How to NOT Make Your Brain Explode with Stuff

Ever since my family and I went to China in 2002 for a semester, I’ve recorded my life in a diary. It all started when mom forced RL and me to write in a journal every single day in China, which we both considered to be the most pointless and un-cool activity in the entire world. However, even after we got back to the States, I continued writing. It was definitely not consistent – I would pick up the journal sometimes after having not written for a year at a time, but nowadays, I still have upwards of about ten diaries since that China trip in ’02!

Whenever I fall off the diary wagon, I feel like my thoughts and feelings get cooped up in my head. At some point, I feel like my diary is screaming at me to write it all down, so I’ll climb out of bed before falling asleep and just write, write, write. It’s therapeutic! It still kind of sounds lame that I write in a diary, but this is definitely not a cutesy “Dear Diary” kind of thing for me. I write everything I’m feeling – anger, love, frustrations, fears – and nobody else (hopefully) will ever read it.

Well, now that I’ve written about my diaries in a blog post, it is no longer a secret that I have diaries all over the place! I’ve always wondered what would happen to my diaries if I suddenly disappeared…would people actually open them and read all of my deepest, darkest thoughts? Umm…can I go on record and say that I need them DESTROYED immediately.

The fun thing about the diaries is that I can go back and read years and years’ worth of learning, maturing, and journeying through life. It is so hilarious to read how angry I used to get at the most senseless things, and how many moments felt like the worst moments of my life at the time. A lot of the diary entries make me so annoyed at myself for being so dramatic! But still, it’s life, and I got through it all, ya know??

Anyway, it’s never too late to start documenting life in a diary. It feels so good to handwrite my thoughts onto paper, and look back at the good, bad, and ugly times!

Toodle doo,

RY

End of Semester = Performances. All the Time.

So, the life of a musician...for me, it's definitely a love-hate relationship. I love music, I love playing music with other people without having to use words, I love we play something really beautiful and it all just clicks for us. 

But I also hate long rehearsals, especially when the performing music ensembles here DON'T COUNT TOWARD THE ARTS DIVISIONAL. (WFU has a certain number of diverse classes each student has to take as a part of the liberal arts education.) Supposedly, performance ensembles don't count because there are no written assignments/exams. Well, I'd say that the time commitment (1-5 hours per week per class) is enough to override that, and even if we don't have exams, we have CONCERTS. Sure, maybe taking just one music class shouldn't count. But, like me and many others at WFU, shouldn't taking 4 a semester count? Or at least taking 1 for 4 or more semesters? For me, playing in 4 ensembles is 7 hours of rehearsal a week, plus individual practice is at least 10, usually more in a good week. I just find it mildly ridiculous that so many of us do so much in the music department and the school doesn't let it count for divisional credit. 

And at this point in the semester, it's even more time-consuming, with a concert for each ensemble, plus dress rehearsals for each concert. Maybe I'm just ranting now, but the arts in general are just under-appreciated, underestimated, and not seen as important or taking as much effort or talent. 

Powering through the rest of the semester. One performance down, four to go. 

RL

7 Thoughts in My Head

1. My shirt is much more wrinkled than I thought.
2. I'm ready for Thanksgiving.
3. There are way too many post-it notes on my desk...do I ever really look at them anyway?
5. This zit on my chin needs to just GO.
6. The France filter on Facebook pictures....it's a great thing but is it indirectly blindsiding other huge issues in the world?
7. I'm ready for lunch. ALWAYS ready for lunch.

This was a short post but it's better than nothing!!

Toodle-doo!

RY

In Case of Deer, Be a Dear

As most of you probably know (because I can't stop whining about it), I hit a deer in my car a couple weeks ago and it is taking a while for my car to get back to its pre-deer, imperfectly perfect state. In the meantime, I've tried to avoid sitting at home and wallowing in self-pity without my own mode of transportation. Instead, I've been reaching out to enlist my friends' help to get me to Taekwondo classes and symphony rehearsals.

This whole situation has helped me realize how important it is to be pleasant, helpful, and approachable in my daily life. I would like to think that I emit a positive vibe that people would be comfortable with in their cars. Not only does it fulfill my self-proclaimed label as a people pleaser, but it also generally gives me a more well-rounded group of people who would be willing to lend a hand when I may need one.

The people who put new parts on my car include my Taekwondo instructor and a guy from the Taekwondo school with whom I train in class. The person who is currently fixing the rest of my car at his body shop is an acquaintance from work. The person who drove me back toward Winston Salem for the weekend is a friend from work, and I've snagged several rides to and from various activities from friends I've met along the way here in my new city. They have all been so gracious and didn't even bat an eye when I reached out for help. I am so thankful!

