WANDERLUST in the city

It’s been 13 months, how are y’all doing?

Terribly sorry I wont MIA but I’m happy to report that all is well. What’s more? I’m happy.

This past year has been life changing for me. Since last summer, I’ve been the editor-in-chief of my college publication. My predecessors left next to nothing in terms of training/turnover procedures, so I was left to fend for myself and looking back, I wouldn’t have it any other way. I’ve learned so much, from how to figure out an effective production schedule for my staff, to negotiating with printers on bindings and stock options, to hiring a team of 30, to restarting the magazine’s social media activities. I was an octopus, I had a hand in everything. Now that the academic year is over, I have 6 wonderful issues to look back on. The increase in quality (text, visuals, organization) from Issue 1 to 6 is astonishing and I have my team to thank for that. I’ve met and befriended such wonderfully talented writers, artists, and designers.

At the same time, my poetry has been accepted at a handful of literary journals, I published half a dozen original illustrations for the university press, I won some scholarship, and now I’m working as a book developer and doing a literary magazine fellowship at the same time.

For the first time in my life, I’m also living on my own and I can’t say enough about how liberating it feels to be independent. My relationship with both my parents have improved drastically as well.

Life has been good. Tough, of course. But it’s only tough because it’s good.

I am going to do my best to have a blast this summer. 🙂

crunch

(Technically, as it is 12:55am right now) 2 more days until my last final!

I am trying to cover as much ground as possible, but when a course surveys 22 different thinkers on the topic of aesthetics, it’s really difficult to keep their theories all neat and organized.

Anyway, I’ve also been slacking off a little; keeping up with the filming of Sherlock Season 3 (THOUGH SOMEHOW I HAVE NOT BEEN SPOILED YET, PLEASE DO NOT RUIN THIS FOR ME) and my affection for BC only increases… That man is really taking over hollywood! I’m so happy for his success.

I’ve been watching Glenn Gould videos (we studied him in class). I really do think I have a thing for old dead guys. He’s so charismatic here! And very intense too, which i no surprise. I don’t really go for the easy going type, it seems.

OH! BrainPickings has been really brilliant lately! I’ve go so many entires bookmarked for later.

March Madness

Montreal was AMAZING! I have so much food porn to show you! But, I am 5 more papers and 4 exams away from the end of the term – so that’ll have to hold for now.

I’ve also been working on my summer plans. I’ve applied for positions at several literary publications (fingers crossed ~~) and submitted some of my poetry to annual journals and reviews. So far, one piece has been accepted.

All my hours from now till the end of April are planned out with little breathing room. If I stick to my agenda, I’ll survive. Hopefully with a smile.

 

updates

hello my lovelies~ hope you are all doing well.

I’ve been keeping busy with readings, papers, poetry, and natural history documentaries. Sir David came out with a ton of new materials. I loved his “Kingdom of Plants”, but was a little bit let down by “Africa”, the stories weren’t as cohesive as I’ve come to expect from his programs, and as one reviewer mentioned, the music selection is way too heavy handed.

I’m off to Montreal in a week and I have a bunch of things due before then, so I’ll have to sign off here. Everybody stay warm~~

 

i don’t have a title for this post, mostly because it’s just a regular Saturday on which I should get work done but am having trouble realizing that. I have to skype with my mother tomorrow for our regular weekly chats. These chats sometimes run to 2 hours and I am always exhausted afterwards. It’s a lot of work, being all happy and full of stories to tell. ‘Jupiter’ is playing on the radio right now, and for the last 2 minutes I have been racking my brain wondering why it’s so familiar.

I have a TON of reading to go through, most of it takes a lot of digesting to comprehend – but recently my eyes tire easily and I can never get through the pages as fast as I would like to. I have two papers due in the coming weeks and 2 drafts due before reading week. I really need to get them all written otherwise I’ll be in terrible shape on the otherwise of the break.

Federer lost – I can’t muster up the energy to talk about it.

Continue reading

rescuing a lost weekend

It’s been a great week, generally speaking. I have a ton of reading to get through, as usual, but more on that later. I saw Frida one last time this past Friday with a friend. I had a really nice time (though I was surprised that we go through the exhibit in an hour, I took 2 hours my first time there) and it was so good to meet up with her. And then I sat in Mount’s Hedwig lecture. I can’t remember how he did it during first year – but everything he said was so easy and obvious to me. I suppose that is a good thing – that I did some growing.

