Simply Had a Wonderful Christmastime

Yeah yeah more posts about my love for Christmas. I had a great time this year. I woke up at 5 or 6 am from excitement just like when I was a kid, but for opposite reasons.
The month leading up to Christmas (which is the best part) was also really good this year. I got to see all kinds of new sights in the city, and even though I was in school most of the time, I still got to have some holiday adventures.

Lets take a look at some of my photos from the season shall we? (via instagram)



1. Tree's decorated downtown, that's how I knew the holiday season officially began. :)
2. A scarf I knitted myself! It wasn't the best scarf ever, but I put in a lot of effort.
3. My little tree illuminating my apartment.
4. McDonalds' "holiday pie"....look how diseased it looks. Bleck!
5. Little Mason modeling a scarf of mine.
6. A drawing from a storyboard I drew as a final. I made it christmas themed cause it was all I could think about.
7. A beauuutiful sunset down on the water. So glad I discovered that park.
8. I'm so proud of my wrapping this year! I learned how to make little handmade bows out of ribbon.
9. One of the cards that I made. This one was probably my favorite, and had the most meaning behind it.

P.S. It's my birthday, I'm like a quarter dead now. (aka 20) yaaaaay! :D

The Most Wonderful Time of the Year

  I was so excited to decorate for christmas! Luckily I found time to fit in a little decorating between working on finals. Sure it's modest compared to what I'd like to do some day, but I think I did a pretty good job with the limited money, time, and resources available.  :) 

  I wish I had the whole entire month of December to focus on christmas like when I was little. Having to worry about school or work really makes it go by too fast. But regardless, I've been enjoying the season and loving the lights all over the city. I hope everyone else is enjoying their holidays just as much. 

Merging Families

This past Thanksgiving I decided to bring MyLinh and Mason to my family's dinner. Now my family is very...special. Not everyone can "appreciate" them. But I have to say they fit in pretty well. Mylinh even puts up with my uncle! And it takes a very special person to tolerate him. 

Tons more on flikr. 

City Experiences

Seagull outside my window.

1. I was on the bus, late for school as usual. But apparently the universe felt that I needed to be punished for my constant lateness. I was just sitting there minding my own business, when I noticed the man in the wheelchair directly in front of me was rocking his body forward. He was trying to build up momentum to stand for a moment, not sure why, but when he did I had the horror of seeing his entire naked butt hanging out of his pants....his big, fat, old, hairy, naked, butt.

2. I was walking across the street, and a family was crossing the opposite way (towards me.) I noticed the girl bending over and before I knew it she was puking...But since they had to cross before the light changed, her mother was pulling her along. So this little girl was literally puking across the street....Just what I needed to see on my way to get lunch.

3. Seconds after that, the light changed and I was still a step or two away from the curb. But Mr.biker man must not have cared, and must have had somewhere to get to, because he raced by me faster than I could realize what was going on, and I thought I was going to die.

4. Uh...this one is my own stupid fault actually....I was walking down by the marker, texting. Yes walking and texting, I know I know. Anyways, since I was texting, my head was down. And when I walked into a patch of sunlight, the sun shined through my bangs somehow causing a strange illusion of an object being in front of me. This caused me to flinch out of the way, except there was nothing there. Just me, flinching from invisible objects in public...

5. Walking back to school I passed a crazy on the streets, well actually that happens pretty much every day. But some are nice and leave me alone. This particular man asked me “ey...is, is she still playin’ football?” I ignored him but he seemed to get angry “ey...HEY!!! Is she still playin football!!?!?” I shrugged and kept walking....a little faster than before.

6. Lets end on a positive note! As I was walking to my bus, I saw a homeless man on a corner. Nothing unusual there. But when I saw what he was doing I was shocked. He was...cleaning! I’ve never seen someone picking up garbage off the street that wasn’t their’s, let alone a homeless man who could easily be using his time to ask for change or shout nonsense at passerbys.

OMG LOOK A CUTE VIDEO!!!

I need this to be watched and spread around for a school project. 

Please and thank youuuuu~

Semi-Unrealistic Christmas List 2011

Ahh it’s my favorite time of year again. The magical, twinkly, romantic, freezing cold time of year they call the Christmas holiday season! Well technically it’s supposed to start in a week, but the stores have already been in Christmas mode for months.

Personally, I LOVE giving gifts. There’s something about planning out the perfect gift for your loved ones, sneaking around to get or make it without them finding out, anticipating their reaction and hoping they like it, and finally seeing the look of surprise and joy on their face when they open it. It just makes me so happy :) 

And if you appreciate my efforts, and want to do the same for me, I thought I’d help you out and make a little christmas list. You’re welcome. 

1. I still need an Instax 25 mini!! I know that if I wasn't a broke college kid, I would have bought one of these myself by now. (Actually despite that I still almost did once but was outbid...) 

