Recently, I've been falling in love with Payless shoes. It had been a long time since I had shopped there because they usually never had anything I liked. However, I've recently fallen in love with Payless.
You see, I have big, muscular calves which I hate because I've never been able to wear those cute knee high boots. For years and years, I've envied women with skinny calves that can wear those boots which they wear over their jeans, with skirts, or with tights. I was so jealous. Having big calves meant that I would have to actually special order the boots and pay hundreds of dollars for them. Being the cheapskate that I am, I would never spend that much money on shoes. This led to years of envying all the skinny calved women and their knee-high boots.
A few years ago, I bought knee high boots that I was able to tightly zip over my calves. The problem was, I was limited to only wearing them over tights because the jeans were too thick to zip over. This made the boots pretty useless. Plus they were too high and hurt my feet when I wore them. So it was back to square one with my search for affordable, wide calf boots.
A few weeks ago, out of boredom, I decided to check out the Payless website and lo and behold, they happen to have quite an impressive stock of wide calf shoes. I found one online that I thought I would like and I decided to stop by one of their stores instead of ordering online because I wanted to make sure that they actually fit. Once I got to the store, I was pleasantly surprised. They had more styles of wide-calf shoes than I had expected!
They had so many styles, I couldn't even decide on which ones to get. Ultimately, I ended up buying two pairs of riding boots (costing me less than $100 for both pairs), which I wear all the time because they are super cute and extremely comfortable. Afterwards, I went on the Payless website again to see what else they had. I now wanted other different colors and styles to add to my collection as well. Unfortunately, a lot the their stock of wide calf boots were sold out. Since this is basically the end of winter shoe season, they were already stocking for spring. Too bad I didn't know about them sooner.
So I'm definitely looking forward to what Payless will have in stock for us wide calved women next season an will be eagerly waiting. Thank you Payless for finally thinking about us. We like affordable boots too!
Monday, December 31, 2012
Saturday, December 8, 2012
I Hate Glitter!
So it's that time of year again. The holidays! One thing I look forward to about the holidays is decorating the Christmas tree. Although I'm an atheist, I still celebrate Christmas. To me, the holiday is not so much religious, but instead a secular tradition. Anyway, back to the tree. Since I'm sort of crafty, I like to find creative ways to decorate my Christmas tree and make it look pretty. I'm very picky about ornaments that I use. One thing that bugs me the most about looking for Christmas decorations is the damn glitter.
I mean, c'mon now! Why the hell do they have to put glitter on all the ornaments? Are we in elementary school or something? I hate it when I find a cute ornament and it's riddled with glitter. Why am I so against glitter? It's messy, it gets all over the place, and it sticks to you all day long. For some reason, glitter bugs me more than anything. For me, glitter lost its appeal a long time ago.
It really bugs me that these manufacturers insist on putting glitter on everything. OK. Sometimes the glitter does make some of the ornaments look cute but isn't there something else they can use? Like metallic? I guess glitter is just a lot cheaper. Am I the only one who feels this way about glitter or what? Since about 99 percent of Christmas decorations have glitter on them, it makes it very difficult for me to find decent ornaments. I like to buy just a few ornament every year and then add on to my collection as time goes on. This year, all I bought were some high end Christmas lights and two small boxes of ornaments. Last year, I made a bunch of bows from ribbons I bought at Michael's and the Dollar Store. I was also able to get a bunch of artificial poinsettia from Walmart for 25 cents each post holiday season. My tree topper is also a homemade ribbon. Next year, I'm hoping to buy a tree topper such as an angel or a star or a tree skirt.
Since the theme colors for my tree are blue, white and silver, looking for cute decorations is extra difficult (I'm not too fond of red and gold). But I love my tree this year. It looks so beautiful. Did I tell you my Christmas tree is an artificial white one? Last year I had blue Christmas lights with green wires but didn't like the way it looked with the white tree. So this year, I bought white Christmas lights with white wires. I like this look better. I found an blue-themed angel on Amazon that looked cute so I'm looking to maybe buy it next year. It's quite expensive so it will have to wait.
Since I'm on a budget, I only decorate about half my tree. haha. I don't decorate the side that's against the wall. What's the point? No one sees it anyway. So my tree looks like it has more ornaments than it actually does. Most of my ornaments are from Michael's. They have high quality ornaments and when you go at the right time, you can get them at 50 percent off. I also have some from Dollar Tree. Surprisingly, some of their ornaments look really high quality. Never ever buy your ornaments at Walmart. I bought some from them last year but ended up returning them because they looked so crappy and poorly made. I can get better ornaments at Michael's for the same price (when they're on sale)!
I mean, c'mon now! Why the hell do they have to put glitter on all the ornaments? Are we in elementary school or something? I hate it when I find a cute ornament and it's riddled with glitter. Why am I so against glitter? It's messy, it gets all over the place, and it sticks to you all day long. For some reason, glitter bugs me more than anything. For me, glitter lost its appeal a long time ago.
It really bugs me that these manufacturers insist on putting glitter on everything. OK. Sometimes the glitter does make some of the ornaments look cute but isn't there something else they can use? Like metallic? I guess glitter is just a lot cheaper. Am I the only one who feels this way about glitter or what? Since about 99 percent of Christmas decorations have glitter on them, it makes it very difficult for me to find decent ornaments. I like to buy just a few ornament every year and then add on to my collection as time goes on. This year, all I bought were some high end Christmas lights and two small boxes of ornaments. Last year, I made a bunch of bows from ribbons I bought at Michael's and the Dollar Store. I was also able to get a bunch of artificial poinsettia from Walmart for 25 cents each post holiday season. My tree topper is also a homemade ribbon. Next year, I'm hoping to buy a tree topper such as an angel or a star or a tree skirt.
Since the theme colors for my tree are blue, white and silver, looking for cute decorations is extra difficult (I'm not too fond of red and gold). But I love my tree this year. It looks so beautiful. Did I tell you my Christmas tree is an artificial white one? Last year I had blue Christmas lights with green wires but didn't like the way it looked with the white tree. So this year, I bought white Christmas lights with white wires. I like this look better. I found an blue-themed angel on Amazon that looked cute so I'm looking to maybe buy it next year. It's quite expensive so it will have to wait.
Since I'm on a budget, I only decorate about half my tree. haha. I don't decorate the side that's against the wall. What's the point? No one sees it anyway. So my tree looks like it has more ornaments than it actually does. Most of my ornaments are from Michael's. They have high quality ornaments and when you go at the right time, you can get them at 50 percent off. I also have some from Dollar Tree. Surprisingly, some of their ornaments look really high quality. Never ever buy your ornaments at Walmart. I bought some from them last year but ended up returning them because they looked so crappy and poorly made. I can get better ornaments at Michael's for the same price (when they're on sale)!
Tuesday, October 30, 2012
Sex in Sleazy Motels
I know there are many couples who go to cheap motels just to have sex. But the idea of having sex in cheap motels just grosses me out tremendously. My bf and I would stay at cheap motels if we are stopping off somewhere during a trip for some rest. But we would never go to one just to have sex. In fact, if we happen to be at one of these places, sex is the last thing on my mind.
I just wonder how people can have sex at one of these places. Imagine all the dirty stuff that goes on in these rooms. Yuck! The sheets don't even get cleaned very often either. I usually have a pretty hard time falling asleep at one of these places because I'm trying so hard not to think about all the germs and bodily fluids that are all over the room. This is why I try not to stay at these places too often.
I'm very picky when it comes to picking hotels to stay at for vacation. If I'm on vacation, even though I'm not going to be spending a lot of time in the hotel, I still want to be able to sleep comfortably in the bed. I usually look for rooms that have down comforters and fluffy looking pillows. What can I say? I like being comfortable.
Not only will these hotels be comfortable, but they also have better souvenirs. Yes, I also like to take home as many travel size shampoo bottles and bars of soap as I can take. And if I can sneak a towel home (specifically the ones with the hotel's logo), even better. Yes. I am ghetto but I don't care.
I just wonder how people can have sex at one of these places. Imagine all the dirty stuff that goes on in these rooms. Yuck! The sheets don't even get cleaned very often either. I usually have a pretty hard time falling asleep at one of these places because I'm trying so hard not to think about all the germs and bodily fluids that are all over the room. This is why I try not to stay at these places too often.
I'm very picky when it comes to picking hotels to stay at for vacation. If I'm on vacation, even though I'm not going to be spending a lot of time in the hotel, I still want to be able to sleep comfortably in the bed. I usually look for rooms that have down comforters and fluffy looking pillows. What can I say? I like being comfortable.
Not only will these hotels be comfortable, but they also have better souvenirs. Yes, I also like to take home as many travel size shampoo bottles and bars of soap as I can take. And if I can sneak a towel home (specifically the ones with the hotel's logo), even better. Yes. I am ghetto but I don't care.
Saturday, October 6, 2012
Unattractive Fat Girl
A lot of people have been talking about Lady Gaga's weight gain. Lady Gaga used to be hideously stick thin but she has since gained 25 pounds. I'm pretty sure this is due the fact that she is happily in love in her relationship and her father's cooking. To be honest, I don't think Lady Gaga looks too overweight. But boy does the extra weight gain make her look horrible.
She has only gained 25 pounds ( I don't think it's that much weight compared to how much she weighed before) but all the fat definitely shows in her face. She has a double chin and her face is much rounder which makes her look unattractive.
I must say that I can definitely relate to Lady Gaga. Everytime I gain a few pounds, it seems that it shows the most in my face. Not only that, I also tend to break out and lose my glow. Also, I have naturally red lips but when I gain weight, its color fades.
This is just not fair. There are some girls who look gorgeous overweight and it's just not right. I always complain that I am not allowed to be overweight because I look extremely unattractive. Not only that, but why does my face also want to turn on me and grow pimples? Why? Isn't it bad enough already that my face gets chubbier? Why also add the acne? And forget about taking pictures, my naturally photogenic skinny self would look horrible on camera fat. But why is it that there are girls that still look beautiful overweight?
For example, take Adele. Even though she's overweight, she's still extremely beautiful. I think if she were to lose all that weight, she would look even prettier, but that's beside the point. Also, look at Jennifer Hudson. When she was overweight, she was still gorgeous. Honestly, I think she looks prettier overweight than thin.
This is one reason why I never want to be pregnant. I would just look awful. I'm so jealous of those women who look gorgeous pregnant. It seems like they only gain weight in their bellies and nowhere else.
I guess the upside of this curse is that I would always be motivated to stay thin if I want to stay attractive. But can't I have it both ways too? Is that so much to ask?
She has only gained 25 pounds ( I don't think it's that much weight compared to how much she weighed before) but all the fat definitely shows in her face. She has a double chin and her face is much rounder which makes her look unattractive.
I must say that I can definitely relate to Lady Gaga. Everytime I gain a few pounds, it seems that it shows the most in my face. Not only that, I also tend to break out and lose my glow. Also, I have naturally red lips but when I gain weight, its color fades.
