One year!

Happy anniversary to my favorite K.! :)

You are busy studying right now. What a good boy.

Also, I don’t think you will see this for a long time because nobody reads my blog haha.

Love you lots!

Random

After stressing out and almost getting into an argument with K. over nothing, I’m forcing myself to calm down and just write this research paper.

And even though I can feel the weariness creep in, I can’t help but smile as I look over to my bed and see that he has peacefully fallen asleep while trying to keep me company.

Just gotta plow through the crap and I’ll be fine.

Smiles galore!

Well, I guess I’m really 20 now aren’t I?  How weird is that!  Even though it isn’t that interesting of an age to turn, there’s just something so old sounding about it.  Anyway, this was one of the happiest birthdays I’ve had in a while, and I love my friends!

I was pleasantly surprised that some of my friends actually read my blog, and I got some really sweet and thoughtful gifts from them.  Some of them also came to surprise me at midnight, and I’m sure there will be amusing pictures of that for all to see.  It was so nice just going to dinner, hanging out, catching up on how the start of school has been, everything!

Ahhh I feel like I’m not giving enough credit to how wonderful of a day I really had, but it really was such a good day.  All the calls, emails, facebook posts (haha), texts, hugs made me realize how lucky I am.  And made me miss some of you too!

Well, I’ve spent most of the basking in happiness, but I should get back down to business hm?  It’s okay though, some of you have told me that things are on the way for me in the mail, so I’ll be expecting some bursts of happiness in the near future.  Lovelovelovelovelove you all :)

Family dynamics

Maybe Eric and I are finally growing up, maybe spending time apart is good, but things seem more calm around the Chai household.  It’s nice that we can spend time together, have a nice dinner, and talk and laugh together.  A good change from those explosive and angry adolescent days.

My brother and I both decided to come home and sort of celebrate my Mom’s birthday since it’s on Tuesday, so we’ve been having some decent family time.  The randomest things have changed around here.  First of all, we no longer have two phone lines.  Instead of a second phone line, we now have caller ID and call waiting.  We also have a talking phone that announces caller ID.  It’s funny yet creepy, especially when you’re alone.  Also, some of our family portraits around the house have been updated from the ones taken in 2000 and 2004 to the ones taken in September.  Actually, this probably happened sometime over winter break but I really noticed them today.  I guess it’s kind of strange coming home and seeing new things.  Well, as long as nothing drastic happens without me knowing, I’ll be fine.

So after dinner tonight, we all opened our fortune cookies and read each others.  Except Eric’s cookie didn’t have a fortune!  My mom decided that this was no good and flagged down a waitress to get a new cookie for my brother.  Oh mother, you will never cease to amuse me.

My brother is now baking cookies and I have resumed my studying for two midterms coming up this week.  Oh well, at least I have something to look forward to in a few weeks.  Smiles all around!

Adventures in the rain, Friday the 13th

Well, well, well.  It is currently pouring like no other and I am freezing down to my toes.  But not to worry, I have an endless supply of hot chocolate on hand.  Mmmm…

Friday the 13th did not start out well.  I woke up twice last night (at 2:34 and 4:39) because people were screaming in the hallways.  Again.  I had to get up rather early for my first real ochem lab which was rather ehhh.  Then I found out I had a pop lab quiz!  How wonderful.  I also managed to spill something on my hand when dumping it into the waste bucket, so I had to rinse my hand under running water for five minutes.  Stupid acid/base crap.

BUT.  I did fine on my pop quiz.  After lab I had a nice lunch and settled in to watch two hours of tv.  My roommate got back from class and I decided to ditch my next class to go watch “He’s Just Not That Into You” with her.  Amazingly, this is the first time I’ve missed class all semester!  And so began my adventure in the pouring rain.  I guess it was kind of fun being out in the pouring rain, just because I’ve managed to avoid it for so long.  But I really want rain boots now and I hate how indecisive I am about the weirdest things.

One cutesy movie later and an agonizingly cold and wet walk back and I am here in my little dorm room getting ready to be a hermit until tomorrow when it will hopefully not be raining anymore.  Toodles!

I think this is the first chick flick I’ve watched without crying, which pretty much supports my suspicions that I am becoming a bitter old hag.

