Certified to Kick Butt

This semester, I decided to take a self defense class. I don't know about you, but I get easily freaked out when I am outside alone - or even inside alone, so I thought it might be a good idea to get some skills under my belt in case of future unwanted encounters. Plus, its a big confidence boost.

Tonight, we did our final 'simulation'. It was intense. I couldn't sleep well last night cuz I was so nervous for it. Basically, it is when four cops come in with big pads on and attack you, and you have to be able to defend yourself. Scary. Luckily, I really like the cops that did it, so it wasn't too bad; I think it was helpful too, in the end. I could see how well I am learning the skills.

I'm ready to kick some butt now! Not really, but kind of. Sometimes when I am walking alone on campus at night, I look straight into the eyes of passerby, almost daring someone to look at me wrong, or something, just so I can show off my newfound skills. :) No luck yet though.



But seriously, I would recommend the program for any women that haven't taken a self defense class. It is called the RAD program and its specially designed for women, with easy skills that anyone can learn and execute. Good stuff!

Cesar Chavez Day

So, I'm never actually sure if this blog is being frequented at all by people, or if I am simply writing in an online journal that only I look at. I guess that is some of the fun of it - that you really never know who is reading your blogs.. but its a little creepy if you think about it too much.

This week we were able to volunteer at the Provo Food Bank on Saturday Morning, in honor of Cesar Chavez day. You should also know that if you ask somebody what the date is on Cesar Chavez day, the person will just look at you in disbelief and say, "Why, it's Cesar Chavez day!" But they won't actually give you the date.

Boyd and I had great fun that day. There was a huge food drive going on that morning, so they need tons of people to sort the different food products that were given. There was a great mix of people volunteering, including army men, boy scouts, ex-convicts, young women groups, and us. Needless to say, it was an entertaining visit. Halfway through, my contacts got very blurry and itchy, so I decided to go without them. Coincidentally, this happened at the exact time that I noticed a celebrity look alike. I was convinced, for about the next two hours, that Sarah Jessica Parker, was visiting Provo Food Bank, for some unknown reason. I'm not kidding, this woman had the same face, body type, hair, and even voice! (and the fact that I couldn't see very clearly could have enhanced these features) I couldn't stop talking about it. I needed to see her face, up close, to be sure. But there wasn't a good opportunity. So later, when I was deliberating about how to approach it, I passed by her, and she started to walk up to me. She got really close to my face and said, "I really like your hat. It looks great on you." All I could say was, "Thanks." She still looked like her to me, and even today, I'm wondering if I should have just asked.. If we weren't in Utah, I might really believe it was her. I'm not even sure what I would say if it was her because I'm really not that into her movies or anything. Oh well.

Going on. The food drive was great to witness. Some people came with truck loads of 50 bags of food and others came with a few bags of cans to donate. It really didn't matter how much a person brought - the generosity was evident. Seeing how much people are willing to give restored my floundering faith in humanity. There are good people out there, who want to serve, if given the opportunities. What a great, great day.

Great Roomies

Aren't great roommates just the best?! I think so. They are not essential, but are very helpful, in maintaining a happy, harmonious living space.

First we have Kailan. Kailan is from Arizona and she is the happiest person I know. Boyd and I were just talking about how great of a catch she is the other day, because she is so spunky, smart, fun, and caring. She literally has it all. I love our random nights, when we do silly things together, and she brings out the crazy in me. She is so beautiful, and wonderful!


Next we have Rebekah. Rebekah is from Hong Kong; she is actually the first friend I've made from there. She has given me such a high opinion of the Chinese culture because I've been able to appreciate the many aspects of it that she demonstrates in everyday life, including amazing recipes and talent for cooking, her cleanliness, and her hard work and dedication in school. She is the cutest too; she knows more about fashion than I ever will, and she is always caring about how my life is going. I've really, really loved getting to know her better this year. Now I just need to find her a cute Asian man to complete her recipe for perfection.


I am just so grateful for good roommates, that have really become dear friends to me.

Too bad that next month we're moving out, and then my only roommate will be a boy.

But I guess he's pretty great too.
:)

The Real Afterlife

Lately, I have been catching up on the seasons of Grey's Anatomy that I have missed. Although the show is overly dramatized, and quite flamboyant with its themes, I still find myself watching the shows in the down time, and sometimes relating to the characters.

In an episode today, Meredith, the main character, comes very close to drowning. While she is unconscious and on the brink of death, her spirit goes to a sort of "limbo" wherein she makes the choice to come back to life. The afterlife that she resides in consists of a quiet, empty building, with other dead spirits from past shows lingering in and out of the rooms. She is in desperate turmoil in discovering how to get back to her life on Earth.

This depiction of the afterlife was very odd to me; I couldn't quite relate to the imagery, although I might not mind running into Jeffrey Dean Morgan in the next life.. :) Just kidding.

It made me grateful for the knowledge I have of life after this. Without it, I could see myself being in the same predicament as the main character, not knowing what should be done, or where the path before me might lead. In this world of confusion, I'm increasingly comforted by the small glimpses of the eternal scheme that we gain through the Gospel lens. Assuredly, with the Lord's help, we can know which path to take; and through His grace, we can walk the steps that are required to get there.

Recent Happenings

Friday: We attended a conference called "Stand for the Family." It was hosted at BYU. Most people were there because they are involved with the School of Family Life Department.. I tried not to share that the only reason that I was there was for extra credit.

We got to dress up for it; that was fun. Eating the chicken/slimy vegetables that were served, was not. Also, making awkward small talk with a table of strangers = not the most enjoyable thing in my life. But, it turned out alright. I especially liked a visiting speaker that we had. She is a Roman Catholic scholar who specializes in family law. It was wonderful to catch glimpses, through her remarks, of the similarities that we share with diverse religions. The fact that we all believe in one God, and are striving to demonstrate our love for Him, is remarkable. And something to be grateful for.

Also, this week has been momentous in other ways. I have started exercising, after a few years break.. Perhaps I shouldn't be sharing that with the world, but nonetheless, I am happy to finally become reacquainted with the world of fitness. So far it has been enjoyable; even at 7AM.

Saturday: Filled with studying, I'm sorry to report. However, we did get a chance to see Slumdog Millionaire, which I have been wanting to see ever since it came out. It wasn't disappointing, but it wasn't quite as awe-inspiring as I had hope. Maybe the fact that they edited it took out some important parts...? However, the climate in the theater could have contributed to my complacency, considering there were students laying in the aisles because the theater was so crammed full.

Later, we went to DI to browse for finds. Just as we were leaving, we beheld a lovely little box in the counter case. It was all 10 of the 'Friends' seasons and for only 15 dollars. I had just mentioned that I wanted to order them on ebay, but the lowest price I found was around 80 bucks. So, I was excited. Its not even really that I love the show because it can actually get pretty racy...but I think its because its one of the only shows that I watched as a teen at home. I didn't really get into any others. So, it'll be fun to have it around for a little while. Plus, the fact that the entire cover is written in Chinese and was literally falling apart as the lady put them into the bag, just makes me happy. I don't know why. It's like a secret that only we know.. People probably passed them up because they thought that they wouldn't play in English or they wouldn't work because of their condition, but low and behold, they not only play in English, but they don't even have bothersome subtitles. And they've been just great so far :)

On another note, we went to Petsmart the other day, just for fun. Not only did we get to see a gazillion fish, but we had our first encounter with a cat that has no teeth. Her name is Becca and she was quite pleasant, after I got over the no teeth thing, of course. So, if anyone's looking for a new, friendly black cat, Becca's your girl.

Happy Sunday!