My Life Revolves Around the Winter Games

We are now on Day 6 of the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics! I am absolutely in love with the atmosphere of the city - so vibrant, patriotic and lively - I cannot believe I actually live here! It's really great to see cultures connecting together and dreams coming true. The athletes continually wow me with their dedication and talents; everyone is truly a winner. As for the houses and pavilions, I have yet to see them all! I'll try to squeeze in some more time for city exploring after work. The most exciting Olympic event I've been to so far was yesterday's victory ceremonies, thanks to Ivy! :) You could totally feel the patriotism fill the entire stadium - and I could finally put my red Olympic mittens to good use!

Work-wise, I'm constantly intrigued by the various stories and life experiences shared by my coworkers - it's so amazing to meet people from around the world, all gathered in one place. We come from different walks of life and although we sometimes misunderstand each other, we're bound by this common understanding that we're a team and we're in this together. I'm blessed to have met such an amazing group of open-minded individuals who have such bright futures ahead of them. A few days ago, one of my coworkers had commented, "Let's be honest here, we're most likely not going to be keeping in touch"... it made me feel sad but it also reminded me to cherish every moment of every day and to take and learn as much as I can in each opportunity and experience I've been given. Here's to the next 9 shifts! [Hope I get to see a few more celebrities and athletes while I'm at it ;)]

Living the High Life

Working my 6-3 job, 6 days a week... sounds heavenly, doesn't it? ;) Haha, I'm kidding... kinda. February will be a busy month as I will start working for VANOC while trying to balance my own priorities as well as what's left of my social life. I'm excited nevertheless to meet new people and learn new skills. I can't blog much about what happens during my shifts since it's supposed to be 'hush-hush' but I'll try to update as much as I can! Until next time ♥

So All My Childhood Preferences Led To This

November 4, 2009 was Sesame Street's 40th Anniversary. As an avid watcher and fan, I am so happy that they've made it thus far and hope that they'll be around when I have kids :) I remember learning a lot from the show, from counting to 10 in Spanish to increasing my vocabulary through the 'letter of the day' segments. When I was 4 years old, the Sesame Street tour came to town (when I was back in Seattle) and my parents decided to bring me. I remember being so excited seeing life-sized versions of my favourite characters singing and dancing on stage and with the audience, and getting a Big Bird balloon which I tried to preserve for as long as I could! Anyway, my point is although my favourite was Big Bird for a time, even before that I loved Prairie Dawn. I recently muppet wiki-ed her for fun and realized that she aspired to work in broadcasting or journalism - similar much? It makes me wonder if I was subconsciously influenced by the show. Whether or not that is the case, I still want to thank Sesame Street for being such a great memory in my childhood and wish them another 40 years of success!

May My Life Be My Song

I will lift my eyes to the Maker of the mountains I can't climb
I will lift my eyes to the Calmer of the oceans raging wild
I will lift my eyes to the Healer of the hurt I hold inside
I will lift my eyes, lift my eyes to You

So take me as You find me,
All my fears and failures,
Fill my life again.
I give my life to follow
Everything I believe in,
Now I surrender.

What I Needed

My present condition can be summarized in one sentence: I've been happier since yesterday. As I sat in church on Sunday morning, I felt like whatever people were saying that day was everything I needed to hear. This past weekend was when I finally could admit to myself and others that I wasn't okay. I was living a lie as I continually clung onto my pride - I was only fooling myself as I tried to convince myself I was strong and could overcome this obstacle on my own. What Jaeson Ma tweeted today was what I learned in a nutshell, "Put your life in God's hands & He will be able to keep you from falling. Temptation comes when we put our trust in ourselves, not in God."

My values are very important to me. While there are some values that have been modified over the years, there are others that have not and will not ever change. Despite this, I could feel my judgment wavering during these past few weeks. As I listened to both sides of two very convincing perspectives, I became scared as I was being swayed by their arguments. However, the good thing that has come out of this experience is that it only motivates me to take greater measures to yield against these temptations. You could say that I brought this all upon myself and now am presently facing the consequences of my actions, but I have no regrets and what has happened has already happened. All I can say is that I'm grateful for this test of faith and I'm learning to be content in all circumstances. This doesn't mean I'm happy but it means I've come to terms with the situation and am now striving to get back onto the right track. Storms come in different versions and this is just another one I'm going through. I no longer need confirmation to know if what I'm doing is right 'cause I know it is. True love waits.

Recollections & New Beginnings

Happy New Year everyone! I hope you all have an amazing 2010 with brand new experiences and life lessons :)

I've been reflecting about 2009 but it's quite overwhelming to think of everything. I've been going through past blog entries, figuring out what I've done, learned, accomplished and whether I'm happy with where I am right now. I remember back when I was in high school during fellowship, I was asked to draw something that represented me at that present state. I drew a blob and explained that I was in the process of finding who I was. In 2009, I've done a few 180's and still am being continuously remolded, but now I can feel myself taking shape. It was the year of drama and repeated struggles; however, I think I've grown and matured from these experiences. I've learned lessons in faith, patience, trust and perseverance and although I lacked in all these areas at particular times, I know I can only try harder this year.

Last year I realized how important relationships are to me and learned to depend on others for a change. Moreover, I've become more open, honest and less afraid to show others my true colours. I guess you could say that I've become a lot more comfortable and confident in my own skin. I feel very blessed to have grown closer to my friends and family, to rediscover past friendships and to begin new relationships with people around me.

2009 was a dramatic year, not necessarily in love but also friendship. I've met people whom I thought I was attracted to and learned that I actually didn't like what I originally believed to be my ideal qualities. But I'm thankful nonetheless for figuring this out sooner than later, and am glad to know now rather than before when I didn't even know who I was. 2010 is the year when I'll graduate. I'm both excited and ready for this chapter to close and another one to begin. I'm still in the process of improving myself but I feel myself getting there, and believe that as long as I focus on the important things in life, everything else will fall into place when the timing is right.

In 2010, I hope to grow up more, to become even more understanding of the world and people around me, to accept change more readily and gracefully, to be pro-active and take more risks, and to continue improving myself in every way that I can. I hope to remember that whenever I'm faced with obstacles, that I take it as a time of maturing and learning and see it as a part of the bigger picture in life.

Wearing My Heart On My Sleeve

On New Year's Day I wrote up an optimistic recap of 2009 with highlights and resolutions but didn't get around to posting it due to a couple of incidents. Originally I thought 2010 would be no different in that beginning on January 1st, I would start brand new with a clean slate, and have that same determination to make this year even better than the last. Okay honestly it didn't start the way I planned but I'm learning about others, myself and relationships in just a matter of days, more than I did in the past year. Each day it gets better as I keep myself occupied, reflect and talk about it, and learn to let go and be more patient. I know I've made mistakes in the process but I also know that deep down inside I've made the right decision. I can't say I wasn't disappointed and a little hurt; however, I know I'm going to be fine. It's 'cause I have the most supportive friends ever who are always there beside me, and most importantly, I have God in my life. I've learned that sometimes feelings just aren't enough when your values don't line up; it's like trying to fit a square into a circle. Moreover, open disapproval and direct confrontation from people that care about you doesn't necessarily have to be a bad thing. In the end, all they want is for you to be happy and to get what you deserve. What doesn't kill you makes you stronger right? Despite all these happenings, my only hope is that he'll one day see how his life could be so much better if he were to let God back into his life. As a friend, I do feel that my words have an effect on him but presently, all I can do is keep praying and silently supporting from the sidelines