This is just not fair. There are some girls who look gorgeous overweight and it's just not right. I always complain that I am not allowed to be overweight because I look extremely unattractive. Not only that, but why does my face also want to turn on me and grow pimples? Why? Isn't it bad enough already that my face gets chubbier? Why also add the acne? And forget about taking pictures, my naturally photogenic skinny self would look horrible on camera fat. But why is it that there are girls that still look beautiful overweight?
For example, take Adele. Even though she's overweight, she's still extremely beautiful. I think if she were to lose all that weight, she would look even prettier, but that's beside the point. Also, look at Jennifer Hudson. When she was overweight, she was still gorgeous. Honestly, I think she looks prettier overweight than thin.
This is one reason why I never want to be pregnant. I would just look awful. I'm so jealous of those women who look gorgeous pregnant. It seems like they only gain weight in their bellies and nowhere else.
I guess the upside of this curse is that I would always be motivated to stay thin if I want to stay attractive. But can't I have it both ways too? Is that so much to ask?
Sunday, September 30, 2012
My Pet Peeves
Spit/gum on the sidewalk:
I hate it when people spit on the sidewalk. That is so damn disgusting. Hello, inconsiderate people! People walk on the sidewalks. The worst is when you don't see the spit and end up stepping on it. Yuck! I know I'm wearing shoes, but still. I don't want someone else's nasty germs on my things. Even worse than stepping on someone's spit is stepping on gum. It's the most annoying thing when you're walking and you get gum on your shoes. If you've ever stepped on gum, you know what I'm talking about. And then the gum leaves unattractive black spots all over the sidewalk. Why are people so lazy? Spit out your damn gum in a trash can or something. People caught spitting gum on the street or sidewalk should be punished with 10 hard smacks to the face with a paddle.
Leaving carts in parking spaces instead of putting them in their stalls:
Don't you hate it when you're looking for a parking space and you think you find an empty one but just as you are pulling in to that spot, there's a damn shopping cart right in the middle of it? How hard is it to put your shopping cart in the cart return? OK. I understand if the whole parking lot had just one cart return all the way at the other end of the lot. But this is very rare. Usually, there are plenty of cart return stalls all over the parking lot. Yet people are too damn lazy to return their cart there. You may say, "Why don't they make more cart return stalls then? Maybe that will solve our problem." It does not. There was this supermarket back in my hometown that provided its customers with plenty of cart return stalls. I'd like to say there was at least one cart return stall between every five parking spaces. So wherever you parked, you would have to walk no more than two parking spaces to return your shopping cart. Despite that, people would still leave their shopping carts everywhere, except, the designated stalls. No wonder why Americans are so fat!
Littering:
It irks me when I see people throwing trash out of their car window or just throwing trash on the street. Why don't they wait until they see a trash can to throw their trash away?Are you really that lazy and inconsiderate that you will just throw your trash wherever you please? People caught doing this should have their hands cuts off.
Honkers:
There are drivers that honk their horns at anything. And sometimes, you don't even know who the fuck they're honking at. Horns are used to maybe warn another driver if they're about to hit your car or get their attention when there's a green light to tell them to go. Horns should not be used if you are mad that someone cut you off because your selfish ass wouldn't let them into your lane or if a driver is too slow (to your standards) when you are in a rush. I mostly notice white people like to honk for the littlest things. Where did these people grow up? Where I grew up, if you honk at the wrong person, you might get yourself shot! No joke. My BF was a honker (he is also white). Not so much anymore since he has met me. He still has a bad habit of sometimes inappropriately honking and I want to smack him everytime he does it. I usually say something like, "I guess you're not scared to get shot, huh?"
So generally, I am annoyed by laziness, selfishness, and impatience. So if you're not one of those annoying people who do any of the things listed above, you are cool. But if you are one of those inconsiderate pricks, maybe you can look inside your heart or whatever you have there and consider changing your ways. Because really, these are very bad habits to have.
I hate it when people spit on the sidewalk. That is so damn disgusting. Hello, inconsiderate people! People walk on the sidewalks. The worst is when you don't see the spit and end up stepping on it. Yuck! I know I'm wearing shoes, but still. I don't want someone else's nasty germs on my things. Even worse than stepping on someone's spit is stepping on gum. It's the most annoying thing when you're walking and you get gum on your shoes. If you've ever stepped on gum, you know what I'm talking about. And then the gum leaves unattractive black spots all over the sidewalk. Why are people so lazy? Spit out your damn gum in a trash can or something. People caught spitting gum on the street or sidewalk should be punished with 10 hard smacks to the face with a paddle.
Leaving carts in parking spaces instead of putting them in their stalls:
Don't you hate it when you're looking for a parking space and you think you find an empty one but just as you are pulling in to that spot, there's a damn shopping cart right in the middle of it? How hard is it to put your shopping cart in the cart return? OK. I understand if the whole parking lot had just one cart return all the way at the other end of the lot. But this is very rare. Usually, there are plenty of cart return stalls all over the parking lot. Yet people are too damn lazy to return their cart there. You may say, "Why don't they make more cart return stalls then? Maybe that will solve our problem." It does not. There was this supermarket back in my hometown that provided its customers with plenty of cart return stalls. I'd like to say there was at least one cart return stall between every five parking spaces. So wherever you parked, you would have to walk no more than two parking spaces to return your shopping cart. Despite that, people would still leave their shopping carts everywhere, except, the designated stalls. No wonder why Americans are so fat!
Littering:
It irks me when I see people throwing trash out of their car window or just throwing trash on the street. Why don't they wait until they see a trash can to throw their trash away?Are you really that lazy and inconsiderate that you will just throw your trash wherever you please? People caught doing this should have their hands cuts off.
Honkers:
There are drivers that honk their horns at anything. And sometimes, you don't even know who the fuck they're honking at. Horns are used to maybe warn another driver if they're about to hit your car or get their attention when there's a green light to tell them to go. Horns should not be used if you are mad that someone cut you off because your selfish ass wouldn't let them into your lane or if a driver is too slow (to your standards) when you are in a rush. I mostly notice white people like to honk for the littlest things. Where did these people grow up? Where I grew up, if you honk at the wrong person, you might get yourself shot! No joke. My BF was a honker (he is also white). Not so much anymore since he has met me. He still has a bad habit of sometimes inappropriately honking and I want to smack him everytime he does it. I usually say something like, "I guess you're not scared to get shot, huh?"
So generally, I am annoyed by laziness, selfishness, and impatience. So if you're not one of those annoying people who do any of the things listed above, you are cool. But if you are one of those inconsiderate pricks, maybe you can look inside your heart or whatever you have there and consider changing your ways. Because really, these are very bad habits to have.
Wednesday, September 26, 2012
No one should be offended...ever!
So it seems that we're living in a society where no one should be offended by anything anymore. Yes, everyone is forced to be politically correct about everything, lest someone gets offended. Why is that? What is wrong with us? Of course someone is always going to find something offensive no matter what anyone does.
I bring this up because the other day, I read an article about how a mom sued a school district because of a father-daughter dance. You see, the particular school that her daughter attended had a long standing tradition of having an annual father-daughter dance as well as a mother-son baseball game. Well, since the woman is a single mother, her daughter did not have a dad to take her to the dance. Therefore, her daughter was unable to attend.
I just don't understand. If her daughter doesn't have a dad, why doesn't she take an uncle or brother or something? Or just not go. But don't ruin it for everyone else. There were times in school when I was unable to attend a school event for one reason or another. It didn't bother me that I could not go.
What are we gonna do next? Get rid of proms because there may be people who are too poor and cannot afford to go? Oh, I know! We should ban dances all together because there are people who are rhythmically challenged and cannot dance. We don't want them to be left out! It's not fair that women cannot play in the NFL. I demand it gone!
Why do we have to ruin it for everyone just because a few entitled individuals complain? Why must we try so hard to include everyone in all things? It's already bad enough that we tell kids that everyone is a winner to make them feel better about themselves. Sorry to tell you this kids, but it's not true. In this world, there are winners and losers and it's wrong for your parents to lie to you like that. Instead of lying to kids, we should tell them that anyone can be a winner as long as they work hard enough. And in order to stay a winner, you must continue to work hard to stay on top. This way, we don't raise a nation of lazy individuals who feel entitled.
I'm tired of all this political correctness. It seems like people are getting more and more sensitive about everything. We are slowly becoming a nation of wussies.
I think it's about time that everyone just chilled out and not take life so seriously. In life, there will always be someone that will be excluded from something. Sorry to say this but it's true. It's impossible to please everyone. So quit complaining and suck it up!
I bring this up because the other day, I read an article about how a mom sued a school district because of a father-daughter dance. You see, the particular school that her daughter attended had a long standing tradition of having an annual father-daughter dance as well as a mother-son baseball game. Well, since the woman is a single mother, her daughter did not have a dad to take her to the dance. Therefore, her daughter was unable to attend.
I just don't understand. If her daughter doesn't have a dad, why doesn't she take an uncle or brother or something? Or just not go. But don't ruin it for everyone else. There were times in school when I was unable to attend a school event for one reason or another. It didn't bother me that I could not go.
What are we gonna do next? Get rid of proms because there may be people who are too poor and cannot afford to go? Oh, I know! We should ban dances all together because there are people who are rhythmically challenged and cannot dance. We don't want them to be left out! It's not fair that women cannot play in the NFL. I demand it gone!
Why do we have to ruin it for everyone just because a few entitled individuals complain? Why must we try so hard to include everyone in all things? It's already bad enough that we tell kids that everyone is a winner to make them feel better about themselves. Sorry to tell you this kids, but it's not true. In this world, there are winners and losers and it's wrong for your parents to lie to you like that. Instead of lying to kids, we should tell them that anyone can be a winner as long as they work hard enough. And in order to stay a winner, you must continue to work hard to stay on top. This way, we don't raise a nation of lazy individuals who feel entitled.
I'm tired of all this political correctness. It seems like people are getting more and more sensitive about everything. We are slowly becoming a nation of wussies.
I think it's about time that everyone just chilled out and not take life so seriously. In life, there will always be someone that will be excluded from something. Sorry to say this but it's true. It's impossible to please everyone. So quit complaining and suck it up!
Saturday, September 15, 2012
Breaking Bad. How will it end?
My boyfriend and I are big fans of Breaking Bad. Who isn't? One thing that's frustrating about the show is that it is unbelievably unpredictable. Just when you think the show is headed in one direction, it totally surprises you with something else. I'm truly impressed by the genius of the writers of this show. They are absolutely amazing.The show is down to its final season but the last episodes don't air until summer of 2013. Aaah! That's almost a year from now. Ugh! It's just torture having to wait that long. Anyway, my BF and I are trying to predict how the series is going to end.
