Take a Gamble

It's Vegas night at the Italian Cultural Centre for a staff party tonight. Roulette, poker, blackjack, raffles, trivia, and slot machines are all on the menu with some pretty sweet prizes on the line. Photos will show up somewhere in this post - it's my first time using the brand spanking new blogger app so apologies if this turned out weird =)

Milestones

"A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step."

~ Lao Tzu ~

This weekend is all about milestones as my grandmother turns 85 on the same day the world commemorates the 10th anniversary of the 9/11 tragedy.

Of course this also happens to be an extremely busy work weekend for me between a staff event on Saturday, the We Love Vancouver Festival on Sunday, and a number of family events throughout the weekend, most of which I'll miss =(

First week of work down, 23 more to go before I can (hopefully) take a vacation.  Be back tomorrow with more (possibly exciting, probably entertaining) news!

Happy Weekend Everyone =)

Hitting the Fan

Remember when I talked about the end of your intro period at work?  Well mine is pretty much over which I discovered today.  If I had to find one word to sum up what my life is going to be like for the next few months it would be hectic!  Off to get some more work done tonight =(

I Do

"Love requires a willingness to die; marriage, a willingness to live."

~ Mignon McLaughlin ~

Almost 2 months ago, the first of my friends got married.  July 16th was another rainy day here in Vancouver but nothing could dampen the sense of celebration and joy felt by Kristal, Ben, and their friends and family.  We're at the point in our lives where weddings are going to be our main reason to reunite as we're partially scattered right now.  I've been without a camera for months now so we'll have to rely on my ever present phone and the photos of others for your glimpse into this day.


Post Shower/Birthday Party the week prior

 

Ceremony @ Queen Elizabeth Park

Maid of Honour Julia & Gee

Jamie striking a pose

Cake cutting!



Bridal party bouquet



Dancing the night away



Photo Booth Fun for the OAMC =)

See everyone at the next wedding! =)

First Days

As is usually the case, your first day at a new job or in a new school is never as bad as you think it could be.  Your worries are mostly proven to be unfounded and you find yourself hitting an unexpected groove.  You're feeling confident as you walk in and that's when it happens - it hits the fan and you're left scrambling like a chicken with your head cut off.  That false sense of security you lulled yourself into just a blip on the distant horizon.  It could happen as early as your second day or even as late as your second month but the day will eventually dawn when you are welcomed to your real first day.  Just something that popped into my mind as I get set for my very own day 2 tomorrow =)

Nerves

Labour Day always bring back memories of back to school jitters; not knowing what the new school year would bring, wondering how classes would go, and hoping it would all be better than the previous year.


I'm not in school anymore but this weekend is bringing all of those old nerves back as tomorrow is my first day at my new position at work.  Even though I've been with them for almost a year, there's still that sense of nervousness that accompanies any promotion.  Wish me luck!

Between the Lines

One of the only nice things about being sick is that I've had a lot of time to catch up on my reading.  Way back when I was struggling to find a path in university, I contemplated going into publishing or even being a literary agent (being an agent for authors).  I figured I should try to find a profession that had to do with something I loved.  This also happened to be a point in my life where I was even less confident in my skills as a writer and couldn't find any sort of motivation to help myself improve.  I figured, since I probably didn't stand any chance of getting published, I might as well help others do what I could only dream about.  Looking back at a lot of my early work from high school and the first few years of college, I can't say I disagree with my original assessment.  Thankfully, that was many years ago and I (hopefully) have become a better writer since then.

I'm not really sure where my love of literature came from as no one in my family is as obsessive about it as I am.  If I had to pick some sort of trigger, I'd have to say it was probably because I was painfully shy as a kid.  Everyone at my elementary school already seemed to know each other, growing up in the same neighbourhoods and attending the same pre-school.  Then there was me, fresh of a plane from the Philippines, unsure of pretty much everything at that point.  So, instead of pushing forward and making new friends, I retreated into the safety of books, getting lost in their stories, finding characters I wish I could be like.  Even today, sometimes I'd rather revisit some of my fictional friends rather than go out with my real ones.  I just read that back and it seems a bit pathetic, but I can't deny the truth - everyone needs a bit of a break once in a while!

One of the reasons I always seem to have so many new books to catch up on is because I love re-reading the ones I've already been through.  I tend to read through novels extremely fast the first time around, especially if it's a new installment in a series (i.e. Harry Potter), sometimes getting through thick volumes in mere hours.  The reason I read books multiple times is that I always find details I missed the first few times around.  I love finding new details that enrich the story, deciphering the intricacies of foreshadowed clues and discovering the exact moments the plot shifts.  Simply put, I read not just for the pure entertainment, but to learn.  After all, who better to learn from than those that have already paved the way?

Writing is something I just don't know how to stop doing.  We all have various outlets in which we can channel our emotions - whether it is sports, music, dance, art, or even destructive addictions.  I can honestly admit that I would be lost without my ability to write.  I may not always find the right words to speak at the right time, but I do like to think given some time and a blank page, I can create something meaningful that probably won't change the whole world, but maybe just one person's world.  I used to write letters because I was too scared to say the words out loud - it was just another way for me to stay anonymous.  Now I write because I've realized my voice isn't insignificant; what I say can have depth, meaning, and weight.  I write because it's a part of who I am, and I'm not afraid to let people see the real me anymore.

I know this post is a bit long winded and scattered as per usual, but that's mainly because I'm racing the clock once again.  I used to write just for myself, but now I write for all of you too.  The fact that anyone reads this blog at all was more than I could've hoped for, but knowing there are strangers around the world taking the time to see what I have to say is staggering.  All I can say at this point is thank you for reading.  You all have given me hope and courage to continue on this path, but mostly, you've given me a voice.  Even if my literary dreams never come true, at least I have this to look back on to see just how far I was able to go, which is already much farther than I used to be able to imagine.