Quick Life Update

So I had grand plans to do a series of blog posts about my family's epic trip to the United States, (read Part I of our time in Washington D.C. here!). Just like I had plans to make an elaborate Christmas gift for my parents this year.

And due to...well, life problems + my procrastination + other life things you know, both of these grand plans have not materialized. They will get done eventually, just not soon. Although I'm working hard on that Christmas gift for my parents...

Anyway, I thought I'd do a quick update in case anyone is wondering what is going on with my life...not that many people care. 😂

1) I've moved back to Singapore, and am finding a job here! It is GOOD to be home. Do I miss living in the U.S.? Some parts, such as living on my own and having my own apartment. It's also been a struggle to not have a steady paycheck these past few months as I job hunt. But with the U.S. in such political chaos now, I admit that it's nice to away from it all.

Plus Singapore is home! It feels right, so I'm very glad to be here. I'm applying to jobs in Singapore and the States (and anywhere frankly), but I'm crossing my fingers I find a job here.

Picture source: Pinterest

2) I've took up a traditional Peranakan shoe beading class, and love it. The Peranakan culture is indigenous to Singapore and Malaysia, and evolved from the inter-marrying of Chinese and Malays in this region of the world. On the right is a picture of a pair of traditional Peranakan shoes. Please note that the shoe pattern is not cloth, but BEADS. Yes, tiny beads are covering the entire surface of the shoe "cloth" -- the flowers, leaves, and white background.

As you can imagine, it is painstaking to bead these shoes, and I'm experiencing it first hand. Here is a sneak preview of my first pair of shoes I'm beading (and at the rate I'm going, probably my last as well...).

My eyes, my eyes! And my hand. And back. 

Yet, I love it. It's soothing, and I garner an immense sense of satisfaction from seeing the beading come together. Now I finally understand why each shoe is sold for hundreds of dollars! Hoping to get it done before I start work.

3) I've started another blog! I know, I can't deliver on my promise to write those posts about my family trip on this blog, and there I go starting another one. 😁 But I've had this idea for the new blog for a few months already, but didn't have the time to execute it. Since I'm jobless now, I decided to take the plunge and just do it. 

So introducing my new blog, "The Hack Test Lab" (https://thehacktestlab.blogspot.com) 💖 Have you seen those million and one hacks on social media, and wondered if those hacks actually work, and are worth the effort? Wonder no more! My blog to the rescue. I tests all kinds of hacks on this blog, and give it a rating from 1 to 10. I'm hoping to post 4-5 times a week, though I've never posted so frequently so *gulp* I'll try my best.

Anyway, I need YOUR help. I would love it if you read this new blog, and let me know what you think of it. And if you have a hack that you would like me to test, let me know! I would love to do it for you. Or hey, if you would like to do a guest post, THAT WOULD BE AWESOME TOO!!! 

FYI to kick off my blog, I've tested a bunch of Christmas hacks because Christmas (hooray!), and why not use some hacks if they work, right? I just posted my verdict on using a potato chip bag as a gift bag, and the hack that allows you to mail letters without envelopes. Please go check them out! 

*Muaz 💋* to all you readers, and if I don't post again this week, MERRY CHRISTMAS! My annual "Miss Keesh's Top 10 Memories" post is coming soon...hopefully before 2018. 

EPIC Lai Family Trip-- PART 1 WASHINGTON D.C.

My family recently took a very long road trip literally across the United States, and drove almost 9,500 miles/ 15,300 km in two months. I testify that it is way too much driving. But at least we had some major family bonding time.

Also, we traveled across the United States. How many people can say they've done that? I think my family has traveled to more states than even some Americans. Washington D.C. => New York => Ohio => Missouri => Illinois => Nebraska => Wyoming => Utah => Tennessee (where we dropped off one of my sisters for graduate school) => Nevada => Utah (my dad flew home to Singapore from here) => Ohio => Kentucky => Tennessee => Utah => California. 

Anyway, here are some highlights from our trip, beginning in Washington D.C.