Before the final episode of the first part of season five, I hated Walter and wanted him dead. But alas, the writers have a way of making you change your mind. Before the last episode of this season, here was my prediction for the end of the series:
Walter gets out of hand and still continues to produce meth, with his new partners as distributors. Since he now has a new protege, he no longer needs Jesse to help him produce meth. Since Walter wants to get rid of all of Mike's men in order to eliminate any possibilty of tracing anything back to him, he must also get rid of Jesse. Jesse finds out and yada yada yada...skip to the final scene. Jesse and Walter get into a confrontation. Remember season four when Jesse almost killed Walter because he thought Walter poisoned his girlfriend's son? Yeah, just like that. But this time, Walter is unable to talk his way out of it. Jesse says a few choice words. It's all emotional. Close-up of Jesse pulling the trigger. Fade to black...
Yes, Yes. I know it's a lame ending but for some reason, I like "fade to black" endings. No, not really. But that was all I could think of. haha. I think the "fade to black" scenario tends to happen when you can think of no other creative ways to end a show.
The final episode of season 5 part 1 totally ruined my prediction. I have no idea what's going to happen and now I'm rooting for Walter again. No matter what, I hope Jesse gets out of this unscathed.
Anyway, Breaking Bad is an awesome show with great writing, a wonderful and talented cast, and a unique and brilliant premise. If you're not watching it already, I suggest you start. Or at least wait until the end of the series so you can marathon it. :)
Before the final episode of the first part of season five, I hated Walter and wanted him dead. But alas, the writers have a way of making you change your mind. Before the last episode of this season, here was my prediction for the end of the series:
Walter gets out of hand and still continues to produce meth, with his new partners as distributors. Since he now has a new protege, he no longer needs Jesse to help him produce meth. Since Walter wants to get rid of all of Mike's men in order to eliminate any possibilty of tracing anything back to him, he must also get rid of Jesse. Jesse finds out and yada yada yada...skip to the final scene. Jesse and Walter get into a confrontation. Remember season four when Jesse almost killed Walter because he thought Walter poisoned his girlfriend's son? Yeah, just like that. But this time, Walter is unable to talk his way out of it. Jesse says a few choice words. It's all emotional. Close-up of Jesse pulling the trigger. Fade to black...
Yes, Yes. I know it's a lame ending but for some reason, I like "fade to black" endings. No, not really. But that was all I could think of. haha. I think the "fade to black" scenario tends to happen when you can think of no other creative ways to end a show.
The final episode of season 5 part 1 totally ruined my prediction. I have no idea what's going to happen and now I'm rooting for Walter again. No matter what, I hope Jesse gets out of this unscathed.
Anyway, Breaking Bad is an awesome show with great writing, a wonderful and talented cast, and a unique and brilliant premise. If you're not watching it already, I suggest you start. Or at least wait until the end of the series so you can marathon it. :)
Sunday, September 9, 2012
Ombre Hair?
A few weeks ago, my friends came to visit from out of town. I hadn't seen them for a few months and the first thing they noticed about me was my hair. It had grown so long and apparently, it was also in style. I really don't pay much attention to hair trends so I didn't understand what the trend was.
Apparently, this hairstyle called "ombre" is in and all the celebrities are wearing it. That's when you wear your hair dark at the roots and a lighter color closer to the tip. Here's a sample pic below:
In this picture, actress Jamie Chung is sporting ombre hair.
I was pretty shocked because I was thinking I looked all ghetto with my hair this way. You see, I had enjoyed maroon colored hair for about a year until I decided I wanted my natural hair color back, so I grew it out. The color treated parts eventually faded into a pleasant copper brown color. Earlier this year, I started getting compliments for my hair.
The first time someone complimented my hair, I actually thought they were mocking me or something. Some girl came up to me and told me she liked my hair. I swear, I wanted to kick her ass because I thought she was pulling a "mean girl" on me. haha. A few weeks later, I got a compliment from an acquaintance. I just gave a her confused look and told her she was crazy.
Can you believe that? I didn't even realize that it was the trend. And there I was, embarrassed about the way my hair looked. All the while, everyone else is trying to get the same style. And now that I think about it, the hairstyle is pretty cute, no? Alas! Now I can let my hair grow out without being ashamed of my cheapness. Yay!
This reminds me of the time in sixth grade when I had dug through my mom's old clothes and found some cute bell bottom pants. I decided to wear them to school one day, not really thinking anything of it. Well, one girl came up to me and said (referring to my bell bottoms), "this isn't the 60's." Or something to that extent.
Needless to say, I was embarrassed and did not wear them again. But you know what? A few months later, bell bottom jeans came into style and everyone started wearing them. WTF?! Why did I let that stupid girl shame me into not wearing my mom's bell bottoms again?
Moral of the story? Who cares about what anyone says or thinks about the things you do or say. Just do your thing and be yourself. Because you never know when what you're doing today becomes what everyone else is doing tomorrow.
Apparently, this hairstyle called "ombre" is in and all the celebrities are wearing it. That's when you wear your hair dark at the roots and a lighter color closer to the tip. Here's a sample pic below:
I was pretty shocked because I was thinking I looked all ghetto with my hair this way. You see, I had enjoyed maroon colored hair for about a year until I decided I wanted my natural hair color back, so I grew it out. The color treated parts eventually faded into a pleasant copper brown color. Earlier this year, I started getting compliments for my hair.
The first time someone complimented my hair, I actually thought they were mocking me or something. Some girl came up to me and told me she liked my hair. I swear, I wanted to kick her ass because I thought she was pulling a "mean girl" on me. haha. A few weeks later, I got a compliment from an acquaintance. I just gave a her confused look and told her she was crazy.
Can you believe that? I didn't even realize that it was the trend. And there I was, embarrassed about the way my hair looked. All the while, everyone else is trying to get the same style. And now that I think about it, the hairstyle is pretty cute, no? Alas! Now I can let my hair grow out without being ashamed of my cheapness. Yay!
This reminds me of the time in sixth grade when I had dug through my mom's old clothes and found some cute bell bottom pants. I decided to wear them to school one day, not really thinking anything of it. Well, one girl came up to me and said (referring to my bell bottoms), "this isn't the 60's." Or something to that extent.
Needless to say, I was embarrassed and did not wear them again. But you know what? A few months later, bell bottom jeans came into style and everyone started wearing them. WTF?! Why did I let that stupid girl shame me into not wearing my mom's bell bottoms again?
Moral of the story? Who cares about what anyone says or thinks about the things you do or say. Just do your thing and be yourself. Because you never know when what you're doing today becomes what everyone else is doing tomorrow.
Monday, September 3, 2012
Kids? No Thank You!
I'm at the age now where I SHOULD be having kids. At least that's what society, my mom, and my friends say. In fact, I don't even get the "When are you going to get married?" questions anymore. I get the "When are you going to have kids?" questions. Umm... I'm not even married! I'm quite traditional and wish marry BEFORE I have children. But since I don't believe in changing my last name after marriage, I doubt any guy would want to marry me. Therefore, I will not have kids. :)
It's odd but it seems that the older I get, the less I want children. Shouldn't it be the other way around? My biological clock seems to be confused or something. For one, I think I am still too young to have children. I'm not even thirty! Practically all of my friends have children. Most have at least two or three. My mom already had all four of us by the time she was my age.You would think this would pressure me into having them. On the contrary, this makes me want to have kids even less.
Honestly, parenting seems like an everlasting pain in the butt. I see my friends with their children and I am quite repulsed by them. Firstly, you lose all of your freedom when you have kids. When, they are young, you can't just go out and do whatever you want on a whim. You have to make sure you have a babysitter or someone reliable to watch them and plan everything ahead of time. No room for spontaneity. How sucky is that? I just love my life too much right now and I'm not ready to give it up. If I want to go on a long vacation, I can. A lot of the time, we can't do group vacation trips because my friends don't have babysitters. Yuck!
When you become a parent, your needs are no longer important. Your life is dedicated to fulfilling the needs of your child now. You will spend the rest of your life hoping your child makes the right choices. You also have to put up with their annoying rebellious stage, while telling yourself the stretch marks, sagging breasts and unflattering figure were all worth it for these ungrateful little twerps.
I'm not ready to give up my life just yet and I'm not sure if I ever will be. I really don't have time to worry about other people when I'm too busy taking care of myself.
I know plenty of people who became parents at a very young age, yet refuse to grow up. Grandma and grandpa ends up raising the grandkids while mom and dad party and do all the young people stuff. Isn't that selfish? I'm sorry, but once you have kids, no matter the age, it's time to grow up. Your life is over. No one forced you to have them. Also, some couples decide have babies, hoping it would fix their ailing relationship. Isn't that selfish too? Children should not be used as therapy for couples to help solve their conflicts.
I used to think that I was such a selfish person for not wanting kids because I still care about myself too much. But now that I think about it, I'm actually not selfish at all. People who decide to become parents when they are not ready, are actually the selfish ones. At least I have the sense to wait until I am ready (if that time ever comes).
It's odd but it seems that the older I get, the less I want children. Shouldn't it be the other way around? My biological clock seems to be confused or something. For one, I think I am still too young to have children. I'm not even thirty! Practically all of my friends have children. Most have at least two or three. My mom already had all four of us by the time she was my age.You would think this would pressure me into having them. On the contrary, this makes me want to have kids even less.
Honestly, parenting seems like an everlasting pain in the butt. I see my friends with their children and I am quite repulsed by them. Firstly, you lose all of your freedom when you have kids. When, they are young, you can't just go out and do whatever you want on a whim. You have to make sure you have a babysitter or someone reliable to watch them and plan everything ahead of time. No room for spontaneity. How sucky is that? I just love my life too much right now and I'm not ready to give it up. If I want to go on a long vacation, I can. A lot of the time, we can't do group vacation trips because my friends don't have babysitters. Yuck!
When you become a parent, your needs are no longer important. Your life is dedicated to fulfilling the needs of your child now. You will spend the rest of your life hoping your child makes the right choices. You also have to put up with their annoying rebellious stage, while telling yourself the stretch marks, sagging breasts and unflattering figure were all worth it for these ungrateful little twerps.
I'm not ready to give up my life just yet and I'm not sure if I ever will be. I really don't have time to worry about other people when I'm too busy taking care of myself.
I know plenty of people who became parents at a very young age, yet refuse to grow up. Grandma and grandpa ends up raising the grandkids while mom and dad party and do all the young people stuff. Isn't that selfish? I'm sorry, but once you have kids, no matter the age, it's time to grow up. Your life is over. No one forced you to have them. Also, some couples decide have babies, hoping it would fix their ailing relationship. Isn't that selfish too? Children should not be used as therapy for couples to help solve their conflicts.
I used to think that I was such a selfish person for not wanting kids because I still care about myself too much. But now that I think about it, I'm actually not selfish at all. People who decide to become parents when they are not ready, are actually the selfish ones. At least I have the sense to wait until I am ready (if that time ever comes).
Tuesday, August 28, 2012
Stretch Mark Miracle!
Generally, most people attribute having stretch marks to someone who is either overweight or had been pregnant. What they fail to realize is stretch marks on the skin may also occur during puberty, a time when an individual experiences rapid growth. Unfortunately, I was one of those people who incurred stretch marks through puberty. Because of this, I always felt self-conscious of my body.
