Category: Everyday Life

The books have ended, the movies have come to a close, the characters have left school and off doing their own thing, but to a lot of us Muggles, like me, who have journeyed many years with our magical friends, Harry Potter lives on. And I am telling ya, he’s sill a bright flame still burning strongly in our hearts.

Harry Potter. The boy who lived. I clearly remember the days when my dad read out those words  in a small, paperback copy of Harry Potter and the Philosopher Stone, right before we went to bed. I remembered when he brought to life Harry, Ron and Hermione’s ventures to the Forbidden Forrest and the Chamber of Secrets. My long afternoons just laying on my bed reading after school, trying to fit as much chapters I could before doing homework. I even snuck into my parent’s room and peaked at what was to come after the 3rd Triwizard Tournament task (sorry dad!). AND Reading the 7th book SEVEN times because I didn’t want to believe that it was the last Harry Potter book published.

You get the picture. What can I say? I am a huge fan.

Clearly, he is not just any ordinary boy or even just any ordinary character. The boy who lived represent something more than just our childhood or childish fantasies. He represents friendship, hope and courage. The message that good can always trump evil. The repetition of the pure blood vs. mud-bloods concept is symbolic to the common societal issues of discrimination and racism. The beauty of Harry Potter didn’t solely lie in the plot or the magic; it also lay in the deeper meanings J.K Roweling attempted to convey through her writing.

And as the scene faded to black, I felt as if a part of me had been torn away. Just like a Horcrux, a part of my soul lived inside the world Harry Potter; in fact, it still does. Instead of calling it an obsession, I’d like to call it a “part of my life.” A livid memory that will never falter to escape my grasps. I know for a fact that it’s those kinds of stories that will live on for centuries. “Let me tell you a story of a young wizard named Harry,” you might say to the little girl sitting on your lap, turning the page that opens a portal to a whole new realm to a childhood dream.

Harry Potter lives on, and if that continues to remain true, then I believe that we can all say that “all is well.”

A few times in my life, I recall being asked the same question over and over again: If you were granted one wish, what would it be? Literally, the question in itself is quite simple but its dimensions and layers upon layers of dept creates its complexity. Well, for me at least. See the thing is, if you indeed were given this one wish that indeed came true, would you wish for something for yourself or for the greater good of mankind? Would you waste it for money or for fame? Or use it to change something in the world that could carry on for countless generations? And there lays the complexity of such a question. What decision will you ultimately make if you had this limited yet valuable power?

In those many times I have been asked this, I never seemed to give a proper answer. Usually my reply would be along the cliched lines of “I don’t know…one wish isn’t enough” or “I would wish for ten more.” It was just too big of a question for me because I honestly didn’t know how to answer something like that. Selfish me would wish for all the money in the world or to gain immediate success, a jump start to my career. Yet why waste a wish on something that I could achieve myself if I worked for it? It would be tougher and longer but I’ll get there eventually. So scratch that. Now selfless me would wish for world peace, where governments rid themselves of corruption, and humanity rid themselves of slavery, inequality and greed. We’d all like that. And given the global turn of event’s and negative headlines splashed all across the news, who wouldn’t want to wish for a better world. A world without sin..

So as I sit here sipping on hot chocolate and listening to Jon Schmidt’s mash up of Love Story and Viva La Vida, my mind still can’t shift through all the possible rubble of wishes that circulates my mind. Selfish or selfless me? Selfless me clearly seems to be winning. So why can’t I still make a final decision? Come to think of it I don’t think I’ll ever have a definite answer. See the thing is, a world without sin, without evil is purely impossible. Even if we were to wish it, humanity would never evolve. We become stronger when we have gone through suffering one way or another. It’s in our nature. We have to fall down to get back up again. I am not saying that global conflicts are a good thing. I am merely stating that in some way, it contributes to development. And that’s why I can’t just wish for that even if I was granted a wish. It’s too complicated. Maybe I’ll wish for a superpower or something. But we all know that’s too unrealistic for this world and this lifetime.

So, as corny as it may sound, be careful what you wish for because a wish isn’t as simple as it’s cut out to be.

[Dedicated to my little sister Olivia…you will always be my number one]

My first creative writing class inspired me to write something. I was thinking at first to start a story but then realized that I should save that for later and just write on my blog. And this time, to write something more substantial; something more than just talking about day to day life or school and such; something that allows creativity and emotions to intertwine with the words. So I chose to write about my sister because she means that much to me.

