The Final Crunch!!

PHM428 - Psychology of Patient Care taught by Prof. AZ

The Culture Shock Model
1) Euphoria, expectation - July 2003 - "omgosh!!! I got into Pharmacy... this is sooo cool!! I can't wait to learn how to provide pharmaceutical care!!"
2) Irritation - September 2004-present - "What's with the cruddy marks, that do not correlate with the amount of time I spent studying", "what's wrong with the Faculty?!", "8 courses each semester?!"
3) Rejection of Host Culture - July 2008 - "Is this what pharmacy practice is REALLY like? What did I get myself into??"
4) Idealization of Host Culture - July 2008 - "hmmm... maybe being in school wasn't that bad."
5) Projection onto Host Culture - August 2008 - "I hate this." (having a difficult time adjusting)
6) Adjustment - September 2008 - "It's not as bad as I thought it would be... it's getting better."
7) Adaptation - Somewhere in the future - "Meh." (at least the money's good)

So... I can almost see the finish line. It's almost the end of my undergraduate pharmacy career. Say goodbye to bad skin, increased cortisol levels, hypertension secondary to taking 8 courses and marks that bounce all over the place. I can't say I'll miss those stressful times though.

One thing I'll definitely miss, the friends I've made over the past 4 years. If I could go back in time, I'd do it all over again, just to be able to have met them. Sure there are some things regarding the curriculum that could be improved, but I like what I've learnt, and I will be able to make good money and shop on Bloor St. XD

Young and Rich and Dating "Down"

Jim Plagakis posted a blog about this.

I know we live in the 21st century, and it shouldn't 'really' matter what either party makes, but seriously, if the woman makes substantially 'more' than the man (and by 'more', you set your own standards on what you think that means), how feasible are those relationships?

I guess this adds another problem to our "Intimacy vs. Isolation" crisis that Zubin suggests all 20 something year olds are going through. It's tough being a young, female professional who makes good money. But then again, I like my money. You might meet guys who only want to date you for your money (or maybe that's more common in the States), or you'll meet guys that might be intimidated by you (if they're not a doctor/dentist/pharmacist/other professional that makes lots of money). Do you think that by being a young female professional, you might be placed at a disadvantage in the dating field? Does being a young male professional bring an advantage to the dating field?

The things you do for friends....

I admit it. I'm a pretty good friend if I want to be!!! So, if I'm not willing to cross the ocean for you, chances are I don't want to be your good friend j/k.

Anyway, back to the story. There's a reason why I'm up at 1:41 am blogging in the middle of the night.

My friend AF (no, her name is not atrial fibrillation), calls me at 11 something pm tonight and asks me for a favour. Basically, she owns a pitbull, and Toronto Animal Services as well as Public Health want to put her dog down. She asked me to write her a letter (as a witness) that her dog is friendly towards my family and Willy. I say, "okay, I'll try my best... when do you need it?" Her: "I need it by tomorrow morning because my lawyer told me last minute that I need letters from people that have met my dog". Thanks for the short short notice... I really appreciate it.

So anyway, I wrote her the letter, even though I am pretty stressed right now. But, owning a pet, I know how distressed I would feel if something like that happened to me. People may wonder why I'm still doing intramurals and choir, when 4th year is insane. Well, first of all, I like to exercise. It's one way to make sure I don't turn morbidly obese when I'm stressed. Second of all, as a HCP, I think it's great to set a good example. How can you tell someone with hypertension to exercise 4-7x/week for 30 minutes when you don't exercise at all yourself. With regards to choir, I just can't help it that I love to sing. Also, if you haven't noticed, I'm not a quitter. These are responsibilities and obligations that I committed to, and I don't just 'shake things off' just because I'm busy.

When do you find time to study?? Well, I'm taking it out of my sleep time, duh!! And that letter writing came out of my sleep time too. Back to theRAPEutics..... but I think Health Systems might rape me more =(

I actually like studying for Substance Abuse

You know, even though Hell is upon us --> See my post-it on Facebook, or see below, studying for my first midterm (Alcohol and Substance Abuse Disorders) is actually interesting and useful. I can apply this to practice, and it's good general knowledge as well. After going through this in other courses (eg. PCL 361), now I know what Naltrexone, Naloxone, Methadone is for. Now, just because I like to study for this course, doesn't mean I'll do well on it... let's hope I do though :)

Living with other people - 2nd edition (Round 2)
The people this year are actually pretty good. Except for the periodic loud 'bass' downstairs, everyone is really quiet. I actually have no problems studying here =) I have 2 (soon to be 3) people from Vancouver, and 3 tenants from Hong Kong. We have two guys living in the house, which makes me feel a bit better. (If you recall the homeless man incident from last semester, you know why).

How are the girls on my floor?
Pretty good actually. As I mentioned, they're quiet. I got used to them leaving their stuff in the shower, I don't really care anymore. A couple of them left their dirty dishes in the sink overnight, but I set them straight :P The washrooms are generally pretty clean.

The only thing that kind of bugs me is that there is a girl that likes to take showers late at night (like I do). And, sometimes she gets the shower first.. and I end up having to stay up much LATER than I anticipated because I can't stand sleeping with the feeling of being dirty. She takes like... 40 minute showers. Seriously, who takes showers that long?? Even when I end up washing my hair, I take 20 minutes max. If it's just a regular shower, give me 10 minutes. And I'm not one of those girls that uses a gazillion moisturizers either, maybe that's why. Anyway, back to the girl. She ends up going in at like 12am... maybe 12 something.. add in 40 minutes... I end up sleeping at 1 something, which explains my fatigue in class!

But I could take earlier showers, right? Well, I could... but I LOVE the "clean" feeling I get right after I shower.. and I'm used to that feeling right before I go to bed. Now, my plan is to steal the shower before she does :P

PHM425 Lit Review - Oct 12th
PHM462 (sub abuse) midterm - oct 15th
PPL Lab!
PHM421 Exam - oct 19th
PHM427 Exam - oct 22nd
PHM459 Assignment - Oct 26th**
PHM428 midterm - Oct 26th
PHM425 Midterm - Oct 29th
Residency Application
Book review

SPEP//Other

The good news: I'm NOT getting shipped to Thunder Bay or Sault Ste. Marie. :D
I'm going to a Pharmaplus by Vaughan Mills for Community and Humber River Finch site for my Hospital. Now, it's not downtown Toronto, but I can still commute there. I just need to get my dad to drive me there so I can figure out how long it might take by Subway/Viva/other transportations. I really wish I had my G license >_<

Haha, I was going to go on Facebook and post it there, but I realized that everyone who posted had REALLY BAD places. So, I'll just keep mine, I won't be greedy :)

The bad news: I'm going crazy and it's only the second week O.o

School is dry

Day 2 and I've already lapsed in and out of consciousness in one of my classes. I have noooo idea what the professor is talking about. I didn't even take economics in high school or university!

Class hours aren't bad, but I feel as though the work is going to start piling at an exponential rate if I don't start now.

I've been feeling a wide range of emotions lately. I'm getting irritated with people when I'm usually quite easy going. Sad that this is my last semester of classes and exams. Happy that I'm going to be done my 4 year journey. Scared of venturing into the life of being an adult. Not looking forward to working for 30+ years.

How do you take your mind off something?

Guess this treatment?

1 Suprax (cefixime) 400 mg stat
4 Azithromycin 500 mg
28? Tetracycline 250mg bid x 14 days

Name of the Day

Patient Name of the Day: Ronald Macdonald

Oh my... maybe his parents were craving some good ol' Mickey D's.

Fate? or Coincidence? Intentional Opportunity?

A bud of mine mentioned last night that "there are no coincidences" regarding how couples meet. Every 'coincidence' is usually an opportunity made by one of the parties. It's an interesting thought, and I guess it's true. You never know if someone actually intentionally went out of his/her way to 'bump' into you or catch your attention. It's not a bad thing; sometimes we have to take matters into our own hands!

