Saturday, January 31, 2009
Saturday
Modern-day prophets have counseled the church members to live balanced lives. My day today epitomizes balance. Allow me to explain. I got up this morning at 9:45 a.m. with burning eyes and an unclear thought-process because I had not gone to bed until 2:45 a.m. the same morning. After eating breakfast and of course brushing my teeth, I drove on campus to attend a TA test review for my MCOM 320 class. It was so effective (academics)! Afterwards, I drove home and ate chicken and noodle soup while watching Pittsburg play Notre Dame on ESPN (leisure). After eating too many crackers I went to my room and memorized my dialogue for my Monday Chinese class (again academics). I then quickly drove to the MTC where I helped my roommate teach one of his Cantonese classes (service). I then came home and read my scriptures (religion). Upon noticing how pleasant the weather is today, I went outside and ran (exercise). After taking a shower (hygiene), I am now preparing to go on a blind date (social). Its been a pretty good day. Balance is good.
Saturday, January 24, 2009
High School Musical 3
I've always been taught that you should start what you finish. If you start your homework then you should finish your homework. If you begin eating your dinner, then you should finish eating your dinner. When you start a drive to the lane, then you should finish off the glass, etc. Unfortunately, what I started with the "Sprite (Part 1)" entry I can't finish. The girls never responded. It was a valiant effort. A good thought. At least for now, Part 1 will have to remain lonely without a Part 2.
Along the same lines as dating, the other week my roommates and I organized a group date that included seeing the movie High School Musical 3 at the local dollar theatre. High School Musical is a Disney movie series that could be considered this generation's Grease. Albeit, cheesier ... much, much cheesier. It was a movie-watching experience unlike any other. The movie theatre was more like a sports arena.
Our group walked in a couple of minutes late and the theatre was packed! At one point there was a close-up of the movie's heart-throb, Zac Efron, playing basketball. The roar of screams from the junior high girls in attendance was deafening. Whenever it was clear that a singing and dancing scene was coming up, the crowd would yell and clap in anticipation. The climax of this unique movie experience for me was during the finale. Three moms to the right of my date and I were not only singing along to the words, but dancing in their seats as if they were wearing bell-bottoms and platform heels again. To say the least, the crowd was intense. People were passionate. As Dick Vitale would say, "It was pure pandemonium baby!"
As our group was exiting the theatre, you could still hear people singing their favorite songs, hear girls giggling, and see people dancing in the parking lot. I had never experienced anything like it. Have you?
Along the same lines as dating, the other week my roommates and I organized a group date that included seeing the movie High School Musical 3 at the local dollar theatre. High School Musical is a Disney movie series that could be considered this generation's Grease. Albeit, cheesier ... much, much cheesier. It was a movie-watching experience unlike any other. The movie theatre was more like a sports arena.
Our group walked in a couple of minutes late and the theatre was packed! At one point there was a close-up of the movie's heart-throb, Zac Efron, playing basketball. The roar of screams from the junior high girls in attendance was deafening. Whenever it was clear that a singing and dancing scene was coming up, the crowd would yell and clap in anticipation. The climax of this unique movie experience for me was during the finale. Three moms to the right of my date and I were not only singing along to the words, but dancing in their seats as if they were wearing bell-bottoms and platform heels again. To say the least, the crowd was intense. People were passionate. As Dick Vitale would say, "It was pure pandemonium baby!"
As our group was exiting the theatre, you could still hear people singing their favorite songs, hear girls giggling, and see people dancing in the parking lot. I had never experienced anything like it. Have you?
Monday, January 19, 2009
Sprite (Part 1)
BYU is a unique university. BYU is a university where spiritual and social learning are as valued as academic achievement. Many classes begin with prayer. Many assignments are on spiritual topics. And often classroom discussions turn to what seems to be everyone's favorite topic--dating and marriage.
Last week in my MCOM 320 business writing class, we received an assignment to buy a soda for a complete stranger and then write about it. I had two immediate thoughts about this assignment:
1) I could simply find a random person and buy them a soda. Simple. Easy.
2) But then I thought, "Wait a second, I am at BYU. A university where dating is at times as highly esteemed as academic and even spiritual progress (dating of course being an integral part of spiritual progress, but that topic won't be addressed at this point). I wonder if I can find a date out of this assignment? Afterall, I'm a student at BYU. Why not?"
And so it began with idea #2 and a 2-liter of Sprite. Three of my roommates and I randomly selected an apartment of girls and left a 2-liter of Sprite with a message at their apartment doorstep. The message read, "Thank you so much for your help with my MCOM 320 assignment. If four gentlemen from our apartment can pay four girls from your apartment back with a date this weekend, please respond back to Lafayette #21 in the next 24 hours. Thanks again." What will come of this situation? I don't know. However, this much I do know. The package has been delivered and the game has begun.
Last week in my MCOM 320 business writing class, we received an assignment to buy a soda for a complete stranger and then write about it. I had two immediate thoughts about this assignment:
1) I could simply find a random person and buy them a soda. Simple. Easy.
2) But then I thought, "Wait a second, I am at BYU. A university where dating is at times as highly esteemed as academic and even spiritual progress (dating of course being an integral part of spiritual progress, but that topic won't be addressed at this point). I wonder if I can find a date out of this assignment? Afterall, I'm a student at BYU. Why not?"