This was my 3rd time going back to Washington D.C. this year (woah!), but this time I returned with my mom and one of my sisters. We went to the major Smithsonian museums, the Library of Congress, the Capitol, Arlington National Cemetery, and visited the National Monuments.

Above: the Arlington National Cemetery; below: the requisite Lincoln Memorial, Washington Monument, and White House.

I have to put in a plug for probably what is still my favorite Smithsonian -- the highly underrated Renwick Gallery. The pieces in the museum will make your jaw drop as long as you read the descriptions that accompany each piece. They will help you understand what you are viewing, and then your mind will 💥.

My mom and I also visited Ford's Theatre, where President Abraham Lincoln was assassinated. It was my first time there, and I thoroughly enjoyed the tour, despite the $3 admission fee (I'm spoiled by the free Smithsonians).

This is the theater box where Lincoln was shot...so historic!

Also, this:

A tower of books written about Abraham Lincoln. No kidding. I think only God has more books written about Him. It was thus ironic that the plaque at the bottom of the tower quoted Lincoln as saying, "Books serve to show a man that those original thoughts of his aren't very new at all." 😅 Wonder what Lincoln would have said about these books. 

A few days later, my father and youngest sister flew to join us, and we attended the Washington D.C. temple as a family since...never! I just realized that this was the first time all five of us did a temple session together. 

The Visitors' Center also had a (relatively) new miniature temple model for visitors to see the interior of the building, with the real temple situated in the background. 😍

We ate at Shake Shack for the first time. The fries were okay, but the burgers were fantastic! We loved it so much, we went back again. We didn't get to try their famous frozen custard and shakes, but you bet we will next time.

Surprise, surprise but we met up with a couple from Singapore who now live in Maryland, and also the son of an old family friend from Utah. It was great to see all of them again, especially the family friend. My parents had not seen him since he was a little boy, and now he has a son of his own! 

It was also in D.C. that my family rented a mini-van. It was my first time driving a mini-van (heavy and huge), and driving in D.C. I finally understand why people complain about D.C. drivers because their complaints are ALL TRUE! It is terrifying to drive there. I'll just stick to the terrible-but-at-least-I'm-not-fighting-traffic D.C. public transportation system. 

Finally, I have to give a shout out to the Airbnb we stayed at. My family enjoyed the place, and it was reasonably priced considering that it is in Washington D.C. It is far from the National Mall (where the major sights are), but it was cheap to uber to the closest station (Fort Totten), then take the  20-30 minute train ride into the city. The host was attentive and helpful. Great place for a family! 

*Drumroll*

Guess what happened on August 6, 2017? 

I GRADUATED!!!

Happy dance day! 

[Picture taken a few weeks later at my sister's graduation from BYU, courtesy of her friend.] 

That robe...it was so RED and billowy. And guess how much it cost? US$500...

Not even close. $800?

Nope.

It cost more than a $1000. And I had to get it shipped to me, so extra shipping cost (no picking up from the store allowed). Freaking daylight robbery. You can rent it but it will still cost over $700. Also you would think after years of making gowns they would sew at least one pocket into the gown. Ha ha. No, it only had a slit, supposedly for men to be able to reach into their gowns and access the pocket in their pants. Good luck to those who could not find a skirt or dress to wear with pockets for graduation. I'm telling you, male privilege is a real thing. 

Anyway, did I tell you I graduated?! :) 

After months of holing up in my apartment synthesizing and analyzing my data, writing, revising, re-writing, tearing my hair out, not sleeping, breaking out in acne, and wrangling with the Graduate School over paperwork, IT IS FINALLY OVER!!! 

And to top it off, my parents and sisters flew in from Singapore and Utah to attend my graduation! 

My whole family together after two years! It was a great reunion. In fact, we have been traveling this whole last month, and I promise there will be more posts coming on this epic family trip. Let's just say, when we returned the rental car after borrowing it for a month, we discovered that we had driven over 9,000 miles! Ah. Family. And 

so

much

driving.

Also, the Lai Sisters are reunited!