I sort of believe in fate/coincidence. I don't believe that it's always about an opportunity exploited by someone :P Let me tell you my reasoning.

Back in the days of high school, when I was in Grade 9 I took Visual Arts. So, I always hung by the 'Art' corner after school. I noticed a boy; he was a cute boy. He seemed very timid and shy, yet happy at the same time. Hey, I was only 14 at the time, but I guess you could say I was drawn to him. I didn't know his name, what grade he was in, but I wanted to get to know him better.

Well, as they say, out of sight, out of mind. After grade 9, I never saw him again. Maybe he transferred out, or maybe we were never in the same classes, until OAC. BAM! There he was, in the same homeform as me. Coincidence? Perhaps. Fate? It could deemed so by some. I felt as though someone (maybe God) was giving me a second chance to know this person. After months of eyeing each other, we finally started dating, and did so for 2.5 years :P

If fate hands me a second chance, I won't hesitate.

Subway /Streetcar Etiquette

-For the love of all that is good: shower AND put on deodorant
-If that still doesn't work, keep your stinky armpits out of my face
-I know it's hot, but men who wear shorts that end up mid-thigh sitting down is NARSTY; I don't want to be touching your hairy legs
-Really, I don't want to know what you and Johnny had for dinner, or whether Jenny is being a snitch, or whether or not you want to get a Brazilian Wax
-If it's packed, put your backpack down, even if it's on your feet
-Your bags don't deserve a seat
-If someone's old or pregnant, offer your seat to them
-Let people off before you get on; things flow much faster that way
-LASTLY, SHOWER AND PUT ON DEODORANT!!!

The Hopeless Romantic, The Realist, The Loveless and the Idiots

"The Hopeless Romantic" - An individual who has ridiculous fantasies and ideals about courtship and/or his/her ideal mate. This is the girl who dreams of her knight in shining armour, aka Mr. Prince Charming. The hopeless romantic girl dreams of the Perfect Guy who possesses all the characteristics that are desirable to her. The Hopeless Romantic is usually screwed because his/her expectations in real life have been disappointing due to media's misconceptions.

"The Realist" - This person has come to terms with their "Hopeless Romantic" side. He/she has learnt that no one is perfect, and not to set far fetched expectations that will land him/her as an old maid/man with a bunch of cats. They believe in the notion of Love, but believe that 99.9% of the time, Love may not be enough to overcome obstacles such as clashes in personality, financial issues and such. The Realist is cautious. The Realist carefully considers each prospective relationship rationally and decides whether it is worth pursuing, rather than shooting down every opportunity because someone didn't possess a ridiculous irrelevant quality such as the power to go through walls.

"The Loveless" - He/she is bitter about the notion of love in a romantic sense. He/she doesn't believe in love, or has been too hurt from previous experiences to attempt to love again. He/she scorns others in love and may likely end up being an old man/maid. Sometimes, the Loveless may revert back to a Hopeless Romantic or a Realist.

"The Idiots" (or, the really courageous/brave) - These people believe that true love is able to overcome any and every obstacle. They believe that if you are capable of true love, you will not mind a person's financial status, educational level, personal past/history, looks, or bad qualities. In other words, there are some people out there that believe than they can embrace someone without any reservations in the name of true love. These people are willing to sacrifice everything in the name of love (money, career, family), even their own lives for that person. They likely represent 0.01% of the world's population - a rare and dying breed.

I used to be a Hopeless Romantic, but now I'm a Realist. Yeah I still dream, but I know my dreams aren't likely going to happen. Whatever Idiot resided in my mind has been smacked out by rational thinking and experience. If you had no reservations, then technically you should be able to love everyone, and anyone, which of course does not happen. Some guys like a girl because she's prettier than the average Jill. Some girls will like a guy because he's smarter than the average lump of coal :P. Heck, sometimes you don't even know why you like someone :/

I know a lot of women who wouldn't consider a guy if he only went to college or only finished high school, or if he was a bricklayer, construction worker or any other occupation that requires a lot of manual labour. Realists unite!!

True love is necessary for successful relationships? That's another blog altogether, signing off.

funkymilk

It was a hoax!

Remember that cologne ad I told some of you guys about? Well, I was fooled :(

SEE HERE FOR DETAILS!

Carnival Victory - Day 2, 3, 4

Day 2 (continued): After blogging, I got sea sick. The poor dinner went to waste as I went to bed at 9pm and slept till 10am the following day.


Day 3 - Friday: There's lots of things to do on this ship; but many of them I wouldn't do with my family. Some of these include: ballroom dance class, singles meet and greet (though I don't think I'd go unless I were with friends :P), the dance club, etc etc. I went to a few seminars (how to get rid of puffy eyes, the 5 minute makeover). I even went to a kick boxing class. I tried to use the elleptical(sp?) on the boat but the whole up and down motion in addition to the occasional rocking on the ship made me even more dizzy. I settled for the bike instead. I went window shopping; there's chocolates and stuff for sale. As you can tell I'm just writing down whatever comes to the top of my head. I'm sure when I upload pictures I'll have more to say.

Day 4 - St. John New Brunswick: We were greeted off the boat by people who gave out roses! St. John is a really nice city/town. Very peaceful and quiet. The houses are quite large and only go for a fraction of the price of Toronto houses. The population is around 72,000 people and they average 1.5 murders/year. Of course, they have theft and stuff, but it's much more safer than Toronto. Unfortunatley, I didn't find any souvenirs that were really interesting or noteworthy of buying, since we all have those keychains and magnets that we never use. It's really nice here though. I'll probably consider this place when I retire.

I don't know if I'll be able to blog anymore until I return back to Toronto. I don't want to buy anymore minutes since it costs an arm and a leg! Take care guys!

Day 1 and 2

Here I am, blogging while I'm on the ship that weighs 10,000 tonnes. Must preserve precious time and write really quickly as internet costs 24$ an hr.

Day 1 - arrived to chinatown at 7:30 am. Uber tired. Took a gravol, got even more sleepy. Slept almost the entire trip. There's something about the sound of the bus Went to Woodbury Premium Outlet Mall. Note: Wearing sweat pants and cotton clothes is not good when it's pouring rain outside. I did manage to buy Puma shoes and a clutch bag from Coach... dang, I wanted the bigger version of the Coach bag but I'm not willing to dish out 300$. Will blog more later, but internet is really slow and crappy, if you know what I mean.

Day 2 - Tour took us to downtown NYC. Saw Ground Zero and ate lunch at Times Square. Ate a pressata which was pretty tasty. When we were at Times Square I also went to Madame Tussaud's Wax Museum. Saw Paris, Spice girls, Madonna, etc. After we arrived at Pier 90, we finally got on the ship, 3 hrs later. Because we are not US citizens, they have to keep our passports. Those bums. There are many things on the ship to do; there's a spa, gym, internet cafe, dance club. There's a ballroom dance class that I think I might attend. When I go back to Toronto I will post up some pictures. Till then, take care guys!

I like good deals :)

Urban Behaviour:

1) Wool coat/jacket (white): $20.00
2) Pinstripe (white/black) shirt: $10.00
3) Front Knot Dress (Orange): $25.06

Costa Blanca
1) Flower Print Halter Top Dress: $20.00
2) Circle print top: $15.00
3) T-shirt Dress (Brown) $10.00

Roots:
1) Katerina Yoga Pant: $19.88

H&M
1) Floral Bikini Top + Bottom: $14.90x2 = $29.80

Bikini Village
1) Anna Cole One Piece Swimming Suit: $126.00

Oooh, it felt good to buy all that stuff. Too bad I didn't find any nice shoes at the Nine West Outlet.

On a side note, let's talk a bit about shopping tips/advice for ladies:
1) Avoid wearing lipstick/lip gloss. I can't say how many good shirts I've seen go to waste because of some nasty lipstick marks that got on the shirt/dress. If you're going to wear lipstick/gloss, purse your lips when you're trying on the article of clothing.
2) Get better deodorant/antiperspirant. White marks on the shirt isn't cool or sexy.
3) Wear your undergarments when trying on swimming suits/bikinis/lingerie. Yeah, it's no problem if you're the FIRST one trying it on. Would you want to try some bikini that Ms./Mr. STIs tried on without their undies? Friggin' nasty if you ask me.
4) If you're shopping, choose the right bra to wear. Unless you're trying on t-shirts, that sports bra doesn't look good with that semi formal dress.

