It's Christmas time again, and for some, that means nothing more than longer work hours...but for a few, it means so much more. I'm not sure why, but I've always loved Christmas time. I find the atmosphere wonderful and I like the hustle and bustle of the shoppers around town. However, I've recently noticed how more and more people absolutely hate Christmas and it's really starting to get me down.
To start off, my Christmases have always been awesome. As a child, Mum would fill her home made Advent calendar pockets with small items (often toys from the Kinder eggs that she would hide without my noticing). Even if I got most of my presents before the day, I would still get 2 or 3 wrapped up surprises under the tree. I also had a huge Christmas stocking in my room that my parents would fill with soft items such as toys and clothes. Times were good. But all this is making it seem rather shallow. It sounds like the only joy of Christmas were the gifts... but believe me... those were only a fraction of the joy.
You see, most of the reason I loved Christmas came from something much more meaningful. One example is that my dad and I would set up and decorate the house together. That used to be some awesome quality time. Mum and I used to take care of and water the Vetch (gulbiena) together... and again, quality time. We would set up the nativity statues and even stop to say a prayer in front of them before leaving the house. We would go shopping together to find gifts for the people we love and imagine how happy they would be for getting something they could use. We'd listen to our favorite Christmas songs in the car and sing out loud like a bunch of goofballs. We'd dance in the streets of Valletta as the Christmas songs blasted from the speakers outside. We'd make hot chocolate for one another and watch TV together. Sometimes we'd even have relatives over and I would spend some time with them too. One instance I remember is making paper flowers with my Auntie Tessie and we later affixed them to the manger that belonged to our porcelain baby Jesus in my house's entrance. Those flowers are still there after almost 20 years and they still look good as new. Then on Christmas eve, Mum would dress me up in my best winter clothes and we'd go off to midnight mass. I used to love seeing certain people at mass that I wouldn't see on other days due to them living somewhere else. I loved seeing so many people in the church... but the best thing about the mass was seeing both my parents beside me singing along to the wonderful tunes as the church lights lit up the wonderful red decorations around the columns.
Yes, I found all this fascinating. The spirit of Christmas was truly alive. But the best part of it all was opening the presents in the morning, going over to my Auntie Tessie's house to show her what I got, then hand her the gift we bought for her and watch as her face lit up with joy. Even if it was the cheapest, ugliest thing ever, she would love it and thank me greatly. We were never rich, so these gifts were often home made...but believe me when I say those were the best gifts. My Aunt often gave me cardigans she'd knit herself. We'd sit together and wait for the Pope to wish us a Happy Christmas in Maltese on TV... we'd cheer and sit to eat together. We'd pop the Christmas crackers and wear the silly hats at the table. We'd help with the cleaning up together... it was wonderful. We'd end the afternoon watching the Christmas cartoons on TV like "How the Grinch Stole Christmas" and "The Town Santa Forgot".
It was special for me and it still is. It never occurred to me that Christmas was all about Consumerism, cause in reality, IT WASN'T. It's only lately that the media has made it sound like the most important thing about Christmas is buying expensive gifts for people you barely know or might not ever see again. The shops keep pushing the sales in your face and keep making you feel like if you don't buy something unnecessarily expensive, then you don't love your relatives enough. I'm already tired of the Christmas carols cause I've been unwillingly hearing them since the beginning of November. It's become absolutely ridiculous now. I still love Christmas, but I hate seeing stupid people obsessing because their boyfriend didn't buy them the Trilogy ring and therefore doesn't love them enough... or people worrying that their friend won't like the 200 euro watch they bought for them... or how they're pissed off they got a 50 euro gift after buying the person a 400 euro gift. It's disgusting.
These people have apparently never heard of "It's the thought that counts". For me, a present represents something the person will be glad for getting because 1) They needed/ wanted it 2)It came from you 3)It shows that you went out of your way to find something the person would like getting and didn't just buy a gift simply cause you had to.
I have no problem with buying gifts and the "consumer" side of Christmas as long as it's not done simply cause it's expected... and everyone has to admit they love getting gifts... but who needs a 600 euro gift that the person will be afraid of using because it's too expensive?
Still... I don't think it's any reason to start hating Christmas... there are still people who care about the "Christ" in "Christmas". If you're someone who doesn't care... don't call it Christmas. If you're someone who still cares, see you at midnight mass :D
p.s Sorry for the long post
Tuesday, December 6, 2011
Thursday, May 12, 2011
Reminders
Are you one of those people who forgets things easily? I know I am. I'm one of those people who panics until I get something done for fear of leaving something out. My mind is mostly restless with random thoughts passing through my head at the oddest of times.
I really hate it when something that I think up passes me by and I forget what I was thinking about and even what I was doing. It happens too often and it frustrates me immensely.
I find myself repeating things out loud so that I don't forget, but this also tends to pass me by at times when I get distracted with more appealing things. I adore the invention of sticky notes, since they at least allow me to leave myself reminders of things I deem important. Sometimes I use them for random ideas I want to work on, and sometimes I stick a note on the wall for the hell of it. Whatever the reason for writing it, I find that I don't panic as much when I have a reminder constantly staring me in the face.
I do panic until I find a note to write on, however it has become less of a problem ever since I swore to have a bunch of them on my desk. I also currently have 14 sticky notes on the wall in front of my laptop, but they give me a sense of comfort.
Since I work so much better with reminders, I decided to try and incorporate different kinds of reminders in my life to help me keep my mind on track at all times. Here is what I did, and found useful to my everyday life:
A workout reminder on my phone.
Along with my morning alarm, I made my phone ring every night before bed to remind me that I need to work out. I ignor it most of the time because I would have remembered anyway, but it's nice to know I have my own personal trainer reminding me to exercise.
An organiser for school
I recently bought an Amazon Kindle, and as well as being an awesome e-reader, I found it comes in very handy when I want to write dates and assignments for school. I also keep it beside my bed at night just in case I wake up with an idea in the middle of the night (yes this happens more than you might think).