Being young and naive, I was only a size 5 but always felt overweight because I had strech marks on my buttocks, inner and outer thighs, and even on my calves! I never wore shorts or anything shorter than capri lengthed pants and skirts. Not to mention, none of my friends (who happened to be heavier than I was) had stretch marks. This caused me to have a distorted body image; I was viewing myself as heavier than I actually was. My reasoning: if I had stretch marks, but my much plumper friends didn't have stretch marks, then I guess I must be bigger than they are. Otherwise, why would they not have stretch marks? Obviously, I know now that my reasoning was incorrect.
How unlucky it is to be a healthy size, never have been pregnant, yet have such hideous marks on my body? I couldn't believe that many of my luckier friends didn't know that one could get stretch marks just from puberty. For years, I hid my legs, embarrassed by my scars. I tried countless amounts of expensive creams, claiming to reduce the look of stretch marks, to no avail. One day, I decided enough was enough. No more hiding! I worked too hard at keeping my body fit and looking good to hide it from the world, just because of these hideous marks. I started wearing shorts and just didn't care anymore.
One day, I stumbled upon a Youtube video from Tonyatko proclaiming that she was able to rid of her stretch marks with a simple cream. She was nice enough to share this secret with us, which was actually quite simple and easy to replicate: unrefined shea butter and olive oil. "Unrefined" meaning the shea butter has not been stripped of all its nutrients. You can find her video on Youtube.
Despite my skepticism, I went out and bought olive oil and ordered shea butter from an online source (it was quite inexpensive, after all) and mixed my own formula, following her instructions. I diligently rubbed the stuff all over my legs everyday. To my surprise, after a few weeks, the stretch marks on my inner thigh had dimished. I wish I had taken photos before to show you the difference, but it actually worked! Of course, you can't get rid of stretch marks due to the fact that they are scars, but you can definitely diminish their visibility. Over time, I have modified the recipe to make it more effective. If you want to try this yourself, here is what you will need:
You can order your unrefined shea butter from an online source. Shop around to find the best deals. It MUST be unrefined shea butter. I order mine from this website called summitcraft-oh.com but you can get yours from anywhere. I buy from them because they are cheap and the product arrives quickly. I usually get 2lbs at a time. This amount lasts at least a year for me. While you're at it, you can also order a 1 or 2 ounce size of essence oil. You might not like the smell of the shea butter so using essence oil will help with the scent. I buy grapefruit essence oil but you can buy the scent that you like. You will also need a 16 ounce size frosted plastic or glass container. The container needs to be frosted to protect the cream from sunlight, which causes it to deteriorate and lose its nutrients faster. Lastly, you will need grapeseed oil. I have found that grapeseed oil is more potent than olive oil. This can be found at any supermarket or specialty store but I have found it at Costco for a great price. For the formula to be even more effective, you must exfoliate. You can use whatever you want to exfoliate with but I use a natural loofah. You can also order this online for cheap. Tonyatko sells them on her website but I have also found them even cheaper on Amazon. Here is how to create your cream:
Start a steamer pot on the stove. Get a glass bowl or measuring cup and put it on the steamer (ceramic will also do). I use a glass measuring cup with a wide mouth and narrow bottom because it's easier to measure the ingredients out and also keeps the water droplets from dripping into the shea butter. Take a few chunks of shea butter and place it in the measuring cup. Let it melt. The ratio of the shea butter to oil should be about 3:1. Meaning three parts shea butter to one part grapeseed oil. I usually melt one cup of shea butter and then add 1/3 cup of the oil. Once all of your shea butter has melted, take your glass off the steamer and turn off the stove. You can then add your grapeseed oil. This is also the time to add your essence oil (a few drops will do, don't overdo it). Pour this into your frosted plastic or glass container. You can mix it if you like but the pouring action pretty much mixes the ingredients up. Let stand for a few days. Do not cover with the lid until after 24 hours. Your cream should harden in about three to four days. The consistency should feel like body butter but if it feels harder than that, it will be fine. If after a few days, your formula still looks liquidy, just mix it with a wooden stick or something and give it a few more days. If after a week, it is still liquidy, it will be fine and can be used. It will eventually become harder after a few uses. To apply:
Remember to exfoliate with the loofah before every use to ensure optimum results. You can use the cream everyday but every other day is good enough. Just be sure to only exfoliate every other day. It's important to not overexfoliate. Apply liberally to affected areas and all over your body if you like. Just don't apply to your face or other areas that are prone to breakouts. I usually exfoliate in the shower, dry my skin with a towel and then apply the cream. After you apply the cream, you can get dressed. Don't wait for your skin to dry because it will take forever. You should see your stretchmarks diminish over time, depending on the size and severity of the stretch marks. Remember, this cream only dimishes the appearance of stretch marks. Stretch marks cannot be erased as it is a scarring of the skin.
If, by chance, you are too lazy or just don't have time to make this cream yourself. You can just go to Tonya's website and order it from her. I usually make it myself because it's much cheaper. Be patient because this takes time. Take a picture and then take pictures over time to see the changes. If you happen to be unlucky and this cream does not work for your stretch marks, at least you will still have soft, healthy, and glowing skin.
Good luck! Hopefully, this cream will work as well for you as it did for me. Tip: the shea butter is also good for healing sunburns, scars and other skin ailments. Just don't use it for acne. Remember to continue using this cream even after your stretch marks disappear to keep them away.
Being young and naive, I was only a size 5 but always felt overweight because I had strech marks on my buttocks, inner and outer thighs, and even on my calves! I never wore shorts or anything shorter than capri lengthed pants and skirts. Not to mention, none of my friends (who happened to be heavier than I was) had stretch marks. This caused me to have a distorted body image; I was viewing myself as heavier than I actually was. My reasoning: if I had stretch marks, but my much plumper friends didn't have stretch marks, then I guess I must be bigger than they are. Otherwise, why would they not have stretch marks? Obviously, I know now that my reasoning was incorrect.
How unlucky it is to be a healthy size, never have been pregnant, yet have such hideous marks on my body? I couldn't believe that many of my luckier friends didn't know that one could get stretch marks just from puberty. For years, I hid my legs, embarrassed by my scars. I tried countless amounts of expensive creams, claiming to reduce the look of stretch marks, to no avail. One day, I decided enough was enough. No more hiding! I worked too hard at keeping my body fit and looking good to hide it from the world, just because of these hideous marks. I started wearing shorts and just didn't care anymore.
One day, I stumbled upon a Youtube video from Tonyatko proclaiming that she was able to rid of her stretch marks with a simple cream. She was nice enough to share this secret with us, which was actually quite simple and easy to replicate: unrefined shea butter and olive oil. "Unrefined" meaning the shea butter has not been stripped of all its nutrients. You can find her video on Youtube.
Despite my skepticism, I went out and bought olive oil and ordered shea butter from an online source (it was quite inexpensive, after all) and mixed my own formula, following her instructions. I diligently rubbed the stuff all over my legs everyday. To my surprise, after a few weeks, the stretch marks on my inner thigh had dimished. I wish I had taken photos before to show you the difference, but it actually worked! Of course, you can't get rid of stretch marks due to the fact that they are scars, but you can definitely diminish their visibility. Over time, I have modified the recipe to make it more effective. If you want to try this yourself, here is what you will need:
You can order your unrefined shea butter from an online source. Shop around to find the best deals. It MUST be unrefined shea butter. I order mine from this website called summitcraft-oh.com but you can get yours from anywhere. I buy from them because they are cheap and the product arrives quickly. I usually get 2lbs at a time. This amount lasts at least a year for me. While you're at it, you can also order a 1 or 2 ounce size of essence oil. You might not like the smell of the shea butter so using essence oil will help with the scent. I buy grapefruit essence oil but you can buy the scent that you like. You will also need a 16 ounce size frosted plastic or glass container. The container needs to be frosted to protect the cream from sunlight, which causes it to deteriorate and lose its nutrients faster. Lastly, you will need grapeseed oil. I have found that grapeseed oil is more potent than olive oil. This can be found at any supermarket or specialty store but I have found it at Costco for a great price. For the formula to be even more effective, you must exfoliate. You can use whatever you want to exfoliate with but I use a natural loofah. You can also order this online for cheap. Tonyatko sells them on her website but I have also found them even cheaper on Amazon. Here is how to create your cream:
Start a steamer pot on the stove. Get a glass bowl or measuring cup and put it on the steamer (ceramic will also do). I use a glass measuring cup with a wide mouth and narrow bottom because it's easier to measure the ingredients out and also keeps the water droplets from dripping into the shea butter. Take a few chunks of shea butter and place it in the measuring cup. Let it melt. The ratio of the shea butter to oil should be about 3:1. Meaning three parts shea butter to one part grapeseed oil. I usually melt one cup of shea butter and then add 1/3 cup of the oil. Once all of your shea butter has melted, take your glass off the steamer and turn off the stove. You can then add your grapeseed oil. This is also the time to add your essence oil (a few drops will do, don't overdo it). Pour this into your frosted plastic or glass container. You can mix it if you like but the pouring action pretty much mixes the ingredients up. Let stand for a few days. Do not cover with the lid until after 24 hours. Your cream should harden in about three to four days. The consistency should feel like body butter but if it feels harder than that, it will be fine. If after a few days, your formula still looks liquidy, just mix it with a wooden stick or something and give it a few more days. If after a week, it is still liquidy, it will be fine and can be used. It will eventually become harder after a few uses. To apply:
Remember to exfoliate with the loofah before every use to ensure optimum results. You can use the cream everyday but every other day is good enough. Just be sure to only exfoliate every other day. It's important to not overexfoliate. Apply liberally to affected areas and all over your body if you like. Just don't apply to your face or other areas that are prone to breakouts. I usually exfoliate in the shower, dry my skin with a towel and then apply the cream. After you apply the cream, you can get dressed. Don't wait for your skin to dry because it will take forever. You should see your stretchmarks diminish over time, depending on the size and severity of the stretch marks. Remember, this cream only dimishes the appearance of stretch marks. Stretch marks cannot be erased as it is a scarring of the skin.
If, by chance, you are too lazy or just don't have time to make this cream yourself. You can just go to Tonya's website and order it from her. I usually make it myself because it's much cheaper. Be patient because this takes time. Take a picture and then take pictures over time to see the changes. If you happen to be unlucky and this cream does not work for your stretch marks, at least you will still have soft, healthy, and glowing skin.
Good luck! Hopefully, this cream will work as well for you as it did for me. Tip: the shea butter is also good for healing sunburns, scars and other skin ailments. Just don't use it for acne. Remember to continue using this cream even after your stretch marks disappear to keep them away.
Thursday, August 23, 2012
What's the Deal with Tipping?
I've always wondered who set the standard for tipping when dining at restaurants. Somehow, it doesn't make sense to me. So it's recommended that you tip at least 15% of the total bill. But how did they come up with that number and why do we have to base the amount off the total bill? Not only this, but they suggest that the minimum should be 15%, no less, regardless of the quality of service.
So even if the waiter or waitress did a bad job, we shouldn't punish them by reducing their tip? What do you suggest I do then? Go online and Yelp about my bad experience? Yeah, that'll show 'em. Ask to talk to the manager? I don't know about you but I'm very passive aggressive so talking to the manager would be the last thing I would want to do.
