breakthesky.net » Life

Just a Minute (September 2011)

Manda — Fri, 30 Sep 2011 23:43:22 +0000

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

Happy… that I am able to blog again! I’ve spent the better part of September unable to access my blog’s admin panel. Long story short, I’ve been working with support to get the issue fixed, so hopefully things are good now.

Writing… various research papers and case analysis for my classes. Midterm season is coming up in just a few weeks so it’s definitely time to kick it into high gear.

Scouring… the web for the hottest deals from Groupon, LivingSocial, etc. Last weekend, I used a $15 off coupon I claimed for free at a really awesome restaurant for dinner with the boyfriend. Then, my friend shared her Groupon for a delicious Italian restaurant. It’s safe to say I’ve got couponing on the brain!

Bookmarking… zillions of recipes so that I won’t ever run out of meal ideas. Next on my cooking list are vodka penne pasta, cheesecake stuffed strawberries, and buckeye brownies. Yum!

Searching… for my misplaced external hard drive and camera cord and charger. I’m really, really hoping that they aren’t lost forever.

Earthquakes, Hurricanes, Floods, and Now a Terrorist Threat

Manda — Fri, 09 Sep 2011 01:30:35 +0000

First there was an earthquake. Then there was Hurricane Irene. Now there is massive flooding from Tropical Storm Lee. And now, in light of the 10th anniversary of September 11 this Sunday, there is a terror threat.

I guess there’s nothing like starting the academic year off with lots of dramatic events…

Just a Minute (August 2011)

Manda — Wed, 31 Aug 2011 17:18:07 +0000

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

Starting… my classes for the fall semester. So far I’m really excited about them all, which is great because my schedule is overpacked this semester and it would be horrible if I didn’t like my classes!

Loving… my internship. It’s early days, but I have a really good feeling about this. I was already doing hands-on work my first day, which is a very positive sign.

Working… a lot. I love my job (I have a part-time job in addition to my internship and classes) and I look forward to work every day, but having such a thorough schedule impacts my social life a teeny bit. I’m not complaining, though :)

Spending… time with my friends, roommates, and boyfriend. It’s hard to juggle seeing everyone on top of all my other commitments, but I vowed to not let my social life slide in favor of class and work. So far I seem to be balancing everything pretty well, but it is only the first week of the semester.

Buying… daily deals from sites like Groupon and LivingSocial. I only buy them for things I would go to anyway (like discounted museum tickets) or for a restaurant I’ve been wanting to try. It reminds me of those coupon books my mom had when I was a kid and we’d use the deals in the book to try out new restaurants!

Budgeting… more stringently from now on, thanks to the help of BudgetPulse. (Funny how “budgeting” comes right after my bullet about “buying”!) My goal is to use BudgetPulse as a tool for me to not only manage my money better but also to figure out where it all goes.

21

Manda — Tue, 23 Aug 2011 16:37:33 +0000

I’m finally 21!!!!!!!!

And that is pretty much all I have to say about that.

How Am I STILL Not 21?!

Manda — Sun, 21 Aug 2011 04:17:39 +0000

Even though my 21st birthday is only a few days away, I’ve never been so upset that I’m not yet 21. All my friends are out at the bars and clubs and I’m stuck home alone on a Saturday night because I can’t get into the places they’re at. Thank GOD this is my last weekend as a 20-year-old because this seriously blows.

Oh 21st birthday, please hurry up and arrive before I have no social life to speak of…! (I kid. Well, kind of. I miss being able to go out and have wild nights, dammit! I never had this age problem in China!)

I Need to Invest in Rain Gear

Manda — Sun, 14 Aug 2011 17:05:54 +0000

This morning was the third time I’ve been caught in a torrential downpour without an umbrella or any form of rain protection whatsoever in the last two weeks. This leads me to believe I either need to live in a place that is not prone to torrential downpours (unlikely to happen) or invest in an umbrella (much more likely to happen).

Seriously though, who else has this kind of luck? At least the first time I was running in the streets with the boy (which made me feel like I was in The Notebook). But the last two times I’ve been caught in the rain on my walk home. I guess I should consider it lucky that I was only going home and not leaving home because then it didn’t really matter if I got soaked to the bone, but still. It’s kind of depressing to have the heavens open on you as you’re trudging home.

Thing is, I don’t like umbrellas. Actually, I hate them. When it gets really rainy, more often than not it’s incredibly windy, and then an umbrella is pretty much useless because the raindrops are flinging at you in all directions and it’s just a hot mess. A rain jacket is much more practical, but far more expensive.