Using web based word processors
I love using web based word processors. This is because I normally forget all about something I wrote once I saved the document. If I write something at school as a reminder and save it to pendrive, odds are that I would forget all about it (since my mind is at rest that I wrote it down somewhere) and the chances of losing all the data on a pendrive aren't exactly slim. So using web based word processors allow me to see my work no matter where I am, and don't make me worry about forgetting my pendrive. Since I'm online often, I don't forget about the documents as much as saved ones.
Now here is my latest attempt at reminding myself something:
Reminder Jewelry
Yes I know this one sounds weird, but it's used more often that one normally notices. Take a wedding ring or an engagement ring for example. Isn't that a reminder that someone cares enough about you to want to spend the rest of their life with you? Well this jewelry reminder idea uses the same concept. I've been having dietary troubles lately, so I tried making something to remind me of my goals no matter what. I made a weight loss bracelet. It's a simple satin chord forced through a small bead. The idea is to remind me to get thinner and not have to squeeze into my clothes.
I really hate it when something that I think up passes me by and I forget what I was thinking about and even what I was doing. It happens too often and it frustrates me immensely.
I find myself repeating things out loud so that I don't forget, but this also tends to pass me by at times when I get distracted with more appealing things. I adore the invention of sticky notes, since they at least allow me to leave myself reminders of things I deem important. Sometimes I use them for random ideas I want to work on, and sometimes I stick a note on the wall for the hell of it. Whatever the reason for writing it, I find that I don't panic as much when I have a reminder constantly staring me in the face.
I do panic until I find a note to write on, however it has become less of a problem ever since I swore to have a bunch of them on my desk. I also currently have 14 sticky notes on the wall in front of my laptop, but they give me a sense of comfort.
Since I work so much better with reminders, I decided to try and incorporate different kinds of reminders in my life to help me keep my mind on track at all times. Here is what I did, and found useful to my everyday life:
A workout reminder on my phone.
Along with my morning alarm, I made my phone ring every night before bed to remind me that I need to work out. I ignor it most of the time because I would have remembered anyway, but it's nice to know I have my own personal trainer reminding me to exercise.
An organiser for school
I recently bought an Amazon Kindle, and as well as being an awesome e-reader, I found it comes in very handy when I want to write dates and assignments for school. I also keep it beside my bed at night just in case I wake up with an idea in the middle of the night (yes this happens more than you might think).
Using web based word processors
I love using web based word processors. This is because I normally forget all about something I wrote once I saved the document. If I write something at school as a reminder and save it to pendrive, odds are that I would forget all about it (since my mind is at rest that I wrote it down somewhere) and the chances of losing all the data on a pendrive aren't exactly slim. So using web based word processors allow me to see my work no matter where I am, and don't make me worry about forgetting my pendrive. Since I'm online often, I don't forget about the documents as much as saved ones.
Now here is my latest attempt at reminding myself something:
Reminder Jewelry
Yes I know this one sounds weird, but it's used more often that one normally notices. Take a wedding ring or an engagement ring for example. Isn't that a reminder that someone cares enough about you to want to spend the rest of their life with you? Well this jewelry reminder idea uses the same concept. I've been having dietary troubles lately, so I tried making something to remind me of my goals no matter what. I made a weight loss bracelet. It's a simple satin chord forced through a small bead. The idea is to remind me to get thinner and not have to squeeze into my clothes.
Saturday, April 23, 2011
Wall-E syndrome
Has today's youth caught what I have dubbed as the Wall-E syndrome? Have we all become too lazy (although not necessarily too fat) to do the most basic things and possibly lose what makes us human? I believe we're all getting to the point where our evolutionary chain will end with those people depicted in Pixar's Wall-E animated movie.
I was talking to a couple of people in my class last week and I was shocked to hear what a lot of them had to say. It seems like most of them don't even know how to take care of themselves if they were to be left alone. Now this wouldn't be too bad if there were under the age of 12, but these people are all over 18, so it's disturbing to say the least.
I was appalled when one of them told me how she hated her mother's food, yet instead of making something for herself, she yells at her mother, often throws the food out and orders take-out instead. Is this really how we've become? I asked her why she doesn't just cook for herself if she really doesn't like her mother's cooking, but she looked at me in disgust and told me that she'd rather spend all her money on take-out then cook something herself. She also admitted that she wouldn't know how to cook if she tried anyway.
I wasn't all that surprised when the rest of the group started to agree with her. The food part wasn't the worst of it either. They all admitted to never helping out at home. They don't do any chores because they find it, and I quote, "disgusting when there are bits of food on the dishes when you have to wash them. First thing I'm buying when I get married is a dishwasher." I can't say I disagree that washing the dishes isn't pleasant, but what did they expect to find on a plate if it's not bits of food? You also have to clean most of the plate before putting it in a dishwasher anyway since bits of food will clog the drain and possibly dirty other dishes.
They don't know how to wash their own laundry, they never clean their own room or sweep or mop or anything at home. They spend their time partying and paying other people to do their work for them. If they plan on getting married, like one of them said, did they really think that anyone would want to be with someone who did nothing for themselves? I'm pretty sure that's one of the reasons people split up so early in the marriage. But that's a rant for another day.
Wow. Just wow. We have this level of ignorance in the 21st century. It's rather disturbing in my opinion. At this rate, the depicted people in Wall-E will be a reality in a lot less time than that of the movie.
I was talking to a couple of people in my class last week and I was shocked to hear what a lot of them had to say. It seems like most of them don't even know how to take care of themselves if they were to be left alone. Now this wouldn't be too bad if there were under the age of 12, but these people are all over 18, so it's disturbing to say the least.
I was appalled when one of them told me how she hated her mother's food, yet instead of making something for herself, she yells at her mother, often throws the food out and orders take-out instead. Is this really how we've become? I asked her why she doesn't just cook for herself if she really doesn't like her mother's cooking, but she looked at me in disgust and told me that she'd rather spend all her money on take-out then cook something herself. She also admitted that she wouldn't know how to cook if she tried anyway.
