At 16, you take things way to seriously. Relax and enjoy life- it isn’t that black or white or that life and death. Grades and boys are not everything. Take some risks and do some stupid stuff. As long as you don’t hurt yourself or others, it will be okay. You are a good kid who needs to be a bit rebellious. Better to do it now than later in life.
You are this mix of certainty and uncertainty. You think you know better than your parents but at the same time you are insecure about where you belong. Rest assured that you will figure it out in time. Somewhere in your early 30’s you will realize that your parents do know somethings Dad does give good advice and ask him when you are unsure. Mom’s nagging is because she loves you. You don’t have to belong in a certain culture, you have the best of both worlds.
At this point you aren’t sure about what you want to be when you grow up, my advice to you is to choose something that allows you to help people. You may not know it then but compassion will be a strong driver in your life. You will find something that you love and that fulfills you and if you don’t that is okay too. You have other things in life that make you happy.
You have lots of dreams and I say go for it, sounds cliché but don’t let others limit what you or who you want to be. Take every opportunity to travel and see the world; it will only make you happy. Be adventurous and don’t let preconceived ideas of what you should or shouldn’t be doing or who you should or shouldn’t be limit you. It is okay to be different from your sisters.
You are a pretty capable, intelligent, and amazing person. You just haven’t realized it yet. You go on to do some really cool stuff in life and have some fun adventures. Talk to random people and smile at them. It actually brings you great joy in life.
Wah
Friday, January 06, 2012
Sunday, November 27, 2011
Run Away with Me
In the tradition of capturing my proposals I thought I would write about the one I received yesterday. I volunteer at an organization in the DTES one day a week. I just sit and chat and have coffee with people from the community. The purpose is to build commmunity and for them to have someone to talk to. I enjoy it because I get to chat and hear stories and get to know people. It is an education for me and a dose of reality given how privileged I have been in life. Yesterday, near the end of the day I met Jean-Marc. We have seen each other before but it was the first time we interacted. We introduced ourselves and once the formalities were over he jumped right in and asked me to run away with him back to Quebec. He told me that we could get married and live together in Montreal. He also mentioned another more x-rated activity. I told him I would consider his proposal...the wedding proposal and not the "activity".
Tuesday, October 04, 2011
Look'n Good...maam
I walk past a 7-11 every morning on my way to work. Not sure what it is but there is always someone standing in front of it asking for change. I generally don't give out change, I may occasionally give out an apple or a granola bar if I have one with me, but I always smile and say hi. This morning was no different but as I walk past, the man standing out there yells out, "look'n good Maam, have yourself a good day" I am not sure if I should be flattered or not, the looking good is nice but the maam. Do I look like a maam?
I walk past a 7-11 every morning on my way to work. Not sure what it is but there is always someone standing in front of it asking for change. I generally don't give out change, I may occasionally give out an apple or a granola bar if I have one with me, but I always smile and say hi. This morning was no different but as I walk past, the man standing out there yells out, "look'n good Maam, have yourself a good day" I am not sure if I should be flattered or not, the looking good is nice but the maam. Do I look like a maam?
Adventures in Italy
The last thing my sister said to me before I left for Italy was be safe and don't talk to random men. Of course for some reason in my life that is unavoidable. Plus it makes for great stories for my friends.
