vitaminD

11.22.2009

Chilling at the coffeeshop with my godsister, working on my Journalism assignments and I decided to send out a request because I have found the Swap-bot community to be very generous. I haven't been able to figure out what to give one my best friends, Michael J, for Christmas this winter... except he's mentioned being very envious of the snail mail I receive. If anyone would like to send him a little card or letter of greetings, please let me know and I'll give you his P.O. box address. I made a forum topic of it but I think it's in the wrong section. I'm not exactly sure how to go about this new project. Oy. I feel like I'm fumbling about in an awkward way.

Here is the forum: http://www.swap-bot.com/forums/topic/46979

Am I doing this incorrectly? D'oh.

11.01.2009

I've figured out many people like to go based on profiles but when it comes down to letter-writing, it's slightly harder. I wouldn't mind starting up a conversation in middle ground with common interests but they tend to block the rest of the writer. I tend to blab and go on in my letters. I saw something interesting or whatever is happening adjacent to my life. I would like to get to know other people. Is it too difficult if I allow people to a free range? What if I want them to babble about their special desires and interest? It is allowed, is it not?

Maybe it's why I've been lagging about with my lists of likes and dislikes. I always have stuff to add on, stuff to take off. It's always changing. Very much like the rest of us. I don't feel I have much of a collection of anything beyond letters. Well... I have to admit, I'm also lagging because of schoolwork and assignments.

In your letters to me, answer at least this: How is your evening going? - please and thank you.

10.18.2009

Two midterms down and a third one left. I'm hesitant on joining any new swaps for the current date but I may have a private one within Vancouver in a week or two. I'm also waiting for a letter to arrive from the PenFriend Swap. I've received 2 out of 3 of my partners.

I've also decided to bow out of the NaNoWriMo this year, especially if I decide to hang onto this letter-writing and swap-bot. It would be too much for me to juggle. I want to force more studying time out of me. Quit procrastinating. Ack!

What is everyone else up to?

10.06.2009

I love the items I've received. I'm probably going to reply to some of the letters... if I have time. Most likely, I'll fire off private messages. I haven't gone around to rating people.. but that might be a bit of tinkering around. I'm sure it's a simple process.

School is dominating... with a midterm this Thursday, another one next week and a third one the week after. I apologize to everyone if they are expecting something from me by a certain time, whether it's by mail or ratings... or even a response. I'm a little behind and as tempted as I am to join more swaps (I missed the Heart ATC & Ladybird/Ladybug ATC swaps!!!), I have to remain disciplined and I know I'll mess up if I join anymore. Silly me.

I'll be haunting my Swap-bot every other day though. Message me and I'll reply back. I don't bite. ^_^ Not hard anyway.

09.22.2009 -

Between school, work and karate, I wasn't aware of how many priorities I'd be juggling, especially with the swaps piled on top. It's insane. I think this is a good indicator to stick with one swap at a time. Maybe two but no more than that. Life always interrupts. Le sigh.

• 5000 letters with no deadline (at 191/5000)

I tried writing a letter a day for one month. An experiment of sorts. The results? I found myself writing more than one letter one day and struggling to pick up the pen to paper the next. It may have been my mood or maybe the lack of topic for me. All in all, I decided I didn't need a deadline, just a goal. Thus... to write 5000 letters. I'm not sure what I'll do after that but by then, I'll face that when the time comes.

• upcoming NaNoWriMo (www.nanowrimo.org)

• knitting stuff & setting up Etsy

I'm horrendous about this one. I'm still deciding upon a format I want to present the necessary information. I also need to get around to taking pictures of my products. Oppsie me.

• Advent Matchbox Tree for a Christmas/birthday gift to my godsister

Because I love her, even when she drives me absolutely batty and speechless.

One of the big things in my life is karate. It's a big deal for me and I have several minor and major goals set for it. I'm not sure if I'll ever reach them but I am certainly giving it my best shot.

The best things I love about karate is the discipline it instills in me, the stress relief it gives me, and, most especially, the people who I train with weekly through my dojo. It's a group of very special individuals which I cherish quite a damn bit. Of course, I feel somewhat bashful of ever letting them know... it must be the whole "tough exterior" thing going on. Hehe...

I love to play sports. I'm usually game for most kinds and fairly active. I play soccer, basketball, frisbee and volleyball. I swim. I hike. It's all about fun and games to me. The only one I may take seriously is only karate though.

From 'Life of Pi' by Yann Martel:

Chapter 56

"I must say a word about fear. It's life's only true opponent. Only fear can defeat life. It is a clever, treacherous adversary, how well I know. It has no decency, respects no law or convention, shows no mercy. It goes for your weakest spot, which it finds with unerring ease. It begins in your mind, always. One moment you are feeling calm, self-possessed, happy. Then fear, disguised in the garb of mild-mannered doubt slips into your mind like a spy. Doubt meets disbelief and disbelief tries to push it out. But disbelief is a poorly armed foot soldier. Doubt does away with it with little trouble. You become anxious. Reason comes to do battle for you. You are reassured. Reason is fully equipped with the latest weapon technology. But, to your amazement, despite superior tactics and a number of undeniable victories, reason is laid low. You feel yourself weakening, wavering. You anxiety becomes dread.

Fear next turns fully to your body, which is already aware that something terribly wrong is going on. Already your lungs have flown away like a bird and your guts have slithered away like a snake. Now your tongue drops dead like an opossum, while your jaw begins to gallop on the spot. Your ears go deaf. Your muscles begin to shiver as if they had malaria and your knees to shake as though they were dancing. Your heart strains too hard, while your sphincter relaxes too much. And so with the rest of your body. Every part of you, in the manner most suited to it, falls apart. Only your eyes work well. They always pay proper attention to fear.

Quickly, you make rash decisions. You dismiss your last allies: hope and trust. There, you've defeated yourself. Fear, which is but an impression, has triumphed over you.

The matter is difficult to put into words. For fear, real fear, such as shakes you to your foundation, such as you feel when you are bought face to face with your moral ends, nestles in your memory like gangrene. It seeks to rot everything, even with the words with which to speak of it. So you must fight hard to express it. You must fight hard to shine the light of words upon it. Because if you don't, if your fear becomes a wordless darkness that you avoid, perhaps even manage to forget, you open yourself to further attacks of fear because you never truly fought the opponent who defeated you."

Additionally, I'd like to add a beautiful saying from a friend:

"My friend: upon reading this, I will remember your words and cherish your guidance. In suffering times, thanks for rekindling my spirit when it burned faintly; for replacing my ignorance with perseverance, my stubborness with determination and my hesitation with discipline. Your inspiration was the greatest gift that showed me no goal exists without a path. I will continue to smile but today my smile struggles through saddened pain when I say we must part before we can meet again."

~ Welton Vo, via his Grad Write-up

RIP Welton (Aug 30, 1986 - Feb. 15, 2005)

I plan to reuse packaging and whatever means I have at home. I can be very creative. I also plan to bring home any reused packaging material from work to save even the little bit.

Please remember to add your username and the swap's name to every piece of mail sent to me. Thank you very much.