A Year in Quotations: 8/365

Why are human beings so bent on picking fights?

"A charging ram will eventually hit his head and get a concussion."

                                                                                                    
Anne Melikhanov

A Year in Quotations: 7/365

Do not judge, or you too will be judged.

For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with

the same measure you use, it will be measured to you.

Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother's eye

and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye?

How can you say to your brother, 'Let me take the speck out of your eye',

When all the time there is a plank in your own eye?

You hypocrite, first take the plank out

of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove

the speck from your brother's eye.

Matthew 7:3-5

"It is Premium, Yes?"

Obviously, the movie wasn't shot in Ukraine - the sidewalk is clean.

I never thought I'd miss the downright disgusting place I called home for 10 years, but watching “Everything is Illuminated” brought on a wave of nostalgia that swallowed me whole. Even though I lived 9 months out of each year in Moscow, the country I really miss is Ukraine, which was where I spent my summers. To the normal ninety-nine percent of people on planet Earth, the Ukrainian environment isn’t exactly the first place to pop up in their heads when they think of "home". But to me, it's nothing short of perfect.

I mean really, it's just beautiful. The stray mutts that limp through the crowds with other infested animals hanging from their jaws; the faded yellow plastic bags that float in the breeze like parachutes; the grimy cars that can barely make it to the nearest gas station before puffing out a cloud of black smoke; the haggy old women in shawls who swoop out of the shadows if you approach their stall; the mounds of cigarette butts and blackened gum on the pavement; the windows on the rattling train that either won't open, won't close or aren't present... And let's not forget the countless beggars. I find it ironic as the homeless bums on the streets define the place as my home.
Although all truth out, my perspective of life in Eastern Europe is dumbed down as I was a child when I lived there so I still imagine it from my shortened point of view. I didn't understand nor cared about the inner workings of the job hunt, government, tax system, rent and mortgage, account balancing and all those other adultish activities. Maybe now, if I go back, my views will drastically change as I experience what it is like to lead a true Russian life as a liberated woman.

What am I listening to: Free Your Mind (Victor King ft. DFD)
What am I thinking of: The lyrics and the purpose for which he wrote the song
What I should be doing: Studying World War II
What I want to do: Read the erotic novel I recently bought, Norwegian Wood

Oportunidad Perdida.

Recently I was presented with an opportunity to spend a year in Mexico as an exchange student. At first, I broke down in tears because there was nothing worse than being away from those I love. I imagined myself coming back home to completely different people than I had left behind. I imagined that they would forget the times we spent together and would have moved on to better, more interesting things. I imagined loosing my friends, everything I hold dear.

School is my refuge. At the end of each day, when I walk through the third floor hallway with my backpack heavy with books, a huge grin spreads on my face as I hear people chattering excitedly to one another, telling their friends about their day, complaining how much science homework they got, rushing past me to hand in late assignments, repeating a funny story someone told them or just waving goodbye, only to see the same people again tomorrow. Isolating me from the familiar bustle of home for a year was absolute terror.

Then another opportunity came along, one more manageable to my secret heart. It tempted me to spend half a year in Mexico, which sounded better and was definitely easier to imagine. I still refused but wasn't given a chance to speak my mind. So out of boredom, I began slowly wrapping my head around it and even got a little bit excited at the thought of fulfilling a small part of my lifelong goal - to know the world. It became a very realistic idea in my mind and I thought quite a bit about what an adventure I would have and how it would change me as an individual. Being an exchange student was also very appealing to me because many of my idols and inspirations, as well as good friends, have been exchange students themselves and the experience had given them enormous advantages in their lives and careers. But then I thought of how much my grades would drop when I came back to Vancouver, and my dream was instantly shattered.

I was afraid that I would have to repeat a grade and not graduate with the ones I came to know so well through the years, those whom I shared so many memories with. I was afraid that I would be excluded because of everything I missed out on - the jokes, the laughter, the tears, the moments. I was afraid that I would be alone because people would have already formed social circles at the beginning of the year and it would be hard to fit in again. I was afraid that those I love would change while I was gone, and I wouldn't be alongside them. Simply put, I was afraid of leaving the tight-knit community I have been part of all these years.

A Year in Quotations: 6/365

Dear Society,
Please make the effort to follow these simple instructions.
Sincerely, humanity.

-Ernest Hemingway

A Year in Quotations: 5/365

A Year in Quotations: 4/365

"Expectation is the root of all heartache."

                                                                                                
William Shakespeare

Rid your mind of expecatation; it will make your heart's job easier.

Catty Remarks

When I live alone in my Toronto apartment while attending university, I'm bound to feel a little isolated. Since I can't stand being the only soul around and living with people is just too difficult at times, I thought having a pet would be the best option. Now all you dog lovers out there, simmer down. There's no way a young university student can juggle education, friends, a part-time job, a future career, taxes, tuition fees and annoying parents, and still have time to look after someone else. Well, maybe some can. Just not me. I'm not going to have any time nor energy to take care of a dog. I decided that it would be in my best interests to adopt a cat.

Don't bludgeon me to death when I say that I think cats are better than dogs anyway. Maybe it's because I've always admired their independence, liberated attitude and the total control they have over their lives. Or maybe simply because cats and women fall into the same category: the black, mysterious half of Yin Yang.

I'm sure I will get some hate comments as soon as this goes up over why dogs are better than cats. But before that happens, I'd like to introduce some very legitimate reasons why it would be more suitable for me to adopt a cat.

- Cats calmly make daily deposits into their regular bank; while dogs never seem to come to a decision regarding which fire hydrant would charge them a lower interest rate.

- I don't need to bother with names, "Cat" will do just fine. What's the point? They don't come when they're called anyway.