I was wandering the streets of Florence not really with a destination in mind. I was just wandering around watching people and trying to absorb the sights of Italy. As I was walking towards the Piazza Republico, I spy a man holding an umbrella but all over the umbrella were silver things. As I got closer I realized it was earrings that he had stuck in the umbrella and he was selling them for 2 Euros. Given my jewelry addiction and my travel tradition to pick up earrings for my friends, I had to stop and look. The man turned out to be pretty friendly and was very patient while I closely examined each and every pair so that I could pick the right ones for my friends. He held up a few to me and had this big grin on his face. The man was from Bangladesh but he did not speak much English and I didn't speak any Italian but somehow in the span of 10 mins I had a marriage proposal. He first made sure that I was old enough for him, found out where I was from, how long I was going to be in Italy for and then asked me if I would marry him. Perhaps it was the dimples or perhaps it was to get me to buy earrings. I smiled at him and said no and then proceeded to pay for my earrings. He did not seem too upset with my decline of his offer because when I went to pay and I was a bit short, he smiled at me and said it was okay,
I was wandering the canals of Venice, slowly making my way back from St. Mark's square and came across this shop where there were these beautiful paper lanterns in the window. I stopped and looked through the window and the man in there smiled at me. I smiled back and then started to walk away but that man's smile lingered in my mind and I was about 5 meters away I turned around and walked back in. Once again, the man didn't speak English and I didn' t speak Italian. He tried Spanish and then he tried French. Thus began a 20 min conversation with me racking the recesses of my brain trying to conjugate verbs. I must have sounded like an idiot but it turned out to be a really memorable experience The man's name was Fernando and he owned this paper shop that made these sculptural paper pieces by hand. He showed me each piece and explained what they all meant. He showed me this paper necklace and noticed my tibetan prayer charm. He asked me what it was and I explained it to him and he thought it was beautiful. He was so sweet and charming and let me look at all his work without every pressuring me to buy anything. As I left he kissed me on both cheeks and wished me safe travels.
It is encounters like these that stand out in my mind. The museums and churches are stunning but it is the interactions that make the experiences for me.
The last thing my sister said to me before I left for Italy was be safe and don't talk to random men. Of course for some reason in my life that is unavoidable. Plus it makes for great stories for my friends.
I was wandering the streets of Florence not really with a destination in mind. I was just wandering around watching people and trying to absorb the sights of Italy. As I was walking towards the Piazza Republico, I spy a man holding an umbrella but all over the umbrella were silver things. As I got closer I realized it was earrings that he had stuck in the umbrella and he was selling them for 2 Euros. Given my jewelry addiction and my travel tradition to pick up earrings for my friends, I had to stop and look. The man turned out to be pretty friendly and was very patient while I closely examined each and every pair so that I could pick the right ones for my friends. He held up a few to me and had this big grin on his face. The man was from Bangladesh but he did not speak much English and I didn't speak any Italian but somehow in the span of 10 mins I had a marriage proposal. He first made sure that I was old enough for him, found out where I was from, how long I was going to be in Italy for and then asked me if I would marry him. Perhaps it was the dimples or perhaps it was to get me to buy earrings. I smiled at him and said no and then proceeded to pay for my earrings. He did not seem too upset with my decline of his offer because when I went to pay and I was a bit short, he smiled at me and said it was okay,
I was wandering the canals of Venice, slowly making my way back from St. Mark's square and came across this shop where there were these beautiful paper lanterns in the window. I stopped and looked through the window and the man in there smiled at me. I smiled back and then started to walk away but that man's smile lingered in my mind and I was about 5 meters away I turned around and walked back in. Once again, the man didn't speak English and I didn' t speak Italian. He tried Spanish and then he tried French. Thus began a 20 min conversation with me racking the recesses of my brain trying to conjugate verbs. I must have sounded like an idiot but it turned out to be a really memorable experience The man's name was Fernando and he owned this paper shop that made these sculptural paper pieces by hand. He showed me each piece and explained what they all meant. He showed me this paper necklace and noticed my tibetan prayer charm. He asked me what it was and I explained it to him and he thought it was beautiful. He was so sweet and charming and let me look at all his work without every pressuring me to buy anything. As I left he kissed me on both cheeks and wished me safe travels.
It is encounters like these that stand out in my mind. The museums and churches are stunning but it is the interactions that make the experiences for me.
Tuesday, September 13, 2011
Ciao
I fall in love easily, well let me preface by saying that I fall in love with places and objects easily, people are a bit different. When I am traveling I find that I get caught up in that moment and get lost in where I am at and usually find myself falling in love with that space and time. Most of all I loved being carefree and exploring on my own and discovering the small things that make me smile, like the cute little gelato shop or the hidden away campo with the violin player that I sat and listened to escaping the madness of the city.