I wasn't all that surprised when the rest of the group started to agree with her. The food part wasn't the worst of it either. They all admitted to never helping out at home. They don't do any chores because they find it, and I quote, "disgusting when there are bits of food on the dishes when you have to wash them. First thing I'm buying when I get married is a dishwasher." I can't say I disagree that washing the dishes isn't pleasant, but what did they expect to find on a plate if it's not bits of food? You also have to clean most of the plate before putting it in a dishwasher anyway since bits of food will clog the drain and possibly dirty other dishes.
They don't know how to wash their own laundry, they never clean their own room or sweep or mop or anything at home. They spend their time partying and paying other people to do their work for them. If they plan on getting married, like one of them said, did they really think that anyone would want to be with someone who did nothing for themselves? I'm pretty sure that's one of the reasons people split up so early in the marriage. But that's a rant for another day.
Wow. Just wow. We have this level of ignorance in the 21st century. It's rather disturbing in my opinion. At this rate, the depicted people in Wall-E will be a reality in a lot less time than that of the movie.
Wednesday, April 20, 2011
Delayed Easter Tips
I realised I haven't updated this blog in a while, and it's because I had far too much to do. But today I decided to finally update :D
So Easter is approaching fast, and I've heard a lot of people complain about how pricey gifts are this year. Some complaining that 6 Euro is far too much for a "figolla" and some complaining that the Kinder Easter eggs never have cool enough toys inside and are therefore not worth it. This bothers me quite a lot. If something is bothering you this much, why put up with it?
If you think 6 Euro is too much for a "figolla", but the ingredients and make your own. You'll manage to make about 3 for the price of a store bought one. Not to mention that they're great fun to make and often taste better than the ready made ones. People also appreciate them more knowing you spend the time making something for them.
If you think the toys in eggs aren't good enough for kids, well, you're missing the whole point of the egg. The children won't care if the toy is lame if the chocolate is great. So instead on focusing on what toy there is inside, try focusing on what the chocolate will taste like. I remember getting a few eggs as a child where the toy was ok, but the chocolate was horrible. It defeated the point of the egg entirely. Besides there are a lot of great chocolate eggs out there that come with adorable toys and don't compromise the chocolate goodness.
I for one won't be bothering with many of these gifts. I prefer to think my gifts through. Although I do love buying Easter eggs for the people I care about, I'd much rather focus on getting them something they'll remember.
I don't want to spoil the surprise for those who might be getting something from me, so I'll tell you about it after Easter ;)
Those of you who need ideas and want to borrow mine, let me know. I'd be more than happy to help.
So Easter is approaching fast, and I've heard a lot of people complain about how pricey gifts are this year. Some complaining that 6 Euro is far too much for a "figolla" and some complaining that the Kinder Easter eggs never have cool enough toys inside and are therefore not worth it. This bothers me quite a lot. If something is bothering you this much, why put up with it?
If you think 6 Euro is too much for a "figolla", but the ingredients and make your own. You'll manage to make about 3 for the price of a store bought one. Not to mention that they're great fun to make and often taste better than the ready made ones. People also appreciate them more knowing you spend the time making something for them.
If you think the toys in eggs aren't good enough for kids, well, you're missing the whole point of the egg. The children won't care if the toy is lame if the chocolate is great. So instead on focusing on what toy there is inside, try focusing on what the chocolate will taste like. I remember getting a few eggs as a child where the toy was ok, but the chocolate was horrible. It defeated the point of the egg entirely. Besides there are a lot of great chocolate eggs out there that come with adorable toys and don't compromise the chocolate goodness.
I for one won't be bothering with many of these gifts. I prefer to think my gifts through. Although I do love buying Easter eggs for the people I care about, I'd much rather focus on getting them something they'll remember.
I don't want to spoil the surprise for those who might be getting something from me, so I'll tell you about it after Easter ;)
Those of you who need ideas and want to borrow mine, let me know. I'd be more than happy to help.
Monday, March 7, 2011
The Bright Side of Being Sick
I seem to be a magnet for colds and stomach bugs.So much so, that I've spent at least 5 weeks of 2010 and 2 weeks of 2011 in bed. When this happens, I'm usually very down in the dumps and in so much pain that I wouldn't even be able to laugh. However there are some things to look forward to when you're sick.
Advantage number 1:
This one is only an advantage if you don't live alone. I'm going to assume you all have someone human to talk to in the house. These people tend to be kinder to you when you're sick. Maybe not kind enough to be your personal slaves until you recover, but at least nice enough to offer warm drinks and a pep talk once in a while.
Advantage number 2:
The warm drinks of course! Somehow when you have a sore throat, the regular drinks you usually take for granted taste three times better. Of course you have to be careful, cause some drinks make you feel worse. My favorite throat helper is a heaped tablespoon of honey, half a lemon's squeezed juice, and hot water, mixed together to help stop coughs and sooth sore throats.
Advantage number 3:
Spare time to catch up on work. Being sick might make you lose out on important lectures or work, but it does free up some time for you to finish your business at home. I can't even begin to tell you how many times being sick has saved me from giving in assignments late. Of course it also lets you catch up on some well needed rest (the lack of which probably being the reason you got sick to begin with).
Advantage number 4:
Get well soon gifts always cheer me up. Whether it's a piece of "recovery chocolate" or a hug or even a simple Facebook message telling you to get well soon, the result is always a smile. My favorite gift is when I get visits from concerned friends. Seeing them in person is a hundred times better then a Facebook message, don't you think? If you're not the one who's sick, think of those who might need the "get well soon" gift, I'm sure they'll appreciate it ;)
Advantage number 5:
This one isn't always available to the sick people, however when it is, it's awesome. Earlier I mentioned free time. Well most people catch up on work or sleep during this time. However, if you happen to get sick at just the right moment, you get to use that time to play games, read a book, update your blog or just watch tv. This is the best thing about getting sick in my opinion.
I'm so thankful I happened to get sick after all my assignment deadlines! Angry Birds, here I come!
Advantage number 1:
This one is only an advantage if you don't live alone. I'm going to assume you all have someone human to talk to in the house. These people tend to be kinder to you when you're sick. Maybe not kind enough to be your personal slaves until you recover, but at least nice enough to offer warm drinks and a pep talk once in a while.