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More to come later :)

Boring post #1000

Isn't it weird how when I am stressing over exams, I can find lots of things to blog about but when I'm bored to death in the summer, I can't think of a single thing to blog about?

I guess life is funny that way. Since I have nothing to blog about, I guess I'll just put down my plans for the summer:

July 4-10: Cruise
July 12: Summerlicious
July 14: CPR Recertification
July 21: Habitat for Humanity
July 23: JP exam

and intermittent working, korean dramas, and games on the side :)

23 Humorous Lessons

Just in time for my birthday =)

#1) Never eat yellow snow.


#2) If it's moist and it's not yours, don't touch it.

#3)



#4)

#5)

#6)

#7)

#8)

#9)

#10)

#11) Naps are good, very good.


#12) Accept that some days you are the pigeon and some days the statue.


#13) Needing someone is like needing a parachute. If he isn't there the first time, chances are you won't be needing him again.

#14) I've learned that no matter how much I care, some people are just assholes.

#15) I've learned that it takes years to build up trust, and it only takes suspicion, not proof, to destroy it.

#16) Some classes may be a religious experience ... you have to take it all on faith.



#17) Knowledge is knowing a tomato is a fruit; Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.

#18) Going to church doesn't make you a Christian any more than standing in a garage makes you a car.

#19) If you look like your passport picture, you probably need the trip.



#20) Time may be a great healer, but it's a lousy beautician.


#21) Brain cells come and brain cells go, but fat cells live forever.

#22) Nobody cares if you can't dance well. Just get up and dance.

#23) The five most essential words for a healthy, vital relationship "I apologize" and "You are right."

On Friendship

When I was 13/14 years old, I had my first experience of betrayal. I attended Catholic School at the time, and I remembered how the deceptive lies of one of my former friends (by the name of K) lead to one of the worst experiences of my life. While I may never understand nor comprehend her motives for betraying me, I wonder if she ever felt remorse for the pain she inflicted on me.

Were we best friends at the time? No. But we were close. I remember how she would come to my house often; we would chat and do homework together. We talked about boys and other things teenage girls talked about. I never saw it coming.

One day, the guidance counsellor called me to her office. She asked me why I've been saying horrible things about my friends, horrible things in general. Why did I want my parents to divorce so I could get more attention? She said it was wrong to avoid someone because she was poor. She said she felt I needed help.

Dumbfounded, I had no words to answer her. I remembered crying on the hill at the back of my school because my parents had a big fight. I was scared that they would divorce, not crying because I wanted them to. Knowing my parents' humble backgrounds and childhood, I would never look down on someone because of their economic circumstances. It was a lonely term for me because someone had placed these lies into my friends' heads; I was ostracized by my friends.

I never said those things. The only possible explanation for K's actions is that she might have been jealous of me. Why? Because of our circumstances. I have a loving family. She didn't know who her father was. I lived in a wonderful home, she lived in a small apartment with her mom, aunt and half brother. But I think the final straw was the fact that I consistently did better than her in school. Regardless of what subject it was, I always did at least slightly better than her. If she got an A-, I would get an A. If she got a B, I might've gotten a B+. I think her dream was to attain the Academic Excellence award at our school, and my presence took that away from her. I don't know what did it, but I guess one day she just decided she wanted to try to take those things away from me. Maybe she just had issues.

I never told my friends who said those things. I just told them I never said those things. Though I was only 13 years old, I know I felt despair, pain and sadness at that time in my life. When you've never encountered a thunderstorm and have only experienced sunshine, it's a big hit emotionally.

Looking back, it's not painful anymore. I still see her sometimes as we both still live in the same neighbourhood. 8 years ago, we would've spoken a few words of regards. Now, we do not even acknowledge each other's presence; we have nothing to say to each other.

This is inevitably what happens when friendship dies; I know, our paths won't likely cross again.

Talented individuals

The best beatboxer I've ever seen! If I knew how to do this I wouldn't be in Pharmacy school :P



Man if I could dance like Benji I'd be at the salsa clubs every night! It probably comes as naturally to him as breathing. I wish I had the time and dedication and drive to learn to even dance 1/20 as well as him!



The only 'sport' I watch during the Winter Olympics is Figure Skating. Michelle Kwan is simply amazing; but she's like the only female figure skater I watch so I wouldn't know of any other great figure skaters anyway :P

Junk Collector

It took THREE hours to clean the basement. I don't think many of you have seen my basement because 1) it's hideous/ugly 2) it's cold 3) there isn't much to see at all. Today, I got my G1 License (yay!) and then my mom and I set our minds on cleaning the basement and throwing away junk!

First there was my box of stuffed animals; there were mainly cheap-o prizes won from the CNE. I recall this was the same box of stuffed animals where I found a dead mouse last year! We emptied it out and lo and behold, mouse poo heaven or err, hell. Needless to say, I don't plan on giving it to the kid next door and just threw it out. I still have two mouse-free boxes of stuffed animals but they're on the highest rack of this shelf my dad made. A lot of them have sentimental value so I don't plan on throwing them away. If I ever move to a larger house, maybe I'll have enough space to put all my stuffed animals on display, although I guess it might seem quite kiddy.

Then there was the task of organizing all my old homework, assignments, tests etc. I was really hesitant, but I managed to throw away my Grade 11 - OAC stuff and just kept the stuff from University. A part of me wanted to keep all those memories from high school. I know that my A+ on my Enriched English folder or a 92% on my singing exam or a 97 on my music exam doesn't amount to anything 20 years down the road. I also realize that chances are I won't ever go down in the basement to look up stuff from high school. Even if I started tutoring a high school kid, I probably won't go down and review my notes :P Let's hope I don't chase after the recycling man Wednesday night when he comes for all my stuff.

The basement is like an extension of my room; the part of my room where I'll put all my 'junk'. It's where I put stuff that I won't need, but I'm not willing to chuck, stuff that I *hope* I'll eventually need again. I saw so much stuff that I'm not even sure I'll use. A couple of old jewelry boxes that are too small for my current superficial needs :p, old concert programs that I had performed in from high school, old agendas and planners, puzzles, christmas/birthday/thank you cards in shoe boxes from the past 10+ years, letters from my friends in Jamaica when I recently moved here. I think I eventually kept all this stuff. I was too tired at the end of the 3 hour period to be in the mood to sift through all that memorabilia.

We also have like 4 garbage bags full of clothing we're going to donate. There's a Goodwill around a 10 minute drive away from my house :) We have my brother's old dingy mattress down there as well; does anyone know if I need to call someone in to take the mattress?

Yeah, I know, blogger's block :P

Youtube - The greatest website known (well, almost) ;)

Remember this song? Some 0T7s sang it at the Phollies; quite catchy if you ask me :)




I like this song too, because I realized I learnt a lot in 3rd year Pharmacy. I know what most (if not all) of the mentioned drugs :)
Becoming a little more competent, one day at a time :)

The (un)productive summer of yours truly AND on blogging

I believe it really is human nature to constantly whine and complain about issues that currently surround your life. It seems so long ago where I was racking my brain, torturing my body to 'study' for exams. Now, after a week (or more) of recuperating, my neck pain is gone, and I do believe my eye bags have shrunk.

So what have I been doing? It seems as though I have an obsession with cleaning; cleaning my downtown home, cleaning my real home, cleaning my makeup collection, cleaning the basement (tentative). I have a low threshold for dirt - I think women have lower dirt thresholds than guys. Aside from cleaning, I've been reading. Last year I bought the boxed set for C.S. Lewis' Chronicles of Narnia series; I've basically read one book per day and now I'm on the 6th book.