But the frosting and cherry on top of my graduation cake was the fact that my best friend and her family flew in from Boston to SURPRISE me for graduation, and her husband took all the gorgeous pictures you see in this post. He did a fantastic job, and I'm so proud to display and post them!

Feeling so loved!

And her daughter...oh my word, you have never met a more friendly toddler till you meet her daughter. 

 She was sooooooooooo cute and friendly! 

Anyway, I did it! I got my doctorate, and now I'm officially "Dr. Keshia Lai." Not gonna lie-- it feels AWESOME to have that "doctor" title in front because I worked darn hard for it. It felt very good to be hooded, and receive the diploma from the president of the university himself. 

But I am also aware that 1) it's a HUGE BLESSING, 2) I couldn't have done it without these people: 

Btw, the above is an excerpt in my dissertation, so if you spot yourself in it, you are immortalized in my dissertation. Hahaha.

NOTE: I didn't list my friends in Singapore because I have too many but I did not forget you guys! I just could not write more because my Acknowledgements was getting too long. Just know I feel so loved to have so many good and supportive friends back home.

Most of all, I have to thank the LDS/ Mormon pioneers in Singapore for letting me interview them, and allowing me to use their information as the data set for my dissertation. Again, if my dissertation ever gets turned into a book, and they read it, I hope they will be pleased with what I did. 

What are my plans now that I'm a doctor (albeit a useless one)? Find a job...somewhere. I'll keep you guys posted. 

I PASSED!!!

I passed my doctoral dissertation defense today! I'm just exhausted so I don't really feel overjoyed or anything like that. Plus I need to do some minor editing before I turn over the final document, and I'm not looking forward to that.

But hey, it's the last 100-meter sprint to the finishing line. Woo hoo!

Me and my awesome committee after the exam :)

MILESTONE

Guess what?!

My dissertation is in the hands of my committee now! All 368 pages.

That's right. 368 pages.

Well, minus about 20 pages of reference/ bibliography notes, title page, acknowledgments, etc... That's still about 348 pages worth of writing. 

PHEW! Any wonders I'm burned out? My body has been so stressed that I've not been able to sleep well, I'm short tempered, my face has broken out with pimples, and I've contracted a cold. Urgh!

Going to take the next few days to rest and decompress, and have a good July 4th/ birthday weekend. 

Then I'll prepare for July 13, when I defend. 

Off to sleep!!! 

Almost done, done, done

Thought I should record this just because it's a milestone for me.

I finished my first draft of my entire dissertation yesterday! Introduction, six chapters, and Conclusion. WOO HOO!

The next 2.5 weeks will be spent revising, and if necessary, rewriting large sections (hopefully not). Then on June 29, it will be out of my hands.

I don't know whether to panic or feel relief about it. Ha ha. All I know is that I'm burned out, and this last 100 meters in this marathon is really, really, really, really, really tough.

I'm so glad today is the Sabbath Day to recharge!

Test of True Loyalty

When I started graduate school, I NEVER thought that BYU would compete against OSU because... what were  the odds?

Ha! Well, once again, never say never. Guess which two schools played in the 2017 NCAA Men's Volleyball Final Championship game? Yup, BYU & OSU. Actually, the two schools went up against each other for the same title last year, but I wasn't here so I didn't know about it. This year, however, since I was in Columbus, and the game was being played at OSU's St. John Arena, I had to go for the game right?

This was my test of true loyalty. Which school should I support? What color do I bleed: blue or red? And the answer is...






(Keep scrolling)

Ta-dah! Proud to bleed blue! And I think it's ironic that I finally met Cosmo after I left BYU. 

It was super weird to wear blue in the sea of red, and then it got 10 times worse when BYU lost. BOO! But I still had fun cheering the players on, and it was a nice break from writing. I have to hand it to the players for keeping it in there, even though OSU had major home turf advantage. So even though we lost, good game boys! I'm just surprised that it's not a rule already that schools cannot host their own final championship games. 

That's the BYU team!

Me and a girl from my ward. She was on BYU's swim team, and is a huge fan of the BYU men's volleyball team. It was so helpful to have her explain the game to me, and tell me who each player was. 

