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2009 In Review

December 31, 2009
3 Comments

2009_review_img

2009: My Year of Accomplishments & Firsts

  • Won first place, UBC Dance Club Minicomp (January 31st)
  • Won six trophies at Gala Ball: 2nd in Jive, Quickstep & Tango, and Vienese Waltz; 3rd in Rumba & Quickstep, Foxtrot, and Jive (most trophies at one competition to date).
  • Did the Vancouver SunRun 10K in 70 minutes (personal best to date).
  • Had my first ride on a motorcycle.
  • Travelled outside the country for the first time without the family.
  • Travelled outside the lower mainland for the first time without the family.
  • Finished high school.
  • Took my first university-level courses.
  • Gave my first health presentation at meeting.
  • Had my first needle, my first cavity drilling, my first tooth extraction, my first surgery, my first stitches, and finally, got my first prescription for drugs.
  • Walked away from someone important in my life for the first time.
  • Took my first fall in ballroom dancing.
  • Watched (in person) my first IDSF competition (Snowball Classic).
  • Bought my first secondary lens (Canon 50mm 1.8).
  • Went to my first XanGo regional. (Also, my first event with members of our team.)
  • Had my first real Vegas experience; walked the strip, wandered in casinos, Saw Cirque du Soleil’s “O” (also a first) and Phantom of the Opera at the Venetian.
  • Walked in California sand, dipped my feet in California ocean and visited a Californian beach for the first time.
  • Waketubed in the lake and fell off for the first time. Surprisingly, me stranded in the middle of lake while I was waiting for the boat to turn around and pick me up did not result in heart failure due to an extreme fear of fish and deep water.
  • Got my first 2nd degree burn. From a mop.

Although it’s not as much as I could have hoped for (it never is, is it?), I’m happy with what I accomplished and experienced. 2009 was a tricky year; one filled with awkward moments, lots of questions, deep valleys, lots of plateaus and a couple mount everests. I needed to spend this year alone, working my derrière off, figuring out myself, figuring out what I want, figuring out what I needed to get done.

2009, in one word, was challenging. For better or for worse.

How was your 2009? If you had to sum it up in one word, what would it be?

Day 316: Grace In Small Things

Comment?
  • The feeling of a freshly vacuumed bedroom floor.
  • Going to bed in freshly laundered sheets, sleeping in a freshly vacuumed, freshly cleaned bedroom.
  • Julie & Julia on blu-ray.
  • Successful first attempt at dark chocolate bark!
  • Leaving 2009 knowing 2010 will be 10x better.

Wage a battle against embitterment and take part in Grace In Small Things.

Day 315: Grace in Small Things

December 30, 2009
Comment?
  • Daily improvements.
  • Starting the day off studying the bible with my brother.
  • Taking an impressive-sized chunk out of the massive mess that has become my room. It is look slightly more presentable now.
  • Watching GYC live on 3ABN. I wish I was there in person, but this is probably the next best thing.
  • Getting caught up with these GiSTs!! (I know this must be a huge flood in all of your RSS feeds, but this was something I needed to do before the year ended.) I don’t want things carrying into 2010; we start with a blank slate.

Wage a battle against embitterment and take part in Grace In Small Things.

Day 314: Grace In Small Things

December 29, 2009
Comment?
  • Buying the sketchbook that will hold all the memories, quotes, photos and journaling of my nineteenth year. I can’t wait to get started.
  • Putting it all in God’s hands.
  • Getting a second opinion.
  • Hearing a bark come from Winks. I never thought I’d be so happy to hear him make noise.
  • Being the go-to geek.

Wage a battle against embitterment and take part in Grace In Small Things.

Day 313: Grace In Small things

December 28, 2009
Comment?
  • Window shopping at IKEA. Everyone in my family has things there that they’d love to have but will probably never get around to buying/putting together/installing.
  • Having my dog off-leash, stress-free, for 50% of a walk. A first.
  • Having a Big Comfy Couch moment where I wake up, look at my room, and stifle the urge to stand up on my bed, put my hands on my hips and ask an invisible camera, “Who made this big mess?!”
  • Lazy mornings.
  • Having a hair straightener. The days of using an actual iron to straighten my hair are gone!

Wage a battle against embitterment and take part in Grace In Small Things.