Do I have blogger's block? I can't really think about anything 'interesting' to write about. I think it's awesome when a blogger can stick with a theme for their blog. Notable bloggers include Lainey, Jim Plagakis, and blogs mentioned in Blogs of Note. I guess you can say I'm more of a "Jack of all trades" for blogging.

I think it'd be awesome for me to blog about food, but I only know how to bake and I'm too lazy to upload pictures of cookies and cakes. It's hilarious when I read pharmacy blogs; but then I hope that I never become quite as angry/bitter nor do I hope to have to resort to blogging about patients as a way of venting. Blogging about relationships? Who am I kidding - I'm not a love expert. I know enough not to do certain things, but hey, I believe "love can make you do stupid things."

What about blogging about what girls want, or what guys want? To that, I say: 'good in theory, not in practice'. I could say that guys want a girl that is A,B, and C. But the last time I checked, I don't have testicles nor do I plan on getting any... soooo, I really don't know what 'guys' want in general. I could probably figure out what some guys want, but it would be injustice to claim all guys want the same thing; on a superficial level perhaps (and I'm not referring to looks), but the complexities of relationships extend far beyond what he/she wants.

What girls want? I could tell you what most girls 'claim' to want: "the minimal characteristics that make up a decent human being". I know a lot of single guys that are decent individuals; they're not just decent, they're great guys. So why are they still single? The answer is that this whole thing is a lot of schmock.

There's no 'magic' formula, there's no perfect personality/looks recipe that's going to get you anyone you want. It's like those 'fad diet' books; the best way to lose weight isn't to go on some stupid diet, it's to eat healthy and exercise. The best way to attract others is to become attractive (physically, mentally, spiritually). Just like how you shouldn't lose weight for others, you shouldn't change yourself (directly) for others. Change for your own well being. If you believe/know you are awesome (without being conceited/egotistical/condescending), people will see beyond your imperfections and accept you for who you are (provided that you are acceptable physically as well.) Despite how great your personality is (guy or girl), if you look really really bad, it may become an obstacle. This becomes difficult in itself because as 'beauty is in the eye of the beholder', 'ugliness is in the eye of the beholder' as well. What I find 'ugly' some girls may find 'cute.' I still hold true to my belief that 'it either works or it doesn't', where 'work' is attached to whether things 'click'. Define 'work' and/or 'click'; it's too complicated, but I know it when it's there.

So, I don't have a theme for my blog; actually, the theme for my blog will be about me. My concerns, my worries, my victories, my defeats, my trials, my family, my friends - my life. Sometimes I'll blog about personal issues, other times I'll blog about funny incidents, and there's the occasional blogs about guys/girls (which really shows that perhaps I really don't know what I'm talking about :P).

Baby has worms :(

Strongyloides

Sound familiar? Yeah, because it's from LMP232. Wow, pharm-a-macy knowledge being applied to my daily life. Poor baby *pout* 6 months of treatment. Vet said he's been seeing this worm every day; even his dog has it. It's usually not so common in Canada because it's usually found in warmer weather. Must be global warming. The scary thing is that it's transmissible to humans. Remember to wash your hands after wiping your cat/dog's bum!

Don't worry, baby is still cute, just wash your hands when you handle him :)

A blessing in disguise?

I think I have my very first ghetto downtown story.....

So, last night, a homeless guy came into the house and tried to steal some items. Luckily they weren't of extreme monetary value: a bag of bananas, cereals, slippers, a broken phone and a kettle. This happened on the main floor and in the basement so I had no idea what was going on....

Till I heard a loud yell from my housemate M screaming my name.

"Holy !@#$! Some homeless guy came in and he took a bunch of my stuff!!!"

I look downstairs and I see some homeless guy leaving with her stuff(already out the door)... so I run down the stairs and I yell at him and asks what he thinks he's doing! He turns around, and starts walking towards me. Okay at this point I'm pretty scared (my knee was shaking). M is slightly behind me and beside me, so I tell her to have her phone handy in case. I tell the man to return the stuff that isn't his. M adds in he can keep the food, just give back the kettle. He gives me part of the kettle, but he doesn't give it to me (there's some resistance). So, we're both holding on to the kettle, and I'm telling him to return the stuff that isn't his. I tell him that we are going to call the cops if he doesn't, etc etc.

THEN HE WANTED TO COME BACK INTO THE HOUSE! Of course I'm in the front blocking him and then I yell at M in chinese to 'dai deen wai bei chai lo' (aka call the damn cops). So she's talking to the cops and I'm stalling time, hoping that he'll give me back the kettle and just leave. Then he takes the power cord and tries to haul the kettle away like a bag of goodies. Michelle and I finally grab the kettle from him and we lock the damn door; M is still on the phone with the cops. I ran my ass to my bedroom and I call my parents. My pulse is racing, I'm out of breath, and I'm explaining to my parents what happened. I go back downstairs and I see that he took the dust pan from outside and he had opened the shutter door. HOLY CRAP IS HE TRYING TO BREAK THE DOOR AND COME BACK IN???!!

2 minutes later, the cops arrived and apprehended him (and that was when Em came down as well) An hr and 15 minutes later, statements have been taken, pictures have been taken, and we can finally study in peace.... if all that excess adrenaline in my body would wear off.

The weirdest part about this was that I think he was inside for a long time. He went through the trash in the basement, brought the garbage can from the main floor into the basement... and he even had a blanket and his beer bottles in the laundry room; I hope he wasn't trying to spend the night.

Why this is a blessing:
1) It was an old homeless man who meant no intentional harm - I mean if he wanted to hurt me he coud've
2) We got back all the stuff, minus one pochacco slipper.
3) NO ONE GOT HURT!!

If there had been more than one person, if the guy was carrying a knife or gun, who knows what the ending to this story might have been. I sure as hell don't think I'd be screaming at the guy to return to the stuff. Better to take my stuff than my life.

What's to be learnt from this:
1) When you get a new lock for your door, you make sure it's damn secure!!!
2) When you leave the house/go to bed at night, CHECK ALL YOUR DOORS!
3) Never show them that you're scared. Try to look/act calm.
4) DON'T FREAK OUT!

Moral of the story: Lock your damn doors properly, and make sure people living with you know how to do that as well. Try to act calm and remember different situations warrant different actions. I.e. if the man had a gun, I wouldn't be yelling at him to give me my stuff back.

I think I have another thing to add to my 'to do list' for the summer: Self Defense Class

"Love means never having to say you're sorry"

Disclaimer: For some reason, this quote kept on nagging at my mind. This is nothing personal, so don't ask me what's wrong - because there's nothing wrong :) Again, these are my thoughts, so if I offend you, I'm sorry!

---------

I'm sorry, but yes it does. While on the whole I might agree with the statement, if you look at it carefully it's actually wrong. I don't care if you do something out of love; if you're wrong you better apologize. Just because you're doing something because you love someone or reacted a certain way doesn't mean you shouldn't feel crappy for what you did.

Here are some examples:
You beat the sh*t out of someone because you thought your significant other was 'cheating' on you.
You forgot an important date (birthday/anniversary/etc) AND you forgot to buy a present.
Surprise surprise, you didn't do your share of the housework, AGAIN.
You brought up the dirty past, when you promised you wouldn't, because you were so pissed off.
You made a mistake (I'm sure you've made a mistake).
You went through someone else's stuff because you were 'concerned' about them.

Love doesn't make you perfect; I think it can actually turn you into a green eyed monster! How many people can reach the level of love like that from the Bible, you know that famous verse. For the non-Christians, I'm sure even this passage is familiar to you. It is as follows:

"Love is patient; love is kind and envies no one.
Love is never boastful, nor conceited, nor rude;
never selfish, not quick to take offense.
There is nothing love cannot face;
there is no limit to its faith,
its hope, and endurance.
In a word, there are three things
that last forever: faith, hope, and love;
but the greatest of them all is love.”
-1 Corinthians 13:4

You've never been jealous when your guy/girl talks to someone else? (I can see you turning green :P) You've never been selfish or got upset when s/he couldn't spend time with you? (OMGosh, I haven't seen you in 3 hrs *whines*) You've never gotten pissed off at your boyfriend/girlfriend?

