September 24, 2004
Ahh... having a gloriously lazy day here at work. Well, I did tutor a couple of students, but it comes with the job. Andrei, Apundeep, Leona and I went to Pizza Hut for their $6.99 buffet today - finally got my dessert pizza that I never had back in the winter! I think I'm pizza-ed out though... but nothing beat the fat and greasy pan pizza! Mmm...

Anyway, just trying to kill some time before another student comes sauntering in for English help. If you are trying to kill some of your time too, check out these tongue twisters.

September 15, 2004
Wow... I just read an e-mail that one of the students I used to tutor regularly in winter term has passed away. I must say that I'm shocked. I wasn't particularly too close with her, but nonetheless, it's sad to know that she's gone. Makes you realize how fleeting life can be. Cathy - you'll be in my memories.

September 8, 2004
Just did an update of the music section - notably, several reviews were put up including FPR's of Linkin Park's Meteora, Deliriou5's Access:d, and a full review of Mae's Destination: Beautiful. The GSL and CD listings were also updated, if you are utterly, totally bored.

On another note, Seneca starts tomorrow. Look for less updates of this page due to long, long, loooooooong days at work. Or maybe not...

September 6, 2004
Finally back from my Beijing and Hong Kong trip, and glad to be so! Beijing was the vacation part, Hong Kong was a 2 and a half week long visitation of family and friends. I personally didn't know or remember a lot of the people we visited, and I think it really got to me by the end. WAAAY too much eating out (lunch, tea, and dinner, every day... I can count about 2 meals we cooked at ate in for the 2 week duration) and much too many long days out and about (my parents have too many friends and relatives there!). Also, Hong Kong is a pretty darn advanced place, with those "bat dat tung" cards to get you all over the city on most public transportation systems (it gets you on the subway, train, trams, buses all with one scan). The con would be that most buses are equipped with TVs bombarding you with commercials about getting whiter (strange how dark people want to get white and white people want to get dark) and other annoying, repetitive programming. The hot and humid weather is another deterrent (although the A/C is sweetly cool). However, I will miss my closer relatives (the ones that I do remember), the cheap clothes, the great food and the HK milk tea! Mmmm...

Anyway, I don't think I'm going to return to HK unless for a wedding, a funeral, or some other big event - there's not much else to do but shop and visit for this Canadian girl. Now Beijing I will return so I can take in the sites more slowly. But I don't think a vacation this costly will happen any time soon. I'll settle for the east or west coast of Canada. Or just Elora or St. Jacobs. For now...

It's back to the grind here. A new co-op term will start soon, once again at Seneca. I hope it will be as rewarding as the last time. There will also be JOY to look forward to. God shall have great things in store...

Oh man... before I go - a big congratulations to Jasmine and Todd for getting engaged! :o) May God bless you both abundantly!

SONG OF THE MOMENT

When this began
I had nothing to say
And I'd get lost in the nothingness inside of me
I was confused
And I let it all out to find
That I'm not the only person with these things in my mind
But all the vacancy the words revealed
Is the only real thing that I've got left to feel
Nothing to lose
Just stuck
Hollow and alone
And the fault is my own
And the fault is my own

I want to heal
I want to feel
What I thought was never real
I want to let go of the pain I've held so long
(Erase all the pain 'til it's gone)
I want to heal
I want to feel
Like I'm close to something real
I want to find something I've wanted all along
Somewhere I belong

And I've got nothing to say
I can't believe I didn't fall right down on my face
I was confused
Looking everywhere only to find that it's
Not the way I had imagined it all in my mind
So what am I
What do I have but negativity
'Cause I can't justify the way everyone is looking at me
Nothing to lose
Nothing to gain
Hollow and alone
And the fault is my own
The fault is my own

I will never know myself until I do this on my own
And I will never feel anything else until my wounds are healed
I will never be anything 'til I break away from me
And I will break away
I'll find myself today

I want to heal
I want feel like I'm
Somewhere I belong

"Somewhere I Belong", Linkin Park (from Meteora)
I fell in love with this song after watching some fan made O.C. video, which I must say was very nicely done and coordinated. I think it's also played on edge, and in Paul's van. ;o) Anyway, we were randomly browsing a store, waiting for dinner in Beijing when I spotted Meteora for something like 28 yuan (or renmenbi - China's currency). It was a department store, and our tour guide had assured us the CD's were not pirated. I couldn't pass it up because 28 yuan works out to about a little more than $4 Canadian! So besides the regular English booklet that comes with the CD, I get the Chinese translations of all the songs (not that I can read it!) and an additional Chinese cover. Pretty sweet deal for a sweet band. :o)