And so it began with idea #2 and a 2-liter of Sprite. Three of my roommates and I randomly selected an apartment of girls and left a 2-liter of Sprite with a message at their apartment doorstep. The message read, "Thank you so much for your help with my MCOM 320 assignment. If four gentlemen from our apartment can pay four girls from your apartment back with a date this weekend, please respond back to Lafayette #21 in the next 24 hours. Thanks again." What will come of this situation? I don't know. However, this much I do know. The package has been delivered and the game has begun.
Monday, January 5, 2009
Mr. Whiskers
I have never been a pet-person. My family has never owned a pet and the most significant experiences I've ever had with animals consists of reading the book "Where the Red Fern Grows" (get out the tissues) or watching the movie "Marley and Me". My experience flying back to BYU from Chicago not only solidified my position but illustrated why I am not a pet-person.
After having a wonderful Christmas break with my family back home in Indiana it was finally time to re-pack my things and fly back out to snowy Provo to start winter term at the Y. I wouldn't consider myself an overly friendly or outgoing person but normally on flights I seek to chat with the passengers seated next to me. On the flight from Chicago to Salt Lake City, I was seated in the middle of two passengers, an adult woman to my left and a college-age student to my right. I had no idea what I was in for. I saw that the woman was carrying an interesting-looking carry-on and when she placed it underneath her seat I thought I heard a noise akin to a "meow" and a smell like bad BO. I was confused, trying to figure out what-in-the-world was in that carry-on. It all became painfully clear when I heard the woman look in the direction of the carry-on and say, "Hello Mr. Whiskers. Don't worry Mr. Whiskers. Mommy is here. Don't poop yourself Mr. Whiskers. Don't you poop yourself." She then looked at me and explained that sometimes when Mr. Whiskers gets scared he poops himself. I could only manage a nervous smile.
Whenever I fly I always plan on reading a book but typically I end up falling asleep. This flight was no different but this time as I groggily woke up I smelled a horrible stench. I was confused and bewildered as to what could possibly create such a terrible smell! I should've known... Mr. Whiskers had pooped himself. I could feel irritation building up inside of me as I was trying to hold my breath but to no avail. The stank was spreading throughout the entire cabin and I thought it was going to suffocate me! I look increduously at the woman wonderying why she was allowing Mr. Whiskers to stink up the entire cabin? Well, she too had fallen asleep. As I was looking at her trying to think of a way to wake her up, she thankfully woke up on her own and after identifying that the smell was coming from her Mr. Whiskers, she leaned over and grabbed him from beneath her seat and held the cat in her lap. The smell slapped-me-in-the-face and I had to turn the other way to avoid vomiting or screaming. I could feel myself becoming so frustrated with the situation, so I kept trying to tell myself that the cat probably brings this woman a lot of joy and that the inconvenience of sitting next to Mr. Whiskers would be but a small moment. It didn't work. The smell permeated my good thoughts. In an act of mercy, the woman took Mr. Whiskers to the bathroom to clean him up but even as they returned the smell was still alarming. Never before have I been so grateful for fresh air and a shower. I'm just not a pet-person. Need I explain more?
After having a wonderful Christmas break with my family back home in Indiana it was finally time to re-pack my things and fly back out to snowy Provo to start winter term at the Y. I wouldn't consider myself an overly friendly or outgoing person but normally on flights I seek to chat with the passengers seated next to me. On the flight from Chicago to Salt Lake City, I was seated in the middle of two passengers, an adult woman to my left and a college-age student to my right. I had no idea what I was in for. I saw that the woman was carrying an interesting-looking carry-on and when she placed it underneath her seat I thought I heard a noise akin to a "meow" and a smell like bad BO. I was confused, trying to figure out what-in-the-world was in that carry-on. It all became painfully clear when I heard the woman look in the direction of the carry-on and say, "Hello Mr. Whiskers. Don't worry Mr. Whiskers. Mommy is here. Don't poop yourself Mr. Whiskers. Don't you poop yourself." She then looked at me and explained that sometimes when Mr. Whiskers gets scared he poops himself. I could only manage a nervous smile.
Whenever I fly I always plan on reading a book but typically I end up falling asleep. This flight was no different but this time as I groggily woke up I smelled a horrible stench. I was confused and bewildered as to what could possibly create such a terrible smell! I should've known... Mr. Whiskers had pooped himself. I could feel irritation building up inside of me as I was trying to hold my breath but to no avail. The stank was spreading throughout the entire cabin and I thought it was going to suffocate me! I look increduously at the woman wonderying why she was allowing Mr. Whiskers to stink up the entire cabin? Well, she too had fallen asleep. As I was looking at her trying to think of a way to wake her up, she thankfully woke up on her own and after identifying that the smell was coming from her Mr. Whiskers, she leaned over and grabbed him from beneath her seat and held the cat in her lap. The smell slapped-me-in-the-face and I had to turn the other way to avoid vomiting or screaming. I could feel myself becoming so frustrated with the situation, so I kept trying to tell myself that the cat probably brings this woman a lot of joy and that the inconvenience of sitting next to Mr. Whiskers would be but a small moment. It didn't work. The smell permeated my good thoughts. In an act of mercy, the woman took Mr. Whiskers to the bathroom to clean him up but even as they returned the smell was still alarming. Never before have I been so grateful for fresh air and a shower. I'm just not a pet-person. Need I explain more?
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