Last Trip of the Year- Hello Pittsburgh

I don't really know how to describe Pittsburgh except that it's a mish-mash of sorts. My friends were telling me that you can drive from one end to the other end of the city, and pass through alternating wealthier and ghetto neighborhoods. Unlike Columbus where one section of the city is a definite "do not go there," Pittsburgh weaves the good and bad together. But I guess that's what makes this city so unique. I visited the city over Christmas break to visit my best friend and her husband, and it was a really fun trip. Here are a few of the highlights:

The Cathedral of Learning at the University of Pittsburgh- not only is it GORGEOUS, it literally is a cathedral that has rooms and auditoriums for classes. Anyone who goes to Pittsburgh should definitely check this place out.

L-R: The Cathedral, inside view from the 2nd/3rd floor, view from 36th floor

This gothic-style building was built in the 1920s and is the second tallest university building in the world (42 stories).What is even more unique is that the 1st and 3rd floors have classrooms decorated according to various themes, e.g. Hungarian room, African heritage room, Armenian room, etc. You can purchase tickets to take a tour, but be warned that tickets sell out fast (I arrived for the 1:30pm tour, only to find out that tickets for the rest of the day were already sold out. Maybe it's the holidays?). No worries if you don't make it on the tour though- you can still visit the main hall and classrooms on the 3rd floor, and take the elevators to the top of the building for a breathtaking view of the city. 

*I think the tour takes you into the classrooms on the 1st floor, and gives better explanations for the decorative motifs in the rooms.

Heinz Memorial Chapel - right next to the Cathedral of Learning. Why does OSU not have similar gorgeous buildings on campus :(

I so wanted to go inside, but sadly it was closed for the holidays. Super bummed, because if the exterior is anything to go by, the interior would have been magnificent! 

Primanti Bros.: When in Rome, eat like the Romans do-- and Primanti Bros. is one such establishment in Pittsburgh.The eatery is famous for its sandwiches that come with meat, cheese, fries and coleslaw squeezed between sliced soft bread. I tried the pastrami "burger" with provolone cheese and all offered toppings, and it was an experience. Doesn't look like much but it was one gigantic monster that I stuffed into my mouth (as seen from the picture). The sandwich was delicious, but I still prefer my fries on the side, and I haven't made up my mind if I like coleslaw in my sandwich or not.

Mt. Washington: What a treat! Mt. Washington is actually a neighborhood on a hill across a river, but there is a lookout that provides a gorgeous view over the rest of the city. We were fortunate to witness the sunset, and I wish my phone was better able to capture its beauty.

Snapshots of the Mt. Washington neighborhood

Carnegie Mellon University

My best friend's husband is attending Carnegie Mellon, and I was thus fortunate to be taken on a tour of the campus and visit his office. The campus was smaller than I expected, but beautiful. Plus, it's Carnegie Mellon so expect some really cool engineering things, such as the tiny 3D printer constructed by a graduate student. Moreover, the recycle bins around campus are solar powered. That's right, solar powered, to press the recycling waste down. Kinda cool.

Others sights around the campus included the "Walking to the Sky" sculpture, the gorgeous architecture building (both on left), and the napping machine created by an alumni. We also visited the rare manuscript collection in the library where we got to see an exhibition of the many editions of "Twas' the Night Before Christmas" (including an edition printed on linen!), and a page of the Gutenberg Bible.

THE FOOD: Oh my word, the food in Pittsburgh was awesome, mostly because my friends can cook. Seriously. They made Hainanese Chicken Rice from scratch!!! Ah ah ah ah ah! I think that's what I miss most about Pittsburgh (other than my friends, of course...).
We also ate delicious food whenever we went out to each, such as at Primanti Bros., a Chinese restaurant Everyday Noodles, and a makeshift Mexican food stall, Las Palmas. We had pork belly buns, hand-made broad noodles and meaty wantons from Everyday Noodles that tasted authentic and brought me back to my mission in Taiwan *tear falling on cheek.* Las Palmas... oh my word, so cheap and SO GOOD, if you don't mind eating in your car since the tacos are sold in front of a Mexican grocery store with no sitting area.

If there's one thing I don't miss, it's the awful parking situation. You either have to pay for it, or there's just nowhere to park. My friends' apartment complex refused to provide visitor parking, so I had to park a street over in a non-permit road in front of some homes. Even then, one home-owner came out a few days later and told me to move my car, even when I told him I was leaving in 2 days. "You've parked there for what, a week? [Uh, no, only 4 days so far] Go bother someone else. Give us a break. " *Grrr* Glad he's not my neighbor. One thing to be grateful for in Columbus- parking isn't too bad, and cheaper meter parking too.

Still, despite the terrible parking situation, Pittsburgh is awesome. Wouldn't mind going back again, especially for the food! Thanks to my bestie and her husband for letting me crush their Christmas celebration :) 

True Spirit of Christmas

Guess where I'm typing this from?
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania!!!