2. The thing I want most from santa, and hope his budget can afford, a new camera lens! My 50mm 1.8 has served me well over the past year, but it's just too close sometimes. After researching lenses I found out that my real ideal lens is the 35mm 1.4 L lens....but thats like $1,200 or something! So I found a more affordable but still good alternative, the Canon 35mm f/2! 

3. Last February my mom finally upgraded our ghetto Sears brand TV to a brand new flatscreen, it's beautiful.  ( *_*)  But then I moved into my own apartment and had to take my old 99 dollar TV from Walmart...it's chunky, it's tiny screen-wise, and it has a weird purple splotch on the bottom of the screen. That's why I also want a new TV. 

4. I have a bad  back, a few years back I was even diagnosed with mild scoliosis. That's why you should feel sorry for me and get me one of those massage chair things.

5. A boring practical thing that I need is a new wallet. the one I have was originally a light tan plaid pattern, and is now stained blue from my jeans...I want a wallet that says "hey look at me I'm a classy grownup!" but at the same time isn't too boooorrrinngg. 

6. I can't believe I'm admitting this...but I'm really into Pretty Little Liars. I started watching it back in '10 to make fun of it...and now it's probably my favorite currently airing TV show...So just go ahead and buy me the DVD, and we'll pretend this whole thing never happened. 

7. I have a pair of headphones that I love from audio techinica, they're the best! But I don't like going out with huge over the head headphones, so I need an in ear pair for bus rides and such. I read that these ones have really good sound quality for their price. 

8. Once upon a time Davic wore John's clothes to school. I looked at one of the shirts and thought something along the lines of "Hey that shirt looks really good on him....and it would look really really good on me!" And ever since then I've been searching for a similar shirt and nowAE has one! (The blue option of this) 

9. I technically don't need one cause I never have time to play video games anymore, but I still want a 3DS. I mean there's a new cooking mama game out for it! How can I pass that up?

10. Anyone that's used prismacolor or copic markers knows they're both amazing. I don't think I need much more of a reason than that to want them.

11. Next to christmas, one of my other obsessions in life is Disney! Specifically, Disneyland! I haven't been since 2009, and I miss it! So if anyone wants to pay for an entire trip, and somehow line it up with my school's breaks without it being too much of a peak season, that would be greatly appreciated. 

12. I still have a lot of empty space on my walls and it needs to be filled with a big victorian-inspired picture frame. I can probably take care of the photo, but the frame itself has been difficult to find. I either need a white one, or one that's cheap enough that I can spraypaint it white without feeling guilty about it. 

Not white, but the right idea style-wise.

Other than that, I also need textbooks....but those are no fun. :(

The Temple

So I’m a month late....and the event actually happened over a month ago, but I'm finally going to write about it! I’m going to break from my usual....kentiness(?) and write a touching emotional sappy entry, like a normal person! Okay...maybe all the kentieness won’t be gone. But still, the last time I wrote an entry like this was Mason’s birth. So grab your tissues, and lets get started. :) 

It all began when Davic came to stay with me for a weekend in October. As you already know, we spent the first day exploring Pike Place Market. But on Sunday, we had plans with a heavier tone to them. Since the following day was Davic's dad's birthday, he wanted to use his last day in Seattle to visit the temple which holds his dad's remains, and I was more than happy to go with him.

We found a bus that would take us there, and I saw a whole new side of the city that I didn't know existed. Honestly if I was alone I would have been scared out of my mind. But then again I'm a wimp when it comes to shady areas. 

When we arrived at the temple, I realized it was different from what I had always imagined. There was an ornate yellow fence that seemed to fit what I'd expect, but the temple itself was just a regular old house. When we found our way in, a nice older woman gave us a glass for our flowers, while the young monk girl gave me weird looks as she asked "...your friend?" 

We entered the small shed that housed the ashes of all the people who have passed away. Papa Do was front and center, the first clear photo I've ever seen of him. It made me realize how much my friends resemble him, especially Davic. 

As Davic began the ritual and lit the incense, I stood quietly taking in my surroundings. I listened to the music that filled the room, I smelled the incense sticks as they burned, I looked at the picture staring back at me, feeling as though I already knew him. Davic finished his prayers, and began to cry. I could feel a lump in my throat as I teared up a little myself. 

He turned around and introduced me aloud to his father. "Dad, this is my very good friend Kent." And call me crazy, but as soon as he said that, I felt as if his dad was smiling back at me. The warm feeling you get when you meet someone and they're  welcoming to you. It was like he was officially accepting me as part of his family. :) 

When we went to meet  Ba noi (who is their grandma, as well as the head monk) we had no idea that we were walking into the middle of a Sunday service! Davic sat in the nearest seat while I went wherever the elders ushered me. I had no idea what was going on and couldn't understand a word. A little boy stared at me as I sat down, probably thinking "What in the world is that white guy doing here?" 