Day 312: Grace In Small Things

December 27, 2009
Comment?
  • Family get-togethers in which I actually have great conversations with my second cousins in their 20s instead of sitting in the corner with my brother avoiding small talk from the people who take pity on us.
  • Watching The Hangover with my family because I totally thought this was parents-appropriate. This just proves how immune I am to this kind of thing; all the swearing and suggestive content just didn’t phase me at all until I watched with people who actually notice it.
  • Dinner at WhiteSpot, where I order the exact same thing every single time: Caesar salad and zucchini sticks.
  • Downing Spritzers the entire evening. Gosh I do ever love bubbly, fruity drinks.
  • Daily improvements.

Wage a battle against embitterment and take part in Grace In Small Things.

Day 311: Grace In Small Things

December 26, 2009
Comment?
  • Having dad come to church with us.
  • Seeing old friends who’ve come home for Christmas break.
  • Boxing day shopping.
  • Chilling with the dad and brother.
  • Surviving an experience I expected to be nerve-wracking.

Wage a battle against embitterment and take part in Grace In Small Things.

Day 310: Grace In Small Things

December 25, 2009
Comment?
  • How gorgeous the Christmas tree looks when surrounded by presents.
  • Christmas miracles.
  • Making smart gift selections that result in happy gift receivers.
  • Sitting by the fire, preparing dinner ingredients ahead of time. It feels so good not to be rushed and stressed for Christmas dinner for once.
  • A humongous Christmas dinner of all flavors and varieties. And smoked turfurkey.

Wage a battle against embitterment and take part in Grace In Small Things.

Day 309: Grace In Small Things

December 24, 2009
Comment?
  • Feeling a peace and calm that only comes from God when facing impossibly stressful and difficult situations.
  • Listening to the gut feeling.
  • Christmas eve miracles.
  • Chocolate cappuccino gelato birthday cakes.
  • Going to bed happy.

Wage a battle against embitterment and take part in Grace In Small Things.

Day 308: Grace In Small Things

December 23, 2009
Comment?
  • Conversing with your friends’ parents. Always odd, usually surprisingly pleasant.
  • Going downtown for Christmas Shopping Day 2. Status of Christmas gift shopping now: 100% complete.
  • Walking into the ultra-riche department stores when you don’t look like a complete bum. Always a good thing.
  • Weird people on the Skytrain.
  • Good hair days.

Wage a battle against embitterment and take part in Grace In Small Things.

Day 307: Grace In Small Things

December 22, 2009
Comment?
  • Shopping for a dress… 5 hours before the ball.
  • Finding the perfect dress… 4 hours before the ball.
  • Achieving 95% of Christmas shopping on Day 1.
  • Getting attention. Normally I don’t care, but after a rough couple weeks of being in a weird place mentally and feeling awkward about my style and the way I look, I’ve realized that everyone needs reassurance every once in while.
  • When someone’s smile and a casual, “hey” makes your heart stop.

Wage a battle against embitterment and take part in Grace In Small Things.

Day 306: Grace In Small Things

December 21, 2009
Comment?
  • Learning how to move past frustrations and failures and look to improving the future.
  • Finishing part 1 of 2 of assigned work over Christmas break, before Christmas.
  • Getting ideas from the best friend about the Great Bedroom Redesign of 2010.
  • Looking forward to starting on Christmas shopping.
  • Achieving cleanliness.

Wage a battle against embitterment and take part in Grace In Small Things.

Day 305: Grace In Small Things

December 20, 2009
Comment?
  • Taking time out of an otherwise “clean up” day to take those English exams.
  • Doing things by the book.
  • Anticipating.
  • Bonding with my brother.
  • Idle cleaning.

Wage a battle against embitterment and take part in Grace In Small Things.

Day 304: Grace In Small Things

December 19, 2009
Comment?
  • Surviving the inevitably awkward, “I promised I’d showed up to the birthday of friend of whom I have no other mutual friends with, so therefore I know no one here” situation.
  • Being careful about getting hopped up on false hope.
  • Family moments that bring us closer together.
  • Napping all afternoon.
  • French fries. I so rarely eat them that when I do, they’re delicious.

Wage a battle against embitterment and take part in Grace In Small Things.

Day 303: Grace In Small Things

December 18, 2009
Comment?
  • Finding the motivation needed to push past challenging assignments to just get it done.
  • Finally getting those Christmas cards in the mail. On the last day for guaranteed delivery.
  • Calling the driving school and booking a tentative appointment. This has been on my to-do list for over a year, I’m ashamed to say.
  • Calling the best friend’s dad for information needed for her super-secret Christmas gift.
  • When this happens. The odds are too ironic; you have to find this funny.