My best friend and her husband are here for a year for him to complete a Masters at Carnegie Mellon (yup, that smartie), and since it's only a 3 hour drive from Columbus, I decided to brave the weather and drive here. We made this arrangement a few months back, but I kinda invited myself to Christmas... but I really didn't want to spend Christmas in Columbus again (I did that for the past 2 years... enough!), and they were so gracious to agree to my plans. Bwa ha ha ha ha! I've been here 2 days already and it's been nothing but relaxing, fun and GOOD food. I'm telling you, it's awesome to have friends that cook well.

Anyway, while I was here, I ended up going to the hospital on Christmas Day.

Wait, don't freak out. Let me explain. About a week ago, a 10-year-old child from West Virginia developed an ailment in her brain. She was air-flown into Pittsburgh, and remained in the pediatric ICU of the hospital this entire week, while her frantic and very patient parents stayed by her bedside in the hospital.

We found out about them because her parents go to a congregation of my church in West Virginia. Their church leader contacted the church leaders here in Pittsburgh, and coordinated with them to drop off meals for this couple in the hospital (the power of the Relief Society- seriously). My best friend signed up to deliver food to them on Christmas Day, and that's how I ended up in the hospital yesterday.

The visit was like a lightning jolt to me. Not only was I able to witness the Christmas Spirit in action, it was humbling to be reminded of what I have. True, I'm far from home, the weather is super gloomy, school is tough, and life is just... hard. But my parents don't have to be at a hospital bedside on Christmas Day, praying that I'll wake up from a coma.

Truly I have been so blessed.

Everyone's Lives Matter

Slightly over a week ago, when the the Ferguson grand jury decision came down on Monday night, I wrote a blog post expressing my dissent with the decision, and a one-liner on Facebook --"No justice, no peace. RIP Michael Brown." That one line ended up offending a friend so much, he wrote some awful comments on my Facebook wall. Not wanting to get into a pointless Facebook debate (as usually all Facebook debates end up being), I refused to comment back, although another friend came to my rescue... twice (thanks Erin!).

Well, I was ready to put these unpleasant incidents (the indictment decision and the Facebook bullying) behind me and move on, when the grand decision over Eric Garner's death came down yesterday, and split my heart open again.

You can read multiple articles about the case so I will only summarize that on July 17, 2014, a group of police officers surrounded Eric Garner, a black man suspected of selling untaxed loose cigarettes (none were found on him there and then btw). Although Garner was confrontational, he was unarmed and did not assault any cops. When Garner shouted at them to stop harassing him, then swatted their hands away as they tried to take him in, Officer Daniel Pantaleo put Garner in a chokehold position, a moved banned by the NY Police Department. The officers then forced Garner to the ground (still in the chokehold), and ignored cries that he couldn't breath, and Pantaleo even held Garner's head to the sidewalk while the latter was handcuffed.

The autopsy report revealed that Garner died a few minutes later from the chokehold that was compounded by his obesity and asthma, and the New York medical examiner ruled it a homicide. Parts of the video filmed by a passerby who recorded the incident can be found on Huffington Post here and CNN here[probably want to watch it asap before it is taken down].

Yesterday, the Stanton Island grand jury decided that no crime had been committed, and that they would not indict Pantaleo.

At first I had written a whole post venting my outrage over the situation, but now, my rage has simply turned into disgust and despair, and even now I'm still struggling to reconcile my emotions with words on this blog. No words can express my disappointment and sorrow for how everything went down. Perhaps if the nation had had time to heal from Ferguson, it wouldn't have been so bad, but coming right at its heels...

In a very sick and twisted way, I can see the "reasons" (read:excuses) why the grand jury did not indict Daniel Pantaleo. The chokehold position that Pantaleo performed on Garner is legal; it's just banned by the NY Police Department. Thus, Pantaleo technically did not break the law. If we want to talk details, technically Garner's swatting of the cops' hands can be counted as resisting arrest, and thus sort-of justify why Pantaleo needed to use a more forceful method (but of all methods, he chose the chokehold- really?!). Finally, Pantaleo didn't maliciously intend to kill Garner -- adrenaline can be a very powerful thing, so once again, technically Garner's death was an accident, and thus technically not a crime. [Please note that Pantaleo apparently has a history of racially-motivated misconduct while on the job.]

But just because something is legal doesn't make it right. I'm still reeling from how Garner's death can be ruled a homicide, and still the grand jury decided there wasn't even probably cause for a crime. A man caused another man to die unnecessarily, and he walked free.

It just makes me sad.

I'm Thankful for Restaurants Open on Thanksgiving

This year's Thanksgiving was certainly memorable, all thanks to...


Remember THIS POST when I talked about a mid-semester slump? Sadly, it didn't get better. A few weeks ago, my roommate asked what we wanted to do this year for Thanksgiving, and I just groaned in reply. For the past two years, we had hosted Thanksgiving for a couple of friends here in Columbus who were in a similar situation to us ("stranded" with no family to celebrate with). This year, however, we were both so mentally exhausted, we didn't even want to make plans for Thanksgiving. The thought of cooking/ baking just didn't seem appealing.

And this is major because Thanksgiving dinner is my FAVORITE FESTIVE DINNER of the entire year. To me, Thanksgiving dinner beats Christmas dinner hands down, and *gasp* even Chinese New Year dinner. I always make something for Thanksgiving without fail (two years ago I made green bean casserole 3Xs!!!).