I tried my best to follow along, mediating with "no eyes" as Ba noi told us. Flipping to the correct pages even though I could only understand maybe 2 words. Standing up or bowing when everyone else did. It was all an interesting cultural experience that I was glad to be a part of, until the longest meditation happened....I swear that one lasted at least 20 minutes...My back started to ache and my body started to twitch. But I survived. 

When the service was over, everyone gathered their money and gave it to Davic. He tried to turn it down, but they were not having it! Ba noi put it in his shirt pocket and insisted he take it. People who we had never met were coming up and treating us like family. I couldn't even communicate with them and they were comfortingly putting their hands on my arm the exact same way my own grandma does. I definitely wasn't used to the level of kindness.

We ate a meal with them there at the temple, and talked more with a woman named Lan who spoke the best english. She was one of the sweetest people I've ever met in my life. The two of us had a heart to heart with her, relating some of of the hardships in her life to our's. After we were done eating, she gave us a ride so we wouldn't have to take the bus again. She even forced MORE money on us. 

That whole day was really emotional for me, and that doesn't happen very often. Mylinh and Davic are the two closest people to me in the world. I've only known them for 2-3 years, but they've changed my life. I always knew their childhood with their dad was an important part of their lives. And through this experience, I felt like I was able to go back in time and connect to it in a way. It's hard to explain, but it makes me feel...important? Like I'm loved enough to be a part of their most treasured memories. 

And the people at the temple took it to a whole other level. Ba noi telling me to always stay together and take care of Davic was adorable, it was nice to be seen as good enough to take care of her grandson for her.

 Thank you, temple people and my Viet family for the experience that I'll never forget as long as I live. <3 I know I'll be back again some day.

Pike Place

Oh my have I been busy...or maybe it's not actually that busy for a normal person's standards, but for lazy ol me? It's like drowning in projects and responsibility....But I'll adjust. Someday. Soon hopefully...

But instead of discussing of my school life that no one wants to hear about, lets take it back to last weekend, shall we?

 Once upon a time it was the weekend of October 8th. My uncle was bringing up my desk for me, and I was using Davic as free labor since I sure as heck wasn't gonna lift no furniture!
 When my Aunt and Uncle arrived it was WEIRD. Having my small town uncle there with my best friend in my big city apartment? It was like 2 or 3 worlds colliding. It was also a tad awkward that I didn't have anywhere for them to sit. Apparently they weren't okay with sitting on the floor so they just stood.

Afterwords, I wanted to take Davic to see something very Seattley, since he never really gets out of our home town. We decided to take a mini adventure to Pike Place Market!



The store we spent the most time in was probably my mom's "hippy store." The smell of incense literally smacks you in the face when you walk in, and there's hindu deities everywhere.





This store also has a no photo policy, which I didn't realize until I was leaving. I think this might have upset Ganesha. Look at how angry he was with me!


I'm sorry Ganesha!! I wish I knew the store's name so I could advertise them here to make up for my mistake.

Next up was the famous gum wall. I've always seen this wall in photos online, but in my whole life of coming here, I never knew it was at Pike place!

Take in all the beauty.

Davic was reluctant. For whatever reason he was grossed out by the wall (psh) and didn't want to go closer to it. Ironically he was the one who accidentally touched it. :)


I was STOKED.

Of course since the gum wall is down in an alleyway, there's plenty of graffiti.



Why does this bird look so traumatized by me? :(


While Mommie explored the vitamin and supplement shop, I let Davic pick where we went since the trip was more for him than anyone. Unfortunately he was interested in nicknacks. Ugly, tacky, cheap, useless, nicknacks...


Whatever makes you happy buddy...

Um. And then there were pretty stars? And peppers. I donno, sorry I don't have a segway. My photos get super choppy from here on out.





We went to Le Panier, and I finally tried a real live Macaron! Those cute little deserts you see as decorations everywhere lately.


Look at that chalk drawing! They look like Dahlias. <3

 
It was WAY too sweet for my liking. But the flavor wasn't bad. It was fun eating a green desert none the less.

We ate our deserts at a place I like to call "homeless park" but it was hard to enjoy them with all the cigarette smoke blowing around. *cough cough*


Oh dear there's a whole lot of awkward going on in this photo. We are the awkward family! But at least it's a cute awkward.....right? rigght?? :(

For some reason, that day we saw balloons floating away in the sky at least 4 different times. As we were walking down to the waterfront I finally caught one on camera.



We also saw this wedding party walking away post-ceremony. It seemed like a fairly creative wedding. If I remember correctly, one of the bridesmaids had a purple mustache glued to her face.



