Post-Christmas Excitement!!!

There was a book exchange up at the ski resort during Christmas, and I got this:

SUPER DUPER LOVE!!! (Haha there's my Singaporian english coming out le ;p) I've already started browsing through it, and not only does it contain tons of awesome-looking recipes, the commentary is fantastic! Plus THERE'S LOTS OF PICTURES. Hehe. Okay just kidding, I'm an avid reader of just about anything, especially history or satire. One of my fave authors of all time is probably Jonathan Swift. If you think you've already read Gulliver's Travels when you were a kid, go back and read through it again. It's the greatest piece of satire ever.
#tangent

I've been experimenting with hashtags lately, without too much success... maybe I need to improve my sense of timing ;p

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And sorry guys about not posting a WWS!!! I'm still trying to figure out how to make them using a Mac. #technologicallychallenged

'Tis the Season

Am typing this up on my new MacBook Air!!! Super duper excited about it, and will defos put it to good use! We've been talking about getting a new Apple laptop for me for a while now, since so much of my schoolwork is online. My old hp laptop is going to my little brother, who could hardly wait to get his hands on it.

Tons of thanks to my awesome parents, who were nice enough to get me this fantastic laptop computer. I am so very fortunate in the parents that I've been blessed with.

I actually went Christmas shopping today as well ;P
I got a pair of gloves plus some Hickory Farm sausages for my little bro, Chloe perfume for my darling mother, and a Nike workout top for my dad. I also bought a shitload of gorgeously discounted designer tops for moi. We hit up Marshalls, which although does carry mostly lower-end labels, occasionally has  some REALLY nice deals on sweet brands. I got a French Connection shirtdress for $7.00 and a Black Gold sequined top for $15! (On top of all the stuff I already bought...)

We also went to the mall, which was packed with last-minute holiday shoppers, and I bought two super-comfy cashmere sweaters. They were thrifted and absolutely fantastic! $8 dollars apiece for a Gene Meyers pullover and a Banana Republic cashmere sweater. Dude.

I've only worked out twice this week though, due to not feeling the most up to par. My voice sounds better now, but it's been a rough week. I'm probably going to work out HARD tomorrow, and then be ready for some awesome hardcore workouts once we get back from the trip on Wednesday. We're going to some ski resort up north with a couple of other Chinese families from the 24th to the 26th, and I'm pretty psyched to hit the slopes on Christmas day.

Best wishes for happy holidays!

LOL Wednesday

Happy Hump Day! Wednesdays are probably the most "meh" day of the week for me. My week pretty much goes down like the following:

Monday- ...Why am I awake right now...

Tuesday- ...Why is it not Friday... #homeworkhangover

Wednesday- Dammit, it's still not Friday. Oh well, at least it's halfway through the school week.

Thursday- Today is Friday. I believe it is so, and thus so be it. ...(5 minutes later) Dammit, it's Thursday.

Friday- T.G.I.F

Here are a few memes I found to bring a little laughter to your day; enjoy! They are all totally random and unrelated.

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My train of thought on Tuesdays...

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How shit goes down in AP U.S History

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This one reminds me of the punniness of my biology teacher.

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Chillax- YOLO post

I like to take at least 5 minutes each day to totally let go. I also realize how terrible that sounds. Anyways, let's just continue under the illusion of me possessing a high maturity level...

If I'm feeling stressed, depressed, self-pitying, or if I'm just already chilling and enjoying myself- I try to take a few minutes each day to just stop. Generally I'll put on some super chill reggae, sit up straight, and let go of all the negative energy. Once all my negative energy has been lifted, it can be replaced with positive vibes.

I then usually proceed to have a private dance party in my bedroom and jam out to Shakira or Britney.

I've found that this ritual helps A LOT in calming me down and allowing me to truly live in the moment. Life is only so long, so why spend it stressing out in a situation when the exact same thing would happen if you weren't stressing? Of course, I don't mean to just slack off, but if you've got a big test the next day, then does studying while stressed out help you more than studying with a relaxed and pliable mind?

"I can't change the direction of the wind, but I can adjust my sails to always reach my destination."
-Jimmy Dean

Whadday'all think?
Do you do anything to calm yourself down and chillax?