Advantage number 2:
The warm drinks of course! Somehow when you have a sore throat, the regular drinks you usually take for granted taste three times better. Of course you have to be careful, cause some drinks make you feel worse. My favorite throat helper is a heaped tablespoon of honey, half a lemon's squeezed juice, and hot water, mixed together to help stop coughs and sooth sore throats.
Advantage number 3:
Spare time to catch up on work. Being sick might make you lose out on important lectures or work, but it does free up some time for you to finish your business at home. I can't even begin to tell you how many times being sick has saved me from giving in assignments late. Of course it also lets you catch up on some well needed rest (the lack of which probably being the reason you got sick to begin with).
Advantage number 4:
Get well soon gifts always cheer me up. Whether it's a piece of "recovery chocolate" or a hug or even a simple Facebook message telling you to get well soon, the result is always a smile. My favorite gift is when I get visits from concerned friends. Seeing them in person is a hundred times better then a Facebook message, don't you think? If you're not the one who's sick, think of those who might need the "get well soon" gift, I'm sure they'll appreciate it ;)
Advantage number 5:
This one isn't always available to the sick people, however when it is, it's awesome. Earlier I mentioned free time. Well most people catch up on work or sleep during this time. However, if you happen to get sick at just the right moment, you get to use that time to play games, read a book, update your blog or just watch tv. This is the best thing about getting sick in my opinion.
I'm so thankful I happened to get sick after all my assignment deadlines! Angry Birds, here I come!
Tuesday, February 15, 2011
Valentines
Valentine's day is finally over. I have so many mixed feelings about this day, that I don't even know where to begin.
Firstly, I can't stand the fact that it's not a real holiday. I mean, it's not really a celebration of anything, it's just a commercial, made up holiday for the shops to sell all the heart shaped crap they couldn't sell throughout the rest of the year. The media makes you feel like you HAVE to buy something expensive to impress your loved ones and makes you feel like you're worthless if you didn't get anything.
The worst part is not that you might not get anything, but that the people who did get something only complain about it. I hate listening to people complaining that they got bad gifts when they should be thankful they got something in the first place. A friend of mine complained how she only got a necklace. ONLY? I mean come on, you got a necklace! (and it wasn't cheap, mind you).
On the other side of the picture are those that spend all their savings trying to impress their loved ones, only to hear "I only got a necklace" as thanks. I know a person who hates this month because his girlfriend's birthday, Valentine's day and their anniversary happen to come up only a few days apart. She isn't happy with just one gift. No. She wants three gifts. I know too many people who are that materialistic. I've heard too many people say "He only got me a little teddy bear" when the teddy was not little at all and was worth about a month's salary. Some people are never happy.
On the other hand, if you're not among those that hate the holiday, you might be one who can't wait till February 14th to show how much you love someone. If you have a reason to celebrate the holiday, why shouldn't you? I mean, I like the notion of having a day where you get to celebrate that you're in love... but shouldn't you celebrate that everyday? I admit, I used to hate Valentine's day in the past, but not because of the afore mentioned reasons. It was because I couldn't stand being abandoned by everyone else cause they were off to celebrate with their partners. I was always the third wheel, therefore I would spend my Valentine's day alone, wondering why nobody thought of me. But now that I do have someone to celebrate with, I feel somewhat guilty that I might be doing to someone what was done to me in the past. This tends to make me not want to celebrate.
It's really all just BS, and I wish I could just ignore the day. It's no different than any other day anyway. But the media makes it impossible to ignore, and if you do somehow manage to ignore the media, you're bombarded by comments from people who keep reminding you that they hate Valentine's day. If they hate it, they should just ignore it, or possibly throw eggs at people who are in love, for the fun of it ;)
I have to admit though, that it is somewhat of a guilty pleasure of mine. I have every reason to celebrate Valentine's day, even though I hate spending a lot of money for a commercial holiday. But I don't feel guilty at all that I celebrated Valentine's weekend with the one I love. It was so worth it.
All in all... I like what the day stands for... I just wish that there wasn't such fuss over it. It's not the end of the world if you're single, and it's not the only day of the year to show the person you love how you feel. Don't you wish you were cupid sometimes? It would be awesome to have his aim and a crossbow at times, wouldn't it? ;)
Firstly, I can't stand the fact that it's not a real holiday. I mean, it's not really a celebration of anything, it's just a commercial, made up holiday for the shops to sell all the heart shaped crap they couldn't sell throughout the rest of the year. The media makes you feel like you HAVE to buy something expensive to impress your loved ones and makes you feel like you're worthless if you didn't get anything.
The worst part is not that you might not get anything, but that the people who did get something only complain about it. I hate listening to people complaining that they got bad gifts when they should be thankful they got something in the first place. A friend of mine complained how she only got a necklace. ONLY? I mean come on, you got a necklace! (and it wasn't cheap, mind you).
On the other side of the picture are those that spend all their savings trying to impress their loved ones, only to hear "I only got a necklace" as thanks. I know a person who hates this month because his girlfriend's birthday, Valentine's day and their anniversary happen to come up only a few days apart. She isn't happy with just one gift. No. She wants three gifts. I know too many people who are that materialistic. I've heard too many people say "He only got me a little teddy bear" when the teddy was not little at all and was worth about a month's salary. Some people are never happy.
On the other hand, if you're not among those that hate the holiday, you might be one who can't wait till February 14th to show how much you love someone. If you have a reason to celebrate the holiday, why shouldn't you? I mean, I like the notion of having a day where you get to celebrate that you're in love... but shouldn't you celebrate that everyday? I admit, I used to hate Valentine's day in the past, but not because of the afore mentioned reasons. It was because I couldn't stand being abandoned by everyone else cause they were off to celebrate with their partners. I was always the third wheel, therefore I would spend my Valentine's day alone, wondering why nobody thought of me. But now that I do have someone to celebrate with, I feel somewhat guilty that I might be doing to someone what was done to me in the past. This tends to make me not want to celebrate.