This year though... GAAAAAH! So my roommate and I, along with two other friends from our congregation, decided that we were going out to eat dinner. And boy, am I glad, and SO VERY THANKFUL THAT PEOPLE ARE WILLING TO WORK ON THANKSGIVING. I know, I know, in an ideal world, everyone would be given the day off.

And in an ideal world, I wouldn't be so exhausted that the thought of even buying a turkey wouldn't send shudders down my back.

But back to reality: We had to hunt around a bit since most places were understandably close, and finally found Texas de Brazil. Similar to Tucanos and Rodizio Grill, Texas de Brazil serves Brazilian-style food, with the sliced meat served to you, and an unlimited soup, salad and sides bar. For Thanksgiving, they added a few more traditional side dishes to the menu, and the cost of the meal included a free soda and a dessert.

Oh
my
word,
the food was soooooo good!

4 Happy Customers

Yes, I sacrificed some of my favorite traditional foods, like stuffing and green bean casserole and endless dessert... plus, it cost A LOT of money ($45+ tax + tip!!! I've never spent so much on myself for a meal in my life!). But oh man, the payoff was so worth it. The food was excellent, the service was wonderful, and they even allowed us to pack dessert home since we were stuffed to the max by the end of dinner. Best of all, no cleaning! Bwa ha ha ha ha ha ha! I woke up today wanting to go back and eat the meat again.

Once again, I truly appreciate those who sacrifice their time with family and friends to work so that other people can have Thanksgiving Dinner. You guys have no idea how relieved I was to have found this place, and then be treated so well there! Thank you.

Happy Holidays everyone! Hope you guys had a fun and excellent Thanksgiving like I did, especially during this cold November.

No Justice, No Peace

Last night, Darren Wilson was not indicted for putting 6 bullets into Michael Brown's body. And Ferguson bled.

Yes, I am aware that Brown was not entirely innocent -- there was drugs in his system, he had robbed a store, he resisted arrest and got into a scuffle with Wilson, etc. When the news first broke months ago, I myself thought, "Michael Brown is not really the best example we want to use to talk about injustice, even if he was a young man..."

Then I read about the 6 bullets.

6 bullets. How many times do you need to shoot to injure the suspect enough to apprehend him/her?  I don't know what the magic number is, but 6??? Furthermore, Brown was unarmed. It wouldn't have been so clear a case if Brown had a weapon and injured Wilson. However, Brown did not have a weapon, and when you shoot 6 bullets into an unarmed person, it's a no brainer-- guess who's going to die.

What really galls me is the fact that Wilson was not even indicted to go to trial, which means he will not have to account for every bullet that he put into Brown's body. You want to talk about defending Wilson, what about letting him explain every single decision behind every single bullet. Perhaps there was a justification for 6 bullets, but guess what, we'll never know now.

Aside from the clear injustice of the decision, my Facebook has been inundated with posts either protesting the decision, or saying something along the lines of, "Why are people looting and protesting and using violence to voice their disagreement with the decision, or vent their anger against the system? It doesn't solve anything"

Well, my friends, because this is not a one-time thing that black people happen to vent their anger out on. The truth is, Darren Wilson is not the 1st or 2nd or 3rd or 4th or 5th or 6th or 10th or even the 100th police officer to commit such a gross crime, especially against black people or people of racial minority. This is probably the X000th time this has happened. For example, see THIS ARTICLE detailing another recent incident, the Trayvon Martin shooting. The article also throws into relief some needed historical perspective that shows how black people have been repeatedly screwed over thrown under the bus by the system throughout the decades.

Pray, tell me, how many times should one group of people suffer from injustice again and again and again and again and again and again and again before they have had enough and decide to fight back? True, violence and looting are probably not the best solutions to venting anger and frustration, but I can understand the fury behind their actions.

I wrote on my Facebook status "No justice, no peace. RIP Michael Brown," and a friend commented, "Seriously?" I'm not sure what he meant by that, except to infer that he disagreed with my status, and that's fine. However, I would like to respond here:
Yes, I'm serious. There was no justice to this decision. How do you expect me, a woman of racial minority, to have peace of mind, knowing that a cop can shoot me (or my future children) 6 times, and walk free, without even having to go to trial? Sure, Michael Brown wasn't your star poster child, but neither did he deserve to have 6 bullets put into his body. And yes, I'm serious when I say that I hope Michael Brown rests in peace. 

Mid-Semester Slump- It's Real!

It's that time of the year again for those in school: the mid-semester slump.
URGH!
It has really hit me hard this year. Case in point:

Yesterday morning, as I walked into my office, a fellow grad student who serves with me on the Graduate Student Advisory Committee* asked me if we had a committee meeting the next morning. I had completely forgotten about the meeting, and was glad he reminded me.

The next morning, as I waited at the bus stop to go to school, I took out my phone to, well, that's what everyone does now for various reasons, right? Anyway, I took out my phone and saw that I had a slew of new text messages from other GSAC committee members. Three of them wrote that they were going to be very late for the meeting, and another apologized that he/she would not be able to attend.

And that was when I realized that I had forgotten about the meeting... AGAIN. *Facepalm* The meeting was scheduled to start at 10am, and there I was, waiting at the bus stop at 9:57am, oblivious to the mini-storm of anxious text messages until I checked my phone. Thank goodness most of us were late, and decided to reschedule the meeting till next week.