Wage a battle against embitterment and take part in Grace In Small Things.

Day 302: Grace In Small Things

December 17, 2009
Comment?
  • References to the 50s.
  • (Actually, everything about the 50s. Including the way men did their hair!)
  • Things that make your day.
  • When parents catch on to technology, in a good way.
  • Having a functional rice cooker again. I love timed technology.

Wage a battle against embitterment and take part in Grace In Small Things.

Day 301: Grace In Small Things

December 16, 2009
Comment?
  • The good kind of drama. When you live a relatively boring life where every day is pretty much the same as the day before it, the odd pleasant twist is greatly welcome.
  • Verbal sparring. I can’t even begin to explain how refreshing it feels to do this with someone who can keep up.
  • Getting emails that make you want to actually check your inbox instead of avoid it.
  • Appreciating clever usage of the English language.
  • Taking care of those things that have been nagging at my subconscious.

Wage a battle against embitterment and take part in Grace In Small Things.

Day 300: Grace In Small Things

December 15, 2009
Comment?
  • Road bikes. Infinitely easier to ride than mountain bikes when you’re going uphill.
  • Baking gingerbread cookies. A first.
  • Successfully melting chocolate with a makeshift double boiler.
  • Independent mobility.
  • Grocery shopping.

Wage a battle against embitterment and take part in Grace In Small Things.

Day 299: Grace In Small Things

December 14, 2009
Comment?
  • Unexpected surprises.
  • How whenever you attempt to look good you never run into anyone you care about looking good for, but as soon as you stop making an effort, you run into three. Oh sweet irony.
  • Making plans for the new year.
  • Finishing the muchly-procrastinated Chem review notes for Chapter 5.
  • Bashful boys.

Wage a battle against embitterment and take part in Grace In Small Things.

Day 298: Grace In Small Things

December 13, 2009
Comment?
  • Getting our tree up, and decorating it!
  • Finishing You’ve Got Mail. NEW FAVORITE MOVIE.
  • Getting all the outdoor lights up. The house and yard looks so lovely in various arrangements of white and red lights.
  • SNOW ON THE GROUND. I can’t stress how awesome it is to have snow – normally I hate it, but this year I feel its an essential part of the Christmas season.
  • Wyoming, country-style take on the nativity story.

Wage a battle against embitterment and take part in Grace In Small Things.

Day 297: Grace In Small Things

December 12, 2009
Comment?
  • Totally by chance, preferable seating choices.
  • After-concert refreshments.
  • Wearing my new sweater, an early xmas present.
  • Reconnecting with old faces.
  • The book of Matthew genealogy song.

Wage a battle against embitterment and take part in Grace In Small Things.

Day 296: Grace In Small Things

December 11, 2009
Comment?
  • Speaking my mind, however harsh and cutting. I can apologize later, but sometimes it just feels so good to yell and “get it all out there”.
  • Choosing our Christmas tree!
  • Hoedown throwdown and interactive, action-filled 12 days of Christmas at this year’s preformance of The Singing Christmas Tree.
  • Breaking out my favorite pair of ultra functional, furry North Face boots. Bring on the snow!
  • Multigrain vegetarian lasagna with sauteed broccolini.

Wage a battle against embitterment and take part in Grace In Small Things.

Day 295: Grace In Small Things

December 10, 2009
Comment?
  • Getting away with deadlines by the scruff of my neck.
  • Writing passionately. It always feels so good – like a creative rush – when I can write when I am “in the moment” of inspiration, instead of taking notes to write about at a time more convenient.
  • Realizing how much certain TV & movies affect my mood. (In a bad way).
  • Running under track lights. It makes me feel so insignificant, yet so center stage at the same time. Great pump-up for going the extra mile, literally.
  • Hitting emotional rock bottom. As intoxicating as the feeling of indulging utter despair is, once you get over it, it’s nice to know you have nowhere else to go but up.

Wage a battle against embitterment and take part in Grace In Small Things.

Day 294: Grace In Small Things

December 9, 2009
Comment?
  • Heart-stopping moments between two people.
  • Glee finale. Love this show.
  • Going to bed before midnight.
  • Making physical distance not exist.
  • Remembering monthly deadlines.

Wage a battle against embitterment and take part in Grace In Small Things.

Day 293: Grace In Small Things

December 8, 2009
Comment?
  • A successful first-ever attempt at pizza dough.
  • A successful first-ever attempt at basil pesto.
  • Perfectly cooked spaghetti. El dante!
  • Family dinners.
  • Conquering to-do lists.