And that smirk on the face of the photobomber. 😈👻

I passed this scene on my walk back to my apartment. That is one of the two bridges that crosses over the Olentangy River to get to my campus. Doesn't look like much in the daytime, but it's pretty at night!

Random Things I've Found

Just some weird things I've seen in the past few months that might not be weird to you, but is to me!

• Not one but TWO professional matchmaking services took out ads in an in-flight magazine for United Airlines. Guess we know where all the single people are...

• For my friends who are fans of Harry Potter, I found Dobby's grave on my school's campus!
  

• Was in D.C. two weekends ago for a workshop, and that same weekend was the March for Climate Change. I didn't see the march itself, but I saw lots of marchers with their signs at the National Mall. And portable latrines.

• Passed this on the way to D.C. in Frostburg, Maryland:
  

Sign under red arrow reads "NOAH'S ARK BEING REBUILT HERE". 😨Nice to know where we should run to if the world is ever flooded again!

• Went for a walk last Saturday morning, and passed a random car show in a parking lot of a movie theater. Or at least I thought it was a car show. There were no signs, just lots of vintage and sports cars parked with their hoods open, as if they were being exhibited. I know next to nothing about cars, but even I could appreciate how cool it was! 

• Finally, you know how you see on social media cute videos of birds crossing the road, and you wonder how people manage to have such impeccable timing and witness it? Guess what? I did! I only managed to take a picture of the ducks after they had crossed the road, but hey! It was still something. There were a couple of adult ducks, and a whole flock of ducklings shepherded by their mother-- soooo cute! I love how all the cars on both sides of the street stopped for the ducks. 
  

What random things/ acts have you guys seen the past few weeks?

Back to Washington D.C.

I was thrilled to return to my favorite city in the United States--Washington D.C.-- two weekends ago for a workshop about federal jobs for historians.

TL; DR: There aren't any, unless you do military history. Which I don't. *Sigh*

Under the current administration, all the money is going into the Department of Defense, so that's where the jobs are. Meanwhile, the State Department, which is where I want to be, is going through a period of "restructuring," which is a nice way of saying "down-sizing" and "hiring freeze." I do believe that there are excessive federal jobs that can be "streamlined," but that makes it hard for graduates like me who are coming into the job market at this time.

The good news is that I spoke to the historian in charge of making hires in the State Department, and he said that I had good qualifications. The bad news is that his hands are tied, and he told me that these things are "cyclical" i.e. try again in a few years, maybe after we change presidents.

What am I going to do?

On a more positive note, I was able to visit the Smithsonian National Museum of the American Indian, and the National Botanical Garden. The museum on Native American history is really cool, and I encourage people to check it out. It's also one of the newer museums, so the interior is nicer than some older ones (looking at you Natural History museum and American History museum).

The National Botanical Garden is supposed to be 😍😍😍, and it was when I visited six years ago (has it been that long?!). Unfortunately, this visit wasn't a good one because Spring came early, so the Spring flowers have gone already, but the Summer blooms haven't arrived. Hence, the very bare exhibits. I still managed to see some very pretty blooms though.

It was also lovely to meet up with an old friend, Miss B, whom you may recall from THIS POST back in 2012 when I first moved to Columbus. She had moved to D.C. in 2013, and this visit was the first time I saw her since her move. Time flies! She was gracious enough to let me stay at her apartment, and Saturday night, we went to eat El Salvadorian pupusas, and then went to the town of Alexandria for some delish ice cream at Pops. 

 Some pictures from my trip. I took the bottom right picture because do you see the "hipster"-people riding Segways across the street, in front of the Capitol? Such a D.C. thing! 

I loved being back in D.C., but hearing how dysfunctional the federal government is (even if Trump is not president) makes me disheartened. Am I trading the dysfunctional system of academia for the dysfunctional system of the federal government? I don't know.

At this point, I'm just trying to get my writing done. It hit my a week ago that I have to submit my completed dissertation by June 30, which is two months away. TWO MONTHS. I'm not even done writing my last two chapters, and I still have an introduction and conclusion! That's how screwed I am, and so I don't have the time to apply for jobs, and yet I need to do that, if not I'm going to be screwed come September. Ha, last year was a fantastic year for me, and this year, it's payback time.