It's really all just BS, and I wish I could just ignore the day. It's no different than any other day anyway. But the media makes it impossible to ignore, and if you do somehow manage to ignore the media, you're bombarded by comments from people who keep reminding you that they hate Valentine's day. If they hate it, they should just ignore it, or possibly throw eggs at people who are in love, for the fun of it ;)
I have to admit though, that it is somewhat of a guilty pleasure of mine. I have every reason to celebrate Valentine's day, even though I hate spending a lot of money for a commercial holiday. But I don't feel guilty at all that I celebrated Valentine's weekend with the one I love. It was so worth it.
All in all... I like what the day stands for... I just wish that there wasn't such fuss over it. It's not the end of the world if you're single, and it's not the only day of the year to show the person you love how you feel. Don't you wish you were cupid sometimes? It would be awesome to have his aim and a crossbow at times, wouldn't it? ;)
Wednesday, February 2, 2011
Ah, School
For those of you who are students, you know what I mean when I say school can be a bit harsh and frankly cruel. If you've graduated already, you're probably wishing you're still in your school years, but lets admit it... it's not because of the school itself. You're just nostalgic for times were you were younger and more energetic, right?
It's not the same for everyone. I've been a student for the most part of my life. I'm at an age where I'm sick of everything school related. I have to keep this up for another couple of years, and I honestly can't wait for it to be over. I know that I'll probably miss the busy lifestyle when it's all over, and of course I'll miss my crazy friends. But times change, and so do people, and once you start working, you're going to make more crazy friends (hopefully).
Although I hate the stress related to deadlines and impossible assignments, I have to say that I really appreciate being given the chance to experience it in the first place. I know a lot of people who weren't so lucky.
In this country, we don't have any natural resources, so the only thing our country has to offer is human resources. That's why our country invests in education and school benefits. However, despite having free higher education and even being given stipend, a lot of people still didn't have the opportunity to continue their studies. This worries me, since I believe everyone should have the chance to continue with their studies if they wish, but the system isn't very forgiving. We've come to a point where if you don't continue your studies, you're not going to be able to go on in life at all. It's almost like a barrier, where all those who had to stop their studies are destined to having a very hard life in the shadows of all those who were able to move on academically. There used to be a time where the people who couldn't continue their studies were still able to find good jobs albeit hard and strenuous. But now, even the minimum wage jobs are being given to people who are over qualified and are just looking to make money. I'm not saying it's a bad thing that qualified people are being given the chance to work low paying jobs for money, but it leaves those who cannot find better work in a lousy position.
When we take a look at other countries, we should be very thankful for our education system despite all it's flaws. Countries like England and Italy are having very big problems with their education system and people are protesting. It's almost impossible for one to continue their studies abroad unless they come from wealthy families. We should be very thankful that our system gives students the liberty of academic success with a monthly stipend, student benefits and various courses to choose from. We also have a school that allows people to continue their studies even if they have no qualifications at all. This is why it worries me to see people in miserable conditions because they can't even find even a minimum wage job. I know unemployment is a problem for everyone, but these people can't find a job not because there aren't any, but because they're under qualified in comparison to others who apply. Why should anyone be under qualified in this day and age when our system allows for so many paths to improvement?
If willing people are still not given the opportunity to study in this country then something is definitely wrong, and I don't mean in the education department.
It's not the same for everyone. I've been a student for the most part of my life. I'm at an age where I'm sick of everything school related. I have to keep this up for another couple of years, and I honestly can't wait for it to be over. I know that I'll probably miss the busy lifestyle when it's all over, and of course I'll miss my crazy friends. But times change, and so do people, and once you start working, you're going to make more crazy friends (hopefully).
Although I hate the stress related to deadlines and impossible assignments, I have to say that I really appreciate being given the chance to experience it in the first place. I know a lot of people who weren't so lucky.
In this country, we don't have any natural resources, so the only thing our country has to offer is human resources. That's why our country invests in education and school benefits. However, despite having free higher education and even being given stipend, a lot of people still didn't have the opportunity to continue their studies. This worries me, since I believe everyone should have the chance to continue with their studies if they wish, but the system isn't very forgiving. We've come to a point where if you don't continue your studies, you're not going to be able to go on in life at all. It's almost like a barrier, where all those who had to stop their studies are destined to having a very hard life in the shadows of all those who were able to move on academically. There used to be a time where the people who couldn't continue their studies were still able to find good jobs albeit hard and strenuous. But now, even the minimum wage jobs are being given to people who are over qualified and are just looking to make money. I'm not saying it's a bad thing that qualified people are being given the chance to work low paying jobs for money, but it leaves those who cannot find better work in a lousy position.
When we take a look at other countries, we should be very thankful for our education system despite all it's flaws. Countries like England and Italy are having very big problems with their education system and people are protesting. It's almost impossible for one to continue their studies abroad unless they come from wealthy families. We should be very thankful that our system gives students the liberty of academic success with a monthly stipend, student benefits and various courses to choose from. We also have a school that allows people to continue their studies even if they have no qualifications at all. This is why it worries me to see people in miserable conditions because they can't even find even a minimum wage job. I know unemployment is a problem for everyone, but these people can't find a job not because there aren't any, but because they're under qualified in comparison to others who apply. Why should anyone be under qualified in this day and age when our system allows for so many paths to improvement?
If willing people are still not given the opportunity to study in this country then something is definitely wrong, and I don't mean in the education department.
Friday, January 21, 2011
Book Giveaway
Hello everyone
To make up for the improper post this week I thought I'd share something interesting with you.
There's a giveaway going on at the moment and the book in question seems extremely interesting. It's about this 15-year old girl who lives in a dystopian world where you're branded with the number XVI to show you're ready for sex at age 16. There's a lot more to the story than that, but I'd like you to see for yourself at this page here
Below there's a form to fill out to let you enter the book giveaway, and the book will even be signed! You should really give it a look!
For those who can, you should spread the word and give others the chance to enter the giveaway.
To make up for the improper post this week I thought I'd share something interesting with you.
There's a giveaway going on at the moment and the book in question seems extremely interesting. It's about this 15-year old girl who lives in a dystopian world where you're branded with the number XVI to show you're ready for sex at age 16. There's a lot more to the story than that, but I'd like you to see for yourself at this page here
Below there's a form to fill out to let you enter the book giveaway, and the book will even be signed! You should really give it a look!