Rainy days

I have a love-hate relationship with rain.  I love being inside and watching the pouring rain.  I love listening to rain (sometimes) because it’s soothing and can put me to sleep.  I think rainboots and umbrellas are cute.  I hate being cold.  I hate being wet.  The combination of cold and wet makes me grumpy, unless I’m in a particularly good mood or doing something fun to make up for it.  And I love how crisp and fresh the air is after it rains.

I just need to remember to look out the window before going to class.

Napping

Okay, in the past I have been a pretty big advocate for napping.

Feeling a little tired?  Take a nap and you’ll feel better!  Because that has usually worked for me in the past.

But no!  From now on I am going to avoid naps like the plague!  Every time that I have napped recently, I have just ended up feeling even shittier.

Goodbye my love!

Haha let’s see how long I can actually do this.  But I really do like the idea of sleep earlier.  Damn 8am classes.

Loomings

As Friday morning draws nearer, I can’t help feeling a little sad about leaving home.  This break has been both a blessing and a curse- I really needed the sleep and downtime, but I’m starting to get anxious and fidgety at home.  Maybe it’s the prospect of starting a new semester and my hopes and goals when I return to school.  But I’m ready for this.

These past few days have been a wonderful way to end break.  Hanging out with people, visiting some teachers, reading.  I’ve felt more at peace than I have in a while.  I guess I’m coming to terms with things and it’s doing me some good.  I love just being able to be relax without feeling guilty.

I’m guessing the next time I write in here I’ll be back at Berkeley.

Cupertino and friends, I will miss you!  Please stay safe and remember to give me some occasional updates on life.

Love you, bye!

I still remember when love was enough

So this ridiculously long winter break is driving me somewhat insane.  I know I should be glad that I get so much time off, but I feel like my brain is rotting away as I watch hours of Discovery and Food Network.  Seriously, I’m not a big tv person but this break was just…something else.

Anyway, my point is that too much free time gives me too much time to let my mind wander and think too much.  I overanalyze the stupidest things, I create alternate scenarios in my mind, and I daydream about possible futures.  It’s pretty stupid and frustrating, and almost always ends up with me being unsatisfied with how things are right now.

I guess my thing of the year should really be trying to find a way to be content with what life gives me at the moment.  This doesn’t mean that I won’t try and make things better for myself, but I shouldn’t be constantly thinking “what if” or “why didn’t I” or anything of that nature.  I realize that this is a pretty lofty goal for me, but I’m going to keep at it for the sake of my sanity, well-being, and happiness.

But there are certain things that I can’t fix on my own.  I’ll leave that up to time.

—–

I just read my horoscope for today.

“Focusing on one relationship is really not a good idea.  Spread the love.”

Hah.  I guess it’s the kick in the butt I need.

Why I love my daddy

I tend to gripe about my parents a lot, but sometimes I kind of realize how much I take them for granted.

My dad takes a lot of crap from me and basically my entire family.  He does so much around the house-fixing things, doing the dishes, cooking, you name it.  People were always amazed that my dad made my lunches practically every day in high school.  Even though he still treats me like a kid, I honestly don’t mind acting like a kind once in a while.  He always picks me up or takes me wherever I need to go.  I can call him on a Friday morning and tell him I’m coming home for the weekend and to pick me up from BART and all he says is “Sure, see you then.”  On Friday nights when I come home from school, he always takes me out to eat or makes sure to cook me yummy at home to make up for my lack of good food at Berkeley.  He doesn’t really ask how I spend my money and always makes sure I have enough in my checking account.  It’s just all the little things he does to keep things running smoothly.

And I guess he’s so different from my mom that it’s refreshing.  He asks how school and stuff is, but he doesn’t pressure me or pry into what I’m doing.  He makes easy conversation without awkward questions.  Makes me laugh a fair amount.  Plus, I’m pretty sure I got my brains and studying habits from him.  Yee!

Anyway.  In a weeks time I’ll be back at Cal getting ready for school while my parents go off to Japan for a few days and then Taiwan to celebrate Chinese New Year with their families for the first time in over twenty years.  I’m glad that having both kids off to college gives them more time to have some fun themselves.