…basically, I just need to be more prepared for rain. Gotta go shopping for a rain jacket, rain boots, and possibly even an umbrella. It rained so rarely in Beijing that I’m really not used to how prone DC is to rainy weather!

Goodbye Chicago, Hello D.C.

Manda — Mon, 08 Aug 2011 14:07:48 +0000

I’ve moved.

Last week was “Moving Week,” hence my disappearance from the Internet for the first week of August. I packed up all my worldly possessions and moved from Chicago to D.C. I do miss Chicago already, but it’s a strange way of missing a city. I’ve really only lived in Chicago for two years (my last two years of high school), since then I’ve been only going home for relatively short visits. Still, two years is a long enough time to call a place home, and I’ll miss that Chicago skyline.

But! D.C. is one of my favorite cities in the US, and I’m now living in an apartment with two of my best friends. This is a vast improvement over living in the dorms, which is what I did my freshman and sophomore years of college. I’m super excited to have my own kitchen with a working oven. The first things I want to make are cheesecake-stuffed strawberries and chocolate cupcakes with peanut butter frosting. YUM :D

As my school year doesn’t start until the last week of August, I’ve got all month to settle into my new digs, see friends, and hopefully land an internship for the semester. Oh, and hang out with my (new) boyfriend…!!

Just a Minute (July 2011)

Manda — Sun, 31 Jul 2011 14:26:06 +0000

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

Packing… up all of my worldly possessions for my upcoming move to DC. My God, I hate packing. You’d think with the amount of un/packing I have to do with all my traveling I’d at least like packing a little, but nope.

Reading… an essay about the rise and fall of Quanzhou, China. It’s very dense, and if I hadn’t promised a friend I’d read it I’d be reading Sarah Dessen or something.

Catching… up on my TV shows. I’ve finished The Big Bang Theory, Modern Family, and The Tudors. I’ve still got Game of Thrones, How I Met Your Mother, and Glee to catch up on. Not to mention I’ve started watching a new Chinese TV show, so I’ve got a lot of TV watching to do.

Baking… cakes and cupcakes to make up for my year with no oven in China! So far I’ve made lemon basil olive oil cake and coconut-grapefruit cupcakes with matcha frosting.

Browsing… lots of food blogs in an effort to start stockpiling recipes. I’ll be cooking for myself all year and I need new recipe ideas!

Anticipating… my return to DC! I can’t wait to move into my apartment, live with my roommates, and see all of my friends again.

Today Was a Fairytale

Manda — Sat, 30 Jul 2011 03:59:49 +0000

Yesterday¹ was one of those days when all the stars aligned and everything fell into place effortlessly.

I had bubble milk tea with taro, one of my favorite drinks. I had a delicious home-cooked Chinese lunch. I saw Chinglish, an absolutely fantastic play. I went to KTV and, for an evening, could pretend that I was back in my beloved China. And I finally heard something I’ve been waiting to hear for far, far too long.

Oh, and I made these coconut-grapefruit cupcakes with matcha (green tea) frosting:

Yes, the title of this entry is ripped off the Taylor Swift song, but “Yesterday Was a Fairytale” doesn’t quite have the same ring. Ah, well.

The World of Credit Cards

Manda — Mon, 25 Jul 2011 19:29:58 +0000

I was approved for a credit card at the bank today. This is clearly a sign I am Moving Up and Becoming a Real Adult as I’ve only ever had a debit card before. While I don’t have my actual card yet (it takes 2-3 weeks for my card to be sent to me) I do have a credit account now, with a line of credit from my bank and everything. Isn’t that scary?

As a rising college senior, it might seem like I’m a little late to the credit card game. In a way, I am; to my knowledge I have a non-existent credit rating. I’ve never had a credit card, how could I have a credit score? But the truth is, I’ve always been a little terrified of credit cards. Tons of people, especially in my age demographic, have more credit card debt than they know how to deal with. Of course I know the basics of avoiding credit card debt (which all basically boil down to don’t spend money you don’t have) but the fact that the terms “credit card” and “credit card debt” are almost always used in the same sentence in every news report about credit kind of scares me.

I don’t plan on making any flashy purchases with my new credit card, nor do I plan on spending money I don’t have with it, line of credit or no. What I do plan on using it for is to build my credit. Which leads me to an all-important question: anyone have any credit-building tips?