Apple Picking & Mini Donkeys!

Yes, Fall is definitely here. I feeeel it. My colleague invited me to go apple-picking with some of her friends, and I thought, WHY NOT? Although it rained on Saturday morning, as my colleague promised, it stopped when we got to Stone Ridge Orchard. Not only were there apples on the trees, but they were all over the floor. It makes me feel kind of sad and wasteful, knowing that people will not be picking the apples that are on the floor. It was still a nice experience, nonetheless.

The best part of this trip though, was not the apples. It was the mini-donkeys! Yes, they're real, and tinier, and cute. There's this guy named Steve, whose daughter went to college and told him that she joined the donkey club. He laughed at her, thinking what a silly club. He ended up researching about it, and 3 years ago, he started his mini collection. And now he has 7 whole mini-donkeys. What a story! Only people in the suburbs can do such a thing. And guess what. These things cost around $375 (MUCH LESS THAN A PUPPY/DOG!) Of course, there's a reason why dogs cost so much, because they're cute and wonderful creatures. Anyway, the names of the donkeys were Sweetie Pie, Flinch (Sweetie Pie's son), Romper, Stomper, Indiana, Dakota (Dakota's daughter... she was like extra-mini donkey), and Flame.

My favorite was Romper because he was a beauty. Steve said he's a little overweight actually, but it was because he was raised with horses who ate different things and thus he had a luxurious life and became fat. Now, he's just back here sharing a stack of boring hay with 6 other donkeys. Honestly, they were so darn cute and soft, and fun to pet, but they were so into the hay (for the whole time we stayed), they just got boring. Romper did come out of the hay stack once in a while (maybe because he was thinking about his past life with better food), but who knows. I liked that he knew how to remove himself sometimes. Romper's a different one. I felt it the moment I saw him.

Anyway... I'll just jump to a few of the pics I took. Enjoy!

 This was an apple I left behind because the other side was ugly.

 AH-MAY-ZING VIEW. And yes, I took this pic!

 I've considered sending this shot to an advertising agency. LOL

 Romper!! <3 font="">

 Misty cheesing all day after seeing these mini donkeys

Our failed attempt to take a selfie with Romper.

Glory Days

Hello again. I've managed to stay past 1AM today, and surprisingly I am still not tired. So here I am again, jotting down the recent thoughts I've been having lately.

I believe that I'm pretty much content with life at the moment. I never thought I'd say that since the day I turned 23. The month of my birthday was one of the toughest months ever. From May to June, I've stayed at work past 8 and even 9PM, and I think I've never been so stressed in my life. And I guess, without struggles, I wouldn't be where I'm at right now. All my hard work has been acknowledged and praised for which I thank God for. And those friends who stuck around me, tolerating my lateness on days I get off late, tolerating my complaints about work, and just there to listen and give me advice.

Perhaps it's the Summer vibes. I love seeing the sun still out after I get out of work. It makes me feel like the day is still young, and I have time to socialize and stay out. That I wasn't wasting my life at work only. Better yet, I feel like I'm at a steady pace, and I can actually complete my tasks and leave around 6:30. Of course, there are still many things on my plate, but as the month goes by, I know it will become a decently portioned plate that won't spill all over the place.

Tonight, I went roller skating with Evelyn, Sooin, and her friend, Tiffany. It was my first time ever, and I'm not gonna lie, it felt more difficult than roller blading and ice skating. But once you get to the rink, the DJ is playing smooth songs people can dance to while skating. I've never felt so... jubilant doing a sport. Everyone at the rink was so amazing, so in sync, jiving to the music happily. As I clumsily entered the rink, I felt a bit embarrassed to even move among these pro skaters. This woman next to me started smiling at me and she told me to hold onto the wall. I told her it was my first time, and she was telling how they've all been at my position before, so I should stay close to the wall, and if I fall, I'll fall, get on my knees and crawl back up. It's normal and nothing to be embarrassed about because they are all family here.