Chillaxin'

I feel like I'm going to deviate from the title a helluva lot... Lots of school-related bitching is in the works, but I'm not going to let all that negative energy get to me right now. WTF does that even make any sense??? Sorry, sorta out of it right now.

Anyways, I'm just giving y'all a heads up. I'm not going to be sticking to any workouts except for tennis, or maybe some pilates, for the rest of the week because my shins have been feeling wonky. They feel really tight when I'm doing any type of lunge/jump. This means pretty much most cardio activities involving repetitive jumping are out. Pushups and full burpees are okay, but I think I'm just going to give myself a week or two to recoop and let my body rest.

I am totally out of it right now... I should probably go practice piano since I haven't been doing nearly enough of that lately, but it's so difficult because it's a "study binge" weekend. Yup, an orgy with the textbooks...
Sounds like fun, doesn't it? So does sticking forks between your toes.

Day of eats #1 (+ WWS)

This post has been long in coming! #queenofprocrastinating lolz. (Yes I just added a legit hashtag... sue this teenager.) Lots and lots of avocados!!! Mom got some yesterday and I am back on the South American pear bandwagon.

Started my day off with a cup of oatmeal with 1 (ish) tablespoon of honey and a bit of vanilla extract. This was also my pre-workout meal.

 

 

Lunch was a banana + peanut butter (yes I know there's a ton of sugar in Skippy's but my mom only bought the sugary kind, though preservative-free. I'm too lazy to make it and the almond butter is all hardened, so give me a break people.),

half an avocado,

and a peach. With a bite taken out of it already...

Spooned a whole avocado in the afternoon. I know, naughty me. Hey, it's as much action as I've gotten this summer.

I was feeling snacky come dinner time, so I had a baggie... of frozen grapes ;p

and half an avocado.

I also had a cup of chocolate soymilk and some watermelon, but my camera was being wonky.

Onto my WWS!!!

(POP vids from here.)

Happy Monday, y'all!

Not Too Much

I'm still trying to decide if apathy is more comfortable for me than running around like Sarah Palin after hairspray.

Besides piano, working out, and studying for AP classes, I have zip to do right now. Dance team tryouts start in ten days, meaning all I have to do before then is chill out.

I am the type of person who is constantly- and I mean constantly- on the move, looking for something to do, literally jumping up and down with unused energy. But at the same time, I gotta tell ya; high school is somewhat akin to Hell. Somewhere between hell and purgatory, in any case. Besides a gazillion hours of volunteering + extracurriculars, I've got shitloads of schoolwork, homework, workouts, and piano to do. Honestly can't say whether that's better than sitting on my ass watching episodes of the Big Bang Theory.

BTW that show is one of my current obsessions... my fave is Sheldon and possibly Amy. Sheldon feels like a super cuddly toddler you just want to throw out the window every time he opens his mouth. Gotta love ;P



In happy-ish news, I finished my last classroom day of driver's ed yesterday!!! Thank the lord that it is, because I'm hard pressed to find anything duller than sitting through three hours of reciting traffic laws of which a good 20% or so will probably never be seen in real life in America, much less China.
The only bright side to those classes was the Dairy Queen next to the driving school; so far I've tried the heath bar blizzard, and I really want to try the French Silk Pie. Anything with caramel and/or chocolate in it, really. Just give me some sugary refined carbs with melt-in-your-mouth texture and I'm good.

Travel stained but intact

My flight from Beijing to Seattle landed a short while ago and we just got our luggage checked for the next flight to home. Airport wifi + access to blogger- sweet! Sadly, one of my fave audrey + 1 blouses is mysteriously stained with the watered down black coffee I just drank... No idea how it happened, I swear. Figures that it would happen to me though. There are zip stains on the white coffee cup so how the hell did it get on me? Well, I guess the same sort of curiosity applies to the Nobel peace prize. I looove me some super watered down black coffee though, but only warm (fave airport drink/jet lag cure btw). But now I'm incredibly hyper so I guess I should stop hopping up and down in my seat before the airline lady who's glaring at me right now calls security. I shall continue to daydream about meeting one of my fave authors of all time, Sherman Alexie, who resides in Seattle while I continue waiting for the next flight home. Catch up with y'all as soon as possible!