I worked till 9pm on Friday but didn’t get any work done because I was chatting with co-workers. One of the things I love about my job is that most people there are thoughtful and have interesting things to say (since we’re all nerds by default).

And then the lost weekend began – rather than prepping for my exam and doing readings for my other classes, i watched 3 seasons of Mad Men. Do I regret it? No, but I feel terrible. So I’ll have to do my best to catch up now. Sigh, just thinking about it all is depressing. One thing to keep me upbeat is my dinner at Canoe! i can’t wait!!

PS. The Australian Open is happening and i’m rooting for Roger, obviously.

PPS. Made plans for Reading Week, eeeeek

PPPS. I managed to write poems this week – oh, how i’ve missed it so!

 

 

what’s in my fridge; the breakfast edition

half a poppy-seed pound cake

9 swedish meatballs

a glass of OJ

2 pears

PS. for the avoidance of doubt, this does resemble my usual morning fare, except sub the meatballs for brie or something

constant spiral

Reading Aristotle has been a remarkable experience. The reading for this week’s lectures are metaphysics (book 1), topics and post. an.. I read all this in one go a couple of days ago and had about 20 sticky notes with “?!?” Written on them. If you recall, I was mad at myself for not having bought the book earlier (amazon carries it for $15 less, but shipping takes any from 1-2 months and I didn’t exactly plan ahead). Anyway, I gave all these pages another go last week and eradicated about half of those WTFs. And then last night, I more or less understood what I was reading. Today in lecture, my professor confirmed most of my understandings of the text. It felt so good! I love it when things like this happen, because it reminds me how important and useful it is to read things multiple times. This also gives me confidence in my ability to read critically. It’s never easy, but it is all worth it!

It’s funny how I consistently underestimate the magnitude of a seemingly insignificant thing. I remember being obsessed with Melba toast in middle school. I thought I was being so cool and ‘grown-up’, eating microwave melted harvest cheese on those things. Some girl in my french lesson (this is outside school) asked during one of those inane ‘breaks’ “Is that Melba toast?” and I proudly exclaimed ‘yes!’ Till this day, I have no idea why she asked – and whether she got anything useful out of my answer. Did she hate Melba toast, and thus, anyone one who relishes in their inexplicable crunch? Was she craving for Melba toast and wanted some of mine (granted it didn’t have cheese on them)? So many questions, and all of them MAJORLY IMPORTANT and FRUSTRATING at the time. I can only laugh now. I think we all do when we look back on our youth.

I had a terrible night’s sleep – tossing and turning into the wee hours and scrambled out of bed at 8am to wash, dress, and run out to catch the 8:30am subway. I had an ice-capp last night because my Wednesdays are fiendishly long. It was only an ice capp, and being a java-junkie, i didn’t think much of it. But man, did I suffer through the night. I eventually fell asleep to the dulcet tones of my Shakespeare prof (whose lectures are really really great, but he’s got a really soft, subtle voice that you hate in class because you can’t hear the damn man (I had to sprint from my preceding class from the otherwise of campus to ensure that I got class in time to get a decent seat)). Anyway, suffice it to say that my head’s not in the greatest shape now, but I have so much reading and prep to do for next week, and I have a poetry deadline on Monday that hasn’t even sunk into my brain properly.

I had a pretty frustrating shopping experience today. Although the upside is that I only ended up spending $20 + tax on a northface hoodie (originally $60!!!), I also wasted a lot of time and energy picking and then ditching new winter coats. I can’t wait till I’ll fully independent, when my parents have no barring on what I buy/not buy.

I was supposed to skype with a friend early this evening to discuss and finalize reading week plans – but she never turned up. I detest that sort of thing. But I can’t even muster up the energy to be upset about it. Still, ARGHHHHH!

The 4th season of Cabin pressure started off on what I considered to be a weak episode. The voice actors are clearly trying to elevate the writing, but the story felt so stilted and inorganic. I hate that I feel this way, because I love Cabin Pressure (And not just because BC is in it. I really fell in love with the whole cast and their dynamics!)