If you said 'no' to all the above questions, I'd say your pinocchio nose is starting to grow. Do you know WHY you get pissed off/jealous/upset - it's because you like/love him/her. It's actually quite normal, rest assured. People (that being mom/dad/friend) wouldn't be 'on your case' if they didn't care about you. You constantly wish they'd get off your back, well when there's no one to tell you what to do, then you'll realize the magnitude of loneliness you'll feel. And loving someone (whether it be family/friend/romantic) doesn't make you or that person perfect either. I'm sorry to burst your bubble, but you're never going to be perfect :P and you're going to make mistakes till the day you die (not necessarily on a daily basis though). Any human should have the decency to feel bad for hurting another person. If you love someone, you should feel extra remorseful, not say "Well I love you and I only acted that way because I love you and so I shouldn't have to say sorry." Love doesn't justify your actions as right. Just like good intentions doesn't always lead to a good conclusion.

Love means saying you're sorry and truly meaning it. There are different 'forms' of love, but the rules are universal.

English 101 - The Basics, Me Speak English

In this day and age where communication is VITAL in our every day lives, it really irks me when people can't spell/form proper sentences correctly. Granted, if you're an immigrant I'll be more patient with you. However, I know university students who can't spell really simple words and can't grasp basic concepts of the English language!

My biggest peeves:

It's DEFINITELY, not defanately, definately, defenetely....

It's should have, NOT should of. I don't care if it sounds like 'should of' when we say it out loud, it's HAVE.

It's and its - completely different. Don't use them interchangeably!

Your and You're - again, there's a difference!

It's grammar, not grammer; just cause it rhymes with hammer doesn't mean the ending is the same.

In the IM world, chatting without capitals is acceptable to me, and using such short forms like 'ppl', 'u', 'LOL' are okay as well. I do it all the time because it's efficient! What I don't like, is this:

'i m sik n tyrd of ppl who type lik dis b/c it gets frustratin there r no commaz so i cant tell wen dis sentence or paragraph is supposed 2 end'

If you claim to be intelligent and you can't spell it right - it makes you look stupid! (I make a lot of typos, but I can spell :P) If you're an editor and you write that you're an 'edittor', I don't want to read your newspaper. Come on people, I'm no Shakespeare, but get the basics down!

The Dispensing Housewife // Dispensing Housewives

Never seen Desperate Housewives, but I know Eva Longoria is in it. Was chatting to a friend about her multitasking. She was "studying", "cleaning", "ironing" and "chatting" at the same time, to which I replied "you're training to become a [good] housewife!" (re: the cleaning and ironing bit). She replied, "Yes, a dispensing housewife." (the title of my blog)

I think they're both really similar! (I mean, the housewife and pharmacist in some aspects) - No offense to all those guy pharmacists :P.

While your kids/hubby don't necessarily hand you a prescription to fill, you do do things for them. Some things are unsaid, but you get it done! You buy the groceries, and make sure the house is clean and in order. Even though I'm not a wife, I have a certain threshold to which I can stand filth/disarray. As the pharmacist, you have to make sure you have enough stock (similar to food in the house), and that the pharmacy is neat and tidy so you stay on the OCP inspector's good side. You make 'lunch' for the kids to bring to school, they pick it up at the dispensary (i.e. the kitchen). Patient presents you with a script, they pick up the medications at the dispensary. Your kid brings you their test paper to sign, you sign it to acknowledge that you know how they did, and you're okay with it - maybe. As a pharmacist, you sign off on what the technician did.

When patients are non compliant (i.e. not adherent) with medication taking - you're supposed to counsel them on the importance of taking their medications/following doctor's orders. When your kids act like brats, you give them what they deserve (whether it's the white people method of 'grounding' or the asian method of the feather duster), and give them a long long lecture on why your (advice) is correct. Your husband is an @$$, no words are needed - he gets to sleep on the couch. Really bad patients? Threaten them to find another pharmacist willing to look after their crap. (see the similarities now)

Wives toil their ass off for their family and kids. Really passionate pharmacists (well, even the not so passionate ones), male and female alike, toil their ass off for their patients. A lot of work and sweat gets put into it - but I'm sure that it's very satisfying for both.

And now to avoid getting mean comments, I'm going to include (good) husbands and males as well!

Retail Therapy - A Case Report

Background question: "What is shopping?"

Foreground question:
P(atient): 22 year old female, pharmacy student, no known allergies (NKA)
I(ntervention): Spending money (aka retail therapy)
C(omparison): Napping/sitting on @$$ doing nothing
O(utcome): Feeling better emotionally after a horrid exam

In young females, is retail therapy effective in treating depression?

Article retrieved: Retail Therapy - A Case Report

Abstract: In this non-randomized, non placebo controlled, non double blinded 'study', the patient (JC) chose a retail outlet of her choice. (i.e. this study was open labeled). The primary outcome measured was emotional status (i.e. a surrogate marker). The second outcome measured was time to bankruptcy (a hard clinical endpoint, or a surrogate marker - dependent on interpretation).

Method: Patient shopped around the Eaton Centre for 2 hours. Emotional status was determined before and after the 'shopping trip'. The width of the patient's smile was measured after each successful purchase made (primary outcome) and the patient's bank statement was verified after each purchase. Successful purchases were made at the following stores: Sephora, Garage, the Disney Store and HMV.

Results: At the end of the 'study', patient noted that she felt 'much better' after spending money. On a scale of 1 to 10 (for happiness), she noted an 8 out of 10 after shopping (a 5 point increase in happiness). Patient stated that 'napping' or 'moping around' will have result in a 2 point increase in happiness at best. The ARR was -0.3 (-0.4 to 0) and RR 1.6 (1.3 to 1.9). Upon calculation, the patient spent roughly $70 an hr, speculating that bankruptcy could be achieved within a day.

Conclusions: Because the CI Interval of the RR did not touch/cross one, retail therapy is 1.6x more likely to increase/improve emotional status than napping or doing nothing. However, since the risks (i.e. losing money) outweigh risks, and emotional status is a highly subjective paramter, patients should be counselled on more appropriate alternatives such as antidepressants and St. John's Wort. However, since the RR proved statistically significant, more studies should be done.

On the VT Shooting

Edit: Changed the youtube vid



Is there someone to blame? I'd say 80% of people blame him, the other 20% of people feel sorry for him as well as the victims. I fall into the latter category. Yes, he is responsible for the largest 'mass' shooting in North American history, but let's take a look at what might have lead to this. The family came to the US in 1992 to live a better life than they did in South Korea. When they first arrived there, they lived in a really poor area. While I may not know a lot of the details as I am watching this stuff on TV and reading it on citynews.ca - I think there are many things that may have lead up to this. Of course, he may have just been pure evil, but from the clip (see below) you can see that a lot of stuff he says is incoherent and that he is delusional (i.e. having a fixed, false belief). He also makes some reference to Christianity. He was a really quiet guy, that got bullied... I think all that chronic bullying finally got to him; it says that a bully actually offered to pay him to talk. I think that the disparity between the very wealthy and the extreme poor got to him as well.

I agree, there's no excuse for killing - but the warning signs for this man was there. Stalking 2 girls, the disturbing writings he possessed - obviously this guy had problems. You know how they say that patients can only receive treatment if they consent to it? Well, if individuals pose a great harm to society without treatment, I think they should be forced. Yes, everyone is 'different' - but I think that staff/faculty members, as well as students should keep an eye out for potential warning signs. "Everyone needs a friend." Sadly, I doubt he had any.

Secondly, what's with this gun policy?? As Rosanna mentioned in her blog, the only people that should own guns are the police. Unless you're in a 3rd world country or a businessman in Jamaica, there's no need for you to own a gun. Did the man ask Cho-Seung Hui what he was using it for? Did he ask for any other additional information like... age, occupation, reason for purchase. It's so scary to think that anyone can have access to a gun.

