Archive for March, 2011

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Just a Minute (March 2011)

March 31st, 2011 by Manda | 3 Comments | Filed in Life

On the last day of every month, I take Just a Minute to reflect on what I’m currently up to.

Booking… all sorts of travel and accommodation for my upcoming travels in May, and possibly part of June! But more on that later once everything is confirmed. A lot of it is still tentative and I’m nervous to talk about it before it’s all set in stone, because stuff always comes up and disrupts the best of plans.

Feeling… a little under the weather. I’m fast approaching burnout from my studies. Just as well that the end of semester is near!

Registering… for my fall semester classes. It’s crazy to think that I begin my senior year of college this fall. Where did all the time go? Do I really only have a year left before I have to be a Responsible Adult?!

Listening… to Eason Chan (陈奕迅), a very popular and well-known Hong Kong singer. I can’t get enough of his music.

Preparing… for my final exams, which are just around the corner. And on a related note…

Writing… my final paper for my media class. The fact that this is the first paper I’ve written in an entire year is a little worrying, because I am so rusty at both writing papers and using the English language in a formal sense.

Feeling… really drained from everything. Mentally, emotionally, physically – my mind and body are worn out. Is sleeping for a year straight an option?

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7 Deadly Sins: Pride

March 29th, 2011 by Manda | 6 Comments | Filed in Life

I’m taking a leaf out of eemusings‘ book and doing the “7 Deadly Sins” meme. I’m not going to post these consecutively; they’ll pop up every now and then as I please (read: when I have a steady Internet connection).

Day 1: Pride. Seven great things about myself.

1. I am multilingual.
English (obviously), Mandarin, Cantonese, and elementary French are languages that I can claim. I’d like to dramatically improve my French and add Italian and Spanish to the list, too. Italian because I think it’s beautiful and I studied it briefly in school, and Spanish because it’s becoming more and more useful in the States.

2. I am a good writer.
While this blog doesn’t always make it evident, particularly in light of my year of intensive Chinese language study, I am a damn good writer. From analytical to creative to everything in between, writing is something I’ve always been good at.

3. I care about people.
Just to clarify: I don’t care about a lot of people. But those that I do care about, I care about fiercely. I will do anything and everything for close friends and family. If I say I will drop anything for you in a second, or run to the ends of the world for you, I actually mean it. There are very few people I’ve said that to, and I will always mean it till the day I die.

4. I am ambitious.
I have hopes and dreams and goals just like the next person, and I work to make them a reality. It’s not always easy figuring out what I want, but once I do, I figure out the best way to go and get it.

5. I am a good student.
I’ve always done well in school and I can’t express how beneficial this has been for my life. It’s not just about getting into good schools and getting excellent educational opportunities because of my good grades, but it’s about being well-rounded for life. If I hadn’t learned how to be organized, manage my time, balance my interests, etc., I wouldn’t have done well in school. I see it all going hand-in-hand.

6. I am an excellent cook and an even more excellent baker.
I think this can speak for itself.

7. I give fantastic hugs.
I have been told this on numerous occasions by different people. Hugs are fantastic. To quote someone who put it far better than I ever could:

Hugging is healthy: It helps the body’s immunity system, it keeps you healthier, it cures depression, it reduces stress, it induces sleep, its invigorating, its rejuvenating, it has no unpleasant side-effects, and hugging is nothing less then a miracle drug.
Hugging is all-natural: It is organic, naturally sweet, no pesticides, no preservatives, no artificial ingredients, and is 100% wholesome.
Hugging is practically perfect: There are no movable parts, no batteries to wear out, no periodic check-ups, low energy consumption, high energy yield, inflation-proof, non-fattening, no monthly payments, no insurance requirements, theft-proof, non-taxable, non-polluting, and of course, fully returnable.
- Anonymous

Full list of days below the cut.

(more…)

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Here’s The Thing With Money, Friends, and Travel

March 28th, 2011 by Manda | 3 Comments | Filed in Friends, Travel

This past weekend, three friends and I went to Taishan (泰山), the holiest mountain of the Five Sacred Mountains in China. It was a standard budget weekend trip in China what with taking trains, staying in cheap hostels, eating street food, etc. The mountain was great and all (the climb not so much, but no one ever said climbing a mountain was easy) but the main thing I am taking away from “Taishan weekend” is that money, friends, and travel don’t necessarily mixed well. Especially when you are traveling abroad and there are extremely mixed levels of language ability.

I went with three other friends to Taishan. Two of them speak extremely limited Chinese, the other speaks just as well as I do. Not surprisingly, it was my one friend and I who did most of our communicating and navigating and guiding for the weekend in our various travels and excursions up, down, and around Taishan. And also not surprisingly, it was also my friend and I who foot the bill for about 85% of our expenses during the trip.

We are all poor students. It’s not like we traveled extravagantly during our time in Taishan. We took trains instead of planes, public transport instead of taxis, hostels instead of hotels, street food instead of restaurants. But still, those costs add up. And when the bill for four is split between two people, traveling becomes even more expensive. And it becomes even more expensive when the thought of paying back each share of the bill seems to conveniently slip people’s minds.

Is it really that much to ask for people to pay their own way when traveling? And to remember to pay back people who covered for them when they had no cash? And, when the question of repayment comes up, to actually pay back someone rather than just saying you will?

It is all just very frustrating. Money is such an awkward subject.

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