I went to the gym today (and I shall spare you the thrilling tale of me being locked out of my locker because my lock suddenly decided to stop working. This ended with my lock being destroyed by a staff member) and did all my usual exercises, so I’m not even sure the soreness I’m feeling in my legs are due to inactivity or due to activity. Hahaa

I need to be more prudent with my spending. I’ve afraid that with the new semester, my sending habits are about to spiral out of control. I am consistently spending $15 on food on a single day. I used to be good at keeping it below $10. Time to bring my own coffee again~ And snacks!! Fruits! Stop buying biscotti singularly!

Sigh, i’m running out of steam and I haven’t started on my Plato and etc readings…

renewal

it’s only the 2nd days of the semester and already I have about 50 pages of readings to do. Granted, I’ve completed this week’s readings so it’s not exactly urgent, but I’m one who likes to be ahead with my course work (you never know when cramps are going to hit me). I had Shakespeare this afternoon, and everytime I walk away from that class completely enlightened. I don’t always agree with the prof’s arguments, but he has such a way of examining and clarifying and unfolding the text that no matter how many times I’ve read a certain play, he will show me ALL THIS STUFF I’ve missed. It’s so wonderful.

I’ve started on my Aristotle readings and so far it’s smooth sailing. The metaphysics are fun to read, but the logic stuff (post an, esp) is dull. i think I still have unfavourable emotional residue from Modern symbolic Logic. i did all right in that course, and thinking back – it was fun and interesting. But that’s me reminiscing after freaking out over the exam, so I don’t know how valid (harhar) my opinion is.

I started a new course with Kingwell, and I am so psyched about this course. After much shenanigans and money spent, I got myself a copy of ‘Philosophies of Art and Beauty’ – can’t wait!!!

Hmm, I’ve got my eyes on the Estee Lauder pleasures hand cream and the clarins bb cream. Together, they will set me back $00 (not including tax). The only time I’ve splurged on cosmetics is on these gorgeous Dior eye shadow pallet, and shishedo lipstick and liner… Do I deserve unecessary luxuaries? Shoppers has a $10 back for every $50 purchase… eeeeek! Should I?

PS: Kim Woo bin is killing it in school 2013

UPDATE: My make-up obsessed friend recommended that I get samples from Sephora before i buy them. Smart!!

 

checking in

How was everyone’s Christmas? Sorry I’ve been MIA, after my exams ended, I have been working everyday since Christmas Eve. I spent the 3 days been my last exam and work by watching films (was totally disappointed with Anna Karenina, and have mixed feelings about The Hobbit), skyping with my mom, and meeting with friends. I went shopping on Boxing day after work – and came home empty-handed. This is the norm for me, but I was so looking forward to buying a little something. The things I really wanted did not go on sale, and the things I didn’t care for were 50% off.

I am munching on a KFC sandwich right now. The meat is tough but it somewhat satisfies my craving for fried chicken.

I was supposed to get through my Aristotle readings, but I barely made a dent. I feel terrible for slacking off, but after 8.5 hours of work and trekking through all the slush and snow, I end up passing out on my bed. I did finish one of the novels for my CAN LIT class though. I’m starting on Margret Atwood’s ‘Alias Grace‘. I can’t say I’m absorbed, and I was never a huge fan of her writing – but hopefully, the story gets better.

I need to write more!! I have a ton of deadlines coming up and I don’t even have drafts for some of them. URGHH

I also need to reread those plays for my second semester of Shakespeare. I still have to meet up with people after New Years and it’s cutting into my prep time – but what can I do? Friends are important, and I need to loosen up a bit, too.

I went to see Frida last night. The museum is CRAZY crowded. It was a members only night, so I assumed it’d be dead – but I guess not. Sigh, I’d better go during the day time.

All my moaning and complaints about not having enough hours in a day are biased, I’ve been obsessed with this Korean drama called School 2013. It’s a refreshingly realistic (though occasionally exaggerated for dramatic effect) look at the Korean education system. I won’t fangirl about it here, but ARGH!!! One word: BROMANCE!

Meanwhile, I’ve been listening to a lot of jazz. It’s mostly Holiday themed – but still lovely. Do any of you use Songza? It takes me a while to find a playlist that is compatible with my taste, but it’s still pretty great!