Lastly, what's with the emphasis on 'largest mass shooting in North American history'. Mass shooting ANYWHERE is bad, but look at the news coverage for this. Death - regardless of whose death it is, is bad. It hits closer to home because we're on the same continent and we're students. But are our lives really worth more than those hundreds and thousands of African children that die because of starvation, diseases etc. Is it because that deaths in Africa occur so frequently and so often that we become desensitized to it? Are not more families affected because of those deaths? AIDS mostly takes away the lives of those who are in the working class, and gravely affects the economics for that continent. Are these deaths (both massing shooting and starvation) somewhat preventable - I'd argue that they're possible to prevent.

Yes, if it happened at U of T, I'd be terrified. If someone close that I knew died as a result of a mass shooting. I'd probably want to kill the murderer myself. Killing is wrong, but I think for this case - he was not in a rational state. Maybe a bit more sensitive than others when people made fun of him, perhaps a bit too isolated (no friends), who knows what his family life was like? He needed help - but was offered none.

R.I.P. VT victims.

There's no such thing as FREE lunch.

No matter what they say, nothing comes for free. Don't get me wrong; my Chinese blood screams when I hear about things like 'free' pens, 'free' samples. I've mentioned to many of my friends how much I enjoyed my 'free' Popeye's chicken on Monday and 'free' B&J Half Baked cone on Tuesday. But alas, nothing is ever free.

Reasons why nothing is ever free:
Example 1: Popeye's chicken
Printing the coupon (the ink and paper costs money)
Walking to the store (3 minutes): we all know TIME IS MONEY.
Bringing the chicken back home, free advertising for the company while we're holding the goods with drool hanging off the side of our mouth.

Example 2: Ben and Jerry's Annual Cone Day
Accessing their website to find out which is the closest location (use up my internet, as well as time)
Walking to the store (it was a good 20 minutes... oh precious study time)
Waiting in line (thank God Steph was there - saved us a good 20 minutes)
Donating to the Children's Wish Foundation - Since it was a good cause, I donated $4! (I'm pretty sure that was more than the 'price' of my cone

Remember those free smiles you can get at McDs? Did you ever ask one of those employees to flash you their pearly whites? Well, just think that your meal is over priced and that goes towards the price of their fake smile. Those recruitment dinners next year? Again, they take up your time - time for sleeping, studying, eating. They plan on brainwashing you so that you'll want to be part of their company - they'll take up part of your brain space.

That being said, there's something about not having to physically take out your wallet and spending money that makes pseudo free things quite gratifying. I <3 free stuff :)

Censoring your pictures on Facebook

Adding to the fact that potential employers can now google your life online, Facebook has become so popular that I'm positive friend, foe and potential employer will be looking at your profile.

Some people expose their entire life on facebook, luckily I changed my profile so that you can only view it if you're a friend. Which leads to the question... what pictures are NOT okay to post and/or tag?

Pictures of you making out at a club with some stranger?
You in your underwear dancing on the table?
Getting high on some THC, crack, ectasy etc?

Hrm... better start untagging some photos of myself :P

Moms are da bomb!

T - 36 hours till my first exam. Oh PK (pharmacokinetics), how I loathe thee....

I think I'm reverting back to my high school days where I didn't blog very often, I think I have blogger's block (you know, very similar to writer's block).

Just wanted to give 'propz' to my mom for preparing my lunches/dinner for me for this upcoming month! They taste soooo yummy! Much better than anything I can produce on my own...

Only mothers (perhaps fathers as well) - or maybe it's just my mom =)
Will ask you what your favourite foods are and make it for you
Individualize each lunch/dinner so that they're different
Stay up late when you go home late
Calls me to see how I'm doing
Tells me not to STRESS out so hard
Reminds me that marks aren't everything!
Tells me that she's happy as long as I'm happy!

Oh mommy... save me from 8 exams *wails*

Feeling - Content

Today was an amazing day! You know those days when you feel absolutely on top of the world? Where nothing is going to get you down? Well, I am currently feeling like that now and it feels great!

I'm trying to steer away from being too personal on my blogs, but I felt I just had to share. Today was Pharmacy Arts Night and I thought it went very smoothly. I'm so glad that I got to work with Catherine Chung (the Arts Night co-director); the show was very organized and there was an excellent turnout (to all my fantabulous friends of course) :)

The choir sounded sooo good (in my opinion)!!! I'm so proud of each and every one of them! I know that it's not easy to invest in 2 hrs/ week (and even up to 4-6 hrs in the last couple of weeks before Arts Night.) They were all so dedicated and patient with me! I think I've invested at least... 4 hrs/week for choir!! (+ learning the songs, booking rooms, recording mp3 files). The guys were so cute with their "Rock around the clock" and the audience joined in at the snapping fingers!

The art work and poetry was also amazing. There's a lot of talent in pharmacy and I hope that the show will continue, even after I graduate.

I'd like to thank all my friends for their love and support. I know, it's not easy to stay after school when it's long weekend and you're cold! I'm grateful for each and every one of you that came out tonight - It means a lot to me!

Lastly, thank you performers, poets, photographers, artists and audience! Weee, cloud 9 feeling!

Why asians will not make it BIG in Hollywood - right now

Disclaimer: Read with an open mind and read light heartedly! It's not totally serious but there's some truth to it.

#1: In GENERAL (because we are living in a 'western' society), 'asians' are not deemed as attractive as caucasians/blacks due to stereotypical features such as i) short stature, ii) characteristic small eyes iii) other. However, there ARE some asians that are seen on television (Lucy Liu, Sandra Oh...).





VERSUS



#2: The majority of Hollywood/English movies, are usually based on highly unrealistic situations (Hostel part gazillion), important moments in history for Americans (and possibly Canadians - but even this is iffy), romantic comedies, etc. Asians are still 'relatively' new to North America... and I'm pretty sure people would NOT produce a popular Hollywood film about Chinese people building the Canadian Pacific Railway and how they had to pay a head tax...

Unless the movie is about asians(in some way) or takes place somewhere in Asia, you're probalby not going to get a cast with any asians.





#3: In relation to #2, 'asians' (which include south asians) get very limited roles. This is very true. Example, in the movie "The Pursuit of Happyness", a chinese couple ran a laundromat as well as a day care. In movies, taxi drivers are typically South Asian. AND, when 'asians' are portrayed in a movie, why do they always speak with an chinese/indian accent? All of my chinese friends have NO chinese accent, nor do my brown friends speak with an indian accent (unless they pretend to have one).

This boggles my mind, although we're called 'visible minorities'... we are the most numerous in the world! And although there has been SOME breakthrough in Hollywood (eg. Aishwarya Rai, Zhang Ziyi, Jet Li, Chow Yun Fat etc), it's not a lot and it's not progressing fast enough.

#4: So you find a really HOT asian girl (a la Zhang Ziyi), that will probably draw a lot of people to come see your movie. The problem? She can't speak english properly! (Think back to Memoirs of a Geisha - wasn't it painful to listen to? LOL) What about asian guys? Brad Pitt... or F4.. you tell me what's more desirable in North America. (BTW, I think F4 is just fine... after they cut their hair, :P)





#5: For some weird reason, if you have a movie (eg. Pirates of the Caribbean - mainly 'caucasian' cast), you will draw all types of people. If you have a movie like Stomp the Yard or Pride (mainly a cast of African Americans), you will draw that crowd... probably some teenagers that like to dance, etc.

You make a movie like Memoirs of a Geisha. Who's going to see it? 1) People who love the book and are hoping that the movie will do it justice. 2) Guys who are dragged by their girlfriends 3) Pervy guys with an asian fetish 4) Asians who come to 'root' for their fellow asians.



If you make a movie about the Canadian Pacific Railway and Head Tax... what audience will you attract? In honesty, probably only those people who want to learn about that specific part of Chinese/Canadian History, the people who suffered the injustice, and maybe some more chinese people to root for the chinese actors in the film.

