The Details About Ramen

I never knew that something as simple as Ramen noodles could tell so much about people's personalities. It isn't so much as what flavor you are choosing as how you are preparing the noodles. For example, Junki makes delicious Japanese Ramen (haha, you know you do). Whereas mine.... are just okay. What is the difference? Apparently, he follows the directions on the packet step-by-step, measuring cup and timer included. Isn't that crazy? I mean... who does that?? Am I the only one who just throws in some water, heats it up until the boiler screams, dumps in all the sauces, and eat it when I can't stand waiting anymore?

I've never been much of a details person. Okay, so in high school I was a bit OCD about my school work, but, overall, it's actually (despite what people think) very hard for me to focus on details. I'm not someone who would study instructions before attempting something or even reading the Physics chapter before I do the assignment. The thought of spending the rest of my life in a research lab or getting a PhD scares the crap out of me. I'd rather look at the big picture---how does the noodle taste after dumping all of those ingredients together?

But to a high degree, details matter. I guess I have known this all along, but it never dawned on me that I was the kind of person to ignore those things. (Apparently, Junki says it's obvious that I'm like that...) So, I really need to stop slipping by Chemistry, making good grades without actually spending time on the material--this would never have worked in Dr. Okor's class, so why I am slipping down to this level now that I am in college?? It just does not make any sense. And, I really need to make sure I know how things are going to work once I'm at Oxford.

We can't just, live life in one big blur can we?

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Something funny:

Focus ADD

For those of you who know me well, you know that I am pretty easily influenced... not in a bad way, but in a way that makes me really unfocused. It's like those times when I wanted to pick up guitar or sing in an a capella group or learn tennis or go to prom again. I don't think it is necessarily a bad thing. I mean, definitely, it can get a little ridiculous, but isn't it better to have a million ideas running through my mind than to be blank and satisfied with doing the same things forever? Doesn't it just add a little serendipity to life?

I think yes.

Therefore, I keep coming up with crazy random ideas.

Service

I've been thinking about service a lot lately. Not only for my HPSC interview and starting MedLife with Kelsey, but also in my own life and towards people I can directly influence.

Take my dad, for example. He is such a motivated and diligent person who cares a lot about doing the best he can at work and improving his skills. He has struggled with English ever since he came to the U.S. over fifteen years ago, and, until this day, he still works really hard to make his writing flow. I've always just laughed it off and made fun of his "Engrish," as I am sure many people do. (Which, actually, pisses me off, by the way. Like that one time when Brian overheard this old redneck person at the gas station say "stupid Ayzhuns who can't talk English"..) I've only recently realized that I am skipping out on an opportunity to really help someone I love and change their life for the better.

Now, I am taking his emails about helping with paragraphs more seriously and actually responding in a timely fashion (so fast that he'll respond within 5 minutes of my last response with yet another paragraph---so, he's taking advantage of this.. but you know what? good for him). I will do everything I can to help my dad improve his English and be a little more on par with those Harvard PhDs at work.

Is that not insane? All these years, I've always been concerned with helping the children at the children's shelter or helping the community co-op when, really, my family and friends who may have needed my help were just sitting on the side.

So, think about service from a different angle. It isn't just reaching out to resource-less children in urban communities. It isn't even just helping Promote Africa. Service is about doing our best to reach out to someone, even if he lives in our house (or used to), even if he is our best friend or boyfriend, to change his or her life for the better.

SO 2010 and Day 1

Okay, weekends do not count on the whole one-hour-a-day blogging/thinking/reading thing. I mean, who needs to wind down on the weekend any way?

So, this past Saturday, Sumi and I volunteered at the state Forensics competition for Science Olympiad. The timing didn't work out, and our event ended up disqualified... which was really a bummer, but I can't really describe the feeling right now since it's been a couple of days since this happened. But anyway, we feel really awful about it and will definitely improve things for next year. Like my parents say, we are just reliving the high school memories. =S

On a happier note, Parkview is 1st in state for SO and headed to nationals! Congratulations, guys. =)

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On to something more insightful--today I interviewed for the Honors Program Student Council, and it went pretty well. I said everything that I had planned on saying/thought about, and I think they really liked my ideas for possible future programs. Still, nothing is a given, and I won't know for sure if I made it or not until next week.

Although I've been to multiple interviews before, I always manage to feel nervous about them right before I go in. But, the important thing to remember out of all of this is that I am pushing myself to expand my comfort bubble. It is all about challenging myself and pushing myself to go beyond my expectations.

Oriental Meditation

Hi everyone.

I haven't been blogging a lot lately... and I really do miss updating this thing with interesting ideas and stories. So, I'm taking time every day to reflect on the day's events and write about them... also, I will be reading my stack of books during that hour period. It'll be like a meditation period... Oriental only in the sense that I am Asian and that Southerners call Asians Oriental... (uhh, weird story about that.. but anyways).

Here it goes.

Emily

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I've just spent the last 15 minutes or so reading through some of my past thoughts. It was really strange just looking at how everything has changed in the course of a year. I feel like I need to do a little better job of documenting 2010 or some of the details and interesting facts will just melt away with the sun (inspired by spring?). I don't know. There's a lot that I've been thinking about lately, but nothing really comes to mind right now.

And the meditation continues...

Much missed, much needed Beachisms

It's been a long time since I've sat in high school band class, so, naturally, I cannot specifically regurgitate a life lesson that we learned while waiting for the low brass to get it together (haha, just kidding!). But today I vividly remembered one of these lessons and realized the truth in what the directors lectured us about two years ago.

All through high school, I was shockingly (yes, shocking because it was so different from what I am now) competitive. Freshman year, I almost kicked myself in the face for being ranked 15 and was totally upset over any grade lower than a 95 (well, except that 93 in gym, I totally accepted that :P). How ridiculously lame is that?! There was always someone I aimed to beat--always someone ahead. Over the four years, I calmed down quite a bit but was still completely driven to do better than other people.

Now, at UGA, in a class of almost 6,000 people compared to the mere 500 of high school, I feel utterly overwhelmed trying to think the same way I used to. I feel as if my high school competitive personality just isn't me anymore. How can it be? Who can I even begin to compare myself to in such a big place? With this new attitude, life is, for sure, a lot more easy going. But, my accomplishments seem to be slipping. I'm not doing as well in academics as I know I can, and I'm not getting things that I want to get (extra-curricular stuff). I definitely haven't changed. It's not like I got any dumber after summer 2009... (maybe inhaled too many toxic chemicals in China..) and it's not like I've lost all motivation and hope in accomplishing my goals.

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Anyway, point is: you are your greatest competition. Take that Beachism and run with it, folks.