Wage a battle against embitterment and take part in Grace In Small Things.

5 reasons why New Moon is better than Twilight

December 7, 2009
16 Comments

Alternatively titled, The Post In Which All Five of Chanel’s Remaining Twilight Readers Unsubscribe, A Totally Unbiased Review Of One Of The Worst Second Installments Ever.

Last year, I gave you five reasons why Twilight sucked. Since then, the Twilight franchise has rolled out a second installment to their first cash cow, this one entitled “The Twilight Saga: New Moon” for all five of the dumbest people in North America who have been living under a rock with poor wireless reception. (I say ‘North America’ because I’m pretty sure people in other continents have better things to do than follow the updates of a fictional girl forced to choose between necrophilia and bestiality.)

Continue Reading →

Day 292: Grace In Small Things

Comment?
  • Taking a creative day.
  • Getting my (rusty) inspiration working again.
  • Tweaking. Such an idle, passive activity – but gently soothing to the soul, somehow.
  • Friday Night Lights.
  • Anonymous comments & questions!

Wage a battle against embitterment and take part in Grace In Small Things.

Day 291: Grace In Small Things

December 6, 2009
Comment?
  • Keeping things together. Barely, but even so.
  • Thermacare products. HELLO PAIN RELIEVER.
  • Journalling again in a journal that is literally more than ten years old.
  • Reading things that spell something out so clearly you’re amazed you never realized it before, and having them unintentionally validate the way things are at the moment.
  • Warm, dimly-lit rooms, listening to soothing music and drinking warm tea.

Wage a battle against embitterment and take part in Grace In Small Things.

Day 290: Grace In Small Things

December 5, 2009
Comment?
  • Having curly hair. (My hair is straight – this was a nice change!)
  • Straight guy friends who can give you fashion advice from the perspective of a man.
  • The “braless” look – maybe I’m just weird, but with certain dresses and t-shirts I think sans bra looks better than the alternative.
  • One of the coolest mixer gamers I’ve seen in awhile – everyone is given a piece of paper from two separate bowls (one for men, one for women) which contain fragments of christmas lyrics, and when Christmas music is playing you’re supposed to find the person who has the phrase that completes yours and dance with then, in hopes of winning a gift. (I was “… The Halls”, looking for “Deck..”)
  • When people surprise me in ways that are completely unexpected.

Wage a battle against embitterment and take part in Grace In Small Things.

Day 289: Grace In Small Things

December 4, 2009
Comment?
  • Having the sense to wear tights under my pants before I stood in line in the freezing cold for three hours to get into the American Apparel rummage sale.
  • Pesto pizza and ginger ale. Such a badass combination.
  • Trying on new clothes I’ve already bought.
  • A conversation with a stranger at a bus stop over a commonality.
  • Talking to someone I’ve missed.

Wage a battle against embitterment and take part in Grace In Small Things.

Day 288: Grace In Small Things

December 3, 2009
Comment?
  • Wearing hipster outfits to university drama club plays.
  • Socializing with friends from a specific social scene, outside of that social scene.
  • When people know my name without me having to introduce myself. This is the oddest (yet, very cool) sensation.
  • 70% cocoa chocolate squares. I’ve always disliked dark chocolate, but after trying these particular ones, I’m not sure I’ll be able to go back to milk chocolate!
  • Feeling like I lead a normal life for someone my age, for once.

Wage a battle against embitterment and take part in Grace In Small Things.

Day 287: Grace In Small Things

December 2, 2009
Comment?
  • Going for a run for the first time in months. It felt wonderful. I ran for about 20 minutes straight, which is incredibly surprising to me considering how I essentially haven’t ran since the SunRun back in April of 2009!
  • The winter sun. It looks different from the sun of the other seasons.
  • “Getting back on the horse” by taking similar quiz to to the one I failed a week or so back, and doing really well on it. Small steps to rebuilding confidence.
  • Having mom back home.
  • A week packed with school and leisure. Its the days where I don’t do anything and don’t have to be anywhere that worry me.

Wage a battle against embitterment and take part in Grace In Small Things.

Day 286: Grace In Small Things

December 1, 2009
Comment?
  • Being up at the crack of dawn.
  • Discovering that the world is beautiful at 7:30am.
  • Being out in the sun and feeling alive, instead of drained (what I usually feel like when I’m in the sun).
  • Balance.
  • Getting my hair cut. Considering my last haircut was in the summer – probably the beginning of summer, actually – it was long overdue!