Maybe because she mentioned the family part, but it made me feel so much more comfortable. I just skated around the rink, watching people boogie, shake, clap and sway to the rhythm of the music. The carefree, lighthearted and happy vibes just exerted from all of them, and even though I sucked at skating, I couldn't help but to keep smiling and admire everyone else there. They were all just having fun, and their zone. The old, the young, the middle-aged. I just wanted everyone to give me hug and take my hand to dance with them. Of course, this didn't happen, but as I was smiling stupidly, this woman smiled back at me telling me she loved the breeze. This was my chance. I agreed and approached her slowly, asking her if she can give me any tips on roller skating. This woman told me that I needed my own skates first (without the stoppers). I told her this was my first time skating ever and she complimented that I was doing well. I asked her how to dance and skate at the same time. She took my hand and told me that I need to feel the music and let my body embrace it.

I almost shook my hips with her, but since I'm not a dancer, nor can I dance at all, it came out stiff and weird, and I told her that I can't dance :( Still she was very encouraging, and she told me that the music will come to me, and I should get my own skates and practice comfortably. Everyone there was just so awesome and friendly, and I wish I was always surrounded by such an amazing environment like that. So, I've decided that this is something I think I can be passionate about. Something that I can make my passion. Something that I can spend money and time on, and enjoy every second of it. Something that I can put on my resume, and tell people as an "interesting fact" about myself. But first, baby steps. I'm excited to go roller skating again. And I don't care if I'm always smiling stupidly at the rink. I just want to be skate and be part of the family - living these glory and care-free days.

Entering the Adult Life

Hello, it's been a long, long time since I've written here. Sometimes throughout the day, I would think to write in my blog... or my thoughts somewhere. I have so many thoughts boggled up inside of me that I find necessary to keep note of.

I'm proud to say that I'm an adult now. After graduating college in May 2013, I've lounged around in my house and wasted money without income for around 2-3 months. Of course, it felt great being care-free, but sometimes I felt useless.

So at the end of August of 2013, I got hired for this internship that paid $9/hr. Why not? It was a start somewhere. It was a small startup company, and I was a little excited and nervous. They only told me they wanted me for 2 days for now. Sounds good to me. Work 2 days, rest 5 days. I later found out that I was actually on a mini trial. Kind of like, if she's good for the first 2 weeks, then we're gonna keep her. Sooooo... obviously I was awesome. They asked me to come in 3 days/week. I was fine with that as well. And then suddenly, this other intern that was working 3 half-days/week decided to disappear without a word. This is when they told me to take over her days, and eventually, I was working the same amount of time as a full time would.

It was pretty alright on my first 2-3 weeks, I believe. However, things got busy pretty quickly. I usually took off at around 5-5:30pm, but I found myself, an intern, staying behind til 6 or 6:30pm. Honestly, I felt like a little bitch at work. Basically, interns are bitches. But I was a good one they caught. Because I'm very passive in the work environment, and not a person who can say no. 'Hey, can you do this for me? Can you break down these boxes? Can you deliver these here? Can you stay a little later?' Yes, yes, yes and yes. I said yes to everything they asked me to do. Because, honestly, an intern is in no position to say no.

The shy and soft-spoken Daisy finally got a little more comfortable with the company and her colleagues. I worked hard and people actually acknowledged my efforts and that's what made me like it. In my past jobs, I felt like just another intern, and if I were to take a day or two off, it wouldn't make a difference. Anyway, as November came, I got a raise! Wooooo!! One whole dollar of a raise. It was a tiny difference, but I stayed optimistic. One dollar is better than no dollar. And it was within 2 months, so not too bad, Daisy.

Of course I've complained here and there to my friends, and they told me I was underpaid and it wasn't worth working here. By the end of December, I was asked to become full time. It wasn't too high of a pay, but I took it anyway. Since my full-time life, I would say, I am comfortable with where I'm at. Comfortable with the people I work with, and comfortable with the system of how things worked. I've cried, I've laughed, and I've hung out with my colleagues after work. These are what adults do when they work together, but sometimes much scarier than I imagined.

