Top 10 Memories for 2015

Once again, my annual list of top 10 memories for the previous year in no particular order:

1) I passed my candidacy examination! For those of you outside of academia (and count your blessing that you are), the candidacy exam is the last major exam you take as a PhD student before you can are allowed to write your dissertation. You can read more about my experience HERE and HERE.

2) Family trip to Siem Reap, Cambodia (again). I fall in love with Southeast Asia more each time I return. I promised a post on it and...it's coming. I know, I said that like months ago, but really, I'm finally going through my gazillion pictures and trying to select the best. A preview of things to come:

3) Family trip to Penang, Malaysia. The entire city/ state of Penang is a UNESCO Heritage Site, and I can see why. There is a rustic charm to it that I fear perpetuates Orientalism so I have mixed feelings whenever I visit "UNESCO Heritage Sites," but I still had a wonderful time. I will post about it once I get done with my post on Siem Reap. Not as many pictures but certainly just as many fun memories!

4) I received a huge national grant that will enable me to stay in Singapore until September 2016. Hooray! Counting my blessings. More food bwa ha ha ha ha!

5) I drove from Ohio to Utah alone (again). As I wrote in this post, NEVER AGAIN will I make this trip alone, and this time for realz. I'm dragging a sibling/ friend with me the next time I have to do it again. I was in Utah for a month to participate in the 50th Mormon History Association Conference, and do more archival research at the Church History Library. Oh yes, and I used Airbnb for the first time. Very satisfied transaction and will use it again in the future (this post is NOT sponsored).

6) I taught my first undergraduate class online: History 2610: History of Women and Gender in the United States. Teaching a class for the first time is time consuming. I heard teaching it online is 10x worse, and I can see why. I'm SO glad it is over. While I learned a lot, it wasn't the most pleasant experience. Maybe I will write about it in a few months time after I've healed from this hard, emotional journey.

7) SG50 -- Singapore's official "name" in celebration of its landmark 50th birthday. You don't see a country turn 50 years old everyday, much less one as prosperous and developed as Singapore. So many retail and food outlets gave discounts in honor of SG50; public transportation was free on National Day, and the National Day celebration parade was quirky and awesome! My tears welled up when the camera panned in on the empty seat of 国父 Lee Kuna Yew. In addition to being home for the celebrations, my friend randomly selected this weekend to visit Singapore! We had fun visiting the Botanical Gardens, eating, braving the crowds along the bayfront at Marina Bay, and Universal Studios Singapore.

8) Church Assignments. I have mixed feelings about this because everyone naturally assumes that since I am "only" a graduate student, I have plenty of "free time." Right? NOT TRUE. Anyway, this year alone, I've been assigned to these various jobs, sometimes one at a time, other times simultaneously: ward missionary, my congregation's music chairwoman, temporary music leader for Primary (church session for children), substitute Sunday School teacher, and led my congregation in organizing part of a live Nativity put up by my church. My congregation was in charge of King Harod's room (cast and decoration). Considering that my assistants and I had never done this before, and limited resources, I have to say we did quite a remarkable job.

Pics courtesy of Zhang YC

As my congregation's music leader, I also put up my very first Christmas-Sacrament Meeting cantata. Lots of work and so grateful for the angels (earthly and heavenly) God sent to help.

9) My maternal grandmother passed away, and we held a Buddhist funeral procession for her. I wasn't close to her but she was amazing in the sense that she lived till a ripe old age of 97 despite being a life-long chain smoker and gambler. It's good that I was home to say my last goodbyes, and I saw LOTS of relatives.

10) Living back home for months in one long stretch... haven't done this in a loooooong time. It is tough to move back in with the parents for a long period of time. Not going to lie there. I desperately miss my apartment, roommate and INDEPENDENCE in Columbus. But life is full of trade-offs, and I guess I can tolerate being un-independent again for the next 8 months in exchange for instances of maternal pampering and THE FOOD. Oh my word, the food is worth everything.

Honorable mention: 3-day trip to Guangzhou, China in September. First time to China! I went with my friend and her colleague, and while the trip was too short, it was fun and there is A LOT of shopping to do there. Too bad the clothes weren't to my taste. We also toured a mausoleum of one of the ancient kings of Guangzhou-- super cool!

Happy 2016, and I hope I'm more consistent at blogging this year!