Will we ever see an asian (who can speak english) properly star in a leading role in a Hollywood film in a role that's not based on his/her ethnicity? Possibly... but not in the near future. What does this mean? I have no idea.. but somehow I feel as though if this happens, it's like Hollywood/society will have to acknowledge that us 'asians' make up society as well, and that we also have the power to influence things. But I digress and head to my bed..

Please don't think I'm racist! I <3 my Hollywood movies, and I'm totally rooting for asian stars. This is just better than blogging about boring life :P It's just one of these topics that people may think about, but might not want to actually discuss. Well, I choose to be different!

Jamaican food - Ya Man!

I present to you - food from my childhood:

Curry Chicken/Goat:
Different from the Malaysian or Indian curry. Jamaican curry is milder and is not as spicy. The chicken may be boneless or with bone. (We sell the boneless chicken but our goat has bones)


Oxtail:
It's hard to describe what oxtail tastes like, but the sauce is awesome as I can just put it on plain rice and eat it! That's exactly how our oxtail looks like except we don't serve it in a blue bowl. We might also add in some lettuce and tomatoes to make it aesthetically pleasing!


Ackee and Saltfish:
Ackee is the national fruit of Jamaica. It's not actually sweet and in fact tastes kinda buttery. The fish is salted and dried in the sun. So you get something that tastes salty and buttery at the same time :)


Jerk Chicken/Pork:
This baby is spiccccy!! Especially when you add in the jerk sauce. Sometimes you might see jerk chicken as a kinda light brownish color. I think it looks more authentic when it's black. You can achieve the 'black' colour by burning it (haha) or by using the 'Lo Chau' soya sauce to marinate it.


Jamaican Patties:
Beef: Spicy or mild. Chicken: (curry flavor), Mixed Vegetables. Spinach and saltfish patty. Chickpea patty. We have quite the selection! (The spinach and chickpea patties are made by my dad).


Jamaican Soup:
I used to love this as a kid (and I still do now.) I prefer this over the chinese soups I drink haha. Add in a few dumplings, carrots, corn, chicken and this soup is heavenly (to me). Don't ask me why the package says that...


Desserts/Sweet stuff:
Coconut drops:

Bulla Cake: Tastes like soft gingerbread!

Coconut juice: Who doesn't want this on a regular/normal day in Jamaica when it's like 30 something degrees celsius?

Mmmm.... I want some bulla cake!

Honourable mentions: Trinididian doubles! (2 pieces of fried dough with curry chicken peas in the middle), Chicken/potato/goat roti - a freshly steamed roti that's filled with hot food!, Rum cake (very popular during Christmas, it's actually baked with some rum but the alcohol evaporates :) ), Spice/Easter Bun (+ cheese = heaven)

"I prefer a _______ guy."

Disclaimer: I'm not racist, so don't leave comments about that I am. I hang out w/ a variety of people with different ethnic backgrounds :P Also note, I'm constantly sleep deprived so that's bound to have an effect on my mentality and rationale :P.

I don't know what to blog about lately since I don't want to bore you with yet another episode of drama in my life. (but maybe I'll entertain you if you keep reading till the end =D )

I had a conversation with a friend the other day, let's call her CN. She thinks I'm guy crazy. Well, I guess I may seem like that if I don't know you that well and the only common ground we have is that we're single and might be potentially looking. So I teased her, asking her what her preferences were in a guy, because I said I'd be on the lookout for her Mr. Right. I think she said something about as long as he is nice, perhaps a bit older or same age. I then asked her if she needed her guy to sing like JT or Usher. She replied back that if she was to find a guy like that, she'd never find one. And then she said that she needed the guy to be asian (I'm assuming chinese, because, she's chinese :P).

This suddenly got more interesting.

Me: "CN, why do you want a chinese guy? What about a caucasian guy raised in China who can speak your language?"
CN: "Well, caucasian guys are too hairy."
Me: "Well, what if you found one that can speak chinese and isn't hairy."
CN: "I doubt that's going to happen. And plus, the culture difference is too great."

This was the key issue. I see a lot of asian girls with caucasian boyfriends. It's pretty common actually. But then there are some people that can't overcome the culture barrier. I think it's possible to overcome the barrier unless your mentality/thoughts are stuck in the 17th century! They say opposites attract, but I don't know how many cases of that I know. You might have a few friends that are totally different from you, but I think you're even better friends with the people you are similar to. Although I'm not racist, I think I prefer asian guys because it'd be easier to find one with the same interests as me....

I mean, sure, if you don't know me you might think of me as just a 'typical' Chinese Canadian (and I don't mean that in a derogatory sense). But I actually have some weird 'fob-like' habits that I think are harder to find in a Caucasian guy. Finding a non-asian that likes DDR? Likely. Finding a non asian that watches anime? There's plenty of those! But finding a non-asian that likes to listen to Kpop, Jpop, Cpop as well as watch Korean dramas and chinese dramas.... hrm, I'd say that's pushing it.

So really, it depends on how 'white-washed' you are (not to be used in a racist way - but more of a way to describe how westernized you are), and how you feel about interracial relationships. I've dated an italian before. Unfortunately, it didn't last long because I didn't feel as though there was anything there other than the mutual physical attraction. I'm fine with inter racial relationships, I just feel as though I have a better chance of finding people similar to me if they're asian (since I've been described as Fobby).

But then, I may also just be rambling nonsense. Does it really matter if a guy watches korean dramas or plays piano and violin? Not really. But then, those are definitely things that I notice and makes a guy different from the rest of the crowd. Am I weird? Most definitely so. Maybe that's why I'm having problems meeting guys and have a high chance of becoming a cat lady hahaha. What do you think? Do you agree or disagree?

Edit: If you think I'm childish, that's fine.

Abercrombie and Fitch, Hollister - Dirty Little (or big) secrets

Some people love it, some people don't. I personally don't see what's so awesome about it. Hollister is basically the cheaper version of A&F (they're owned by the same company, surprise surprise). I never saw the big deal about Hollister when it opened up last year. I don't get the whole 'cologny', dim lights ambiance of the environment. I heard from a fellow pharmie that Hollister had really hot guys and so I went to check it out (last year). They were pretty good looking.

This year, A&F also opened at up the Eaton Centre. Again, another friend said that the guys there were hawt and that some of them walk around with their shirts half undone so you can see their abs. She also loves their clothing. Being curious (about the clothes, not the guys *wink*), I decided to walk inside. IT GAVE ME THE SAME FEELING AS HOLLISTER DID. I walked inside and was greeted by some guy with the most gorgeous blue eyes. I proceeded to walk around the store with my friend Emily and I glanced at the price of a normal hoodie. It was 90$!!!! This hoody was not made of the finest material or plated with gold, it was just your regular hoodie that was made to have a 'worn down' look, for almost 100$.

Now, I like shopping, and my friends can testify that I can be quite the shopaholic. But I really don't get these stores. First off, the smell of cologne was so strong that I was suppressing my cough until I left the store. Next, it's so dim that I can't even see the clothes properly! I think it's a marketing gimmick. Here's how it works You see something you like, and you try it on. Since it's so dark, (and dim lights do tend to make people look more 'sexy'), you think it looks great/okay on you and so you purchase it! Then you get home, and you try it under more realistic lighting only to find that it's not so great afterall. But, it still looks 'decent' in a way and you're not going to change it. That, I believe, is how these stores work.

I was reading Wikipedia (yes, I love wikipedia) and came across the following excerpts re: A&F.

"The company strictly regulates the store environment in an effort to provide a consistent, pleasureful experience for customers in a manner that can be replicated in each store. Factors such as visual presentation, music, and fragrance are not left to chance. The company also specifies in painstaking detail how lighting, layout, visual displays, marketing, and fixtures are to be placed and used in every store. Each store is spritzed every half hour with men’s cologne in order to ensure a pleasant sensory experience. Every store plays the same pre-produced music CD which is sent to each store. Every month stores receive a new CD and are instructed to discard the old one. The volume is set to the company regulated level and must not be changed for any reason.