Thanksgiving and Christmas break can't come fast enough.

*The Graduate Student Advisory Committee (GSAC) consists of six graduate students in the history department at OSU, and they represent the graduate student body to the various faculty committees in the history department, and also organize forums/ events for graduate students. 

Struggling with Depression

When I served a mission for my church a few years ago (okay, it's been more than a "few"), I had two companions who suffered from depression. I had no idea how to deal with it with them, and as a person with very little patience, I am ashamed to say that my behavior to them at times was anything but Christlike. Later when I returned to college, I had an apartment mate who also dealt with depression. Once again, I hit a blank wall regarding how to help her. Thank goodness she sought medical treatment, and took a very active and serious role in combating her own depression.

Then I came to graduate school, and spiraled into very mild depression. Nothing too serious and fortunately, I did not need medical help. With the help of family, friends, and church leaders, I was blessed to overcome my depression (for now). However, the experience sobered me to the sense of hopelessness and frustrations that people with depression face. Even today, I still don't quite know how to help these friends, except to "be there" for them (and "being there" is such an abstract concept).

May we have the patience, understanding and wisdom to help those who are courageously fighting this battle everyday.

The Importance of Small Cars

Whenever people see my car, one of the first things they notice is how small it is (the word they use is "cute"). It's not tiny like a mini cooper, but yeah, it's small.

And I bought it precisely because it's small! This is my first car, and when I first got it, I didn't feel confident enough to be able to squeeze into a small parking space or make tight turns. Plus, I was looking for something cheap. Hence, small car. I might be up for a slightly bigger car the next time, but my current car is great and I'm not in a hurry to trade her in.

In fact, for a 14 year old car, she is looking dang fine! She's still very fuel efficient, parks easily, and runs smoothly. I have had to take in her for some repairs, but hey, what do you expect from a 14 year old car? I've become a fan of Toyota.

And like a proud mama, I have to brag about the good deed she did last week. Last Wednesday, after institute, as I got into my car, a young guy came up and asked if I had jumper cables. Unfortunately, I did not, and he left dejected. As I pulled away from the parking lot, I noticed a car with the hood up, and the guy fiddling with it. Apparently he lived in the apartment building behind the institute, and was having car trouble. I pulled up somewhat close, and asked him to go to the institute since I was sure someone there had jumper cables. He explained that he already had jumper cables, but his were too short, and so couldn't connect them to the cars nearby. Plus, no one else was around so he couldn't ask for help from anyone else.

Then he looked at my car, noticed its size, and said something along the lines of, "I wonder if your car can fit into that narrow gap...Would you mind trying?" I had no idea what he was talking about, until I saw I saw the "gap" that he was referring to.

My oh my.

Diagram not to size, but close enough

It wasn't impossible, but I was terrified that I was going to hit the tree on my left or some random stranger's car on the right. My car literally inched forward, and I swear both my side mirrors barely missed the tree and stranger's car. Little by little I crept forward until it was near enough for him to connect his jumper cables to my car. And it worked! His car restarted soon after. 

So, the next time you want to buy a big car, sure, go ahead. But don't dismiss the small, "cute" cars because guess what-- these small cars might just one day save your hide!

[Or go buy longer jumper cables- that works too I guess.] 

The First Year

Yesterday, I sat on a panel given to first year students in my program titled "Reflections of the First Year."

The First Year.

Such scary words, very scary memories.

My first year was an absolutely mess, and I felt dreadfully lost and overwhelmed. I think I suffered from very mild PTSD, and in no way am I saying this to demean the sacrifice of our soldiers and troops, but believe me, something broke inside, and it took me awhile to recover. I felt like I was thrown into this war zone called "Grad School- Good Luck," and everyday was a battle to get up and go on, instead of defecting and giving up. I sincerely hope no one has to go through the same experience I did.

As I sat on that panel and reflected back my journey so far (I'm in my 3rd year- oh my word!), I couldn't help but think how far I've come. Here are some things I've learned:

1) God is Good. I don't know why this is the path I'm supposed to take (definitely not because of dating/ marriage reasons), but I'm on it and I've learned and grown so much. 

2)  It gets better. I thought I would never say this, but it miraculously does! 

3) Take it one day at a time. Sometimes, the mundane routine (wake-up, eat breakfast, brush teeth, etc.) is the only thing getting me through, but by golly, at least I'm moving. 

4) Be genuinely nice, and things will work out. The academic world of the humanities is very liberal, and it's hard to balance between standing up for your convictions while sympathizing with their point of view. However, as long as you are genuinely nice, most people will respect you and want to make friends with you. 

5) Surround yourself with good friends, both in and out of the department. My friends kept me sane. It was my office mates (a few who have since graduated) that told me to hang in there and that it will get better. It was my fellow grad students that patiently explained who Foucault was and why he mattered (or not), and the idiosyncrasies of the professors in the department. It was my church  friends who made me laugh in times of academic-sorrow and disappointments. Most importantly, going through these experiences with friends has taught me that school, and life, is NOT a competition, but a journey that we need to help each other pass through. 

