'll likely break them, so I'll call these my new year goals... :) Here they are:

a) To keep Jess and I accountable to each other in all aspects :)
I really truly treasure Jessica as one of my bestests 'cause not only do we share the same interests, but also the same faith. We decided to keep each other accountable thru devos and what not this year... and so far, we've both kept our word :)

b) To make an effort to encourage ppl all around me...
...let it be through notes, words of encouragement, or simply a smile.

c) To take care of my parents more
I realize the need for me to grow up and take on more responsibilities... :P Pls don't think I'm a goody two shoe, 'cause only if you knew what I've gone through the past two weeks would you realize why I'm saying this.

d) To exercise more at the AC
...after all, I DID pay for my membership fees...

Anyway, there WERE more... but can't think of them at this moment. I'm serious - I have problems with recalling ideas and wants... perhaps early signs of alzheimers? (sp?) :)

School starts tomorrow.... ack!

1.03.2003

Wow, this blogger post window sure looks unfamiliar... after all, it's almost been a week since I last blogged, which is pretty strange and unusual for me personally. I guess recently, I've had other priorities which distracted me from blogging. No, I haven't been going out nor partying. In fact, when most ppl ask me how my holiday were, I really don't have much to say. However, I'm still alive :) and somewhat happy. The fact that the network connection at home is somewhat screwed up doesn't help either... the internet connection from my laptop is slower than using dial-up!

I haven't forgotten about my blog... I will soon update :)... at least, have an entry that is filled with some substance.

In the meantime, take care and enjoy the remainder of your holidays...