In one experience, all the waitress did was take our order and bring us our food and drinks. After that, she never bothered to even check up on us. She didn't even come refill our water. Excuse me? I have to give her 15% for doing her job?! The least she could've done was refill the water. This is one of my pet peeves. My water better be refilled regularly or I'm subtracting tip.
Some people may excuse the waitress's behaviour because she is also responsible for other things that we don't see such as: setting and stocking the tables, making sure everything is sanitary, and cleaning before or after closing hours. Well when I worked at McDonald's in high school, I had to clean the tables, stock the cups and napkins, prep the food, clean the bathrooms, etc., all while maintaining good customer service. I didn't expect any tips from it. You know why? Because it was my job to do all those things! So if a waiter wants to get a good tip, they better go above and beyond for the customer, not just do the minimum. And then there's the issue of tipping based on the total amount of the bill.
OK. So we know that fish and seafood is usually more expensive than say, chicken or beef. So if I ordered one $20 dish of the seafood instead of the $10 dish of chicken, I'm gonna have to pay more tip for the seafood versus the chicken? What did the waiter do any different to deserve more tip for my more expensive meal? And even if the waiter has to tip the busser and the cooks at the end of the night, what did ANYONE do differently to deserve that extra money? I don't understand! Maybe the difference is in the way the dishes are prepared? Maybe the seafood dish is more complex? If anything, seafood is easier to cook because they have a faster cooking time.
In California, where I live, the server gets paid minimum wage and then earn tips on top of that. So if they work at an expensive restaurant, they can make a pretty good living. Wow! What a great gig considering you don't need any special skills (except maybe an extreme tolerance for stupid people) or education to do the job to begin with. They're making way more than minimum wage, which is more than they deserve. Why should I have to pay even more for them to live comfortably? I don't get tipped for doing my job well.
Sometimes I get mad at myself, or my bf, when we get crappy service and we still tip 15%. WTF is wrong with us?! We're pretty good customers because we're not picky and are fuss free. We don't even complain when they get our order wrong or if the food is nasty. So we're pretty easy to please. If your service disappoints us, you must really suck.
Now they're saying that the standard should be 20%. Really?! In this economy? Fuck that! If I'm going to give you 20%, you better have done something to blow me away. Sorry, but that's my hard earned money and I'm not gonna give it away for nothing. And if I feel your service was so bad to warrant no tip at all from me, then that's what you're gonna get. If your job is so hard and you feel you're underpaid then you're quite free to pursue a different occupation.
So even if the waiter or waitress did a bad job, we shouldn't punish them by reducing their tip? What do you suggest I do then? Go online and Yelp about my bad experience? Yeah, that'll show 'em. Ask to talk to the manager? I don't know about you but I'm very passive aggressive so talking to the manager would be the last thing I would want to do.
In one experience, all the waitress did was take our order and bring us our food and drinks. After that, she never bothered to even check up on us. She didn't even come refill our water. Excuse me? I have to give her 15% for doing her job?! The least she could've done was refill the water. This is one of my pet peeves. My water better be refilled regularly or I'm subtracting tip.
Some people may excuse the waitress's behaviour because she is also responsible for other things that we don't see such as: setting and stocking the tables, making sure everything is sanitary, and cleaning before or after closing hours. Well when I worked at McDonald's in high school, I had to clean the tables, stock the cups and napkins, prep the food, clean the bathrooms, etc., all while maintaining good customer service. I didn't expect any tips from it. You know why? Because it was my job to do all those things! So if a waiter wants to get a good tip, they better go above and beyond for the customer, not just do the minimum. And then there's the issue of tipping based on the total amount of the bill.
OK. So we know that fish and seafood is usually more expensive than say, chicken or beef. So if I ordered one $20 dish of the seafood instead of the $10 dish of chicken, I'm gonna have to pay more tip for the seafood versus the chicken? What did the waiter do any different to deserve more tip for my more expensive meal? And even if the waiter has to tip the busser and the cooks at the end of the night, what did ANYONE do differently to deserve that extra money? I don't understand! Maybe the difference is in the way the dishes are prepared? Maybe the seafood dish is more complex? If anything, seafood is easier to cook because they have a faster cooking time.
In California, where I live, the server gets paid minimum wage and then earn tips on top of that. So if they work at an expensive restaurant, they can make a pretty good living. Wow! What a great gig considering you don't need any special skills (except maybe an extreme tolerance for stupid people) or education to do the job to begin with. They're making way more than minimum wage, which is more than they deserve. Why should I have to pay even more for them to live comfortably? I don't get tipped for doing my job well.
Sometimes I get mad at myself, or my bf, when we get crappy service and we still tip 15%. WTF is wrong with us?! We're pretty good customers because we're not picky and are fuss free. We don't even complain when they get our order wrong or if the food is nasty. So we're pretty easy to please. If your service disappoints us, you must really suck.
Now they're saying that the standard should be 20%. Really?! In this economy? Fuck that! If I'm going to give you 20%, you better have done something to blow me away. Sorry, but that's my hard earned money and I'm not gonna give it away for nothing. And if I feel your service was so bad to warrant no tip at all from me, then that's what you're gonna get. If your job is so hard and you feel you're underpaid then you're quite free to pursue a different occupation.
Tuesday, August 21, 2012
Low Maintenance in a High Maintenance Way
I would like to think that I am a low maintenance person. I'm not one of those girls who needs a 2 hour advance notice to go somewhere because she needs that much time to get ready. And when we're having a girls night out, I'm usually the first one done. I only wear makeup to work just to look professional and even then, I wear a minimal amount of it (usually just primer, mineral foundation and sometimes lip gloss). I'll also wear makeup on very special occassions. On a typical day, my max prep time is usually 30 minutes (a lot of that time is spent looking for something to wear).
This may sound gross but in elementary and high school, I used to go to sleep in the same outfit that I was going to wear to school the next day because I wanted to get the maximum amount of sleep possible. I started working right when I turned 16 so sleep was very important to me at that time. It used to boggle my mind in high school when I hear about girls who would wake up at 4 in the morning just so they can have enough time to get ready for school. WTF?! Conceited much? So yeah. I'm pretty low maintenance.
I want to attribute my low maintenance attitude to the fact that I just don't care about what people think of me. But then I would be lying. I'm low maintenance because I'm lazy. I'm just too lazy to take the time to try look good. I've gotten so lazy that I'll actually spend money just so I can be even lazier.
I have gotten procedures like Lasik for my eyes so I wouldn't have to wear glasses or contacts, to laser hair removal so that I wouldn't have to shave every day. These procedures cost money but I am willing to pay it because they make my life easier. It's one less thing I have to do every day. So you see, even though I'm generally low maintenance, it's in a high maintenance kind of way because I'm willing to spend the money if it saves me time.
This may sound gross but in elementary and high school, I used to go to sleep in the same outfit that I was going to wear to school the next day because I wanted to get the maximum amount of sleep possible. I started working right when I turned 16 so sleep was very important to me at that time. It used to boggle my mind in high school when I hear about girls who would wake up at 4 in the morning just so they can have enough time to get ready for school. WTF?! Conceited much? So yeah. I'm pretty low maintenance.
I want to attribute my low maintenance attitude to the fact that I just don't care about what people think of me. But then I would be lying. I'm low maintenance because I'm lazy. I'm just too lazy to take the time to try look good. I've gotten so lazy that I'll actually spend money just so I can be even lazier.
I have gotten procedures like Lasik for my eyes so I wouldn't have to wear glasses or contacts, to laser hair removal so that I wouldn't have to shave every day. These procedures cost money but I am willing to pay it because they make my life easier. It's one less thing I have to do every day. So you see, even though I'm generally low maintenance, it's in a high maintenance kind of way because I'm willing to spend the money if it saves me time.
Sunday, August 19, 2012
Erotic Novels Equal Porn for Women!
With the increasing popularity of erotic novels (novels consisting of graphic and detailed sex scenes) like 50 Shades of Grey, one might wonder why this genre has been so popular among women. The advent of e-books has made it easier for women to read these books discreetly, thus, increasing their sales. So why are these books so popular?
I don't know about you, but reading these books is like a guy's version of watching porno. I don't care much for watching porn because it's basically the same sex over and over again. It gets quite boring and dull quickly. And then there's the soft core stuff. The storyline and acting in these flicks are so corny that it seems more like a comedy than anything remotely sexual. Lastly, there's the annoyed boyfriend factor. I hate to admit it, but my boyfriend hates watching porn with me. This is because I do more talking than watching. I would say things like, "What's up with her hair? It does not look cute at all" or "That's a cute outfit. I wonder where she got it" and "OMG! His thing is SO huge! That looks painful (puts on a disgusted face)." I guess it's annoying and ruins any potential for arousal for my boyfriend.
But erotic novels have all the elements that attract women: a storyline that may or may not be believable but grabs the reader's attention, and steamy yet arousing sex scenes. Furthermore, when it comes to reading novels, there are elements of the story that are left to the reader's imagination and since no two people are alike, the story may be different for everyone who is reading it.
I've enjoyed reading these types of novels for a long time, even during my teenage years. I never read them as much though, because I was too embarrassed to let people know that I was into these types of stories. But since e-books have come out, I can read all I want without feeling like I'm being judged. E-books allow privacy. With the Kindle app for my phone, I'm able to read my books anywhere, public or otherwise, without anyone knowing.
I must admit that I do read these books in public a lot. I can't help but feel ashamed sometimes for reading them in such an open environment. Occassionally, I even look around and hide my phone while reading because I'm paranoid about someone looking over my shoulders and catching me reading something so naughty. I can't help but think that I'm the only one who feels this way.
As I was saying, with e-books, women can enjoy the ease of accessing and reading erotic novels while remaining inconspicuous. No more having to go to the bookstore or library to get a book and risk being judged by the clerk. No more having to order the books online and having to pay shipping charges. And no more having to hide the cover of the book you're reading to avoid curious questions from nosy people. Alas! Us women are free to enjoy our porn at our own discretion.
I don't know about you, but reading these books is like a guy's version of watching porno. I don't care much for watching porn because it's basically the same sex over and over again. It gets quite boring and dull quickly. And then there's the soft core stuff. The storyline and acting in these flicks are so corny that it seems more like a comedy than anything remotely sexual. Lastly, there's the annoyed boyfriend factor. I hate to admit it, but my boyfriend hates watching porn with me. This is because I do more talking than watching. I would say things like, "What's up with her hair? It does not look cute at all" or "That's a cute outfit. I wonder where she got it" and "OMG! His thing is SO huge! That looks painful (puts on a disgusted face)." I guess it's annoying and ruins any potential for arousal for my boyfriend.
But erotic novels have all the elements that attract women: a storyline that may or may not be believable but grabs the reader's attention, and steamy yet arousing sex scenes. Furthermore, when it comes to reading novels, there are elements of the story that are left to the reader's imagination and since no two people are alike, the story may be different for everyone who is reading it.