6) Find at least one outlet that is non-academic related. For me, it was church. Not only did it provide emotional comfort and spiritual feeding, but my church assignments also forced me to serve others and look outside of myself. I realized that there were many others who carried equally heavy burdens, just of a different nature. See #5 again. 

7) Make sure you cultivate a good relationship with your adviser (and other faculty members). It was my adviser who taught me how to write a book review, a historiography paper, and to chill out even though my CV in my first year was horrifyingly bare. Other faculty members have also been very supportive and encouraging in my work. [I'm very fortunate to be in this department.]

8) It's gets better. I can't stress this enough, and that's why I'm repeating this. I honestly didn't know how it could ever get better when I was going through my first year nightmare, and yet, it did. I survived. 

I'm still overwhelmed and lost. I still don't know what my fellow grad students are talking about/ referring to sometimes. I still have a long while to go before I can even think about taking my candidacy exam. I still struggle to defend my views and moral standpoint in an environment that is hostile to my beliefs. But I survived my first, and second, year of graduate school (with a Masters diploma to show for it!), and it has truly been a rich and educating journey.

You Win Some, You Lose Some

I'm not a huge fan of American football (I still don't really understand what Bowl games are except that they are the last game of the season and a big deal. Right?), but I LOVE SCHOOL SPIRIT. Which means while I don't care that much about watching football, I absolutely LOVE cheering on my schools.

So imagine my disappointment when OSU lost on Saturday to Virginia Tech by... URGH!!! It was disgraceful (35-21). Last week, we trailed Navy for quite a while before finally breaking free to gain a 34-17 victory. *Phew* This week though...

It's such a disappointment because in 2012 had a 12-0 winning streak. 12-0!!! And in 2013, a 11-1 winning streak.
And now, it's 1-1 already. *Groan* C'mon Buckeyes, I have faith in you!

On a much much much more happier note, THE COUGARS THRASHED THE TEXAS LONGHORNS!!! I AM SO HAPPY!!! Final Score 41-7, giving BYU the second victory in a row (and both away games!). Even Yahoo admitted that BYU did good.

My heart melts at knowing my alma mater did good :)

Now praying that OSU's loss was a fluke, and that BYU's victory was not!

I Don't Care About Your Politics, Mormons

My friend shared THIS ARTICLE, titled "Just How Big is the 'Mormon Left,'" on Facebook a few days ago, and it caught my eye because, well, it's no secret that I'm not a conservative Mormon.

On the other hand, after I read the article, my feelings were, "Oh great, here we go again. Another one of those 'statistic' reports that focus only on North America- as if North America represents the rest of the world- and
WHY DO YOU/ I HAVE TO POLITICIZE MY RELIGION? WHO THE HECK CARES???!!!"  

I'm sorry, I don't care if you are a liberal/ Democrat Mormon, or a conservative/ Republican Mormon or (insert your own political leaning combination here) Mormon. I don't care.

You know what I care about? I care about how your religion changes your life, and how you use your religious teachings as a guide to treating those around you. That's what I care about. 

Perhaps, that is why I've never really been attracted to the Ordain Women (OW) movement. As moderately progressive and liberal as I think I am, OW has not had my support because they've not given me the impression that they want female ordination for genuine service and altruistic purposes. I could be wrong, but I've not heard about their "game plan" after women are ordained, like how priesthood ordination of women will give women more opportunities for service and change the lives of those around them for the better. Their platform seems to be more along the lines of "individual rights" and "gender equality" -- and once again, we are back to politicizing religion, and where definitions of "equality" and what constitutes "rights" are still heavily-contested terms.

I understand that religion can (and should) influence the decisions you make in your life, such as what causes you contribute to, etc. But please don't make it into this
"I am a liberal and more progressive and righteous compared to your provincial conservatives, so we need to make our voices heard to help bring change to the church"
vs.
"I am more conservative and more righteous than you liberals who are trying to introduce heresy into the church, so shut up liberals"
contest.

I don't care if you are in the 90%-non-Mormon Left/ 10%-Mormon Left. I don't care which political party you associate with.  I don't care if you voted for Romney or not. I'm more concerned about how your religion and politics makes you and the world around you a better place. After all, Christ said that it is through their "fruits" (Matthew 7:16) that we can identify his prophets and disciples, NOT their professed empty religiosity or political leanings.

My 0.05 Seconds of Fame

So remember THIS POST when I (unashamedly) boasted about my 0.2 seconds of fame?
Well, my dear long-suffering and loyal readers who have to put up with my bragging, I have to boast again.

Sorry. You can stop reading here.

But if you are still reading, thank you for putting up with my massive ego.

And right now, for my awesome news (*drumroll*): I'm featured on a podcast for my department's monthly public online magazine Origins*!!!  Two fellow graduate students and I were interviewed separately about three countries -- Bosnia (Sarajevo), Serbia (Belgrade), and Singapore -- and how these countries are commemorating the 100th anniversary of the outbreak of World War One (1914-1918). Titled "Memories of the Great War," the entire podcast can be listened to/ downloaded HERE. It lasts about 30 minutes, although my segment only takes the last one-third. If I say so myself, I was intrigued by how different and contrasting our accounts were.