Life in School- Update

As the end of the school year is creeping up on us with a startling abrubtness, the hallways, bathrooms, and doors are being pasted over with a wallpaper of notices and sign-ups. Students are rushing to get their forms in on time for next year's activities and clubs. Since I'm too lazy to join student council and get up at 5:30 every morning, and Diversity council applications have already passed the deadline, I only applied to two positions in other clubs.

Obviously, the Ivy Leagues have a voracious appetite for devouring the precious sleeping hours of students, so I need to throw myself headfirst into the lion's den and be in at least two extracurriculars. In addition to schoolwork, next year I will be the co-president of Synergy (a volunteer recycling group), a possible member of the Leadership Team for Volunteer Club (membership pending), as well as keeping up with piano and exercise/school sports.
Sounds harsh, but I really shouldn't be complaing. Compared to some, (V, cough cough, 4.5 GPA on a scale of 4.0, cough cough) I am quite the slacker.
I blame my aptitude for procrastination on being stricken with a truly unfortunate case of "senioritis," minus the school spirit, about three weeks into my Freshman year.

Anyways, here's what you actually came to read about, since you probably hear enough bitching about high school at home or from acquintances...

My workout today wasn't fantastic, though I did sweat a helluva lot. I started in on the bodyweight strength workout routine, but overstretched the side of my hamstring (the area in the inside of the thigh right under the groin). My leg felt fine when running and jumping, but squats are probably off limits for now. I compensated with a 60 minute bodyweight cardio routine finished with 5 minutes of sprinting intervals on the treadmill.

Dinner was a muy delicioso shrimp, celery, and tofu stir-fry:

(I feel bad because I haven't taken/posted pictures in a while... and with my current schedule and finals looming ahead, can't promise I'll be able to make it up... but I will try my best and not let my photography skills get too rusty!)

Late start to school!

Today there's MCA testing for some of the higher grades, so my grade gets a late start. Suh-weet.

I feel like this is almost an ethical dilemma here:
Do I conform to what my peers are probably doing right now and watch T.V for another hour before getting ready for school, or do I go work out, and not have to deal with that later?

Hmmmmm...
I guess the question is more like- is there anything good on Food Network right now?
Uhh yes there is. Cakes shaped like Superwoman? I'm in.

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Food Network it is.


Update on yesterday's workout: I finished the 30 minutes of pilates, but opted out of the Jillian Michaels workout because I didn't want to sweat since I didn't have time to take a shower before practicing piano and heading out to volunteer at the church.
Today I'm definitely looking forward to the workout today, and I'm probably going to substitute the 10 minutes of treadmill time for a couple laps around the block thanks to the gorgeous weather outside today. This gal definitely needs a walk-

(Supermodel-like blurry lighting...)

...Who, me???

Me: Err... yeah you.

Lulu: Sigh. No Bacon? I will fart on you next time.

Yes, I do have conversations in my head with my dog.
And yes, she is always thinking about food. Obviously. Just like me.
Don't judge.

Motivation

Sometimes I swear I get so unmotivated about things... I think my problem is that I'm an all-or-nothing person, so either I'm up and buzzing and annoying the hell out of anyone nearby or I'm just totally veggin' out and procrastinating. Lately I've been off with posting because I've totally been feeling not up to it.
I did work out this week, but even that has been a bit seedy and feeling not super tough... I like to be very challenged by every workout, so when I complete it I feel like I actually deserve the amount of chocolate I eat after dinner lolz.
I don't like to do set workout schedules every week because there's always something unexpected popping up in my day, so I generally plan my workout beforehand in the day (while I'm at school waiting for papers to be passed up etc). I try to stick to a somewhat pattern of long cardio day, resistance/interval cardio + pilates, cardio, lazy day where I'm supposed to do speedwork but I skip and do a tempo run, and so on.
Err.... not much else I feel like writing about right now.
Here's a pretty picture I took sometime that I hope I haven't posted already because no post is interesting without a picture:

Five Mile Run

I've done it. I've finally run over 4 miles! I have never run over 4 miles in my life without stopping, and yesterday I did a tempo run for around 5 miles.
I started out around a 9 minute mile, but overall pace was probably aound 8:50-9 minutes. I clocked in at running 5 miles in just under 45 minutes. This may be a lap around the park for seasoned runners, but since I spend more time doing high-intensity bodyweight cardio interval training and pilates, it's a first for me!
Surprisingly, I barely felt tired at the end of my run and not much soreness; I feel ready to tackle another 5-6 miles today, but will go the wiser route and take a rest day. I just have a one and a half hour dance class tonight, and it's not super strenuous (it doesn't make me break much of a sweat) so it should be fine.
My appetite wasn't really up after that either, as usual, since running at a steady pace (not interval treadmill) seems to be the one form of exercise that doesn't excite my appetite... interesting.

The only thing I was really craving was protein, namely, red meat- hey I'm a huge carnivore. I mean, I eat lots of tofu and looooooove me some veggies, but I don't remember how much I love red meat until I have it again and it's in front of me. I'm not that into hamburgers and the such (though as we all know I'll eat pretty much anything) as I am to meat that looks like it isn't suspiciously ground up and could have anything in it, like my mom's pot roast or stewed pork or mutton...
I respect your choices, veg/pescaetarians(/atheists), but if God didn't want me to eat meat then why'd he make it taste so damn good?
So it's a great thing my mom made one of my all-time faves; Uyghur lamb and rice!

Needless to say, my love affair with organic, freshly cooked mutton began anew...

Maybe I'm missing B6 or B12? Idk... we just had beef soup with rice noodles last night (yum! Love your cooking you mom) , and I had peanut butter with veggie sticks as an after school snack today, so it' probably not that. Oh well- the important thing is to listen to your body and honor your cravings.
Though you're probably needing calcium when you're craving ice cream, at least you're getting some through a pint of Haagen Daz caramel chocolate chunk. And Chocolate, btw, is a food group.
Just so you know. ;p
Crowd out the bad stuff with the good, but nooooo deprivation!

Tackling the Box

I've got to go through this extemporaneous speaking info box, full of articles on international politics, by five tonight.

And as we all know, I'm brilliant with staying on track. So this post is kind of in fact totally procrastinative.
I just got back from Subwayabout half an hour ago, as we stopped there for lunch on the way home from the library.
I ordered my ol' regular 6 inch turkey breast sub on toasted whole wheat, with tomatoes, heaps of black olives, lettuce, spinach, cucumbers, and honey mustard.
We also got mini cookies!

Yes, there were 6 whole cookies when we got them. But there will soon be none left. That, my dear readers, is a fact.

Practiced my camera skills:

You know you want it...

And more random pictures of some highly photographic tulips somebody gave us a couple days ago.

Seriously, flowers are SO photogenic- point a camera at them and they look incredible. Just like Miranda Kerr! Zip tweaking needed. WTF is this??! I am an exceptionally unphotogenic person, despite my charm in real life (yes I realize I'm vain, and I've earned it. Just ask my ass after all those jump squats yesterday.) so my jealousy in this matter is quite great.

Curse you, photogenic tulip!

Fruit Plate and Fartleks

Guess who won first place in the piano competeition yesterday?
Of course it's moi!
Not to be too up-in-you-ass about it or anything, but it was pretty unexpected, and needless to say, the prize money will be going towards my shopping trip tomorrow in search of the perfect everyday purse; preferably Marc Jacobs...

Started off this morning with a fruit plate from the leftovers of Saturday's party.

Make that x 2

Also brunching with the family on some fried rice. Way to play into the stereotypes, no? But I loooove me some fried rice so in this case it's kind of a welcome one.

On the weekends, or the days me and my brother don't have school, we usually have a big brunch late when my mom gets up to cook, like around nine or ten. On usual weekends, it's generally the only sit-down meal we have as a family since everybody then heads off to their busy weekend activities.
But though it's Spring Break, we're pretty much just keeping the weekend meal rhythm up, which is fine by me!
I've got a 3-4 mile Fartlek run planned for later today,but may change that to just an hour or so of tennis with my dad now that the nets are up in the park. Either sounds pretty fun right now with the weather.
Off to look up ways to spend my prize money!