I've enjoyed reading these types of novels for a long time, even during my teenage years. I never read them as much though, because I was too embarrassed to let people know that I was into these types of stories. But since e-books have come out, I can read all I want without feeling like I'm being judged. E-books allow privacy. With the Kindle app for my phone, I'm able to read my books anywhere, public or otherwise, without anyone knowing.
I must admit that I do read these books in public a lot. I can't help but feel ashamed sometimes for reading them in such an open environment. Occassionally, I even look around and hide my phone while reading because I'm paranoid about someone looking over my shoulders and catching me reading something so naughty. I can't help but think that I'm the only one who feels this way.
As I was saying, with e-books, women can enjoy the ease of accessing and reading erotic novels while remaining inconspicuous. No more having to go to the bookstore or library to get a book and risk being judged by the clerk. No more having to order the books online and having to pay shipping charges. And no more having to hide the cover of the book you're reading to avoid curious questions from nosy people. Alas! Us women are free to enjoy our porn at our own discretion.
Thursday, August 16, 2012
Why Asians are Overly Obsessed with Asian Celebrities
During the Jeremy Lin phenomenon, my boyfriend could not understand why all these asians were going crazy over him. Even people who don't watch basketball were getting on the Jeremy Lin bandwagon. It really annoyed him that this was happening because he couldn't understand why.
Well, the explanation is quite simple. Asians are severely under-represented in Hollywood and the media. There are plenty of white, black and hispanic actors and celebrities. But there are not very many asians. I can't speak for the whole asian community, but when there is an asian actor, athlete, singer, etc., I would want to show my support for them.
Of course, my BF would never understand this (he's not asian) because he's used to seeing his people on T.V. all the time. So, it's no big deal for him. I, on the other hand, have grown up with American media that has been void of asians for far too long. And when asians do get cast in roles, they are often typecast as characters who know Kung-Fu or some type of martial arts (i.e. Jackie Chan and Jet-Li). What's up with that?
Because of these stereotypical roles, the perception of asians by other ethnic groups are skewed. My BF actually thought I knew Karate when we first started dating. Whaa?!! I should've ended the relationship right then and there! haha. I may not know Karate but from the words of Madea, "I know whoop yo' ass!"
As I was saying, I am more inclined to watch a show or movie with asian characters, especially main characters, in order to support them. It doesn't matter if they're Chinese, Japanese, Vietnamese or any other kind of asian. If there's an asian, I'm watching it.
Hawaii 5-O? I'm there! Nikita? You bet your ass I'll be watching (I know Maggie Q is only half asian, but she still counts). Herald and Kumar? Hells yeah! Once Hollywood sees that asians can bring in viewers, then there will be more roles for asian actors in Hollywood. It's as simple as that.
Well, the explanation is quite simple. Asians are severely under-represented in Hollywood and the media. There are plenty of white, black and hispanic actors and celebrities. But there are not very many asians. I can't speak for the whole asian community, but when there is an asian actor, athlete, singer, etc., I would want to show my support for them.
Of course, my BF would never understand this (he's not asian) because he's used to seeing his people on T.V. all the time. So, it's no big deal for him. I, on the other hand, have grown up with American media that has been void of asians for far too long. And when asians do get cast in roles, they are often typecast as characters who know Kung-Fu or some type of martial arts (i.e. Jackie Chan and Jet-Li). What's up with that?
Because of these stereotypical roles, the perception of asians by other ethnic groups are skewed. My BF actually thought I knew Karate when we first started dating. Whaa?!! I should've ended the relationship right then and there! haha. I may not know Karate but from the words of Madea, "I know whoop yo' ass!"
As I was saying, I am more inclined to watch a show or movie with asian characters, especially main characters, in order to support them. It doesn't matter if they're Chinese, Japanese, Vietnamese or any other kind of asian. If there's an asian, I'm watching it.
Hawaii 5-O? I'm there! Nikita? You bet your ass I'll be watching (I know Maggie Q is only half asian, but she still counts). Herald and Kumar? Hells yeah! Once Hollywood sees that asians can bring in viewers, then there will be more roles for asian actors in Hollywood. It's as simple as that.
Tuesday, August 14, 2012
Name Change Dilemma
So my BF and I have been together for almost five years now and the discussion of marriage has come up a few times. Our discussions about this topic usually gets nowhere because they eventually evolve into arguments. Why do we always end up arguing when we talk about marriage? The answer is quite simple. I refuse to change my last name. He, on the other hand, insists that any woman that he is going to marry will have to change her last name. WTF?! Why? Why would I have to change my last name?
Now you may think that changing your last name after marriage is no big deal. It's just a name. Who cares? Well. IT'S A BIG DEAL TO ME!!! There are several reasons why I REFUSE to ever change my last name.
1. Because it is MY name.
Yes. It is my name. The name that I have had my whole entire life. That is my name on my high school diploma, all my college degrees, and all my college transcripts. I earned all those with this name. I've received several awards and achievements with this name. You expect me to just give it all up and change it? Growing up, I was very self conscious about my first name because it was not a common name like all the other american girls. My last name is also not very common compared to those in my culture. In fact, I hated my name and wanted to desperately change it. As an adult, I have come to appreciate and embrace the uniqueness of my name, first and last. I'm glad I never changed it because I have come to cherish it. So now that I have finally come to love my name, you want me to change it? No way!
2. It's goes against the traditions of my culture.
I come from a matriarchal society. This means that women do not change their last name after marriage. My mom did not change her last name when she married my dad and this is what I have come to regard as normal. Therefore, I want to uphold the traditions of my people and keep my last name as well. I am proud of who I am and where I came from and I want to show that.
3. I am NOT property, dammit!
So back in the day (when women had no rights), women changed their last name because they were going from their father's house to their husband's house. Therefore, they had to take on their husband's last name because they were now the property of the husband. Wow! With roots like that, I feel that it's kind of a demeaning tradition to upkeep. Yes, I know. It doesn't mean that anymore. But just the fact that it used to mean something so degrading to women makes me so against it. The feminist inside me refuses to conform.
4. It's too much work.
So to change my last name, I would have to go and change it on my driver's license, social security card, passport, and all my credit cards. Not to mention bank accounts and work related things.Why should I have to go through all that trouble? And. If we were ever to get a divorce or something, I would have to go through all that trouble to change it back. No thank you! Life is too short to waste my time on such nonsense.
5. It just doesn't sound right.
My first name can't just go with any old last name. Honestly, it just doesn't sound right with my BF's last name or any other last name for that matter.
My BF has also mentioned hyphenation. How about I just hyphenate my last name if I don't want to change it completely. Yes, that sounds like a logical compromise, doesn't it? Well, I still think that's kind of dumb. Will he be hyphenating his last name too? Of course not. Also, please refer to reasons one, two, four and five from the above list.
I just don't see why guys make such a big deal about women changing their last names after marriage. Isn't it enough that the children will get HIS last name? Why does his wife need to take his last name as well? I feel that men still secretly regard women as property. Otherwise, why would it matter whether a woman changes her last name or not. Shouldn't she be able to make her own decision without any interference from the husband?
Now you may think that changing your last name after marriage is no big deal. It's just a name. Who cares? Well. IT'S A BIG DEAL TO ME!!! There are several reasons why I REFUSE to ever change my last name.
1. Because it is MY name.
Yes. It is my name. The name that I have had my whole entire life. That is my name on my high school diploma, all my college degrees, and all my college transcripts. I earned all those with this name. I've received several awards and achievements with this name. You expect me to just give it all up and change it? Growing up, I was very self conscious about my first name because it was not a common name like all the other american girls. My last name is also not very common compared to those in my culture. In fact, I hated my name and wanted to desperately change it. As an adult, I have come to appreciate and embrace the uniqueness of my name, first and last. I'm glad I never changed it because I have come to cherish it. So now that I have finally come to love my name, you want me to change it? No way!
2. It's goes against the traditions of my culture.
I come from a matriarchal society. This means that women do not change their last name after marriage. My mom did not change her last name when she married my dad and this is what I have come to regard as normal. Therefore, I want to uphold the traditions of my people and keep my last name as well. I am proud of who I am and where I came from and I want to show that.
3. I am NOT property, dammit!
So back in the day (when women had no rights), women changed their last name because they were going from their father's house to their husband's house. Therefore, they had to take on their husband's last name because they were now the property of the husband. Wow! With roots like that, I feel that it's kind of a demeaning tradition to upkeep. Yes, I know. It doesn't mean that anymore. But just the fact that it used to mean something so degrading to women makes me so against it. The feminist inside me refuses to conform.
4. It's too much work.
So to change my last name, I would have to go and change it on my driver's license, social security card, passport, and all my credit cards. Not to mention bank accounts and work related things.Why should I have to go through all that trouble? And. If we were ever to get a divorce or something, I would have to go through all that trouble to change it back. No thank you! Life is too short to waste my time on such nonsense.
5. It just doesn't sound right.
My first name can't just go with any old last name. Honestly, it just doesn't sound right with my BF's last name or any other last name for that matter.
My BF has also mentioned hyphenation. How about I just hyphenate my last name if I don't want to change it completely. Yes, that sounds like a logical compromise, doesn't it? Well, I still think that's kind of dumb. Will he be hyphenating his last name too? Of course not. Also, please refer to reasons one, two, four and five from the above list.
I just don't see why guys make such a big deal about women changing their last names after marriage. Isn't it enough that the children will get HIS last name? Why does his wife need to take his last name as well? I feel that men still secretly regard women as property. Otherwise, why would it matter whether a woman changes her last name or not. Shouldn't she be able to make her own decision without any interference from the husband?
Sunday, August 5, 2012
Smoking is Legal but Gay Marriage is Not?
What I don't understand is why it's legal for people to smoke but it's illegal for gay people to get married. Yes, I know what you're thinking. These two things have nothing in common. But I was at a concert last night and this group of people right next to us were practically chain smoking throughout the first set. So the whole time I got big whiffs of their damn cigarette smoke. And it was very crowded too so it's not like I could just move. But why should I have to move anyway? I was there first and it was a very good spot. Studies have shown that inhaling secondhand smoke is more toxic than actually smoking the cigarette. So secondhand smoke can kill and harm others!
At the same time, I saw a gay couple just a few feet ahead of us and I thought, "Why can't these people get married? Look at them. They're just standing there having a good time and not hurting anyone." Meanwhile, the assholes next to me are depriving me of fresh air and possibly putting me at risk for all types of cancer. I try to live a very healthy lifestyle. I eat healthy, exercise regularly, and stay away from recreational drugs. I also try to minimize my alcohol intake. All so I can live a long and healthy life. And these people think they can just come next to me and blow smoke all up in the same air that I'm breathing? OK. So you smoke your shit once or twice right next to me, whatever. But four, five, six plus times?! Aren't you being inconsiderate of the people around you? I even found it hard to enjoy the concert because of these assholes. Needless to say, they moved closer to the front after the second set and my concert experience improve dramatically.