All I can do at this point is take it one day at a time, and pray HARD!

The Best Thing about School Receptions

Narcissistic Miss Keesh time!

A few weeks ago I attended a reception for the recipients of the Fulbright and Fulbright-Hays awards. And the president of my school, Michael V. Drake, attended the reception and gave a speech. Woah! I feel so important. Bwa ha ha ha ha ha.

Probably the closest I'll ever get to the president of my school.

That's my name on the rotating slideshow!

My fellow Fulbright-Hays awardees, along with our coordinator, Joanna Kukielka-Blaser.

The best thing about the reception? Free, delicious food that wasn't pizza! No shame here. I'm a poor graduate student. 

The next day, I attended another reception for university fellows, and enjoyed another round of free food. I also received a paperweight. Guess it is the most appropriate (and cheap) memento to give graduate students because who else has stacks and stacks of loose paper lying around... 

On a more serious note, I am thankful to be blessed with these awards, and it's nice to know that other people have interest and confidence in my work!

Beauty and the Beast Live Animation Remake

So Beauty and the Beast...why I am writing a post about it now, since the movie has been out for what, a month already? And who wants to know my opinion about it since I'm not a professional movie critic?

Because I do have some opinions about it that are contrary to current popular opinion about the film, and I'm finding way to procrastinate my writing. [Btw, I've gotten first drafts of 4 chapters out already, so as much as I still have a ton to write...it's 4 chapters! Woo hoo!]
Also, Belle was my favorite Disney heroine, so BOOKWORMS UNITE!

Anyway, back to the movie. First, did I like the movie? Was it as magical as the animated version?
Yes and no. It was magical, and I enjoyed it, but it is a different kind of magic from the animated film. I appreciated that the live version closed some plot holes, such as explaining why the village forgot about the castle and its inhabitants. But did I like this version better? No. In fact, I think I like the animated version more because... (and here's my biggest difference in opinion with others):

Emma Watson as Belle. I know. Sacrilegious!

Look, she wasn't bad. In fact, she was good. I also liked how they updated Belle to be a creative thinker of solutions (the laundry scene broke my heart), something which fits into Watson's real-life feminist agenda.

However, I don't think Watson did a fantastic or excellent job, and since Belle is such a pivotal role in the film, for Watson so be merely "good" was disappointing. Just listen to her singing. Was she bad? No, far from it. Was she good? Yes. Was her singing terrific? No. She can hit the notes, but it lacked emotions that the singer for the animated version was able to convey, even without us seeing her real face! Or perhaps that's why her voice had so much emotion...

And this to me was the crux of the problem with her overall acting. She did a good job. Period. Nothing else to say. Actually, wait, I have one more thing to say. The animated Belle showed more emotion that Watson's Belle. Cartoon Belle has better "acting" than real-life Belle? Oh dear. Just watch her face during the "Be Our Guest" Scene--which I have to say I LOVED!!!--Watson's face is happy, and she smiles and makes tiny laughs.

Umm...you are in an enchanted castle with living objects singing, dancing, and creating a beautiful spectacle, and serving you the best meal you've probably seen in your life (Belle and father were poor villagers, remember?), and all you do is smile and laugh politely?! Wouldn't you be entranced or burst into gasps of surprise or clap along to the catchy tune? Or show some disappointment when Lumiere whisks away the food before you can even taste a morsel of it?

In short, I liked her but didn't love her, and I'm nowhere as enamored by her portrayal as other people are. Oh well, to each their own.

You know who I thought did a great job? Dan Stevens as the Beast. This was a pleasant surprise. I was dismayed when I first watched the trailer because the Beast was so NOT scary, and isn't that what makes the transformation of the beast so miraculous? However, the Beast in the live version exceeded my expectations in the remake because they changed some parts of his character. It worked, and now, I like both versions.