To further entice you to listen to the podcast, here are pictures of the memorials I refer to in it:

Anti-clockwise from the top: 

The Cenotaph, the surface that was vandalized on the Cenotaph, 

St. Andrew's Cathedral, and a memorial plaque in the cathedral

So that is my 0.05 seconds of fame. Short but well, I can't be too brag-gy right? :)

Also, if anyone is looking at making picture collages like the one above on their computers, I recommend using Pizap. No, I'm wasn't paid or approached by the staff to promote their product (I'm not that famous). This is just an easy website I found. I got tired of uploading my pictures one by one, and this was a fun way of grouping them better too. 

*Origins is a monthly ad-free magazine that features top scholars on today's most pressing topics published by the Ohio State History Department, and an e-resource for anyone interested in understanding the historical origins of current day issues and events. Past Origins articles and content, available for free online, have been utilized by PBS documentaries and NPR stations, while its authors include National Book Award winners and world-renowned scholars. For more information, please visit http://origins.osu.edu/. 

A New Semester... Again

Today is the start of a new semester... and here we go again. I'm so ready for it to begin though because if all goes well, I only have one more year of classes to go!!! The countdown begins. This semester, I'm taking:

1) History of Black Women in America - not really related to my research, but it was one of the courses offered from the U.S. Historians this semester, and I figured it goes well with my Modern U.S. and Women & Gender fields.

2) Center for Historical Research year-long fortnightly seminar: State, Power and Culture - once again not really connected to my work, but I think it can be useful since I study the interaction of state and non-state actors, and culture.

3) Independent Study course - I'll do readings about women and transnational history. Really excited about this, although I foresee a lot of intense reading. When it's just you having one-on-one sessions with the professor, you better know your stuff!

Other than those 3 classes, I'm grading for a History of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) History in America, 1940-2003. Yeah...*sigh* I know a lot of other graduate students would love to be in my place, given the current political situation in America and since LGBT history is an up-and-coming field. I'm excited to work with the professor who is teaching this class because he's very friendly, and his work utilizes oral history interviews (which I do too). We have talked about the methodology of oral history interviews, and he has some very useful suggestions and advice.

It's just that I'm not completely comfortable with this subject of queerness, given the current political climate and my personal views and values. I believe that everyone deserves to be treated with kindness and love, and I have a very strict "no-bullying" stance. However, I draw the line at homosexual sexual relations and gay marriage. It is already difficult to discuss (and defend) my feelings with others without them going, "Oh it's just your stupid, oppressive religion that's making you discriminate against others." How am I going to survive being immersed this semester in a course that is most likely going to outright defend and advocate a position that I disagree with?

Of course, as a grader, it isn't my place to go against the professor. It is his course, and he has every right and freedom to design the course however he wants to. I also sincerely feel that we can benefit from greater knowledge about subjects that are not as well-studied, such as LGBT history. Most knowledge helps humanize others and makes us more understanding, hence my "no-bullying" stance.

I just don't know how I'm going to balance between being fair while making sure that I don't cross the line. Will I emerge unscathed at the end of the semester? Probably not.

It's going to be quite a semester.

Confession: My New Addiction

School is starting soon (cue "Jaws" theme song), but am I getting ready for it? Other than a few emails here and there... HECK NO! Gotta enjoy my freedom!

So what have I been doing, aside from decorating my room and blogging?

Introducing... my new addiction, RUNNING MAN! It is a South Korean game/ variety show that debuted in 2010, and is still ongoing.


Each week, the show is filmed in a landmark building in S. Korea (the art museum, the national theater, etc), and the cast has to complete a host of zany missions to avoid being "punished" at the end.

I had heard so much about it before, but never had the time or interest to check it out. Now that I am procrastinating have time, I started from episode one and

OH

MY

WORD

I can't stop laughing and watching.

Not only do they do the weirdest things to complete their missions, there are "special" sound and image effects included by the editors to make everything more dramatic. The editing isn't the best (very obvious where they cut-and-paste-d because of the repetition) but it makes everything so much funnier.

Do yourself a favor and begin from episode 1 (below or click HERE). It will be one of funniest hour and a half you will spend in your life! You can skip the first 15 minutes where they introduce the cast members and guests. And even though it's in Korean, there are English subtitles.

Running Man... HWAITING!

[And Jung Yong Hwa melts my heart... :p]

Perfect Timing

I am NOT a good photographer by any means- and I'm not trying to be modest. I'm just realistic about my artistic skills. It is my belief that my second sister (the one right after me) got all the artistic genes because she has one heck of a creative mind and excels in art, while I stink at it.

No, really. I once played a game that involved drawing, and warned my friends that I couldn't draw to save my life. After playing a few rounds, my friend turned to me and said, "Wow you really weren't kidding when you said you can't draw."
Yeah...

*Sigh* I can live with not having the ability to draw well though. However, I really wish I was a better photographer.

BUT even as an amateur photographer, sometimes, just sometimes, you get a rare picture in which you clicked the shutter at
just
the
right
moment.
[Or maybe your model did xx/yy/zz at just the right moment... (-__-) C'mon, give me a little credit here!]