As I was saying. Why can't gay people get married? What they're doing is not harming anyone. Why is gay marriage wrong? So because a bunch of religious idiots are offended by homosexuals, it makes sense to ban gay marriage as to not offend these people even further? Well you know what? I'm offended by smokers! And I'm pretty sure the Bible does not condone smoking because that's not treating your body like a "temple." Therefore, it should be banned as well. If you want nicotine, you can chew tobacco, not pollute my air with your cigarette smoke.
I remember sitting in the breakroom at a former workplace. Proposition 8 was a big topic at the time. I was in the room with about 10 other people. All of whom approved of prop. 8, reasoning that it was wrong to be gay because it was "unnatural." Wow! I remember having to argue with all those people about the topic.
Unnatural. What's considered natural and what's considered unnatural? A child is born with Down Syndrome. Is this natural or unnatural? Another individual is born with some kind of deformity. Natural or unnatural? A persond is born gay. Unnatural? If these things are considered unnatural, should we strip them of their rights? Tell them because they are born a certain way, they do not deserve the same rights as everyone who is deemed "natural?"
Being left-handed, I sometimes felt like a freak around my right-handed counterparts. They would ask me things like: Why do you write with your left hand? How do you write like that? My usual answer: The same reason you write with your right hand. I was born that way.
Whether you consider homosexuality to be wrong or not, you must overlook your own feelings and beliefs and just do what is right. Is it acceptable to deny the rights of someone who has done no harm to you or anyone else? Is their lifestyle infringing on your own rights? Is their relationship causing you any bodily harm or injury? Hopefully one day people will be able to overlook their own selfish beliefs and just do what is right.
At the same time, I saw a gay couple just a few feet ahead of us and I thought, "Why can't these people get married? Look at them. They're just standing there having a good time and not hurting anyone." Meanwhile, the assholes next to me are depriving me of fresh air and possibly putting me at risk for all types of cancer. I try to live a very healthy lifestyle. I eat healthy, exercise regularly, and stay away from recreational drugs. I also try to minimize my alcohol intake. All so I can live a long and healthy life. And these people think they can just come next to me and blow smoke all up in the same air that I'm breathing? OK. So you smoke your shit once or twice right next to me, whatever. But four, five, six plus times?! Aren't you being inconsiderate of the people around you? I even found it hard to enjoy the concert because of these assholes. Needless to say, they moved closer to the front after the second set and my concert experience improve dramatically.
As I was saying. Why can't gay people get married? What they're doing is not harming anyone. Why is gay marriage wrong? So because a bunch of religious idiots are offended by homosexuals, it makes sense to ban gay marriage as to not offend these people even further? Well you know what? I'm offended by smokers! And I'm pretty sure the Bible does not condone smoking because that's not treating your body like a "temple." Therefore, it should be banned as well. If you want nicotine, you can chew tobacco, not pollute my air with your cigarette smoke.
I remember sitting in the breakroom at a former workplace. Proposition 8 was a big topic at the time. I was in the room with about 10 other people. All of whom approved of prop. 8, reasoning that it was wrong to be gay because it was "unnatural." Wow! I remember having to argue with all those people about the topic.
Unnatural. What's considered natural and what's considered unnatural? A child is born with Down Syndrome. Is this natural or unnatural? Another individual is born with some kind of deformity. Natural or unnatural? A persond is born gay. Unnatural? If these things are considered unnatural, should we strip them of their rights? Tell them because they are born a certain way, they do not deserve the same rights as everyone who is deemed "natural?"
Being left-handed, I sometimes felt like a freak around my right-handed counterparts. They would ask me things like: Why do you write with your left hand? How do you write like that? My usual answer: The same reason you write with your right hand. I was born that way.
Whether you consider homosexuality to be wrong or not, you must overlook your own feelings and beliefs and just do what is right. Is it acceptable to deny the rights of someone who has done no harm to you or anyone else? Is their lifestyle infringing on your own rights? Is their relationship causing you any bodily harm or injury? Hopefully one day people will be able to overlook their own selfish beliefs and just do what is right.
Wednesday, July 18, 2012
The 17 Day Diet
So the other day my boyfriend emails me a PDF of the 17 Day Diet by Dr. Mike Moreno. At first I thought my boyfriend's email got hacked or something and that it was probably a virus and not a real PDF of this book. You see, I've been trying to get my BF to go on a limited calorie diet for the longest time and he has refused and has been eating like a pig. So imagine my surprise when he sends me an email saying that he wants to try it.
Initially, I did not want to start this diet because it sounded like some form of extreme dieting which I refuse to do. Up to this point, my weight loss strategy has been to eat whatever I want but in moderation. I limit my calorie intake to 1,200 calories a day with at least and hour of exercise everyday. I track my calories on my phone using this app called My Fitness Pal and it's pretty awesome and really helpful in helping me lose weight. I also try to have a balanced meal and not eat too much fattening stuff. Of course I occasionally increase my caloric intake so as not to mess up my metabolism. I had been doing this for about 9 months and have only managed to lose a measely 12 pounds! I can't even believe how slowly I have been losing weight. This is really frustrating because I exercise like a maniac. I also did a 6 week bootcamp class and don't even think I lost ANY weight from that. And trust me, I did not slack on my workouts.
I blame my slow weight loss on my stupid IUD, Mirena. Before I got the IUD, all I had to do was run or do some type of aerobic exercise for about 30 minutes a day and eat healthier to lose weight. Right before I had my IUD put in, I had lost about 11 pounds in one month. I was about 10 pounds away from my goal weight. Around the same time that I decided to have my IUD put in, I decided to switch up my workout regimen by doing P90X plus running and eating lean meats and vegetables in order to reach my goal weight faster. Needless to say, I was never able to reach my goal weight despite sticking to my workout and diet regimen. I even added Insanity to my workouts. Though I got really toned (and looked HOTT), I never was able to lose any more weight. Keep in mind that I had stuck to this for about a year. Of course I gained weight after I moved away from my workout and diet buddy and moved in with my gluttonous, overweight boyfriend and picked up some of his bad eating habit. But that's another story.
Fast forward to today. I had heard something about the 17 Day Diet on Dr. Oz but didn't pay much attention to it. The name of it makes it sound like some sort of a fad or gimmick that involves crash dieting. I once lost 20 pounds in 2 months by cutting out carbs from my diet and exercising profusely. Once I added carbs back into my diet though, I eventually gained all the weight back and then some. From then on, I refused to participate in any type of crash dieting. But as I started reading the book, I began to realize that it's more of a lifestyle than a diet. Here's how it works:
There are 4 phases: Accelerate, Activate, Achieve and Arrive. Each phase lasts 17 days. You basically go through each of the phases until you reach your goal weight. If you happen to reach your goal weight after the first phase, then you just simply skip to the last phase which is the Arrive phase. The Arrive phase helps you to maintain your weight and just consists of healthy eating through the week and splurging on weekends. However, if by chance, you do not reach your goal weight by the end of the third phase, you just simply stay on the third phase or go back to the other phases in 17 day cycles until you have reached your goal weight. Furthermore, if you are in the Arrive phase and find that you have gained some weight, you can go back to the other phases again to help shed those unwanted pounds. The first phase will be the hardest but you also lose the most weight. In the 17 Day Diet, you basically start out by reducing your carb, sugar, and fat intake and then slowly reintroducing them into your diet through 17 day phases until you reach your goal. That doesn't sound so hard, does it?
Anyway, today is the first day of our diet and I'm about 15 pounds away from my goal weight. I'm so glad my BF has decided to do this diet with me so that we can support each other. Hopefully if I'm successful, I will be able to blog more about this diet. So wish me luck!
Initially, I did not want to start this diet because it sounded like some form of extreme dieting which I refuse to do. Up to this point, my weight loss strategy has been to eat whatever I want but in moderation. I limit my calorie intake to 1,200 calories a day with at least and hour of exercise everyday. I track my calories on my phone using this app called My Fitness Pal and it's pretty awesome and really helpful in helping me lose weight. I also try to have a balanced meal and not eat too much fattening stuff. Of course I occasionally increase my caloric intake so as not to mess up my metabolism. I had been doing this for about 9 months and have only managed to lose a measely 12 pounds! I can't even believe how slowly I have been losing weight. This is really frustrating because I exercise like a maniac. I also did a 6 week bootcamp class and don't even think I lost ANY weight from that. And trust me, I did not slack on my workouts.
I blame my slow weight loss on my stupid IUD, Mirena. Before I got the IUD, all I had to do was run or do some type of aerobic exercise for about 30 minutes a day and eat healthier to lose weight. Right before I had my IUD put in, I had lost about 11 pounds in one month. I was about 10 pounds away from my goal weight. Around the same time that I decided to have my IUD put in, I decided to switch up my workout regimen by doing P90X plus running and eating lean meats and vegetables in order to reach my goal weight faster. Needless to say, I was never able to reach my goal weight despite sticking to my workout and diet regimen. I even added Insanity to my workouts. Though I got really toned (and looked HOTT), I never was able to lose any more weight. Keep in mind that I had stuck to this for about a year. Of course I gained weight after I moved away from my workout and diet buddy and moved in with my gluttonous, overweight boyfriend and picked up some of his bad eating habit. But that's another story.
Fast forward to today. I had heard something about the 17 Day Diet on Dr. Oz but didn't pay much attention to it. The name of it makes it sound like some sort of a fad or gimmick that involves crash dieting. I once lost 20 pounds in 2 months by cutting out carbs from my diet and exercising profusely. Once I added carbs back into my diet though, I eventually gained all the weight back and then some. From then on, I refused to participate in any type of crash dieting. But as I started reading the book, I began to realize that it's more of a lifestyle than a diet. Here's how it works:
There are 4 phases: Accelerate, Activate, Achieve and Arrive. Each phase lasts 17 days. You basically go through each of the phases until you reach your goal weight. If you happen to reach your goal weight after the first phase, then you just simply skip to the last phase which is the Arrive phase. The Arrive phase helps you to maintain your weight and just consists of healthy eating through the week and splurging on weekends. However, if by chance, you do not reach your goal weight by the end of the third phase, you just simply stay on the third phase or go back to the other phases in 17 day cycles until you have reached your goal weight. Furthermore, if you are in the Arrive phase and find that you have gained some weight, you can go back to the other phases again to help shed those unwanted pounds. The first phase will be the hardest but you also lose the most weight. In the 17 Day Diet, you basically start out by reducing your carb, sugar, and fat intake and then slowly reintroducing them into your diet through 17 day phases until you reach your goal. That doesn't sound so hard, does it?
Anyway, today is the first day of our diet and I'm about 15 pounds away from my goal weight. I'm so glad my BF has decided to do this diet with me so that we can support each other. Hopefully if I'm successful, I will be able to blog more about this diet. So wish me luck!
Tuesday, June 19, 2012
50 Shades of Grey and other Erotic Novels
So there has been a lot of hype about the 50 Shades Trilogy. I decided to read it to see what the fuss is all about. Although the writing is not the best and the author could use the help of a thesaurus, the story was enjoyable and the sex was ... interesting. Besides the BDSM stuff, it has the formula of a typical erotic romance novel. It's always entertaining when I read these things because some of the content is pretty ridiculous, but very much enjoyable. So here, I've decided to talk about some of the cliches of these types of novels.