I really wanted to show Davic the classic waterfront shops. The Curiosity shop, Miner's landing, the aquarium, but we just didn't have time. But no worries, it just gives an excuse for us to have adventures again soon. :)

He did, however, make a new friend before we boarded our bus and ended our day.


Up next is a SUPER MEGA sappy entry about the next day at a Buddhist temple.

Things Learned

Today was my first day of school and I learned a few life lessons.

1. Being late to class is fine, as long as you get lucky and have a professor who is also late!

2. Those annoying kids from school that always talk about things no one cares about? Yeah they don't grow out of it. Ever.

3. When you're on time, city buses WILL be late. When you're even a minute late, buses will be right on time.

4. BRING FOOD. So you don't have to buy overpriced clam chowder and then not finish it and have to throw it away and waste it.

5. People sometimes STINK. Like cigarettes or B.O.

6. Have a strange fear of public restrooms? Use the shady one over by the creepy carousel place! It'll most likely be empty. A little gross....but empty!

7. When waiting for the bus, if a snazzily dressed man rolls up in an SUV asking if you need a "taxi," don't go with him. I don't care if he actually is a taxi or not...either way it's shady as hell!

The City Life

Yup. I did it. I'm here. I moved. Actually, it's almost been a week. wow.

So what's it like? how was moving in? Well in some ways it was wonderful, and in some ways it was the worst.

Day 1: Davic helped me move in (I'm so thankful! he made it way easier.) We spent the day doing some mild exploring and figuring out the bus, and ended with a way overdue heart-to-heart. That night however was the WORST.
Sleeping in a new place is hard enough for me, I'm sensitive to my environment in every way. What made it 10 times worse was the city noise that I wasn't quite used to. Buses, sirens, you name it. And the cherry on top was trying to sleep next to Davic who tossed and turned and talked in his sleep. At one point he even hit me in the head.

Day 2: I felt VILE from a lack of sleep and the nerves from my new environment. Davic wanted nothing more than to explore the city, and could barely hold still. We had to compromise, spending some of the time resting in my room, and some of the time in the shops close to it.
That afternoon I had to send him home on the train, and of course I started to feel better right around this time! We said our goodbyes and I headed back "home." My first ever solo walk in the city. And when I got back my apartment felt sad and empty. This was the saddest point of my week.  :(  BUT I was able to sleep that night, perhaps from pure exhaustion.

Day 3: I don't think I did anything this day other than grocery shop. Which by the way is not so fun when you're paying yourself...
Although that night I fell back into my normal routine and it started to make my place feel homey.

Day 4: I didn't bring a razor because I expected to just buy one at the store below me. But apparently the people here don't grow hair, because I couldn't find any razors, not even the lady kind! So I checked out google maps, and found a route to RiteAid. The trip was interesting and was my first solo adventure through the city. I got asked for change, creepily smiled at, asked for directions, and had a picture of me taken!

Day 5: Orientation day at my school. I had to wake up early, take the bus by myself for the first time, and sit through several boring lectures. Only one of which even had to do with my specific major. I being hypoglycemic and all, need protein every few hours. That didn't mix so well with the 4 or 5 lectures that kept me there until afternoon....Also I was given my supply kit which weighed 70 thousand pounds. So wobbly, dizzy, little ol me had to lug alllllll that shee-yit home on the bus. Looked like this:

Day 6: Today. The most exciting thing I did was read my book outside. (woah a semi-social setting with people there? What's gotten into you?) And make a grilled cheese sandwich.

It is feeling more and more like home. Which I'm sure will only continue. Tomorrow evening I'm going home to visit because it's been SO long.  :P And on Monday...at 8 am.....class starts. dun dun dunnnnn!

Wish me luck <3

Doodlin

Once upon a time I was a kid who spent alllll his free time doodling. I remember being around 6 or 7 and having a stack of printer paper in my bookshelf so I could draw whenever I wanted. Which was a lot.

It continued through high school where I would fill the margins of my boring school work with strange little drawings. Especially in math class, cause what else was I going to do, listen?

Sadly, in the recent years I haven't spent much time in front of paper, as most of it is spent right here at my laptop. But recently I've been "making" myself doodle for my own good. The results? Well lets have a look!

As you can see here, I may have a small disney obsession. The first didn't start out as Ariel it just kind of turned into her, and the other drawings followed.

Trying to make a layout plan for the photos above my bed. Nothing too exciting here.

This my friends, is a glimpse inside my imagination. Note the doughnut tree.

Yeesh, after not drawing realistic people for a year and a half, I can't even draw semi-realistic people... That's okay though, cause I'm sure I'll get plenty of practice with art school coming up. 

I think it could be interesting to do this regularly. see how my drawings change a grow y'know? And now I have to go get things ready for tomorrow, since I'm moving into my apartment! (ahh what? how did all that time go by already??)