Duets: featuring Nita Chham

Dear Davy, this duet is dedicated to you.

Love, Stephanie :)

On Anxiety, Optimism, etc.

It is February and as we await the arrival of those admission letters from colleges, we try so very hard to be optimistic and hope for the best.

As we try to avert our attention from those future determinant piece of paper, our lives flash before our eyes.

What if I didn't get into my dream school? What if my financial aid package is not big enough? What if I disappoint my hard-working parents who spent 99.99% of their energy doing their best to secure my future and alas, I failed them and didn't get into any school?

It is normal to fret like so and be worried for our place in the coming future yet, would it be healthy to dwell on the negative? I must admit, I am anxious for the results.

High hopes and dreams, all crashing down and burning before your very eyes. Ah, the drama. The sadness of it all.

But, let's face it, one of my goals (it should be yours as well) is to be optimistic this year and for the next year and so on. If I did not accepted into any schools, would I be disappointed? Of course, I would be devastated because I know I would have let some very important people down. But, what good would it do to just dwell and mope around as if there is no future for you?

During my short tenure as a teenager, I've learned to be optimistic and rise above those challenges. You may not be able to fix the problem, but you can learn from it and move on.

*Note: Being optimistic does not mean that you should pretend that "Oh, I'm a happy, tranquil individual~ la di da..." Absolutely not! We are not living in a fictitious, illusive utopia. 


So, dear readers, even if you did not get accepted into your dream schools, you should remember that your future is in your hands (this sounds cliched but it's true!). You, and only you, hold the power to choose your path, whether it's to dwell on your disappointment (not recommended) or move on (strongly recommended).

As this post comes to a end, I would like to reveal that I am an ardent arctophile.

A Must Read

Good morrow, everyone. 

Jan. 03 Quadrantid Meteor Shower

I love skywatching. The minute I saw that we were going to have a meteor shower, I was so excited. I planned to wake up at 2 a.m. but ended up waking up an hour later. I was hoping to see at least one meteor. However, since I live in the city, I saw none. Thankfully, NASA has livestream videos. It's not the same as lying on the grass and looking up at the sky yourself but it was nice, too.

Auld Lang Syne, Times Gone By

It is 2012 already and 5 months until graduation. I wish that I didn't have to attend this bittersweet gathering because I'm afraid of what's ahead, honestly. You know that saying,

In fairy-tales, there are happy endings.

But in life, every ending is a new beginning.

2012. Year in, year out I feel the same no matter what. My resolution's always the same: to have the strength to conquer/overcome whatever trouble the new year brings and to remain optimistic.

Optimism has been a large contributor to my sanity. Therefore, I never want to lose hope. 

I was watching Soul Surfer the other day and I have to say, the film was quite inspiring. After the movie, I did some research on Bethany Hamilton and I'm just so proud of her for never giving up and losing hope. 

I'm proud that she persisted in doing what she loved most despite the challenges. 

I'm proud that she was able to remain optimistic after the shark incident.  

My 2012 Resolution:

1. Be Optimistic

2. Never Lose Hope

3. Get a 2100 on the SAT

4. Get into a good school.

5. Be Grateful.

Bake Sale Blunder

Tomorrow (Tuesday, December 06, 2011) my senior class was supposed to have a bake sale. I was so giddy, I had bought all my materials, including a new mixer, mixing bowls, and some espresso powder from Williams-Sonoma. However, it was cancelled upon our principal's request.

But, I did not find out until I had finished baking 2/3 of my chocolate quake cake. I was whipping my chocolate frosting when I decided to check the recipe just in case I got it wrong. So, here I was, on the internet, surfing. Tempted, I logged in to Facebook and what do you know? Four notifications. One of which included my friend informing our class that the bake sale is cancelled.

What to do? I certainly couldn't waste all this chocolate. But, have no fear! Stephanie is giving away free cake! I cannot wait to share the cake with my friends tomorrow!

My Take on the Waldorf-Astoria Red Velvet Cake

 Last night, I was bored to death because I didn't have any homework to keep me busy and I had just finished my application to Berkeley. I had planned on making the famous Red Velvet cake for so long now but, I have been holding off because I felt that I needed more time and experience and resources.

This was because I didn't have a mixer or a big enough oven (my oven is a Black and Decker hand-me-down that is over a decade old that's 5"x7"). But, it's not like I have anything better to do. So, I took my chances and just made it with whatever materials I had.

I must say, the cocoa makes the batter so fragrant that my whole  house smelled like Willy Wonka's factory. Plus, it is bright red, unlike those brownish-red you usually see in grocery stores.

Go here to see the whole process! 

We Are Family :)

Hello, readers and welcome to my blog! Today, I would like to introduce to you my outstanding and very talented cousin, who is a budding artist. Give it up for Karel (his pseudonym is Melon).

Currently, he is working on a comic project.

And so far, I'm loving what I'm seeing.

One thing I know for sure, this saying rings true:
"Humans are endowed with unlimited potential." (Yeahh..that's one corny-wisdom saying that I came up with just now.)

Roobee: My Favourite Stationery

 

Aren't these a beaut? Yes, I found them while I was scrolling down the stationery aisle at Marshall's.  

I cannot wait to stick these colorful babies in my friends' and teachers' mailboxes! 

Two things I LOVE:

1.) Mail

2.) Making people happy :)

Re-post: "The Unknown History of Red Velvet Cake"

http://www.gilttaste.com/stories/2290-the-unknown-history-of-red-velvet-cake