musings and reflections of hollyholz

I finally...

... became domesticated; I wash and clean everyday.
... saw Lyds after almost a year! :)
... started packing
... saw Myles and her tummy
... got back into the swing of playing badminton regularly
... started running... but will stop for the next month. Hopefully, I'll regain my endurance again.
... bought that bottle of H20 fragrance spray I've been eyeing for albeit it's discontinued here in Canada (somehow, a few came out of the downtown store at a reduced price..., compared to HK where it's NOT discontinued but it's worth $40 CDN... BTW, HUGE H20 SALE!)
... watched Troy and The Terminal - watching three movies (incld. Shrek 2) is a rarity for me! Troy was okay (not as bad as I thought), and The Terminal was awesome :)
... graduated from UofT
... went to Mariko after a six month hiatus. However, unlike previous times, I wasn't able to stuff myself silly as the Yosenabe kept me quite busy (stupid shiitake mushrooms)
... set my foot down on seeing Les Miserables
... halted my caffeine addiction (yes, I was in self-denial for all of last year)
... realized how much money I owe Richard :P eep.
... completed my compilations of my hk/japan adventures in my travel journal
... blogged.

posted by Holz @ 11:00 PM |

...merci beaucoup... :)

posted by Holz @ 10:28 PM |

so be it

another chapter of my life is over. with a short hiatus, another chapter is about to enfold in a matter of months.

in the meantime, i'll enjoy my short break :) however, the preparation for this break of mine is taking a toll on me, both financially and mentally. i'm sure it's all worth it though, from what i've been told.

today's convocation was quite an experience. call me cheesy, or sentimental, but the ceremony was quite memorable - LOTSA pictures, wonderful weather, good company, lotsa flowers, surprising gifts, and great seeing friends. a person w/ a red gown also gave me a stern eye during the rehersal, when my mom was calling me on my cell phone... and he was trying to give me instructions. (it was actually more humourous than embarassing... cos all my friends were laughing at me, knowing about my mom's obsessiveness to capture every moment!) i thoroughly enjoyed the hooding ceremony... cos the pres of the university actually said congrats and asked me questions :) haha all within a 5 second timeframe.

all in all, the past four years was an unique experience. yes, i had some bad moments at u of t, such as shedding tears over things that were rather insignificant. i also had my share of good moments: sharing laughs and frustration while working on certain group projects, meeting many people with diverse and unique personalities (whether it tickled my fancy or not), and coming out of the program with a handful of ppl that i can call my friends. not as horrible as i first imagined when i arrived at u of t during my first year, thinking that it would be a terrible and uneventful experience.

pics of the convocation will be up shortly. :) ttfn!

**edit: 06.17.2004
i forgot to mention something really touching and special that happened during my convocation. while waiting to be hooded, i noticed that CityTV came in to shoot something... (for a slight second, i was hoping that it was phil... haha!) of what, i was unsure since it wasn't the first time UofT had a convocation. however, as time passed, i finally realized why: an elderly man from woodsworth college was to receive his B.Sc degree with high distinction. it was just an incredible experience when the entire con hall was giving this man a standing ovation. this morning while catching up w/ my current events on CP24, i found out that this man was 93 years old. wowzas.

posted by Holz @ 12:02 AM |

until this afternoon's whirlwind of activities and questions, it didn't really occur to me that convocation is just a day away. (in fact, less than a day) wow.

i'm convocating! (haha, i highly doubt that 'convocating' is a word)

posted by Holz @ 7:11 PM |

Halfway There...

This weekend's purchases:





No money and I'm still not flyin' yet... yikes.

posted by Holz @ 11:09 PM |

Relationships - Dating and Marriage

This seems to be recurring theme in my conversations with various friends as of late. I've actually been asked by Pris once whether I thought of Marriage yet. (NO I HAVEN'T!) I chat on the phone with a relative, and we talk about her relationship with her bf, and analysing how far it goes. I'm online with a friend, and we analyse our friends' relationship and how they're compatible with each other. Relationship is also something that was on my mind during my entire trip last month, as I was inspired by certain relatives who will remain nameless (at least for now)...

Before I gather my thoughts, I'd like to hear your opinions... what do you think is required to make a relationship work? How can you overcome the obstacles of your own expectations in a relationship and instead focus more on giving instead of expecting?

This topic is probably one that will never reach a final conclusion in my mind... but I promise, I'll share my two-cents with you soon.

So, what are YOUR thoughts?

N.B. - This has nothing to do with my personal relationship... so don't you all start questioning me!

posted by Holz @ 4:52 PM |

Tears for the Onions

Do YOU know what that means?