For those who can, you should spread the word and give others the chance to enter the giveaway.
Wednesday, January 19, 2011
Horrible Week
Forgive me for not being able to update properly this week... I had one of the worst weeks in the history of scholastic semesters.
I can't understand how 5 different lecturers manage to drop so much work on us and still manage to look at us without remorse. We've had to give in 4 assignments this week consisting of a 500 word evaluation; several artworks; 2 interactive presentations, which may or may not include a video; a visual diary full of essays, summaries, newspaper clippings and cultural debates; a sketchbook full of mind-maps, ideas, experiments and comments; a networking assignment that involves never ending research and a programming assignment.
So far, we've handed in all but the last two. Thankfully we were given an extension for the last two since they realised we had too much to do in a week. Too bad I'm too sick to do anything properly. My chest feels like someone's been jackhammering on it.
So forgive me for the lack of activity this week... I'll try and make it up to you.
I can't understand how 5 different lecturers manage to drop so much work on us and still manage to look at us without remorse. We've had to give in 4 assignments this week consisting of a 500 word evaluation; several artworks; 2 interactive presentations, which may or may not include a video; a visual diary full of essays, summaries, newspaper clippings and cultural debates; a sketchbook full of mind-maps, ideas, experiments and comments; a networking assignment that involves never ending research and a programming assignment.
So far, we've handed in all but the last two. Thankfully we were given an extension for the last two since they realised we had too much to do in a week. Too bad I'm too sick to do anything properly. My chest feels like someone's been jackhammering on it.
So forgive me for the lack of activity this week... I'll try and make it up to you.
Wednesday, January 12, 2011
Aftermath
So the Christmas season is officially over. Stores are turning back to what they once were before all the tinsel and glitter decorated all the shelves, street decorations and lights have been taken down, the mind numbing Christmas carols have stopped bombarding our streets, and our replaced gadgets are being thrown into some landfill.
Although the outside has stopped reminding us of the Christmas season, there are still a couple of things that never let us forget. For some it's the few extra kilos they put on during the holidays, and for others it's the wonderful gifts they received.
Not everyone experiences this time of year in a good way. While people might feel better that all the hassle is over, others might feel like the best part of the year is over and it's back to work. But whatever one might feel, there are things well all go through. Here's where I come in :P
I'm posting this to make you all aware of what you might need to do at this point in time.
Evaluate
Some like to send thank you cards to the people who sent them a Christmas gift. If you're one of these people, have you compiled a list of the gifts you've received? It's not nice the get a "Thanks for the Christmas gift" card in summer. Don't let it linger too long. Find the time, write the cards and send them out. If that's too much of a hassle, text, email or send an instant message to those who have access to these things and send card only to those who don't know how to communicate otherwise.
Restore
If you were one of the many people that decorated for the holidays but needed to go back to work immediately after, you might still have everything set up at home. Plan a day when you can pack everything up again. Don't procrastinate and reassure yourself that it's ok to leave everything up for now, because before you know it, you'll find yourself still staring at the decorations come February.
Remove
If you still have all the gift wrapping, extra packaging, manuals, boxes and cards and they're cluttering your room, well... I don't think I have to tell you what you need to do here. If it's made from plastic or paper, don't forget you can recycle it! You can also make some cool up-cycled stuff, specially using Christmas cards. I usually cut out the front of used cards and make them little tags to use with next year's gifts :)
Think
One last thing. This is the hard part. You need to think about all the presents you received. Did you love them so much that you use them all the time? Were they gifts you can't use and you had to leave them lying somewhere in the house? Did you hate them and didn't even bother to find them a place to lie? These things need to be taken into consideration.
If you kept the gifts, and it's important for the people around you to see you use them, then don't leave them somewhere and forget all about them.
If received a courtesy gift that you don't need or won't ever use, stick a post-it note with the name of whoever gave it to you on it and store it somewhere so that you can re-gift it. That note might save you from giving it to the same person you got it from should you decide to give it away in the future.
If you got a gift that replaced an old, broken or overused and useless item, there's no need to hang on to the replaced item. You don't need something that doesn't work. I have made this mistake many times. Camera broke? Well take all the parts that might actually come in handy (like the screws and maybe the LCD display or lens) and discard the rest. Mobile phone was replaced by something better? Sell your old one to someone who might need it. Don't be a pack-rat for the sake of needing something "just in case".
Although the outside has stopped reminding us of the Christmas season, there are still a couple of things that never let us forget. For some it's the few extra kilos they put on during the holidays, and for others it's the wonderful gifts they received.
Not everyone experiences this time of year in a good way. While people might feel better that all the hassle is over, others might feel like the best part of the year is over and it's back to work. But whatever one might feel, there are things well all go through. Here's where I come in :P
I'm posting this to make you all aware of what you might need to do at this point in time.
Evaluate
Some like to send thank you cards to the people who sent them a Christmas gift. If you're one of these people, have you compiled a list of the gifts you've received? It's not nice the get a "Thanks for the Christmas gift" card in summer. Don't let it linger too long. Find the time, write the cards and send them out. If that's too much of a hassle, text, email or send an instant message to those who have access to these things and send card only to those who don't know how to communicate otherwise.
Restore
If you were one of the many people that decorated for the holidays but needed to go back to work immediately after, you might still have everything set up at home. Plan a day when you can pack everything up again. Don't procrastinate and reassure yourself that it's ok to leave everything up for now, because before you know it, you'll find yourself still staring at the decorations come February.
Remove
If you still have all the gift wrapping, extra packaging, manuals, boxes and cards and they're cluttering your room, well... I don't think I have to tell you what you need to do here. If it's made from plastic or paper, don't forget you can recycle it! You can also make some cool up-cycled stuff, specially using Christmas cards. I usually cut out the front of used cards and make them little tags to use with next year's gifts :)
Think
One last thing. This is the hard part. You need to think about all the presents you received. Did you love them so much that you use them all the time? Were they gifts you can't use and you had to leave them lying somewhere in the house? Did you hate them and didn't even bother to find them a place to lie? These things need to be taken into consideration.