1. His goods are always HUGE!
Why is the penis of the leading male always "magnificently large" or something to that extent? He can't just be "big" or "big enough." No. He has to have "considerable length" or something or other. To help you get a better idea of what I'm talking about, here's an excerpt from 50 Shades of Grey:
"It's so big and growing. His erection is above the water line, the water lapping at his hips ... He's enjoying my astounded expression. I realize that I'm staring. I swallow. That was inside me! It doesn't seem possible."
See what I mean? Why does the leading man's junk always have to be so huge? I am an asian female and I'd be scared out of my mind if I saw a guy with such a huge junk. It sounds ... painful!
This reminds me of a Sex and the City episode where one of Samantha's lovers was self conscious of his huge penis because it scares women away. She had to assure him that it would not scare her away because she likes it big. At first, Samantha is pleased to see the size of his goods ... until they have sex. To make a long story short, she finds the sex to be very painful because of his size and they eventually break up. See? If even Samantha Jones, the most promiscous woman known to television, can be deterred by someone who is too big, it might not be a good idea after all to focus on a character's remarkably large asset. But I guess it wouldn't be as arousing to say that his penis is "average." I guess I will just have to imagine his "average sized" penis myself.
2. The men are unbelievably good looking and every other woman ogle him everywhere he goes.
Why does the leading man/love interest have to be so georgous? For example, in the 50 Shades Trilogy, Christian Grey is often compared to an Adonis. In every paranormal romance novel at least, the guy is mind-blowingly beautiful. It's not enough that he's just aesthetically pleasing but he has to be god-like in the looks department too. Why is this so?
I don't know about you but I would feel completely stressed out being with someone so remarkably handsome. If he looks so good, this would mean that women left and right would be throwing themselves at him, which means more temptation, which means you would always have to worry about another female catching his eyes! Sure. He's ignoring them now but how about in a few years when he's tired of having sex with you and wants something new? Ugh. I would just die! My mom always said, find a man that just looks ok but treats you like a queen. This way, you don't have to worry about other women trying to get at him. But I digress.
In Twilight (which I am embarrassed to say that I read), all the vampires are good looking and beautiful. Does this mean that if you are just, meh, when you were human, you would turn into some georgous being when you become a vampire? So all vampires are beautiful despite the way they looked as humans?! If this is so, I want to be one too! Note: I know Twilight is not an erotic novel.
3. He's extremely good in bed and can make you come again and again, and, even with with the slightest touch of his fingers!
OK. So he's extremely hot and has had a lot of practice. But really?! He can make you come with the slightest touch of his fingers? So he's barely touching you and you come? His fingers aren't even tired? What?! And intercourse is just a bonus! And the sex usual goes like this: He will make you come with his fingers, then he will give you head until you come, and finally he will fuck you until you come ... again!
4. They always fall in love after only days or weeks of knowing each other.
I know that it's just a work of fiction and I should suspend disbelief, but why do these characters fall in love so quickly? And not just in love, but head over heels in love. The kind of love that makes you want to sacrifice your life for that person. No offense but I have yet to meet a man that I would risk my life for after knowing him just a couple of days or weeks. You're going to have to work harder than that, buddy. And another thing. If he has fallen in love with you so quickly, whose to say that he won't do the same a few years down the road with some other woman? Oh the stresses of being with someone so beautiful!
So the list will go on forever if I continue because there are many more cliches to mention. Despite this, I still enjoy reading these types of novels. Needless to say, these are essential porn for women so what's not to like?
1. His goods are always HUGE!
Why is the penis of the leading male always "magnificently large" or something to that extent? He can't just be "big" or "big enough." No. He has to have "considerable length" or something or other. To help you get a better idea of what I'm talking about, here's an excerpt from 50 Shades of Grey:
"It's so big and growing. His erection is above the water line, the water lapping at his hips ... He's enjoying my astounded expression. I realize that I'm staring. I swallow. That was inside me! It doesn't seem possible."
See what I mean? Why does the leading man's junk always have to be so huge? I am an asian female and I'd be scared out of my mind if I saw a guy with such a huge junk. It sounds ... painful!
This reminds me of a Sex and the City episode where one of Samantha's lovers was self conscious of his huge penis because it scares women away. She had to assure him that it would not scare her away because she likes it big. At first, Samantha is pleased to see the size of his goods ... until they have sex. To make a long story short, she finds the sex to be very painful because of his size and they eventually break up. See? If even Samantha Jones, the most promiscous woman known to television, can be deterred by someone who is too big, it might not be a good idea after all to focus on a character's remarkably large asset. But I guess it wouldn't be as arousing to say that his penis is "average." I guess I will just have to imagine his "average sized" penis myself.
2. The men are unbelievably good looking and every other woman ogle him everywhere he goes.
Why does the leading man/love interest have to be so georgous? For example, in the 50 Shades Trilogy, Christian Grey is often compared to an Adonis. In every paranormal romance novel at least, the guy is mind-blowingly beautiful. It's not enough that he's just aesthetically pleasing but he has to be god-like in the looks department too. Why is this so?
I don't know about you but I would feel completely stressed out being with someone so remarkably handsome. If he looks so good, this would mean that women left and right would be throwing themselves at him, which means more temptation, which means you would always have to worry about another female catching his eyes! Sure. He's ignoring them now but how about in a few years when he's tired of having sex with you and wants something new? Ugh. I would just die! My mom always said, find a man that just looks ok but treats you like a queen. This way, you don't have to worry about other women trying to get at him. But I digress.
In Twilight (which I am embarrassed to say that I read), all the vampires are good looking and beautiful. Does this mean that if you are just, meh, when you were human, you would turn into some georgous being when you become a vampire? So all vampires are beautiful despite the way they looked as humans?! If this is so, I want to be one too! Note: I know Twilight is not an erotic novel.
3. He's extremely good in bed and can make you come again and again, and, even with with the slightest touch of his fingers!
OK. So he's extremely hot and has had a lot of practice. But really?! He can make you come with the slightest touch of his fingers? So he's barely touching you and you come? His fingers aren't even tired? What?! And intercourse is just a bonus! And the sex usual goes like this: He will make you come with his fingers, then he will give you head until you come, and finally he will fuck you until you come ... again!
4. They always fall in love after only days or weeks of knowing each other.
I know that it's just a work of fiction and I should suspend disbelief, but why do these characters fall in love so quickly? And not just in love, but head over heels in love. The kind of love that makes you want to sacrifice your life for that person. No offense but I have yet to meet a man that I would risk my life for after knowing him just a couple of days or weeks. You're going to have to work harder than that, buddy. And another thing. If he has fallen in love with you so quickly, whose to say that he won't do the same a few years down the road with some other woman? Oh the stresses of being with someone so beautiful!
So the list will go on forever if I continue because there are many more cliches to mention. Despite this, I still enjoy reading these types of novels. Needless to say, these are essential porn for women so what's not to like?
Sunday, March 25, 2012
Hunger Games
So I just saw the movie "The Hunger Games" this weekend. I must say it was a great movie and I thoroughly enjoyed it. But one thing that bothered me about the hype regarding "Hunger Games" is that people tend to compare it too much to the book. Yes, the movie was based on the best-selling novel of the same name. But why are you going to compare your movie watching experience to your book reading experience? These are two totally different things. It's like comparing apples and oranges. I hear comments like "the book was better." WTF?! No duh!
Of course the book will be better! When you read a book, you are only limited by your imagination. Also, the author has the time to include more detail and description. Books can be as long as they want (as long as they can hold the reader's attention). A good example of this would be the Song of Fire and Ice series by George R.R. Martin. Those things are like encyclopedias! Movies cannot. I also hear things like "the movie left out this and that." Ok. The movie was freaking 2.5 hours long! What? You want to watch a 4 hour movie or something? Of course they are going to have to cut some parts. I definitely know a movie is good if it's 2.5 hours long and I didn't even notice the time go by. Usually, I'll watch a movie and start to tune out at 1.5 hours. If it's more than 2 hours, you've lost me. Rarely is there a movie that would hold my attention for that long. This movie was almost 2.5 hours and I didn't even notice! I was in suspense the whole time.
I also read a comment that someone wrote that said something to the extent of "the book described the mechanically engineered dogs as having the eyes of murdered children. They did not show this in the movie, so the dogs weren't anything special." WTF?! How are you going to show this in the movie? Really people, stop being so nit picky. Oh yeah, another stupid comment I read was "In the book, Katniss has straight, dark hair that's braided to the side. But in the movie, they made her hair wavy." Really?! I have no words...
I think it's ridiculous to compare a movie to a book. I know some people complained that the movie left out a lot of detail so some parts didn't make sense. I never read any of the books and everything made sense to me. I don't care if the movie took out some characters or changed other characters. For the most part, it stayed true to the book (at least that's what I heard). And even if it didn't, I still enjoyed it. A good movie is a good movie.
I understand that not everyone enjoyed the movie. That's fine. Everyone has different tastes and not everyone will like it. This doesn't bother me as long as their reason for not liking the movie doesn't have anything to do with the book. Like I said, they are two different experiences and should be seen as that.
Of course the book will be better! When you read a book, you are only limited by your imagination. Also, the author has the time to include more detail and description. Books can be as long as they want (as long as they can hold the reader's attention). A good example of this would be the Song of Fire and Ice series by George R.R. Martin. Those things are like encyclopedias! Movies cannot. I also hear things like "the movie left out this and that." Ok. The movie was freaking 2.5 hours long! What? You want to watch a 4 hour movie or something? Of course they are going to have to cut some parts. I definitely know a movie is good if it's 2.5 hours long and I didn't even notice the time go by. Usually, I'll watch a movie and start to tune out at 1.5 hours. If it's more than 2 hours, you've lost me. Rarely is there a movie that would hold my attention for that long. This movie was almost 2.5 hours and I didn't even notice! I was in suspense the whole time.
I also read a comment that someone wrote that said something to the extent of "the book described the mechanically engineered dogs as having the eyes of murdered children. They did not show this in the movie, so the dogs weren't anything special." WTF?! How are you going to show this in the movie? Really people, stop being so nit picky. Oh yeah, another stupid comment I read was "In the book, Katniss has straight, dark hair that's braided to the side. But in the movie, they made her hair wavy." Really?! I have no words...
I think it's ridiculous to compare a movie to a book. I know some people complained that the movie left out a lot of detail so some parts didn't make sense. I never read any of the books and everything made sense to me. I don't care if the movie took out some characters or changed other characters. For the most part, it stayed true to the book (at least that's what I heard). And even if it didn't, I still enjoyed it. A good movie is a good movie.
I understand that not everyone enjoyed the movie. That's fine. Everyone has different tastes and not everyone will like it. This doesn't bother me as long as their reason for not liking the movie doesn't have anything to do with the book. Like I said, they are two different experiences and should be seen as that.
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