Italy brought out the carefree, curious, and capable person that often only appears when I am away from my comfort zone. I am joyous and filled with light when I travel, someone who I forget exists sometimes.
I fall in love easily, well let me preface by saying that I fall in love with places and objects easily, people are a bit different. When I am traveling I find that I get caught up in that moment and get lost in where I am at and usually find myself falling in love with that space and time. Most of all I loved being carefree and exploring on my own and discovering the small things that make me smile, like the cute little gelato shop or the hidden away campo with the violin player that I sat and listened to escaping the madness of the city.
Italy brought out the carefree, curious, and capable person that often only appears when I am away from my comfort zone. I am joyous and filled with light when I travel, someone who I forget exists sometimes.
Thursday, July 14, 2011
Tuesday, June 28, 2011
What makes me happy
On a bright sunny day there is nothing more soul satisfying than the pop of the ball coming off your racquet and seeing it fly across the net and hit the court with a resounding thud.
My dad picked up wooden racquets at a garage sale and that started our road to tennis. When I was younger I played almost every day with my siblings in the summer. We would play after dinner until it was too dark to see. However, somewhere after university life got too busy and I let almost 10 years pass without picking up my tennis racquet. Recently, a friend asked me to play with him and I was hesitant at first because it had been so long since I had played and worried that I had forgotten how. It took about 5 minutes for me to realize that tennis and I should never have taken a break. Being out on the court really makes me happy. Admittedly, there are moments when I get frustrated when I miss the ball or hit the net but there are also those moments when I make the cross court winner or when I move my opponent from one side of the court to the other. I know it is not very nice but is satisfying.
I think I have rekindled my love affair with my racquet. Now to perfect the backhand and serve.
On a bright sunny day there is nothing more soul satisfying than the pop of the ball coming off your racquet and seeing it fly across the net and hit the court with a resounding thud.
My dad picked up wooden racquets at a garage sale and that started our road to tennis. When I was younger I played almost every day with my siblings in the summer. We would play after dinner until it was too dark to see. However, somewhere after university life got too busy and I let almost 10 years pass without picking up my tennis racquet. Recently, a friend asked me to play with him and I was hesitant at first because it had been so long since I had played and worried that I had forgotten how. It took about 5 minutes for me to realize that tennis and I should never have taken a break. Being out on the court really makes me happy. Admittedly, there are moments when I get frustrated when I miss the ball or hit the net but there are also those moments when I make the cross court winner or when I move my opponent from one side of the court to the other. I know it is not very nice but is satisfying.
I think I have rekindled my love affair with my racquet. Now to perfect the backhand and serve.
