musings and reflections of hollyholz

i want to go home. now.

posted by Holz @ 10:36 AM |

A Totally Random Blog Entry

Seeing how it's 3 a.m. on a Friday morning, the day after the end of the UFE, I'm a bit sleep deprived... but I still have to be awake to help pack. So, here's to a totally random blog:

- Done! Freedom! No more case writing for a long while!
- I bought DUTCH BLITZ today. Woo hoo... now I have to round up people to play with me. Sucks being an only child up to this very day. Serena? Jon? Abby? Hello? I have the deck opened... but no one to play with.
- I'm finally going on my "Ice Special" in a few hours :) Whoo!
- I miss Yanna... and Yannafish
- I can't believe I don't have to study tomorrow
- God is good. His grace is sufficient for me.
- I've concluded in the past week that the iPod photo is the best purchase I've ever made. Oh my. Who would've thought I could aggregate all my photos, notes, music, etc... all in one? I've seen the nano, but I am extremely satisfied w/ what I have already.
- I'm not drunk but being sleep deprived, I feel drunk.
- Yearning for some Citysuper, MTR rides, and food.
- Went Karaoke for the first time since 1st year in university. That has gotten me hooked on fobby Chinese music again. In fact, I pulled out my MD player for the first time in ages just to listen to old school Joey Yung, Sammi, and Leon tunes. Anyone know of legit fobby music sites I can d/l music from? (However, I think my readers are not of this genre)
- I need sleep. Ciao!

posted by Holz @ 2:58 AM |

Sunday was just an ordinary day - church in the morning, followed by quality family time. Nothing special - we just decided to spend $5 each and a chunk of our time at Market Village to cut a mooncake. With 1,000 other Chinese people. All at the same time. Yeah, nothing special... although I was told I was part of a record breaking, history making event that would be recorded in the Guiness Book of World Records. Only Chinese people could think of such silly record breaking things. And I, being even sillier, was part of this craze. At least it was for charity - 100% of the proceeds went to my dad's employer, a NPO long-term care centre for seniors. Personally, I thought it was great cause and all... until the end of the event.

Each mooncake cutter was entitled to a gift, ranging from cup noodles to thermos. With 1,000 other Chinese people wanting freebies, you can imagine how chaotic the scene is at Market Village. On top of that, you had the corporate donors on stage taking full advantage of the event by advertising for their own respective companies. "Come to our restaurant after this event and you'll get a 20% discount!" (says the donor who gave out all the mooncakes... all 1,000 of them) ... "Buy our newspaper today!" (says the event sponsor who hosted the event and the tacky t-shirts that came alone with it)

Lesson to learn from this? Learn not to take advantage of events w/ good intentions... and simply give for the sake of giving. Similarly in our friendships and relationships w/ others, we should learn how to how to love and care for others without expecting anything in return (of course, it'd be nice... but think of it as a bonus instead of something that must be reciprocated) . Otherwise, it simply defeats the purpose of a friendship.

posted by Holz @ 12:32 PM |

On days like today, it makes me wish blogger was like xanga in the sense of having the public/private entries. Perhaps I'm being trained to tame my tongue? Argh... reading certain blogs and experiencing certain situations just makes me want to vent. On the flip side, there are happy moments as of late which I am thankful for and should really spend more time blogging about. :) I'll save that for a later time though - I'm way past my bedtime.

Countdown to freedom from the UFE: 5 days (celebration begins on Thursday at 1:10 pm)

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Currently thankful for: My mom's spontaneity. What turned out to be a navigation trip to Niagara was really a "Holly" day in disguise... consisting of afternoon tea and QT family time.

posted by Holz @ 11:42 PM |

I think I'm growing up. :) Learning to be thankful in circumstances where I could be moaning, groaning, and dreading, like today. Today could've been filled with sad thoughts and plenty opportunities to think of "what if this didn't happen?". In fact, for the few days leading up to today, I was dreading it. Instead, I am thankful for what has happened in the past - let it be years ago or just a mere two months ago... cos whatever has happened is providing me with experiences and shaping me up for the future, and allowing me to grow and become a woman of God.

posted by Holz @ 11:19 PM |

The Weekend in Retrospect

What a weekend! Went to Boston early Saturday morning to visit our family friend, and came back last night. Had some quality time w/ family and friends, time for personal reflection and studies (yes, I actually brought my books w/ me to study for Monday morning), good seafood (although we didn't get to go to Legal Sea Foods :[ ), great photography (or so I think!), and a big whole in my wallet (stupid outlet mall.. which had kick butt stores that made me spend money).

Here are some things I realized/learned/reflected on this past weekend - before, during, and after the trip; the degree of depth and seriousness is up for you to decide:
- Yay for Sarah and Rodney!!! Despite the obviousness of certain things, guys can really pull of great surprises...! Congrats guys!
- Eating lobster is easy, especially the tail part - go to Rockport, MA for the good seafood and great pics!
- I really miss the Tses... the 'next door' neighbours. And having the endless opportunities to make fun of Jocelyn
- I've never seen so many babies' costumes in my life
- "Not that I have alaredy obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus." Philippians 3:12-14... I am learning to move on while acknowledging but more importantly, forgetting about the past.
- Massachusets is soooo picturesque. Actually, the entire Mass Pike route was very scenic... at least for the parts that I was awake for
- Shopping in MA is the bomb. :) Unfortunately, I dropped quite a bit of money this weekend on clothes... ah well, new wardrobe!
- There is so much to learn from the story of Ruth and Naomi... I can relate to the latter, but have lots to learn from the former. Ruth's story is so inspiring, and there's so much to learn from in terms of her faith and her story is a reminder of God's providence.
- I really haven't been to Boston... my only impression of it is Chinatown. However, the plus side is that their Chinese food there isn't bad! It's comparable to that of Toronto. I've been to Cambridge, MA though to witness the arrival of smart kids moving into their alma matter - Harvard. I also found out that kids in Harvard DO need physics tutors. So maybe they're not that smart after all... j/k.
- Family trips are hard to go on especially when you've gone globetrotting on your own before (okay, maybe not globetrotting, but europe-trotting). The emphasis is on seeing things for the sake of saying "been there, done that" w/ the parental units, whereas my focus is on absorbing the culture and experiencing things. Regardless, I am thankful for the opportunity to get away for the weekend.

Many more insights obtained this past wkend, but alas, my memory is failing me. Perhaps I'll share some pictures while procrastination... ahem, I mean winding down... from my studies.

Countdown to freedom from the UFE: 8 days

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Currently thankful for: The opportunity to have fellowship w/ the old neighbourinos despite the distance. Just like the old days.

posted by Holz @ 8:03 PM |

My Lil Sis!

posted by Holz @ 12:34 AM |