If you kept the gifts, and it's important for the people around you to see you use them, then don't leave them somewhere and forget all about them.
If received a courtesy gift that you don't need or won't ever use, stick a post-it note with the name of whoever gave it to you on it and store it somewhere so that you can re-gift it. That note might save you from giving it to the same person you got it from should you decide to give it away in the future.
If you got a gift that replaced an old, broken or overused and useless item, there's no need to hang on to the replaced item. You don't need something that doesn't work. I have made this mistake many times. Camera broke? Well take all the parts that might actually come in handy (like the screws and maybe the LCD display or lens) and discard the rest. Mobile phone was replaced by something better? Sell your old one to someone who might need it. Don't be a pack-rat for the sake of needing something "just in case".
Wednesday, January 5, 2011
How To Start Working Out
Hey everyone :) I've been thinking, and I've finally managed to compile a list of things one can do to help lose the extra kilos put on during the Christmas holidays. I've been trying to diet for quiet a while but nothing seemed to be working. I have to admit though, I have been a little piggy when it came to Christmas pudding and the wonderful cakes everyone was offering me. So I've decided to start working out again. Here is a list of things that I found effective in the past, in hopes that this will help anyone reading to lose the fat they might have gained. I don't guarantee that these exercises will work for everyone, and also, they're not meant to help you lose weight, but to lose fat (There's a difference :P ).
IMPORTANT: Always stretch before doing any exercises to prevent hurting yourself.
TIP 1:
I find that this exercise can help to both lose fat, and also gain some flexibility.
What to do:
Stand in front of a mirror (this will help you to do it right) and open your legs just enough to be in line with your shoulders. Make sure your toes face forward and make sure your spine is straight. Put your arms straight down and put your hands in a fist. Proceed to bend to one side, keeping your back straight at all times until your fist reaches the side of your knee. Slowly come back up and repeat on the other side. Do this around 20 times. Don't do more than that if it's your first time, because you'll regret it when you can't move a day later. You can gradually add the amount when you start doing these regularly. Doing 20 a day before sleep won't take up a lot of time, and these alone will help improve your upper body quite a bit. Don't expect too much by doing just these however. I explained this specific exercise because this is a good way to start working out everyday, even if it takes less than a minute. the practice will help you build stamina for when you're ready to take on more than one exercise.
TIP 2:
I don't only do the exercise explained in tip 1. I also try lunges, squats, 3 minute horse stance, leg lifts and a series of inner and outer thigh exercises. I do everything from the comfort of my own bedroom. Reason? I think a gym will take up more of your money and time, and is sometimes worse for people with a low self esteem. If you can afford the gym, I'm not going to stop you from going. Just know that once you stop regularly attending (and we all know that we have to stop at some point or other in our lives) you will get instantly fat cause of the lack of exercise. Doing exercises at home will help you stick to your regime cause it'll take up less time and money. Also, it is proven that you actually lose more weight at a simple children's playground rather than a gym, so you should take that into consideration :P
TIP 3:
Keep a log of when you started and write down your progress. This will help in the future when you're thinking of giving up. You'll see that your exercise wasn't futile. Having a diet buddy is helpful too, cause it helps you stay competitive and helps you to keep going no matter what. This is also part of the reason I'm blogging this. This way I have a virtual obligation to keep up the exercise and report my progress :)
TIP 4:
A healthy diet also works, but many people fail to stop eating the things they love in favour of healthier foods. I found the best diet is to eat whatever you like but never exceed the daily amount of calories you should intake. If you're overweight, this will make you lose weight. If you're already at the recommended weight, this will not effect you. I also suggest stocking up on fruit for whenever you're hungry for a little snack. Some suggest having one day where you can eat whatever you want so that you have something to look forward to in the week, but with this method you can eat whatever you want and still lose weight. I saw results of this after the first week and it only got better. You have to be very careful about the things you eat however, cause calories build up very easily.
SECRET TIPS:
1. Alternate exercises. I do sets of lunges, squats and a little arm exercises on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays.
I do the 3 minute horse stance, thigh exercises and the bends mentioned in tip 1 on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays.
On Sundays I do the leg lifts.
This helps keep things interesting and avoid repetition injury. I also walk as much as I can and avoid taking the bus if I need to go somewhere close.
2. Take something with you when you're out for exercise. Taking your camera, music, pet or even just someone to talk to will help you do the exercise without finding it tedious. My camera is my best friend on these types of occasions but I'd love the company of others too. It makes you feel less like you're the fatty who went out jogging ;)
I hope you find these tips helpful. I'm going to challenge myself to have a decent figure by the time summer rolls in. Is anyone else up for the challenge?
IMPORTANT: Always stretch before doing any exercises to prevent hurting yourself.
TIP 1:
I find that this exercise can help to both lose fat, and also gain some flexibility.
What to do:
Stand in front of a mirror (this will help you to do it right) and open your legs just enough to be in line with your shoulders. Make sure your toes face forward and make sure your spine is straight. Put your arms straight down and put your hands in a fist. Proceed to bend to one side, keeping your back straight at all times until your fist reaches the side of your knee. Slowly come back up and repeat on the other side. Do this around 20 times. Don't do more than that if it's your first time, because you'll regret it when you can't move a day later. You can gradually add the amount when you start doing these regularly. Doing 20 a day before sleep won't take up a lot of time, and these alone will help improve your upper body quite a bit. Don't expect too much by doing just these however. I explained this specific exercise because this is a good way to start working out everyday, even if it takes less than a minute. the practice will help you build stamina for when you're ready to take on more than one exercise.