Being an adult means much more responsibility, and much more responsibility means much more stress. A regular day for me would be 9am - 6:30pm or later. But my workload is always incomplete and I always feel like, even if I can get off at 5 or 6pm, I have many things left hanging that I must deal with the next day or within the next week. It doesn't end. Like really. To take one thing off my over-filled plate feels really great, but somehow that spot just keeps refilling itself.

Lesson I'm learning: being an adult sucks. I spend most of week in the office (I even go in on the weekends sometimes), I have less time for my friends and myself, and as much as you're comfortable with the people you work with, sometimes you still gotta hold yourself back, and not get too comfortable. Plus, you're so exhausted from work, sometimes you just want to go home, be unsociable, and sleep. I don't know how I stayed up so late during my college days, but I just can't keep my eyelids from dropping anymore. Yes, it's scary, and I must sleep now.

Log Out & Shut Down

The internet is a wonderful creation. The internet is also an evil creation.

It's 2013 and if you still don't know how to use the internet, there really is almost nothing you can do nowadays without it. I mean you can read books, go play in the park, watch TV... all those things people used to do back then without the internet, but let's be real. Can we actually function without it now?

Say, I want to look for a job right now. The best place to find it? Online. The best place to research about it? Online. The best place to find out more information about everything else related to anything or anyone? Online. Google, Facebook, Linkedin, Twitter, Tumblr, Wikipedia... you name it. It is the most quick and efficient way to research and get information you need. Heck, even after an interview, you need to go online to write up a thank-you letter. You can definitely write a card, but by the time the card gets there, they'd probably hired someone in place of the position already. LOL jk. Not really.

We rely so heavily on the internet, that we are not able to really work without it. There's online homework now that you cannot avoid. Your dog can no longer eat your homework, because everything is expected to be handed online. Unless your dog bit your internet wire/box. After switching to a smart phone the past year (I know, I'm pretty late), I realized that without my internet on my phone... I feel so... so... isolated. Isolated from the world. That same feeling I get when I leave my phone at home and I cannot contact anyone. At all. Once, I even went home during my lunch break to go back home and get my phone, making it back just in time for my next class. That is how desperate I am to stay connected. There are also those instances when you get an emergency phone call, but you left your phone at home, and then everything goes out of control. Your mom is wondering if something happened to you because you didn't pick up. She then calls your dad who then calls my aunt, who calls my cousin, who calls my friends, etc. All because I left my phone at home. Crazy isn't it? Same goes for a dead phone. I now have to call/text in advance that my phone is going to die, just in case they don't think I'm dead if I don't pick up.

Anyway, the moral of this entry is that I think, sometimes, I am too obsessed with being on the computer, using the internet. Lately, I haven't been on Facebook, and you know what? I am feeling like I'm missing out on what people are up to, what videos they are talking about, if the latest Breaking Bad episode was mind-blowing or not (as it is every freaking Sunday. Do you really need to update your status as: OMG. BREAKING BAD. I can even update my status with that and earn a few likes, EVEN IF I DON'T WATCH IT.) Seriously, Facebook has become an addiction. The internet makes people a little crazy. Hiding behind their computer screens, typing away whatever they want. Sometimes people don't even say the things they do in real-life as they do on the internet. So it's nice to just, once in a while, shut that computer down, take a walk in the park, and you know, maybe forget about what your friends are up to. Hit up a friend and chat and play with them in person. Work out. It's nice to leave the computer - or the virtual world, and enjoy the real world.

The Real World

So uh... graduation is gonna be in 10 days! Am I ready for this? HELL YEAHHHHH!! I'm done with exams and studying and, and... actually, I'm gonna miss it. I'm gonna miss being a student, meeting new people, student activities, student discounts, going to events to get free food (jk), just the whole college life!!! :'(

Truth is, I'm not ready for the real world at all. I haven't really found a job yet. I've been searching, but no replies yet. I rather get a rejection than a we'll-leave-you-hanging-because-we've-seen-your-resume-but-you're-not-good-enough-so-we-won't-even-bother-to-contact-you... But I have a back-up plan.

What is that back-up plan, you say? I'm gonna leave the house one day and leave my family and friends a note: GOODBYE, GONE SOUL-SEARCHING. Be back for dinner.