It continues:
"The A&F Quarterly became a lightning rod for controversy shortly after it was published. It featured photographs of male and female models, often nude, posing in pairs or groups. Despite a company policy restricting sale of the publication to adults, critics charged that the publication was readily sold to minors. Several states threatened to pursue legal action, though the company was never charged with violating any related statutes.

The publication was also criticized on moral grounds, for featuring sexually explicit interviews with porn stars, and articles that, according to critics, glamorized alcohol consumption, sex, and homosexuality. In 2003, an array of religious organizations, women's rights activists, and Asian-American groups organized boycotts and protests over the publication, and the "Christmas Edition" of the catalog was removed from stores.[11] In 2004, "A&F Magazine", a comparatively tame collection of photos and essays about rising celebrities, replaced the publication altogether."

Lastly:
One shirt featured the slogan "Wong Brothers Laundry Service—Two Wongs Can Make It White" with smiling figures in conical hats, a 1900s popular-culture depiction of Chinese immigrants. The company discontinued the designs and apologized after a boycott by Asian-American student groups. That same year, the children's clothing division removed a line of thong underwear sold for girls in pre-teen children's sizes after parents mounted nationwide storefront protests. The underwear included phrases like "Eye Candy" and "Wink Wink" printed on the front.

More T-shirt controversy occurred twice in 2004. The first incident involved a shirt featuring the phrase, "It's All Relative in West Virginia," an apparent jab at incest relations in rural America. West Virginia governor Bob Wise spoke out against the company for depicting "an unfounded, negative stereotype of West Virginia," but the shirts were not removed.[12]

The second incident involved another t-shirt with the phrase "L is for Loser" written next to a picture of a male gymnast on the rings. The company stopped selling the shirt in October of 2004 after USA Gymnastics president Bob Colarossi announced a boycott of Abercrombie & Fitch for mocking the sport."



Next up - Applying PHM328 in the marketing business - the process of selection bias for A&F and Hollister - all employees must be hot!

Desi woman catches husband cheating

I don't know how many of you heard this audio clip, but my friend Lukie sent it to me yesterday. I don't know if it's fake or not, but if you haven't listened to it, give it a try. The link can be found HERE

It's sad but also quite comedic at some points. It's around a 5 minute audio clip, and if you don't want to listen to it, I'll summarize it for you. Basically there's an indian couple that had an arranged marriage in India and migrated to the States for a better future. This woman calls the radio station one day saying that she thinks her husband is cheating. She describes him as acting 'very american' and that he rarely makes love to her anymore. As well, her husband really likes Beyonce and would've jumped at the chance to ask her to go, but he hasn't even mentioned it. So the DJ calls the husband at work, and said that he was from the car dealership (the hubby recently bought a car), and said that he won tickets to the Beyonce concert.

The husband is really delighted and so the DJ asks him for the name of the other person he will be bringing, as well as a personalized message since they can place it on the concert ticket. (Meanwhile the wife is listening in on this). So he tells the DJ that he would like the 2nd ticket to go to Nikki with a personal message that says "Thank you for my bow-dai call" (booty call, or something along those lines). The DJ starts laughing his head off and the wife starts screaming "who the hell is Nikki?!"

The husband is confused out of his mind, asking the DJ "I think there's someone else on the line and it sounds like my wife." So they're yelling at each other on national radio. He tells her that "American women use the mouth. You do not use the mouth." Her reply was "We were not taught to use the mouth. You don't use your mouth either." This argument continues and he ends off by saying that he doesn't find her satisfying anymore, and that American women are open to having another woman in the man's life.

Man, if this is real, I hope she took all his money and left his sorry @$$. What a loser and horrible way to get caught cheating. Super super wrong!

Behold the Monstrosity!

Dear Friends, I have some hearbreaking news... upon eating my fruits today.... I discovered something truly blasphemous. The following image may be inappropriate and be quite disturbing. You HAVE been warned!!!


Came home this weekend, happy to see Willy and my Family :) My mom tells me she bought CHERRIES and that they're in the fridge... I open the fridge and I see two packs of strawberries... so I tell her of her mistake and that these are called strawberries. It doesn't matter to me since I like all '-berries'. Open up one pack of strawberries and this is what I see....

I've seen giant strawberries before, you know, the ones where it's 2 fused together; those are STILL okay to eat. However, I'm a bit iffy on this one... If you look at it closely, there's at least 4 fused together, and if they didn't pluck this one, the green one indicates that another one would be growing! My brother said 'mutant strawberries don't deserve to live!', and then he ate it. Actually, no he didn't, the mutant strawberry is in the fridge, waiting for a brave soul to devour it. Any takers? Just message me and I'll bring it to you =)

I think someone was studying too hard when they said 'It's a strawberry. One that underwent teratogenesis when it was being 'born'.

On another note, I miss Britney. I miss Britney w/ JT, Britney looking really hot. Like in this video.

Dilemmas up the yin yang...

Living up to the name 'Rant with passion. Think with reason'. It's 2:30 am and instead of studying or sleeping, I am blogging because I am frustrated. Why am I frustrated you ask? Well if you were me, I guess you'd know, wouldn't you?

I used to think that I'm a really good problem solver... not with respect to math, but I like to think I give good advice when people have issues. This past year however, I have been faced with too many situations that I do not feel comfortable encountering. Due to confidentiality and privacy reasons, they will not be discussed further.

You don't want to offend people, but you don't want to lie to your family.
You have to be fair to friends and strangers (you have to be impartial and objective).
You have to do the right thing, not necessarily do things right.
Your EQ has to be high (as well as IQ) so that you're aware of how people are feeling.
You might make decisions that will leave no one satisfied.

There are some situations I don't want to touch with a 10 foot pole. I'm human and I have my limitations. There is only one of me and 24 hours in a day. I can't study, do extracurriculars, do volunteer work, AS WELL AS deal with all these other issues. I really wanted to move away from 'ranting online', but as no one is awake and I'm sure everyone is tired of hearing me complain, this is the only way for me to keep the hair on my head.

I am really contemplating whether I should live away from home next year. I mean, I save time living downtown, but that time goes towards dealing with other issues. I don't think I'll have a mental breakdown from these obstacles, but it really tests my patience. There's a side of me that's growing.. it's called 'evil Janet'. It wants to tell people to 'screw off' and reply in a snarky manner that 'it's not my problem.' I really hope that this side of me doesn't blow out of proportion. I really think it's the temporary frustration that I'm feeling right now.

Giacomo Casanova

Fact or fiction? Fact!

Quoting wikipedia: "In his autobiography Histoire de ma vie (Story of My Life), regarded as one of the most authentic sources of the customs and norms of European social life during the 18th century, he mentions 122 women with whom he had sex."

I don't even know if I HAVE 122 guy friends or acquaintances. So this man was REALLY popular. I don't even think 'players' (or manhoes) nowadays can beat this Casanova guy (or do they... maybe I DON'T want to know) Funny, it doesn't say here that he died of STDs.... I would imagine that he probably had a whole bunch of STDs (or is it STIs now?): syphilis.. gonorrhea (as well as chlamydia co-infection :P). Did they even have condoms at that time? Well it did say on the site that "He used charm, guile, threats, intimidation, and aggression, when necessary, to conquer women, sometimes leaving behind children or debt."

This guy was a player... but he was an intelligent player (or did he genuinely like them at that point in time?) that used his charm and wits to impress/get the girls. Some would say that he treats women as objects... but it ends by saying (the article): "Unusually for his time, Casanova was egalitarian towards the sexes. He accepted women as his equals and was non-judgmental about their behaviour, according them the same status to do as they wished as he did men."

Makes me wonder: what was the definition of hot during those days? Did people look the same? (I highly doubt it... or maybe they did it's just the clothes really make a difference). Hm.... does Heath Ledger come close to the original Casanova?

The beginning.

After 4 years with xanga, it's time to try something new. As with various aspects of my life, it's time to look forward and be optimistic :)