Monday, May 16, 2011
Lessons learned
Admittedly I like guys that are assertive, ones with goals and determination...except when it comes to trying to get me to go out with them. I met someone virtually on-line, not someone that I would normally be attracted to but in an effort to be less judgmental and more open to experiences I decided to respond to his message. In hindsight I shouldn't have done it. The "I am looking for an Asian Princess, a girlfriend that I can take care of", was the giant red flag that I ignored. However, I felt compelled to address this specific issue. I was a bit angered and wanted to correct some assumptions. Apparently, my response was the invitation for the start of a marketing campaign to get me to meet up with him. Over the course of a week, he proceeded to message me at least twice a day and ask me out every other day. I managed to ignore it but eventually I felt like I should maybe give him a chance, he gave me his phone number and I mistakenly gave him mine, mistake 2. This was a Thursday and the Friday he called me. I was out with friends and he proceeded to ask if I was out on a date. I told him I would talk to him later. The next day, he texted me twice, I ignored him. He then called me and I answered, mistake 3. He told me about his ephiphany about curing HIV with tuna blood, then when I told him I was busy all week when he asked me out, he asked if I was going on lots of dates. I decided that he just wasn't the guy for me, I was feeling suffocated and I wasn't even dating him. I texted him and told him I didn't think it would work out. He texted back and asked me why and then when I told him it was a gut feeling, he called. I answered, mistake 4. So for about 15 minutes he tried to convince me to meet him for coffee, even for 15 mins. To get him off the phone I told him I would think about it and he made me promise I would call him. (I was on a date with someone else when I was on the phone with him, and my date couldn't believe how pushy he was). I texted him the following Monday and told him again that I didn't think it would work out. He once again called and I answered, mistake 5. For another 20 minutes he kept asking me to meet him. He decided that I was the kind of girl that he wanted for a girlfriend and I should at least meet him for coffee for 10 mins. We could be good friends. He then asked me the last time I had dated because apparently all my previous dates were jerks and that is why I wasn't giving him a chance. Yeah right... I finally told him he was creeping me out. He asked me one last time if I would go out with him. I told him no and he hung up on me. By the end of the call I was in tears because I was so frustrated. I hate confrontation and he really made me feel like a bad person because I didn't want to go out with him. I hate it when boys made me cry. The final creepy thing he did was send me another text last Monday, a week after the call with a Hi and a smiley face.
I truly believe that he would have been waiting outside my door if he knew where I lived.
So lessons learned: do not pick up the phone when you don't know who is calling. Do not give out your phone number to perfect strangers.
Admittedly I like guys that are assertive, ones with goals and determination...except when it comes to trying to get me to go out with them. I met someone virtually on-line, not someone that I would normally be attracted to but in an effort to be less judgmental and more open to experiences I decided to respond to his message. In hindsight I shouldn't have done it. The "I am looking for an Asian Princess, a girlfriend that I can take care of", was the giant red flag that I ignored. However, I felt compelled to address this specific issue. I was a bit angered and wanted to correct some assumptions. Apparently, my response was the invitation for the start of a marketing campaign to get me to meet up with him. Over the course of a week, he proceeded to message me at least twice a day and ask me out every other day. I managed to ignore it but eventually I felt like I should maybe give him a chance, he gave me his phone number and I mistakenly gave him mine, mistake 2. This was a Thursday and the Friday he called me. I was out with friends and he proceeded to ask if I was out on a date. I told him I would talk to him later. The next day, he texted me twice, I ignored him. He then called me and I answered, mistake 3. He told me about his ephiphany about curing HIV with tuna blood, then when I told him I was busy all week when he asked me out, he asked if I was going on lots of dates. I decided that he just wasn't the guy for me, I was feeling suffocated and I wasn't even dating him. I texted him and told him I didn't think it would work out. He texted back and asked me why and then when I told him it was a gut feeling, he called. I answered, mistake 4. So for about 15 minutes he tried to convince me to meet him for coffee, even for 15 mins. To get him off the phone I told him I would think about it and he made me promise I would call him. (I was on a date with someone else when I was on the phone with him, and my date couldn't believe how pushy he was). I texted him the following Monday and told him again that I didn't think it would work out. He once again called and I answered, mistake 5. For another 20 minutes he kept asking me to meet him. He decided that I was the kind of girl that he wanted for a girlfriend and I should at least meet him for coffee for 10 mins. We could be good friends. He then asked me the last time I had dated because apparently all my previous dates were jerks and that is why I wasn't giving him a chance. Yeah right... I finally told him he was creeping me out. He asked me one last time if I would go out with him. I told him no and he hung up on me. By the end of the call I was in tears because I was so frustrated. I hate confrontation and he really made me feel like a bad person because I didn't want to go out with him. I hate it when boys made me cry. The final creepy thing he did was send me another text last Monday, a week after the call with a Hi and a smiley face.
I truly believe that he would have been waiting outside my door if he knew where I lived.
So lessons learned: do not pick up the phone when you don't know who is calling. Do not give out your phone number to perfect strangers.
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