Okay, not soul-searching. Maybe finding my passion (is that the same), and living the moments in NYC. Exploring as much as I can. With what money you say? Actually, with less money might even be a better thing. Except for the fact that I can't really try new food, but I've decided that I should limit my budget so I can live a broke life and actually try to enjoy it. Like, find all the free shit I can do here. So it's not really a goodbye. But my parents will definitely be unhappy if I'm not employed or not doing anything at home. It's scary, ya' know. Being unproductive. But I'm also gonna work out.

I guess my main goal after graduation is to get my shit together. The real world will only exist when I say I'm ready for it!

Successful baby tells me that I'VE GOT THIS!!

Sleepless Nights

My eyes are tired and I feel sleepy, yet my mind remains awake. Why?

It seems normal for me to sleep past 1AM, or even 2, but when I am tired at 12 and I get ready to sleep, I just toss and turn in my bed. I gaze at the darkness in the room, and at the little light peeking in from the window. I close my eyes again. I try to stop thinking... but who am I kidding? I don't think I can voluntarily stop thinking. Even thinking about not thinking is still thinking. Is it the noise from upstairs? Is something bothering me? Maybe if I listen to music... so I plug in my ipod and listen... it makes me want to sing along. So I did, in my head. This is no use. Maybe I am so used to sleeping at 2-3AM. My body isn't used to it. But my eyes... they want to rest. I can feel it becoming bloodshot/pink.

I am so tired of these sleepless nights. I just want to regulate my sleeping habit...

ON ANOTHER NOTE,

This is my first post of 2013!! As much as I want to blog about what happened during these past few months... I think the moment has passed :( But I can say what I miss! :)

Currently, I am missing Italy, which I have studied abroad in for the Winter session (the month of January). This travel experience actually made me love traveling. I don't travel often, and when I do, it's usually with my family, so I am obligated to go wherever they go. It's a different experience when you're traveling to learn... but best of all: explore the different culture(s). I think I will write about my adventures of my Winter session in the next few posts, because... I am feeling sleepy again. Hopefully this time, I will actually fall asleep. I am also in the process of making my video of my adventures in Italy/Paris... so STAY TUNED!!

Here is a picture I took from one of my favorite places in Italy: Piazza Michelangelo ♥

It was absolutely breath-taking. 

WOO!!

WOO (definition from Strengths Finder 2.0 by Tom Rath) - stands for winning others over. You enjoy the challenge of meeting new people and getting them to like you. Strangers are rarely intimidating to you. On the contrary, strangers can be energizing. You are drawn to them. You want to learn their names, ask them questions, and find some area of common interest so that you can strike up a conversation and build rapport. Some people shy away from starting up conversations because they worry about running out of things to say. You don't. Not only are you rarely at a loss for words; you actually enjoy initiating with strangers because you derive satisfaction from breaking the ice and making connection. Once that connection is made, you are quite happy to wrap it up and move on. There are new people to meet, new rooms to work, new crowds to mingle in. In your world, there are no strangers, only friends you haven't met yet - lots of them.

After my professor talked about this last strength before he ended class, I felt like I found a description that described me pretty well. It is mostly on point, but I think that because I worry about running out of things to say, I actually initiate the conversations and start to ask questions. WOO sounds like it is! A spirited acronym that already sounds excited. Funny, how I started out as a really really shy girl who refused to talk to anyone in a Summer Christian camp to a person who loves to meet new people and isn't afraid talk to strangers. I owe this to my experience working at The Door, and many of my crazy, close friends, who happen to have this similar personality.

Although I am willing to start conversations and speak/meet people individually, I do fear to be the center of attention, and speak to a larger group of strangers. Speaking of that, the reason why my professor was bringing up strengths to talk about is because the whole class is supposed to present their own personal pitch which brands myself and proves that I am one of a kind. Tough presentations because it's hard to say great things about yourself without coming off as arrogant. Even though I have yet to find my special characteristics that make me oh-so-unique. I have yet to find my passions...