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Life Takes Us On Adventures

Every once in a while, I’ll pick up pen and paper or I’ll just start typing out passages on my phone... and I almost instantly remember why I love writing. It’s incredibly therapeutic. It can be painful and cathartic. It allows us to express and share truths we may not have the courage to say aloud. I tend to word vomit everything I feel when I write, because I struggle with exactly how to say and word things when I’m in a face-to-face conversation. This is probably why I do so well in long-distance relationships... I’m fantastic at writing love letters!!! I wasn’t planning on this update being about my love for writing, but it’s crazy how things just sort of happen... Real world update: I’ve officially moved to Southern California. I say officially, because I’ve lived down here since August 2016 (almost 2 years!!!), but until this time, I’ve never actually thought I would stay here or that I would build a life here. It’s always been about working temporary jobs or pursuing temp...
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Recent posts

New Beginnings & Transitions

Traditionally, my blog has always saved me during my periods of transition. As such, when things are going perfectly or there are simply too many projects going on, I tend to neglect my blog. Let's try again! As I have now transitioned in my career ("what") and my location ("where"), it felt like an apt time to remind myself of the "why," "how," and most importantly, "who." Who do I aspire to be? The following gives a little bit of an update on what has been going on for me in recent months. Bear in mind that I wrote this piece as a writing submission and not as a fully fleshed informal, intimate blog post.  ~ ~ ~ In Pursuit of Me - On Quitting My Job, Journeying through Mexico and Peru, and Relocating to Southern California What started as a chat over coffee led me on an incredible journey that ended on the other side of the hemisphere. When my coworker Evelyn and I had coffee toget...
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Why Birthdays Should Be Celebrated And Other Such "Trivial" Concerns

I am indeed part of a dying breed, but I truly believe in birthdays being something special. Although as many people grow older and their birthdays hold less and less meaning, I still strongly believe that birthdays should be celebrated. In my eyes, it's not just an empty day that comes around once a year. It's a day of celebration, of a life. Your birth means something, whether you realize it or not. Your presence and existence has changed lives. Thank you for being born. Thank for being alive. That is precisely the message that I want to send, when I celebrate someone's birthday. So whether you are 2 or 200, I am still going to celebrate your birthday. I hope you're not someone who is crazy-fanatic about expensive gifts (that I cannot afford) and I hope you're not someone with crazy-unrealistic expectations about your birthday (No, you can not push me around and be rude, because it's your birthday), but I also hope you're not so whatever abou...
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First Post of 2014: Living, eating, and other such concerns

It's been a while, world. It's crazy how fast time moves. I suppose I must start off with an overview of 2013; after all, this is *almost* an obligatory New Year's post. Let's start with the good, the bad, and the ugly. 2013 was a mix of all of the above. I started the year on a high note, whilst adventuring in Europe. Full of hope, ambition, and dreams, I returned to San Jose eager to find my calling. I quickly realized that finding employment and "finding me" was not as easy as I had imagined. Some days were darker than I would like to admit and as you can see in some of my other posts, it often took a LOT of self-motivation and support to keep pushing myself through. Finally, in June - July or so, things took a turn for the better and I am now happily adjusting to post-grad life (with some minor bumps, here and there). So let's recap: The Good (in no specific order): Traveling through Europe with my loved ones, paying off my credit card loan...
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Library Adventures #2: A More Ambitious Haul And Notes on the Last Book Haul

I'm happy to report I finished all the novels I borrowed from my first haul and I have a few notes I wanted to share about the books following my update on my 2nd Library Adventure :) I attempted to be more ambitious this time around and I chose books from a diverse selection of topics. Note to self: I definitely need to have a bag with me to carry my books around. My selections include: Super Freakonomics: Global Cooling, Patriotic Prostitutes, and Why Suicide Bombers Should Buy Insurance // Steven D. Levitt & Stephen J. Dubner      * I really enjoyed Freakonomics and so I figured I should also check out the follow-up work. Man Made: A Stupid Quest for Masculinity // Joel Stein      * Joel Stein regularly contributes to Time magazine and his articles are usually the first ones I read when I receive a fresh edition, so I am excited to read a longer, in-depth piece by him. Barrio Boy  // Ernesto Galarza How Does It Feel To Be a Probl...
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Library Adventures #1: Book Haul!

Since applying to SAT tutoring positions, I have been in need of some SAT preparation. Although my younger sister has since given away all of our test-prep supplies, my own need prompted a trip to our local library. I became a little greedy and overeager. It started with just one book, but I just kept grabbing more and more. Here's my haul! Unfortunately, it's not too clear of an image. In any case, the books that I am most excited to read include: Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother / Amy Chua Freakonomics / Steven D. Levitt and Stephen J. Dubner The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down / Anne Fadiman Growing Up Muslim / Sumbul Ali-Karamali There are two more books I am hoping to read before the summer's end: Living To Tell About It : Young Black Men in America Speak Their Piece / Darrell Dawsey Tiger Babies Strike Back / Kim Wong Keltner Wish me luck on my reading adventures! :)
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On being phone-snatched... on being a Primadonna... and on being inspired

This week didn't start so great for me, but I'm not gonna let it hold me back.  Monday: The highlight of my week was going to a Marina and the Diamonds concert (more on that later) but unfortunately, while I was making my way up to my friend's house from the Berkeley BART station, I was phone snatched. Snatched. Out of my hands. He hid slightly behind a bush/tree and as I walked by, my phone in hand, he said, "Excuse me." I stopped for a second, looked at him, and BAM, his hands were on my hands, holding onto my phone, and he was attempting to climb into a car (whose door had been open and waiting). Instead of screaming for help or trying to hurt him (as some friends suggested after), my immediate reaction was to try to grab for it back. It had to be a mistake! No way was someone robbing me! And somewhere deep inside, the adrenaline was running and I had a single objective: Get the phone back. And it was when he was in the passenger's seat and I was hal...
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