- I will be able to take my cat into the car without having it run all over me to fog the windshield with its revolting breath.

- A cat will help to get all that nasty, stuck on varnish off the legs of my brand-new furniture. Bare wood is more natural, and splinters give it that rustic, homely look.

- My couch will be guarded from cookie crumbs and coffee spills by a thick layer of fur; it will also protect my Gucci pants when I sit down. This is great, as cat hair protects fabrics from acid rain, nuclear radiation and the Sun's Xenta rays.

- I don't need my pet to warn me of burglars, I have a house alarm and loaded firearms fot that. 

- Cats entertain themselves. Need I say more?

The most beautiful and magestic cat breed in the universe.

A Year in Quotations: 3/365

It's Sunday. Time for a little somethin'.

Recipe for a Sunday

Sundays are my favorite day of the week. I finish all my work on Saturday and dedicate the whole Sunday to recharge, refresh and ready myself for the coming week. For a reglar Julia-style Sunday, you need to:

- laze around in bed until noon
- wear the most cozy clothes you can find and put your hair up in a loose bun
- turn on all the fireplaces and dim the lights
- take a leisurely stroll in the park with your dog
- brew Earl Grey tea and read a fantastic novel
- find out what's new on the web while lying on your stomach with your feet up in the air
- devour a box of expensive chocolates
- dance around the room like nobody's watching (because really, nobody is)
- curl up under a blanket and watch a movie you've been meaning to get to for a while


That right there is the definition of perfection.

Silence of Love

Oh God, my face is soaked. And I've seen this clip before.

Must suck watching TV in Thailand, bawling like a bitch everytime the commercials come on...

A Year in Quotations: 2/365

To someone who needs it.  ^_^

A Year in Quotations: 1/365

A friend I've only met once and shared uncountable laughs with inspired me to post a year's length worth of quotes. So in honor of him, here's the first one, the one he posted -

"I still find each day too short for all the thoughts I want to think, all the walks I want to take, all the books I want to read, and all the friends I want to see."   

                   
John Burroughs

Flights of Fancy

Both exotic and familiar smells, sights and sounds flood my senses from all directions. The early market is already bustling with life as shouts of buyers and merchants fill the claustrophobic atmosphere. People are pushing past each other but barely moving on the wide but busy, cobblestone-lined street, their straw-woven baskets overflowing with crisp green apples, warm bread and freshly made goat cheese. A barefooted teenage boy in a scruffy white blouse and tattered dull brown trousers is leaning against a stall on the dusty ground, strumming low notes on his guitar. Straight across from him, over the heads of the village folk, a smaller boy, maybe at the age of twelve, is squatting on a branch of a colossal oak, clutching a flute in his hands. He begins to play a light-hearted tune, his dark, slender fingers moving swiftly along the silver instrument. The older boy strums his guitar more furiously, playing the same song with a competitive look on his face. People pause in the middle of the street, smiling and tossing cracked gold coins into the shabby hat of the musician they like best. What started out as friendly rivalry heats up into an aggressive contest, the tempo increasing every beat, becoming faster and faster still, until the musicians cannot keep up and stop playing, laughing heartily at each other. To my left, three drunk and unshaven middle aged men sit at a table in an outdoor pub and take turns wolf-whistling at the young server girl who is wearing a revealing striped dress. Beside the rowdy pub, an elderly Japanese woman is standing behind a counter jam-packed with delicate hand-painted urns of all sizes. To her right, there is a table where long, lacquered pairs of chopsticks are carefully laid out; some have cherry blossom patterns running down their sides, some have narrow dragons with white scales, and a select few have Japanese characters painted on them, wishing the user success, luck and longevity. Joyful squeals of two small boys can be heard over the crowd as they duel with their new wooden swords. Their grandmother, standing hunched-over in an old yarn throw, periodically shoots them disapproving glances as she carefully selects a bunch of grapes. As I slowly elbow my way through the crowd to my desired target, the church’s bells start chiming the morning hours. The low, steady beats echo over the bustle and noise, painting a perfect picture of a Sunday morning at a medieval marketplace.

Writer's Block

I had so many things on my mind but they all disappeared when I logged on. Damn.

What am I listening to: Why Sky Is (Jonghyun and Lee Ji Hoon live duet)
What am I thinking of: The ring. Oh my God, the ring.
What I should be doing: Writing a descriptive piece. But no inspiration = crappy work.
What I want to do: Read "My Sister's Keeper"

New Obsession: Vintage Jewelry

So gorgeous, number one on my wishlist...

An indestructable tie around your
finger, much like a "don't forget"

American Eagle Outfitters
- Silver Bow Ring


Location: Metropolis at Metrotown
Material: Some silver metal
Size: 6-8
Meaning: Immeasurable

Life's Grand.

Freshly fallen snow, a nostalgic song, the best friends in the world and warm sunshine on my face. Doesn't get much better than this :)

Hey you!

Never be someone else, kay?  ^_^

Why-Can't-I-Think-of-a-Title

Blogger, we meet again.
So many things to say, so dangerous to say them. So I'll just keep them to myself~
Alright, I will say one thing although it will irritate someone I care dearly about - I'm so excited for SHINee's comeback, it's driving me crazy! I can't wait to see what they've got up their sleeve this year. It better be worth it because they didn't release an album in a while.. Love Jjong's tousled look and glad to see that Minho's long hair is back. Just one complaint about the comeback style - Key's hair.. is not to my tastebud's liking. I can't see his defined eyebrows =_=

My inspiration and my joy (notice I didn't say love, because.. well.. I don't even know them.)

What I am listening to: Juliette (SHINee)
What I am thinking about: Why doesn't North America have boy bands like this
What I should be doing: editing my column
What I want to do: dance!!