Before I came to college, I always took my sisters presence for granted given the fact that she would sometimes annoy the hell out of me, drive me insane, fill the house with constant bickering and useless arguments, which would sometimes evolve into huge fights. I have to admit that there were times when hatred and tension replaced sisterly love.”They fight a lot…stop fighting!” seemed to be the main phrase that was associated with our relationship. That wasn’t surprising at all because it was fact!

Yet, she was still my little sister.

Behind those rivalries and nonsense lay memories that can never be replaced, memories that only my sister and I could share; the laughs, the craziness, the jokes and the tears. Days in the car where we would act like fools, stifling laughter even though Papa told us to be quiet. The thought of my days packing and leaving to college felt very distant, and I focused on cherishing the now. Moments like those were just irreplaceable.

She’s my best friend.

When I left home and began my journey across the Pacific Ocean, I never thought I would have days where I would really miss my sister. Miss her presence and reminisce on the good old days when we were together. I would always tell myself that this was finally the time where I could have time on my own and not have to worry about her constantly. But in the end, I came to miss that as well. When you’re really gone from that person for a while, it really hits you, and you realize that being apart from family like a sister or brother doesn’t really make you feel better, free or relieved. The moment they’re gone…that’s when it hits you. It makes you want them even more.

I wonder if she feels the same way. I know she’ll never admit how she really feels about me not being around the house anymore but I know – well, like to believe – that deep down she misses me just the same. 🙂

Having a sibling is a blessing because they give life to you and play a huge role in making you the person you are today. My sister plays a big part in my life as she completes me. And I promised myself that I’ll always be there by her side no matter what happens…

That will never, ever change.

What happened to time? I feel like my first year of university just flew by. We’re so immersed with everything that’s going on in this world we call university that we aren’t even aware of time. I remember the dragging oh-so-very-long-classes in high school and it’s not even comparable to this. Over there we wanted to hit the fast-forward button, and now here we want to hit that pause and rewind button. So for now, let’s just pause for a minute and rewind.

Two months has gone by and so much has already happened. Where do I even begin? Well, lets start with that new commerce class that has everyone on edge. That beloved class we call Financial Accounting where we’ve already made such joyful memories (insert sarcasm here), from endless nights in the library memorizing debits, credits, t-accounts etc etc. You now the drill. If you enjoy the course (probably just 1% of the entire 1st years) then I applaud your intelligence. If you don’t, don’t worry…you’re not alone.

And then there’s the other part outside of the academia that we like to call “life.” In such a short span, I’ve already experienced a hundred unforgettable moments that can’t even begin to be captured in words. Moments where you’re balling your eyes our because of non-stop laughing; moments where you can’t help but blush and smile because you’re in the presence of someone you care about; moments where you feel like you’re finally becoming an adult because of the new challenges you had to face (e.g. apartment hunting) during reading break. You get my point.

And I guess, that’s how I would like to describes these past 2 months of university: moments. Moments that can be found in pictures but only you knowing the meaning behind that smile. These are the things that shape you and it finally feels that I am one step closer to discovering me.

Cheers to you, 2011, for starting the year off with what I would like to call moments.

I have watched the Social Network four times. The entire thing. From start to finish. Did it get boring after a while? Absolutely not! Every time I watch it I understand it more and more, and continue to be amazed by the fact that Facebook stemmed from such a small idea of “taking the whole social experience of college and putting it online.” Actually, I am even more amazed how he was driven to invent something just to get the attention of the Final Clubs of Harvard. I am not even sure if this is true but it’s not a stretch to think it is.

Facebook freakishly adictive, you gotta admit and sometimes I wonder if Zuckerberg embedded some type of code that messed with our brains to use it 24/7. But I guess he’s right; we are innerly – some part of us – obsessed to find out what our friends are up to, show of our pictures, meet new people, etc. etc. Facebook allows us to “stalk” our friends. I’ve done it and so have you! Everyone has and you just can’t help it. Zuckerber is right in saying that we constantly want to know what our friends are up to.

Who knew that Facebook would become worth millions or even billion of dollars in the next 3 years. Who knew Zuckerberg would become the youngest billionaire in the world. Do I want to be a billionaire? Hell ya! But if only I had an idea…just one simple idea that could potentially be worth that much money….