Wage a battle against embitterment and take part in Grace In Small Things.

Day 285: Grace In Small Things

November 30, 2009
Comment?
  • Grocery shopping at my local store.
  • Walking the dog and seeing so many christmas trees, decorations and lights up already. It makes me warm and fuzzy inside!
  • Spiffying up a plain frozen cheese pizza with veggie pepperoni, red peppers, fresh tomatoes and extra cheese.
  • Getting lab two out of two done.
  • Hitting every single mark on my to do list. Those checkmarks feel good.

Wage a battle against embitterment and take part in Grace In Small Things.

Day 284: Grace In Small Things

November 29, 2009
Comment?
  • Discovering new workout ideas that still challenge me (and my abs), but don’t kill me in the process.
  • Going shopping with the brother and dad. Outdoors-y equipment shopping.
  • One lab down, one more to go.
  • Dinner at The Naam; being in old familiar places again.
  • Movies that make you think. A love-hate thing, since I usually prefer movies of the mindless drivel variety.

Wage a battle against embitterment and take part in Grace In Small Things.

Day 283: Grace In Small Things

November 28, 2009
Comment?
  • Picking up my long-awaited 40 pound box of oranges and grapefruit.
  • The really odd feeling you get when you discover a person of interest among a group of people you see all the time and subsequently, always overlook.
  • Getting a ride home. My soaked feet were especially grateful.
  • Men who dress well, and men who have no sense of fashion at all. Nothing in between.
  • Haystacks for lunch, The Hangover and Haystacks (redux) for dinner.

Wage a battle against embitterment and take part in Grace In Small Things.

Day 282: Grace In Small Things

November 27, 2009
Comment?
  • Waking up before the crack of dawn to give something to someone, and in my sleep-induced, last-night’s-makeup, sweatpants-and-hoodie state, getting a compliment. Talk about unexpected things in unexpected places.
  • Getting “back on the horse”, and earning a 97% mark. A good comeback.
  • Getting back to people and doing the things I’ve been avoiding.
  • Public transit-ing with the brother, who is significantly less charmed by the system than I am.
  • Fountainview Academy’s Christmas concert in Westminster. It was beautiful. I love Christmas productions of all kinds; plays, concerts, light shows, etc.

Wage a battle against embitterment and take part in Grace In Small Things.

1,000 miles separate us

8 Comments

Long Beach, California in November

As some of you may know, I just recently got back from an extended weekend in Los Angeles. Given that it pretty much rained non-stop and even hailed at one point back at home while I was gone, most people have asked me why on earth I would even consider returning. The answer should be clear: obviously, I missed being cold and wet 24/7. (Not.)

Speaking of which, here’s what it looks like at home right now:

Vancouver in November

Would you have returned?

Besides giving me time with my favorite Americans and the first non-working vacation in quite awhile, this little trip has given me newfound motivation to be successful (or, if that fails, becoming the most successful golddigger): I want a winter home.

Continue Reading →

Day 281: Grace In Small Things

November 26, 2009
Comment?
  • The “aha!” moment when you finally get something you’ve been struggling with since the very beginning.
  • How it instantly puts me at full attention when people use my name, either in reference to me around other people or when talking to me directly.
  • Painting my nails cherry red in class. Its been forever (in fact, I can’t even recall when) since I’ve had painted nails of any color except clear. It feels good. And cute.
  • Wearing sweatpants outside the house; a small pleasure in life.
  • Earning my bubble tea reward.

Wage a battle against embitterment and take part in Grace In Small Things.

Day 280: Grace In Small Things

November 25, 2009
Comment?
  • Completely failing a quiz for the first time in my entire academic life, and handling it surprisingly well.
  • Learning to accept certain realities no matter how hard they are to take and moving past them.
  • Slowly getting over The Temporary Insanity that has thrown me off balance for the last couple days.
  • Being humbled.
  • Considering my future, and things that may or may not be in it.

Wage a battle against embitterment and take part in Grace In Small Things.

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IN THIS ISSUE:
How to (do anything) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Pg. 101
Things my mother says . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Pg. 105
Living with Denzil . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Pg. 114
Photoshop tips . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Pg. 178
Confessions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Pg. 199
Recipes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Pg. 263
Grace In Small Things . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Pg. 365
Vancouver living . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Pg. 604