I am finally back again!

I am finally able to cut out blogger's guilt return to the blogosphere again, as the laptop got fixed!
Not much is new, besides the deadline for an English paper worth more than 50% of my grade looming ever closer.
That and the fact I decided to start working on the scarf that I began last year... the one I managed to dig out under the black hole dubbed my laundry bin.

(Last Christmas, I gave you my heart...)

I just put myself through a sweaty treadmill workout to christen my new Asics; had been planning on trying them out on a trail run today, but, as always, the weather did not agree with me. And guess when the ol' sun decided to come out? Right when I finished my treadmill workout. Yup. Story of my life, I swear.
Will most definitely post pics of that, plus another intense cardio workout next time! I've got to get back in the habit of taking pictures of random objects while people stare at me and question my sanity again.
I generally dislike running outside in the winter, since it's so cold here up north. I guess I'll just keep workin' away on treadmills and indoor tennis courts, with dreams of lovely spring runs and sweaty summer sessions.

Pork rib and seaweed soup for dinner:

Seaweed Monster!

Best Ever FREE Workout Videos!

Ran a lovely 2-3 miles today with my dad walking Lulu, with lots of breaks and running in circles to look for them as I wandered around the winding dog trail. The sun finally came out after three consecutively bleary days and it felt like Spring. Hope this weather stays around for a while; working out indoors gets boring fast. Terrible pun unintended.
But as I can obviously foresee more basement workouts in the upcoming weeks (and because my computer can't load pictures right now) here's some of my fave workout videos on Youtube. Blogilates is perfect to add to my yoga/strength mix, and the rest are videos that cater to my inner cardio junkie and are short, super intense, and torturously sweet.
Plus all of these require NO equipment!
Which means no more excuses- why not fit a workout in if you need minimal space, little time and no equipment besides willpower?

Prts 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 of a 20 minute Cardio Workout in Tabata intervals by Bodyrock.tv
(Prt. 1 is posted on here)

Blogilates Bikini Boot Camp/ Corset Workout

Some random dance video that is pretty great for days you just want to attack the treadmill with a sledgehammer (and I do have those days. Often.)

BeFit also uploads a bunch of other workouts with super-perky blondes too; kinda old-fashioned but effective.

I like to keep a resevoir of workout videos for days I just don't feel inspired enough to make my own, or just need another voice to keep my going.

Hope y'all enjoyed it, and I think I'll have a laptop running at full capacity soon!

I'm alive! (though possibly returning a zombie)

Sorry I haven't been able to post lately! Our laptop is broken and now I'm stuck using the home computer, which is super slow. Hopefully I'll be getting a new laptop soon!
Nothing much is new, besides my guilt for not posting in so long...

Grrgh this computer does not load pictures very well, so no pictures today :(
But will try my best to figure this out when I have time!

Interestingly, besides a major English paper, I don't feel like I'm getting as much homework or am as overwhelmed as first semester right now, though that could be just because I'm getting into the swing of things and am organizing my time better.
Which means I'll probably have more time to post, though please don't hold me to that as my plate is still stacked full!

Happy Martin Luther King Day!

I had a lovely brunch with the family this morning, which consisted of stir-fried rice noodles with shrimp. I finished with four or five mini clementines to satisfy my sweet tooth and took advantage of the lighting to snap a few shots.

Yes, you can imagine how things are at family reunions when I have my camera.
Usually though I dislike being photographed because I just have one of those faces that don't look very photogenic. I prefer to exude my charm face-to-face because everytime I pose for a photo I end up looking strained and constipated.
Anyways, more random shots of brunch:

Went on a 4 mile run around noon when the sun was high (yes I realize that sounds like it came from an old-school country song) and soaked in some Vitamin D, running 3.5 miles and then coming home and dragging my ungrateful dog out for another half mile walk/jog.
I had a fantastic time until I realized I had to do homework and finish studying for finals tonight... But whatevs. I'm writing this blog post as a way to procrastinate anyways, so screw it. I'll focus on it when the time comes, say, maybe around tomorrow morning...?