Maybe one day! 🙂

Its 1:48 am and I can’t seem to fall asleep. So why not listen to some music, do a little singing and write a blog? 🙂

As I sit here in the wee hours of the morning, I still can’t believe I am already in university, halfway across the Pacific Ocean from my family, and living a more independent lifestyle. I must admit, it was painful during the 1st few days, waking up in the morning, realizing that your completely on your own and just dreading everything: making new friends, classes, laundry, money etc etc. Every little thing just becomes magnified ten times more and that’s a scary feeling.

But then again, I came to university for a reason and that was what drove me to turn that negative energy into something positive as fast as I could so I could spend every minute here even more worthwhile. I am not going to ramble on about university being the key to your future or university being important because it can get you a job; that’s pretty obvious! University is more than that. It’s a place where you can finally discover who you really are, where you can finally be who you want to be and to finally take chances. It’s a different feeling from High School, and I guess the best way to put it is that…you feel more you.

Yes it was a difficult transition, yes the workload became stressful and yes, your grades (pardon my language) are really shitty compared to High School. I’ve had to part ways from that nice and beautiful “A” for some time – don’t worry, I promise we’ll reunite this semester! But to be honest, that still didn’t stop me from making the most out of my first year and I still am. I’ve met some great people here that have not only become such great friends but have become my family as well, had the most amazing study sessions filled with tears of laughter, joined an exec team for a club, went to my very first party, had my first university “crush”, and so much more. I have experienced so much in a span of 4 months and I can’t even begin to imagine how much more that will come my way. I am honestly excited!

I love university, I love Canada and I love life. I tell myself everyday how lucky I am to be studying in such a great school and in such a beautiful country. Life for now is on my side and I’ll make sure it always will as I continue to walk through this long and winding road. It won’t be easy, but hey, what’s life without a few challenges?

Dear 2010, I love you. What can I say?  You were my year. You were the year where everything seemed to fall into place for me, the year where I’ve experienced one of my biggest accomplishments, and most of all, the year that opened a new chapter in an already heavy book that I call my life. We’ve had out ups and down but in the end, you helped me pull through and we ended our time together with a bang.

I still clearly remember when I first stepped foot into High School territory as a Freshmen and the main thought that jumped at me was how I still had a long way to go. 4 years was going to be hell of a long time. Oh boy was I wrong. Time flew and next thing you know, we’re honking away and screaming “its 2010!” Of all the years, however, 2010 felt like the longest. Maybe it was all the challenges I had to endure, all the opportunities I finally had the guts to take advantage, maybe all the late nights spent studying for the IB exams, stressing over university applications, or even the questions that go through all girls heads “what am I going to wear to prom? Who am I going to go with?!” Nevertheless,  all these aspects – some I dreaded, some I looked forward to – were all worth it and have enabled me to look back, smile, pat myself on the back and say “wow!”

I miss High School and I always will. Yet, we should always remind ourselves to stop looking back and asking “what if…” but to look at what is in front of us and ask “what can be?” So on that note, it’s time for me to finally close the chapter I call 2010 (four numbers say it all) and open a new one that I now call university. As the saying goes, “[we shouldn’t] cry because its over [but] smile because it happened.”

Hello everyone. So I’ve decided to use my blog for something more rather than letting it all be related to the academia. A sort of diary of my thoughts, feelings and who I am in general. We lead a very fast-paced life and there are moments where you tell yourself “if only I had a remote and could press pause.” I’ve had moments where the days just blur together and we feel as if we’ve had no time for yourself; to just sit down and contemplate where our lives our heading, to sit down and just have a little me time. When we get home the first things we university students  do are to either take a nap or turn on the computer and enter the realm of Facebook. If we spend that much time on the computer, why not do something else? Why not have a little me time in the process?

And so I begin this process. As cheesy as it may sound, I am going to start a little relationship with my online diary (sounds better than “a blog” doesn’t it?). I know, we’ve got other social networks at our fingertips but “status updates” or “who I am” can not even begin to capture the complex entities that make us who we are. I want to be able to show people a different side of me, a side that portrays who I really am as a person and just express what goes on in my head at a day to day basis. One of my good friends here at UBC, David Huynh (here’s a shout out to you David) began doing this a couple of months ago, and I was inspired by  his ability to capture life with words. Just like him, I love to write and I believe that here is a good place to continue that passion.

I am Monica and this is my story…