Holly is in the kitchen. WATCH OUT! :) Beware of tummy aches and permeating scent of burnt food in the air. I nearly cut my finger a few times tonight while slicing the turkey breast and cutting the broccoli. My success comes with chopping the onions, but my eyes could not bear it.

You know what though? What I really want to learn is how to make Chinese soup... in a few decades, it'll be an extinct art. :)

***edit

Who wants in on a cooking party? Who wants to teach me how to cook? :)

posted by Holz @ 10:11 PM |

i just wanna scream on top of my lungs right now.

*ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!*

posted by Holz @ 12:05 PM |

The Week in Review

Having been back for a week, I have experienced some ups and downs. Things seem to be returning to normal, albeit a surprise visit from my relatives in Chicago halted this process :) (Don't get me wrong, they're cool... but it's just the timing of their visit that just didn't seem ideal as we're all trying to get back into the swing of things) So here are some ups and downs:

UPS:
- Seeing Jess and Clary after 4 months
- Seeing Pris and having her there during my mini 'experiment' (which fitted well with today's sermon, let's just say)
- Chatting with those whom I haven't had a chance to see yet, and making plans for a rendez-vous
- Shrek 2
- Planning for upcoming trip at Richard's
- Phone conversations w/ my cousin in BC and my aunt
- Fresh (and affordable) fruits and vegetables!
- Having ppl readily available on hand so I can vent
- HOCKEY! (but dammit... the flames should've won last night!)

DOWNS:
- Adjusting to change - w/ church, people
- Having to be very patient with my mother - she's been having interesting fits lately
- No more money :(
- Losing my autonomy to plan my own schedule cos of mom's schedule
- Coming back to reality - realizing that life isn't as bubbly as the past month has been. People change, and so do their health conditions...
- Realizing what a crummy person I can be... and how I really do have a big ego, albeit it's not often shown

That's all for now... brain kinda dead as a result of the surprise visit and yesterday's experiment :)

posted by Holz @ 12:11 AM |

All in All...

... it was a very very good trip :). How to sum it up without boring you ppl? How about several key words:

Appreciation
You learn to appreciate several things in life. Top five:
1. North American Toilets! I never thought I'd have to wish for a regular toilet when going to the Lu until I went to Japan.
2. Fruits - Cantalopes (called Melons in Japan) are ridiculously priced, as if they're some sort of sacred fruit. I learned to appreciate fruit of all sorts after a) lacking it in Hong Kong and b) seeing the price tags of melons in Japan... anyone want to buy a melon for 6000 Yen? (1 Cdn Dollar = 80 Yen)
3. Freedom - I must honestly say the best time I had in HK was when I was there alone :) Had the autonomy to set and plan my own schedule. Notice that in my pics that I took a lot more before Day 15, cos that's when the parental units arrived, and I didn't get to see as much.
4. Cars - I walked everywhere in HK and Tokyo... either walked or took the subway. Still, going to church has never been so physically tiring before :) Gotta appreciate cars :)
5. Relatives - they bring you everywhere. :)

Starbucks
Believe it or not, Starbucks was something that I thought was a focal point of this trip. (You may be thinking why the heck is Holz paying so much to go to a starbucks in another continent while there are a gazillion here in Toronto?) Being at a Starbucks in Vancouver, HK, and Tokyo allowed me to:
1. See great sights - i.e. Shibuya Crossing
2. Relax a LOT - in Vancouver by the Ocean, and in HK (in a QUIET starbucks... a rarity in HK) while having my daily dose of reality, reading the South China Morning Post
3. Bond with relatives - with my cous in Vancouver and my aunt in Tokyo

Family
I went to each place with the intention of seeing my family. I was able to really get to know some of my family members better, and appreciate them as well. At other times, I had to be patient with other family members, and learn to accomodate the different personalities and values each of us has. I had fun spending time with them:
- Car rides with my cousin in Vancouver while going all over town recovering her stolen cards
- Lunch during the workday with my 'aunt and uncle'
- Macau with my grand-uncle and aunt
- Ocean Park with my aunt
- Chatting with my grandma; rather loudly, I must say!
- Going all over Tokyo with my aunt, and that mere attempt to go to Roppongi at night ;)
I still miss my family a lot, but at least I've learned to really value them.

My life has been on hold for the past month. I realise tonight, however, that life in Toronto has been moving on without me. A month does really fly by and lots can change. Happy thoughts and conversations do remind me though, that some things never change. :) Another journey in my life has been completed. Let's bring on the next one! (Ahem, the journey through the mess in my house... MUST CLEAN!)

posted by Holz @ 7:02 PM |