TIP 2:
I don't only do the exercise explained in tip 1. I also try lunges, squats, 3 minute horse stance, leg lifts and a series of inner and outer thigh exercises. I do everything from the comfort of my own bedroom. Reason? I think a gym will take up more of your money and time, and is sometimes worse for people with a low self esteem. If you can afford the gym, I'm not going to stop you from going. Just know that once you stop regularly attending (and we all know that we have to stop at some point or other in our lives) you will get instantly fat cause of the lack of exercise. Doing exercises at home will help you stick to your regime cause it'll take up less time and money. Also, it is proven that you actually lose more weight at a simple children's playground rather than a gym, so you should take that into consideration :P
TIP 3:
Keep a log of when you started and write down your progress. This will help in the future when you're thinking of giving up. You'll see that your exercise wasn't futile. Having a diet buddy is helpful too, cause it helps you stay competitive and helps you to keep going no matter what. This is also part of the reason I'm blogging this. This way I have a virtual obligation to keep up the exercise and report my progress :)
TIP 4:
A healthy diet also works, but many people fail to stop eating the things they love in favour of healthier foods. I found the best diet is to eat whatever you like but never exceed the daily amount of calories you should intake. If you're overweight, this will make you lose weight. If you're already at the recommended weight, this will not effect you. I also suggest stocking up on fruit for whenever you're hungry for a little snack. Some suggest having one day where you can eat whatever you want so that you have something to look forward to in the week, but with this method you can eat whatever you want and still lose weight. I saw results of this after the first week and it only got better. You have to be very careful about the things you eat however, cause calories build up very easily.
SECRET TIPS:
1. Alternate exercises. I do sets of lunges, squats and a little arm exercises on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays.
I do the 3 minute horse stance, thigh exercises and the bends mentioned in tip 1 on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays.
On Sundays I do the leg lifts.
This helps keep things interesting and avoid repetition injury. I also walk as much as I can and avoid taking the bus if I need to go somewhere close.
2. Take something with you when you're out for exercise. Taking your camera, music, pet or even just someone to talk to will help you do the exercise without finding it tedious. My camera is my best friend on these types of occasions but I'd love the company of others too. It makes you feel less like you're the fatty who went out jogging ;)
I hope you find these tips helpful. I'm going to challenge myself to have a decent figure by the time summer rolls in. Is anyone else up for the challenge?
Tuesday, January 4, 2011
When Should You Give In?
If there's one thing I hate, it's when people argue over something pointless. You can't imaging how many times I have lost friends because they argued with me over something so unbelievably trivial that they couldn't remember what it was a week later. But alas, hating arguments doesn't prevent them from happening. The worst kind of argument, in my opinion, is one where you're not interested in the subject whatsoever, rendering you useless when it comes to opposing the argument.
A couple of friends of mine dragged me into an argument a couple of weeks ago at school, where they were discussing something about divorce and why they liked and disliked the idea. I'm rather neutral to the idea since my opinion wasn't going to change the chances of the law being passed or not. I was dragged into the argument when they noticed me looking on nonchalantly. I didn't want to side with either one of them, since that might have caused one of them to feel like I was betraying them, but I had no choice as it was. I expressed my views, leaving them both enraged since I disagreed with both of them, and although I tried to pull myself out of the whole argument, the more it turned into an attack. After a good hour, the argument had evolved into a name-calling show of ignorance. Both of them seemed to have joined views to oppose mine. I refrained from answering their insults which lead to them becoming angrier. The argument ended when we had to return to class.
They forgot all about the argument for the duration of the lesson, but still dropped coy hints of them disliking my views in the following lessons. This became annoying very very quickly. It resulted in me screaming at the top of my lungs when they finally got on my last nerve. They've been avoiding me since then, even though we still talk casually.
I'm not one to hold grudges, but I don't want to be a pushover either. I'm usually always the first one to apologize but this time I refuse to apologize for something I didn't do. I didn't even want to share my thoughts to begin with.
This seems to be happening quite often nowadays since two days ago I also had the misfortune of being dragged into an argument that I has no interest in. To make matters worse, I didn't have enough knowledge on the topic to be able to defend myself against the cruel words being spewed.
Maybe it's just me, but I don't think anyone has the right to attack someone in an argument when the person is unwilling to attack back. I felt very uncomfortable in both situations. Am I just being hard headed? Should I stick to my views regardless or should I be the mat everyone wipes their feet all over and just give in? It wouldn't be the first time I agreed with someone just to shut them up, but I don't want to give these people the false hope they thought they would get by attacking me verbally. I really don't know what to do in these situations. Maybe I'm just antisocial. What would you do?
A couple of friends of mine dragged me into an argument a couple of weeks ago at school, where they were discussing something about divorce and why they liked and disliked the idea. I'm rather neutral to the idea since my opinion wasn't going to change the chances of the law being passed or not. I was dragged into the argument when they noticed me looking on nonchalantly. I didn't want to side with either one of them, since that might have caused one of them to feel like I was betraying them, but I had no choice as it was. I expressed my views, leaving them both enraged since I disagreed with both of them, and although I tried to pull myself out of the whole argument, the more it turned into an attack. After a good hour, the argument had evolved into a name-calling show of ignorance. Both of them seemed to have joined views to oppose mine. I refrained from answering their insults which lead to them becoming angrier. The argument ended when we had to return to class.
They forgot all about the argument for the duration of the lesson, but still dropped coy hints of them disliking my views in the following lessons. This became annoying very very quickly. It resulted in me screaming at the top of my lungs when they finally got on my last nerve. They've been avoiding me since then, even though we still talk casually.
I'm not one to hold grudges, but I don't want to be a pushover either. I'm usually always the first one to apologize but this time I refuse to apologize for something I didn't do. I didn't even want to share my thoughts to begin with.
This seems to be happening quite often nowadays since two days ago I also had the misfortune of being dragged into an argument that I has no interest in. To make matters worse, I didn't have enough knowledge on the topic to be able to defend myself against the cruel words being spewed.
Maybe it's just me, but I don't think anyone has the right to attack someone in an argument when the person is unwilling to attack back. I felt very uncomfortable in both situations. Am I just being hard headed? Should I stick to my views regardless or should I be the mat everyone wipes their feet all over and just give in? It wouldn't be the first time I agreed with someone just to shut them up, but I don't want to give these people the false hope they thought they would get by attacking me verbally. I really don't know what to do in these situations. Maybe I'm just antisocial. What would you do?
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