God told me to get to know you, to love you

"God told me to get to know you, to love you"

-A letter to Danielle written by Yuen. 

It is said that true love is eternal. As a Pisces, I always believe that it didn't only happen in fairy tales. I was just reading a news story about a French girl and a Chinese guy. They met 55 years ago. Danielle was born in Beijing and taught Russian in college. Yuen, a married man, was one of her students. They met and fell in love. Yuen didn't leave his wife for Danielle. Danielle also went back to France with her parents few years later. They could only keep in touch by writing letters. Unfortunately, cultural revolution broke this only connection they had left.

50 years later, Yuen wrote to this girl again. Danielle was unmarried for 55 years. She once told her friend that she had only loved one man in her life and he was still there in her heart. Last month, they met for the first time after over 50 years and even got married.

I guess true love does exist somewhere.

http://dailynews.sina.com/bg/chn/chnlocal/sinacn/20101001/22581874177.html?ref=nf

Manila Hijacker Shot Dead

The disturbing news about the hostage incident finally came to an end. It was reported that 7 people were killed. People travel around to have fun. Who would be expecting to be shot in a hijacked bus? No matter it's on Facebook or just random people on the street, everyone is talking about this shocking news.

In the mall, tons of people were there watching the live broadcast. I was one of them. It was one thing to watch the news report. It was totally a different thing to watch a live broadcast and hear the gunshot. People always said that HK people are all about money but when it comes to any misfortune, people always care. Anyway, life goes on.

Manila Hijacker Shot Dead; Some H.K. Hostages Walk Out of Bus - BusinessWeek: "Hijacker Shot Dead"

Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution

I knew about the name of Jamie Oliver from his first cooking show on TV years ago by chance. I do like his shows very much. I think one of the most influencing shows would be Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution. He went to West Virginia, USA and tried to change the local eating habits starting from different schools. Most local people there were against him at first. I wouldn't know if it was just drama or for real but It was very inspiring especially when he spoke as a parent.

Everyone knows processed food is bad but we are still eating them. Looking at the videos, people from the Government said fries was considered as veggie. That's ridiculous. Serious problem around the world. Just walking on the street and see how many little kids are having weight problems. It's sad that we are not doing something when we know its gonna kill us soon.  No doubt, fast food is convenient but as a girl who loves trying out different recipes and stuff, I just don't see the point of eating those crap everyday. Well, few meals might be? But everyday? That's insane.

The whole season is actually available on Youtube, if you guys are interested.

Cheat?

Honore de Balzac, a French novelist once described love as a game, in which one always cheated. From the royal family to commoners like us, it seems that betrayal has been back into fashion these days. Even a couple happily wedded for 20 years could be cheating on each other secretly. Is it a sign telling us to give up on love?

These days, everyone could come up with thousands of various reasons or excuses to cheat. "I didn't mean to", "It just happened", "I was drunk"... Aren't they just familiar? Can you really get a free pass to cheat because you are high? No! Call me old-fashioned. For me, committing to a relationship is a serious matter. If you are not ready for the responsibility, why date?

Head over "Heels"

“I could run a marathon in heels and wake up the next day and run another one”

-Sarah Jessica Parker

No matter whether shoes are high-end Manolo Blahnik or affordable Hennes & Mauritz (H&M), women's obsession with high heels remains the same. Even Marilyn Monroe thought that all women owed the inventor of high heels a lot. Looking into a lady’s closet, who doesn’t have a pair or two lovely heels to go with her daily outfits and evening dresses? For all the shoe addicts of the world, shoes are more than footwear, They are pieces of art.

Manolo Blahnik collection

Scenes of women chasing taxi or walking their dogs in their 4-inch stilettos seem to be typical in
Hollywood movies. In an era in which clothes and accessories not only show personal style, but also express your personalities, it is not hard to spot a woman walking in heels, on the street or in school, despite the discomfort they may cause. The truth of the matter is that these glamourous shoes actually damage your body while you are wearing them.

The problem that high heels cause for women's health is an ongoing issue. According to different studies, wearing heels not only crushes your toes, but also puts all of your body's weight on balls of your feel, causing bunions and blisters. It is possible to suffer extreme pain not only in one's feet, but also in one's back, knee, and calf as a result of wearing high heels. Researches has indicated that shoes with low heels, from one-half to three-quarters of an inch in height, are best for a woman's feet. Wider shoes with an arch support are also recommended. The pain caused by wearing high heels is the body's way of telling women to stop wearing these shoes. Tolerating the discomfort of heels just to enhance one’s physical appearance or to be stylish is irrational behavior.

You don’t need to follow what everyone is doing in the entertainment industry to be chic. Coco Chanel once said, “Fashion fades; only style remains the same.” Fashion is not about pursuing the latest designer shoes, but about creating your own style. Simple ballerina flats could rock a runaway. All you have to do is to take a few minutes to think about what to wear before falling head over heels with your heels!