There are some fantastic "perfect timing" pictures you can Google on Buzzfeed, such as THESE PICTURES. I'm don't think I'll ever achieve that level of photography in this life, but I don't mind settling for pictures such as this:

My beautiful sister at reaching Taal Volcano

OR

This picture, which is my favorite of all the pictures I took while in Manila (more about my trip HERE and HERE). We were about to board the boat at the base of Taal volcano to return back to the mainland, and there were a few children playing at the shore. I asked if I could take a picture of them, to which they cheerfully obliged. I aimed my camera, and counted to three. Just as I said "3" and clicked the shutter, to my complete surprise, this little boy jumped out of the water.

And that is how I ended up with a perfectly timed picture of a cheeky little boy in all his birthday suit glory. 

I may not have good photography skills, but heck man, sometimes even the most professional photographers can't capture priceless moments such as these! 

Beauty Amid Squalor

A few weeks ago, I traveled to Manila, the capital of the Philippines, with my Mom, sister, and two church friends. It was... an experience. We went during off-peak season, and yet, Manila is already so crowded so I guess there isn't much difference whether we went during peak season or not.

Divisoria

As we traveled through the city, my heart sank as I witnessed the poverty and filth. Traffic was TERRIBLE- it took us about an hour to travel from the hotel to the LDS temple, a distance of only about 13 km/ 8 miles! You would think they would at least make the capital nice and all... Nope. Not to say modernization hasn't taken place, but you just know it could have been so much better if it weren't for the rampant corruption. Once, on a ride back to Manila, we passed a house where reporters were camping outside. The taxi driver told us that the house belonged to one of the three Filipino Senators involved in the Priority Development Assistance Fund scam, and the reporters were waiting for the arrest warrant. It is estimated that the government was defrauded of 10 billion pesos, or US$230 million, in this scam alone! How much more money has been siphoned off by other corrupt officials?
The taxi drivers are also constantly ripping tourists off. Either they will quote you a fixed price that is way above what the meter would have calculated, or if you go by the meter, they will take the longer route. It tells a lot about the condition of living when the taxi drivers are so poor that they have to resort to such tricks. Even the tuk tuk drivers in Cambodia were more honest and upfront. It's just sad.

Still, you can find beauty amid the squalor, such as:
- The lush vegetation of the Philippines. At least, outside of Manila. GORGEOUS!!!

- Taal Volcano at Tagaytay (if I heard correctly, it's pronounced "ta-ga-it-tai") City. Taal volcano is the second most active in the Philippines, and the only active volcano around Manila. Cool fact: the entire volcano is an island itself.)

The boat ride to the volcano. 

The weather was beautiful going there (it started raining on the way back).

Ariel view to prove my point... (hee hee)

Photo by bon salido at Panoramio

It was cool to see an active volcano, even though it wasn't the fire-spewing, flaming-orange monster I imagined it to be. In fact, it looked like a placid, blue lake.

So anti-climatic! Until I found out that it's because the mouth is surrounded by a lake. Seriously, a volcano within a lake within a volcano... kinda cool!

- Horseback riding up to the volcano. This was my first time horseback riding to a destination (as opposed to riding round a pen), and it was fun but harder than I thought! My horse/ pony and guide:

We paid about S$40 (US$32)/ person for the half-hour boat ride to-and-fro, the horseback ride up and down the volcano, and a personal guide. Well worth the money (although my friend later told me she paid even less- urgh!).

- The innocence of the next generation:

A group of children were playing near where the boat landed at Taal volcano, and a few of them were stark naked!  I asked a group of them to pose, and the whole group started clamoring for their picture to be taken.After I took their picture and got onto the boat, a few of them begged for candy or money in exchange for posing. It's just sad.

We were at the local market, and saw people selling bags and bags of rubber bands.

Children (and adults) would buy them to make these colorful bands:

Youth and children at church proudly displaying their creations.

- The friendliness of the local church congregation. These people worship in a very humble chapel, and where the facilities are nothing to boast about. Yet, the people... It was by far the friendliest ward I have ever been too. I have never had so many people, adult and youth(!), come up and introduce themselves. They also made an effort to translate the Sunday School and Relief Society lesson into English for our sake. It was an eye-opening experience.





- The Manila Philippines Temple of the LDS Church. The weather wasn't too conducive for picture taking, but you can still see how beautiful the walls are.

- The pineapple. Seriously. The Philippines is known for its dried mango, but since we didn't go there during mango season, we had to settle for the pineapple... and waaaaah! It was SO GOOD and so cheap!!!

- Mini-figurine display of the Life of Christ within Greenhills Shopping Center. I was so astonished when my church friends took us to this (literal) hole in the wall in a shopping center, and it turned out to be this low-key, absolutely beautiful figurine display showcasing scenes from the life of Christ. The juxtaposition... 

[On the subject of shopping, Manila has tons of shopping malls, and because the Singapore dollar is much stronger than the peso, I shopped like crazy .]

Like I mentioned, it was an experience. Would I go there again? Frankly, I don't know. I didn't feel safe, and that is a huge factor for me. Still, I don't regret going. No matter what, there's always something to enjoy, appreciate and learn. 

