day thirty (!!!)

A photo of yourself today + three good things that have happened in the past 30 days

My 365 for today; click photo to be redirected to my Flickr :)

1. I got an iPhone...and a case for it (today!), along with discovering many new and intriguing applications. Pocket frog, you are my favorite.
2. I ate more avocados than I have in probably the past year. Having another for lunch tomorrow!
3. I learned to appreciate gym class for what it is--basic physical education. Although this is completely hypocritical since I'm dreading tomorrow's speed ball game...I am neither a punter nor a dunker nor a good passer, and this game mixes my lack of talent in three completely different sports (football, soccer, basketball). I preferred our floor hockey unit :(.

And the 30-day challenge (#2!) is complete! I'm excited, should I start another? Hmmm :)

day twenty-nine

Something you would never get tired of doing

Eating portobello mushrooms.

...Okay fine. I'll never tire of spending time with friends, participating in a great worship session, playing with birds and squeeing about how adorable my puppy is, taking photos (I hope) and obsessing over Apple products, reading a good novel, listening to wind-chimes at night, enjoying a clean room, listening to the I Heart Revolution on full blast, flossing my teeth, trying on a new pair of shoes, taking showers, going to the beach and going to the mountains, making faces at friends from across the room, smelling fresh laundry and putting on jeans after shaving, watching inspiring movies and old favorites, dreaming and pursuing my dreams (according to God's will, that is).

day twenty-eight

Your favorite movie

Transformers, the Lord of the Rings trilogy, and Inception.

I'm as proud as I am shameful that my favorites are all completely viral--sometimes I feel like I should be immersing myself in more obscure "classics," but in light of the 21st century, I find my choices appropriate. All action flicks, sure, but the unifying force is really the graphics and advancement in HOW to create the illusion of reality in a two-point-five hour block.

All three of these have succeeded; resultantly, I can (and do) watch them over and over and over. They also make up a large portion of my movie collection, since I rarely buy films. I understand that my picks are probably washed out by the media, but at their core, I am undivided in my choice: they never fail to stun me :).

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Field trip to watch Race in Philly tomorrow! I hope I don't forget my glasses and actually do something with my "relaxed" evening tonight...hum dee dum...

day twenty-seven

A picture of you last year and now and how you've changed since then?

2010 Winter Retreat (photo courtesy the Lins)

2011 Winter Retreat (photo again courtesy the Lins)

I'm still playing the piano. I'm still in a small group. I'm still active in the church. I'm still a scarf person. I still French braid my hair as a default. I still have that awkward, forced camera smile. I still have that heart ring on. I still use the same keyboard. I still love retreats.

I'm not playing the piano against my will anymore. I'm not just in a small group for retreats; I'm leading a small group. I'm more active in church than I originally planned to be, all glory to God. I don't buy scarfs anymore, I'm gifted them...I am slowly switching to a messy, amateur fishtail braid. I am actually genuinely happy before a camera, awkward smile or not. That heart ring has welded into a part of me, not just as an accessory. I don't need the transpose button anymore, though I may chose to use it in tight spots and last-second key changes. I will likely not be attending another WCEC+WCCEC winter retreat again, ever.

I was sixteen, I am seventeen. I was set on one college, I am open to God's options for me. I thought I understood sacrifice, I am learning to give some more each day. I was using a Dell, I am using a Mac. I had a Versa that I guarded with my life, I have an iPhone 4 that I guard with my life. I overpacked and wore my bat-wing sweater way too much, I still wear my bat-wing sweater but pack more conservatively. I slept late by choice, I sleep late by force. I did my homework on a bed, I do my homework on a dining table. And on, and on, and on. But:

I was a Christian, I am a Christian.

Some things never change.

day twenty-six

A photo of somewhere you've been

Haiti. One of the most beautiful, broken places on earth.

--

(I'm back from winter retreat!)

day twenty-five

What's in your purse?

I very rarely carry a purse because I use a backpack for school...but on normal days when I do have one:

• Hand sanitizer
• Phone
• Lip balm
• Tissues
• Keys
• Water
• Camera
• iPod
• Beats
• Pen/pencil/eraser
• Candy of some sort or a peanut bar

day twenty-four

A photo of something that means a lot to you

I could not get lamer, but I don't have any other photos on hand :(.

SAY HELLO TO MY IPHONE 4...something that apparently means a lot to me! Well, yeah. It does. Not exactly what I want to represent my priorities and values, but will do.

day twenty-three

Fifteen facts about you

1) I was born in California and I think my brief time there does influence the pace at which I live and how I interact with others.

2) I am getting an iPhone 4 today...it was already delivered earlier, but I wasn't home so now I have to wait hopefully only another half an hour :).

3) I had stick-straight "asian" hair up until sixth grade; now, it's curly.

4) I wear a heart-shaped ring from my parents on my right hand, which I never take off.

5) I probably have smaller hands than you and everyone you have ever met in your life.

6) I believe in quality over quantity and therefore trust in name-brands a little too much.

7) I cannot get enough of avocados, ever since traveling to Haiti last summer :).

8) I am conversational in French, although I was even better over the summer.

9) I can improvise on the piano and have a knack at picking up instruments (does in no way mean that I am gifted at playing them, though)

10) I remember an oddly large number of my dreams.

11) I'm only competitive when the ball comes to me.

12) I want to visit all seven continents.