Gaston... he was good in both movies. I prefer the voice of the original Gaston because I love moi some deep, sexy, strong bass. Still, Luke Evans was a convincing evil Gaston, and maybe if he was 2 decades older, would possess that same sexy, deep voice. I was sad that some of his lyrics got changed though.

And of course I have to talk about Ewan McGregor as Lumiere because McGregor (if you didn't know) is my favorite actor. I do not like the CGI for Lumiere, and while watching the film, I thought McGregor was okay...until "Be Our Guest" came on, and then I was like, "YAHOO! I LOVE THIS! AND I LOVE YOU ALWAYS EWAN!!!"

I mean, look at how bad the CGI is... good thing my Ewan saved the character!
Picture source from www.flickfilosopher.com, which btw, is even more critical of the film than I am. 

As for the rest of the cast who are too many for me to go into detail, they were good. Some better than others of course, but good and fun overall. Kudos to also including more black characters, in harmony with the population makeup of France back then.

Now, for gay Lefou. I feel for Disney. They had to make that pre-release announcement, if not they would get angry letters from parents demanding why they weren't informed of the character's sexuality before they took their children to watch it. So I get it why Disney had to make the announcement, and unwittingly made it a bigger deal than it really was.

Was Lefou's queerness explicit in the film? In my opinion, no, at least not until the dancing scene finale. His salivating for Gaston in earlier scenes did not scream "HOMOSEXUAL DEVIANT!" but more a psychopathic, pathologically-problematic obsession for his hero that is stalker-like. Will I let my children watch this version? Yes, even as I teach them that acting on homosexual behavior is wrong. And so is behaving like a stalker. Or kidnapping people for that matter.

The whole Stockholm Syndrome thing...yes, there is that. I'm not going to deny it. I think it is also beneficial that people have pointed out that the supposedly-innocuous Disney princess movies are not 100% perfect.

But I also get irritated with people who take animated and fictional characters too seriously. Maybe it's because my parents taught me well, and so despite all the exposure to the "I'm-so-helpless-come-save-me-Prince-Charming" trope, I could still fall for it, but not be trapped by it. Did I wish my Prince Charming would come and save me and live happily ever after? Of course. WHO DIDN'T?

Yet, when my dream didn't come true when I thought it should, I didn't sit around and mope. Nope, I got my butt off the floor and carried on, even as I still wait for Prince Charming to turn up. My parents taught me that life doesn't revolve around princes and being rescued.

Also, it should be remembered that:
1) Disney Princesses are more than just helpless princesses. Snow White and Cinderella, the two best (or worse?) examples of the "save me Prince Charming" trope, demonstrated kindness to animals, were hard workers, and didn't complain despite the injustice of their situations. They are stronger than we give them credit for, and helps explain their appeal.

2) Your children should not take Disney movies, or any movies for that matter, as their only learning guide. If you are not taking time to explain to your children what is good and bad from movies, something isn't right...

One more thing: the production set was beautiful and realistic, and yet it lacked that extra special magical touch. I don't know why. I was looking forward to the library-reveal scene since BOOKWORM here! However, when that scene came on, I was underwhelmed. Lots of books for sure, but not "WOWZERS." And again, I felt more of Belle's excitement and wide-eye surprise in the animated version because Watson doesn't emote much. Grrr....

Would I recommend it? Sure. Just know that it is different from the animated version. Also, my movie theater had the sing-a-long version, and a quiet, closed-caption version. Go for the sing-a-long version-- I wish I did. Maybe doing so would have made me more forgiving of Watson. 

Quick Little Updates

Update #1: 

THIS.

I finally completed all my transcriptions about two weeks ago, and now I have them in one big "Bible." Over 58 transcriptions! Not all are full transcriptions, but each interview still took hours to complete. It's satisfying to see it all together, and realize how much information I have. I'm thrilled to finally be diving into into the "meat" portion of my writing!  

P.S. Working on Chapter 3 of my dissertation. It's coming together very slowly but surely. 

Update #2: 

My friend got married last Saturday, and I was able to attend her wedding. She looked radiant and soooo happy, and I couldn't be happier for her. Plus the food for the after-sealing luncheon was DELISH!