One Week Back

I've been back in Columbus for about a week now, but man, what a week it's been! Some "blahs", some "yeahs". Let's see,

"Blah": I'm still a little homesick. Read my last post and maybe you can get an idea of why. I wasn't expecting this because I thought I should be used to moving back and forth by now, but apparently my heart has other ideas. I'm sure it'll get better once I'm swept away in the whirlwind of schoolwork again. 

"Yeah!": Miss Cee and I moved to a townhouse (actually she and another friend very kindly moved my stuff to our new place while I was in Singapore), and I'm enjoying my new place. My room is much bigger, and I've enjoyed having the wall space to pull out a lot of my decorating stuff that I had stored away. Plus, I have a small walk-in closet! I feel so atas (Snglish for "highbrow, high-class")- bwa ha ha ha ha... It's tiny though, more like a walk-in cupboard, so no need to be jealous ;) Here's just a sneak peek (pardon the quality of the pics taken using my phone):

Also, never say never. I was wondering how to hang my necklaces in my room, and there was a suggestion to use command hooks. I dismissed the idea immediately because I thought it would look too tacky. Well, guess what?!

My necklaces now hang on 5 clear plastic command hooks, and it actually looks good! So again, never say never.

"Blah":

I'm not a huge fan of Robin Williams or something, but I was still sad to learn that we've lost a world-class comedian. He made me laugh as a kid, and I thank him for making the world a better place through his talent and works. May he rest in peace now. 

"Yeah": Guess what I went to pick up from school today?!?!?!

Yup, remember THIS POST of being stuck in stupid limbo? Long story short: After resubmitting in my paperwork, and paying $161 for "student activity fees" (i.e. ploy to milk my money), I got my diploma! And I actually got back in time for the graduation ceremony, but since I was continuing on to the PhD program, I thought it was so anti-climatic and waste of money to go for graduation. So sorry, no pictures of my in my gown because I didn't get one!!! But now this diploma hangs on my wall- hooray, especially after all that drama! 

Overall, it's been a rather relaxing week because school hasn't started yet. Yeah yeah yeah! I do have work (it's never ending...) but since it's not urgent, I'm just going to put it off, and enjoy my last few weeks of summer and, more importantly, FREEDOM!!! (:p) Here's to procrastination! 

Bittersweet National Day

Perhaps today is the most apt day to write this post- it's Singapore's National Day (August 9).

Happy 49th Birthday Singapore!!! I love you!



Only I'm not back home, but in Columbus. Whenever someone found out I was returning to Columbus on August 6, they inevitably went, "Huh? Before National Day?" Unfortunately, plane tickets over National Day weekend and after that cost a few hundred dollars more, and I didn't think it was worth it to pay so much more when my ticket was already over $1,700!

But it gets harder to leave home every time. Maybe it's because I'm getting old(er) and ready for more permanency and stability, as opposed to the carefree but unstable life of a single, graduate student. My wanderlust to travel far from home decreases with each passing year.

Or maybe it's because it hit me this trip that my parents are getting older, and I have a duty to take care of them more. My parents are very active and healthy, but still...

Or maybe it's because I find that I'm much more comfortable in an Asian environment, and that I want to raise a family with Asian cultural values. I'm a very Singaporean heartland girl.

Or maybe it's just the food. I'm sorry, but you just can't beat the variety and taste of food in Singapore. I miss the food so so so so so so so so much.

Singapore is not a perfect country- far from it. Just from this trip alone, I've observed how increasingly materialistic Singaporeans are becoming (including myself- I bought SO MUCH clothes this trip). Since the standard of living has drastically increased , the cost of labor/ rent/ service is also very high, which means that EVERYTHING is expensive. I cringed when I walked into a grocery store and saw how much a candy bar cost (S$2.20/US$1.80! In the States, a candy bar costs only US$1). Furthermore, no one really cares about history there, much less American and/ or women's history, so I'm basically screwed if I want to find a job as a history professor.
Also, the dating pool of Mormon men in Singapore is very very very tiny. Just saying. (To be fair, even though the dating pool in America is much bigger, not much dating takes place there either. It's a global problem.)

That's why I appreciate what America has to offer. It truly is a land of opportunity, and I know that if I didn't come to the States to study, I wouldn't have qualified into a PhD program. I've also made so many awesome friends here, and if I move permanently back to Singapore, it is their friendships I will miss the most (thank goodness for Facebook right?). So I do love America.

Yet, there is just something about being home. This secure, breathe-a-sigh-of-relief feeling.
Dick Lee was right when he wrote the lyrics to my favorite National Day song, Home.
"This is home truly, where I know I must be
Where my dreams wait for me, where the river always flows.
This is home surely, as my senses tell me
This is where I won't be alone, for this is where I know it's home."

Does anyone else understand what I'm talking about?

Sadly, I'm afraid all my love for Singapore won't be enough. I don't know if I will ever move back to Singapore permanently because I don't seem to have a place there. I am an American citizen who wants to teach American history- who would hire me?! And even with my Singapore permanent residency (// American green card), I don't qualify for certain benefits that would make life easier. Since the Mormon dating pool is so tiny, I will almost certainly remain single for the rest of my life, and even if I (miracle of miracles!) marry and raise a family there, I, as a full-time homemaker, will be treated as a second-class citizen.

It's a very bittersweet reality.