My article published in HerZine 2010 Issue 1, English magazine of UIC

Battle of the Sexes

As a final year college student, we should be enjoying the last few months of each other's company. Instead, most of us are getting “pre-graduation anxiety”. Future careers and further study are becoming much talked about topics among us. Even sitting in class, classmates will ask you about your future plan. I happen to have been asked the same question the other day. Dying to get out of school and pursue my childhood dream to be a writer, I told him that I wanted to start working before doing any further study. He nodded, and expressed his feeling toward educated women. I was totally shocked by his response.

Living under the influence of multi-cultural environment, it was hard for me to believe that a guy my age would describe women who choose study and have a career over marriage as “leftover”. He thought that women would concentrate on their work only because they could not find a man when they reached their 30s. It is like they are the unwanted left out by the guys. Guys are now referring this situation as midlife crisis for girls. More importantly, he was not the first Chinese guy that I had met with such an ignorant attitude. I just couldn’t help but wonder, are men really that intimidated by women’s success? Or have the brains of Chinese men not evolved since the Qing Dynasty?

Once women received education, it’s common for them to have relatively high standards when it comes to choosing a partner. Also, many women now seek for financial and emotional independence. Men are not a women's everything, we just choose to have them to be part of our lives. Marriage doesn’t mean everything anymore, and men get intimidated by the fact that women can do just fine without them.

In the past, Chinese girls didn’t get as many chances to go to school as boys. Even in wealthy families, the ultimate goal for every girl was to get married with an eligible bachelor. Nowadays, women can hold leadership positions in Congress, own business, and become doctors. A new era has arrived. Women are no longer seen as “birth machine”. We have the same ability in a variety of fields, and, in some fields, have even stronger abilities than they do.

Don’t get me wrong. I’m not saying that men could be replaced by women and I’m not against marriage. I’m just saying that two sexes should have equal opportunity to obtain what they deserve. Negative comments regarding women who would rather fall in love with their BlackBerrys than walk down the aisle are just disrespectful. Why are single, twenty-something men are said to be ambitious, while women of the same age described as “leftover”? Women standing up for themselves, is battle yet to be fought in China.

My article published in HerZine 2010 Issue 1, English magazine of UIC

Free Riders?

What are the worst excuses you have ever heard? I always thought that I’ve known them all until I fell into a recent group project trap. I was always good at working with people, even the laziest person in my team wouldn’t have the balls to do nothing. The result might not be great but I appreciated their effort. We worked and took responsibility as a team no matter what. This is my version of teamwork. You wouldn’t have a say as a team member if u had no contribution to the group. That’s how I work. If you are not happy with it, don’t bother to join my team. I’m not mean. I just have low tolerance for ignorance, ass kissing free riders.

I’m now basically called NICE because of what has happened recently. That’s not good for my reputation. I mean NICE never goes with FRANCESCA when it came to project. Everyone is asking why I’ve chosen such partner when I had so many choices. I don’t know how to answer. I made the decision because I trusted his ability and personality. It turns out I was so wrong. I feel like betrayed or something. I didn’t even know how the hell I’ve put up with all those craps. Although people who know him insisted I should beat him up, the only pms thing I’ve done was an angry text. I think I’m losing my bitchiness… 

Seriously, I feel sorry for these kinds of people. Someone who couldn’t even get a school project done probably, I have no idea how he is going to live on his own. Maybe you would say that I was not qualified to make such judgment. What I’m trying to say is I worked 13 hours 7 days a week for months, I learned that life is not easy. You couldn’t expect your work to be magically done when you woke up in the morning. If you choose to ignore your work, you will be replaced sooner or later. The world wouldn’t stop spinning because of you. Just need to vent...


Some of the BEST excuses or promises, (seriously i don't think anyone has made that much promises to me within a few months)

1.    I’m sorry, I overslept. (Are u 5?)
2.    I don’t know how to do it. (Like I know everything)
3.    I can’t find any info I needed. (Did u actually try? I doubt that)
4.    I will quit the extracurricular. (Quit my ass)
5.    I promise I will have more time for the project. (Doesn’t seem like it)
6.    You always send this kinda msg to me. I don’t know how to communicate with you. (First of all, one txt is not considered to be always. Second of all, I don’t know how to communicate with kid like u too)
7.    I don’t know what we are doing. (Because u have never actually done anything)
8.    I’m not familiar with the topic. (Why u suggested this topic in the first place?)
9.    I’m sorry. I promise I’m not going anywhere before getting it done. (Not going anywhere doesn’t mean you will work)
10.    I’m busy. (Like I have time to wait for u 24/7)