Top: The new couple after their marriage at the Columbus Temple, she in her beautiful gown, holding a gorgeous bouquet, and he in his Marine uniform; flowers on the luncheon table (so simple but pretty!).

Bottom: The lovely and talented Miss Woolley (more about her own band HERE), whom I'm still puzzled why men can't see what a catch she is; why use a normal knife when you can use your Marine's sword to cut the cake? 

Update #3:

I'm loving this year's mild winter, and I like to go on a jog/ walk when the weather isn't too cold and the sun is out. I hate running, so adding this to my work out routine is a surprise, even for me. It helps that I usually jog/ walk to the Target or Staples about a mile away to either buy or return something. Anyway, I saw this sign on my run last week, and hope that posting it here helps someone today! 

Quick update on previous post

In my last post, I talked about how I felt about the new Executive Order (EO) about immigration. I saw this article on a friend's Facebook wall, and thought it was well-written and insightful. It broke down and analyzed every section of the EO, and weighed its pros and cons. Yes, there were a few good things to come out of the EO. And the article is published on a conservative website (The Federalist). You can READ THE ARTICLE HERE, or if the link doesn't work, it is Lyman Stone's "Here's What Trump's Immigration Order Says and How it Needs to Be Fixed" at thefederalist.com.

As a more liberal-leaning moderate, I think the writer doesn't push his critique far enough, but I think he has done a good job of demonstrating that whether or not you support the new EO, it was, as he puts it, "rolled out in a haphazard way that damages any efforts to have a serious conversation about refugee admittance and the security concerns of many Americans."

Anyway, hopefully my next post will NOT be about politics anymore :)

CNY 2016

Quick update:
1) Missing home this Chinese/ Lunar New Year. The older I get, the more I cherish the traditions from my heritage. I admit it's not fun to have to have to visit distance relatives and engage in small talk, but I miss being with family and eating Chinese New Year goodies.

However, I was determined to celebrate the new year in Columbus, so I baked a batch of pineapple tarts using this recipe, and had a few of my closest girl friends over for a hot pot/ steamboat dinner.

The first few bites were "okay" but I've since become addicted to them. Miss Keesh approved.

2) Trump's executive order to bar all Muslim refugees from Syria indefinitely, and 90 days for refugees from Iraq, Sudan, Iran, Libya, Somalia and Yemen, while giving priority to "Christian" refugees is just...stunning. Stunning because of how mis-informed it is. I truly have no words.

All I can say is...democracy. I'm sorry America, you don't get to be outraged at the refugee ban, especially those who voted for him, because you chose to elect this man to be your president. He's just carrying out what he said he would do. Did you really think he was going to pull back and suddenly become more "sane" once he became president? 

The thing is, I bet many of Trump's voters support this ban. They truly believe that the ban will stop terrorists from entering the country. It makes me roll my eyes, and I hurt for my fellow brothers and sisters (especially the innocent children) caught in its vicious net.

But am I surprised by it? No. This is Trump. He's just doing what he said he will do. *shrug shoulders* And his supporters will go on believing that such policies are right. The thing is, you can't do anything to change their perception, even with hard evidence and statistics, because they will just believe the "liberal establishment" is attacking them once again.

The "liberal establishment" isn't always right, but sometimes, they are right. In this case, the ban isn't going to prevent terrorists from entering the country. Heck, there are already terrorists within our borders (see the 2016 Orlando nightclub shooting). And according to the State Department, we are killing ourselves with gun violence (fact checked HERE).

So protest and march. Share our viewpoints with our elected government officials. Share our dissent on social media. Make our voices heard. Make sure we keep holding him accountable. AND NEVER VOTE FOR TRUMP AGAIN. Meanwhile, sit tight and pray because 4 years of such executive policies will surely make the nation go mad.

Top 10 Memories of 2016

I was going to type this up earlier but a) laziness, b) 2016 passed by in a blur so I'm still coming up with 10 even as I'm writing this post. It's not that I don't have enough memories to come up with 10, but that I have too many and they all just blur into one another. So here's me trying to discipline my mind and come up with my annual list of Top 10 memories of the year (in no particular order).