Moral of the story - be nice to people because there is nothing more reassuring than knowing that people have your back!!!!

Toodles,

RY

Road Trip!

Ok so we usually don't post about our activities on here (except I do when I'm in Taiwan! Check out my blogs from Taiwan here and here, I'm fun hehe), but yesterday I went to Concord Mills in Charlotte with my friends and it was funnnn

Actually, the reason I had to go was because my school's Global Programs and Studies (GPS) office offered this trip to my school's international students, and didn't have someone to drive the van there, so I got roped into doing it :P so then my whole suite decided to go so we could hang out and see cool stuff. 

Anyway, I drove the school's very bumpy 12-passenger van an hour and a half to Charlotte, following our friend/coworker, who for some reason took us through some residential areas, which lengthened the drive by at least ten minutes....

First thing we do upon arrival--EAT. Then we walked around the mall and went to all the stores that Hanes Mall does not have (i.e. most of the stores there, like the arcade, Michael Kors, chocolate store, etc.). We were there for FIVE HOURS and almost ran out of time to see everything.

Memorable moments:

1) At the arcade, we were looking at the prizes we could win when an old man randomly ran into the arcade to tell my friend "You look gorgeous," and then just left. 

2) In the same arcade, not 2 minutes later, the person working at the prize desk leans over and says, "want to hear something funny?" 
Me: "Sure...?"
Him: "Guess my age."
Me: "17? 25?"
Him: "Nope, 20, turning 21 in May." 
Me: "Haha really? You don't look it."
Him: "Yeah most people say that. Anyway, enjoy your time here."

Later, when we go to redeem the tickets we won, he pretends to bump into me and then apologizes.
Him: *shakes my hand* "I'm ____ (left out for privacy). What's your name? By the way, you look really familiar."
Me: "I doubt you've seen me before, we're from Winston."
Him: "Well, I was there recently visiting a friend, maybe I saw you in passing."
Me: "Yeah, maybe."
Him: "Haha yeah. Well, my name is _____ and maybe you can come back to visit."

................Okay last time I was hit on, it was also in Charlotte. What is with Charlotte and being hit on?

3) My friends drove separately (in her personal car) because the van I was driving was full. One of my friends and I left first, to get the students back in time, while my other friends went to get ice cream. Right after we pull out of the parking lot in the van, she calls me.

She couldn't find her car...the parking lot we parked in was outside around a corner from an obscure door by the movie theater. My friend helped her find it over the phone, and it took literally 30 minutes. I do not understand....

Overall a long, tiring, but amusing day ;)

Plant Nanny: A RAE-view

Here's a new RAEview, by younger Rae for once! My friends and I have recently gotten into this app called Plant Nanny. It's free on iPhone and Android! and helps you track water intake by watering a cartoon plant (you can choose what species and get more, and they are ALL cute). It also lets you know the suggested amount of water you should drink each day based on your weight and activity level. Of course it doesn't take into account your diet or anything, but it helps you drink the amount of water you should be drinking. If you don't drink enough for a certain number of days in a row, your plant actually dies. And it grows as it levels up! 

So now I stay really well hydrated. It's not super super accurate but it's a fun way to stay healthy :) My friends and I all have different species of plants and we like to compare them when they grow because they're all so adorable :) (Yes we are nerds.)

RL

Leggings as Pants: A RAEview

And here we are on the next installment of my RAEviews on something relatively inconsequential to real life.

Leggings as pants - yay or nay?

If you have ever worn leggings (not the super itchy kind), then you will know that they are the best things since sliced bread. An exaggeration? Maybe. But hear me out. Leggings are basically an extra layer of skin that hugs your legs like a teddy bear.They don't stretch out as the day goes on like many jeans do, and you don't have to adjust them when you sit, stand, and move around because they are stuck to your skin. They tuck nicely into boots and you don't have to worry incessantly about whether or not you need to cuff them or tuck them. You can dress them up with a nice blouse, or you can wear them with a hoodie and tennis shoes.

There are all kinds of leggings that trick people into thinking you are sophisticated and fashionable - leggings with gold zippers and fancy seams that look like office slacks, leggings with pockets and high waistlines...etc. But even the classic black leggings from WalMart are no joke. Who cares if you want to wear them as pants? They cover your legs, don't they? I'd say that's good enough for me!

Toodle loodle,

RY

Rant again, SORRY!

I would like to reiterate my last blog post. If you receive an email and know that you cannot respond in a timely manner because you're sick or busy or you need extra information, then YOU SHOULD TELL THAT PERSON...all you have to do is respond and say that you have received the email and will work on it as soon as possible.

I have sent 7 emails with no response and they have passed 2 deadlines that I have given to them and I have subsequently extended both of those dates.

UGH

Rant over.

Toodlelooo

RY