13) I set my alarm clock to 15 minutes before I am actually awoken so that I can get out of the deep sleep cycle and not be cranky in the morning.

14) My roof is both my most inaccessible and favorite place to relax.

15) I love the weather right before it rains.

day twenty-two

A letter to someone who has hurt you recently

Dear ____,

I just wish you'd trust me more. And that we could talk more, even though we do. Often.

That's about it.

Love,

M

day twenty-one

A photo of something that makes you happy

(Photo from Wikipedia)

I don't really know how to emphasize this. Today was spent with two church fellowships in Philadelphia (I did have a fantastic interview right before our hangout, though), ending with the concert I mentioned two posts below. Being with other Christians for a full day is really energizing, especially those with a passion for praise...not sure what to say other than our God is good. I hope I can be more bold about this.

I'm really tired right now, so that's it. I don't think I'm going to get around to my interview log today, either...

day twenty

The meaning behind your blog name

Exactly what it says: musings. My musings.

GOING TO DO TWO OF THESE SINCE I WAS MEANING TO DO ONE "YESTERDAY" BUT I GOT HOME AT MIDNIGHT AHHH yay cheating on the challenge :)!

day nineteen

Another picture of yourself

day eighteen

Something you crave a lot

A film SLR...which surprisingly, I received in the mail today :). Thank you Victor! He's lending me his 50mm lens and giving me the extra AE-1 he bought--I'm so, so psyched to test it out (I actually already played with it a bit and cleaned parts of it, but no where to the extent that I plan on)!!!

Another thing I'm craving is the iPhone 4 for Verizon, WHICH AS OF TODAY HAS A RESERVED QUANTITY THAT IS PURCHASABLE FOR CURRENT VERIZON CUSTOMERS and my brother bought me one at 3am today, when it went on sale online! I don't know what I'm more excited about at the moment, this camera or my new phone. My goodness.

But to put a damper on today, the report card I received yesterday afternoon was flawed :(. I noticed that my AP Statistics teacher curved our midterm grade, which was incredibly kind and bumped me up back into the 90s (I was doing fine until just recently so I sort of felt like it was appropriate), BUT I became aware that it was an accident today, and I do think she changed it back. Which is actually very upsetting since I perceived my grades as fairly strong with that one in the 90s, but after the drop I can't help but feel sad, if not disappointed.

Yet at the same time, it really is the grade I deserve. And I'm writing a scholarship essay on dishonesty, so this is fitting. Even though I was not dishonest, in all honesty, I'm lucky to have an 88 with the effort I lacked at the end of the marking period (although I studied 5+ hours for the midterms...sigh).

Time to trust in God--or should I say: a reminder that I need to trust in God always and less in my academic transcript.

OKAY but I cannot trust God to delay my scholarship deadline that I've just barely become eligible to apply to, so OFF I GO. Forty-five minutes until its submission!

--

PS, I can't believe I forgot this; Happy Chinese New Year, of course! :))

PPS, If this challenge q was asking about food: avocados and mashed potatoes.

day seventeen

A photo of you and your family

(From left to right: Mom, me, Dartmouth President Jim Kim, brother, President's wife, Dad)

@ Austin's graduation weekend :) this is actually one of the only pictures we have of us together, and it includes two other people...I need to get on the family portrait train and take a nice one soon!

day sixteen

Your celebrity crush

Thanks to Inception, JGL :)

(Image via ScreenRant)

...Though I'm a bit saddened by the fact that he's fairly vulgar in real life.

But I still plan on buying this poster for my dorm room in college. Along with a huge Megatron one...and possibly the rest of the Inception series, even though Marion Cotillard now gives me nightmares.

day fifteen

Something you don't leave the house without

• phone
• sunglasses
• hair tie

Chapstick used to be on the list, too, but recently I haven't been using it...winter's being nice this year. Which is odd enough due to the massive snowstorms we've been sporadically receiving.

I loves it :)

--

Speaking of phones: my family and I decided on the iPhone 4 for Verizon! I was going to stick it out to get the 5, but it just seems that the costs outweigh the benefits. My brother and I have also been waiting a good three years for this release. So yup. Four days!

day fourteen

A TV show you're currently addicted to

Well, there are a ton. I actually just caught up with all my old favorites, but also started (and already caught up to!) a new favorite...

MODERN FAMILY :)

(Image from TV Fanatic)

I love this show. How can you not love it? Crazy, fun, and adorable. I will be the first to admit that sometimes The Office bores me, especially in its newer episodes...but Modern Family is definitely doing justice again to mockumentaries.

--

(PS: I'm supposed to be done my 30-day challenge today. Hum. I wonder if I should play catch up...? I always viewed this thing as more of something I didn't have to strictly stick to, especially since I am pretty much blogging every day...oh well. I will finish it in February!)

day thirteen

Your favorite musician and why

When I was reading my old posts the other day, I actually found one that answered this question (though only for one of my favorites). I guess I could redirect, but that's too easy, so here's a shorter explanation for my top three, who have been my constant rotating favorites over the course of a few years.

• Incubus because of raw emotion
• Hillsong because of raw passion
• John Mayer because of raw musicality

I'm trying/starting to branch out, though. If anyone has suggestions, feel free to tell me! :)

day twelve

A photograph of the town you live in

(source: Wikipedia)

day eleven

What's in your makeup bag?

Nothing. I don't wear makeup.