1) I received the Fulbright-Hays Doctoral Dissertation Fellowship, which allowed me to stay on in Singapore to conduct research from January to August. And I had TOO MUCH fun back home, so much so that I had to return to Ohio to lessen the distractions from schoolwork ;)

2) Being able to spend precious time with family and friends in Singapore. I can't count the number of memories I created with them, which is partly why this list was hard to come up with, so I'm just going to say I will go back to Singapore in a heartbeat if I can find a job there. There's just no place like home.

3) I taught 2 semesters of institute (Bible study): Jesus and the Everlasting Gospel & Foundations of the Restoration. It was tough to teach every week, but I LOVED my students and the new material.
3.5) I took an institute class in Ohio about the Book of Revelations. Oh my word. It was SOOOOOOOOOO GOOD!!! Plus it was a lunch class, so free lunch.

4) I moved back to Columbus to finish up my program. Although it wasn't fun to go through another cycle of election campaigning, and don't get me started on how horrible this election was...it is great to be back with friends here.

5) I dyed my hair for the first time, and went purple. Love, love, love it!

6) Took a road trip in October to visit my friends in upstate New York, New Hampshire and Boston., and later in December, to Michigan to visit the Michigan Dalebouts. Each visit deserves its own post, but I'm too lazy (whoops!) so here are some pics:

 My college friend whom I have not seen for ten years! We stayed in the same freshmen dorm in rooms across the hall from each other. She has 2 kids who are adorable, and I loved catching up with her. She has so many intelligent insights into topics that I've never thought about, and is a fabulous mom. There is also a lot of religious history in the area she lived in that I soaked up. #historynerd

A few weeks after I returned home, I received 2 drawings from her children, which I proudly displayed on my fridge like a proud aunt. So cute!

My main reason for road-tripping was to visit a friend in Exeter, New Hampshire, and see the fall foliage. Despite the horrendous drive there (it rained and snowed the entire 7.5 hours), I fell in love with New Hampshire, even though I doubt I'll ever move there (can't stand how much it snows). FRESH seafood + beautiful scenery + history (#historynerd) + friendship = absolutely fun.

My first time eating a lobster roll @ the Beach Plum, and it was to die for!

And I couldn't go all the way to New England without seeing my bestie in Boston, where I finally met her toddler daughter. Her daughter is sooooo cute...when she isn't hating me. As you can tell from the pictures below, I ate a lot.

Dim sum; another lobster roll and New England clam chowder @ Faneuil Hall Marketplace... YUMMY!

On the way back, I visited another friend in Rochester, NY, and she took me to Bill Gray's diner for dinner. Delicious burger and awesome shakes. 

The last time I visited, child #4 wasn't even born!  We visited the Belle Isle Park's aquarium (had a beautiful green-tile ceiling) and conservatory, and saw Canada across the river. Most of the time we just hung out at home, played Wii and relaxed. I loved every minute of it. 

7) I joined the "3-0" club! Bye-bye young adult years (sob!), and hello to new adventures and experiences.

8) My sister visited me here in Ohio for a few days over the Thanksgiving break. So grateful she took the trip out here. Also, it was the first time I cooked the entire Thanksgiving meal (with my sister's help of course). Phew!

Top to bottom: 2 of the 3 Lai sisters reunited; corn hedge statues at Dublin because nothing screams the Midwest more than bizarre corn statues; Thanksgiving dinner; Jenni's ice cream with all its zany flavors.

9) I wrote finish chapter 1 of my dissertation. YEAH!!! Now just, you know, 170 pages to go...

10) I moved into my own apartment! First time going solo and it has been lovely. There are times that it gets lonely-- I thought about getting a pet for like, 0.5 seconds-- but for the most part, the introvert in me has a happy dance each time I come home. It is such a pleasure to have the entire fridge to myself, put up my own decor, and have friends over whenever I want. And the location of my new apartment is fantastic!

Happy 2017 everyone! Hope your January is off to a good start :)