What does Positivity even mean?

Ironically, I am sitting in Positive Psychology class. 

All I want to do now is to enjoy a cup of hot chocolate and some cookies. If I focus about the delight and happiness that comes from this small pleasure in life, will this count as positive thinking? 

Being a senior in college feels weird. :)

catching up and staying afloat...

This is me and how I feel right now....

Basically, just trying to juggle everything and stay afloat and thrive! :)

I know the last time I updated my blog post was before Christmas so it's been close to 3 months since the last update. I still need to find out if I can blog on my iPad and that will make it a ton easier for me. :D

Anyways, here are a few pictures to pretty much summarize my life from then till now. 

First, I headed out to Chicago to spend Christmas and New Years with my friend, Ming.

Ming is a Malaysian girl who graduated from Union and she is an amazing cook. While I am at it, my as well do a plug in for her. She just started a food blog and she calls it "Freestyle Cookin' ". I think its awesome because her blog focuses on using leftovers and those extra veggies and meat you have in the refrigerator that you have no idea what to do with. The way she cooks is pretty authentic style Malaysian and I can definitely vouch for taste on her dishes. They are YUMMEHH!!
Check out her blog, http://freestylecookin.tumblr.com/

Anyway, it was amazing to catch up with her and spend some quality time with her.

It was definitely fun catching up and talking about life, just like old times!

This picture above was taken in a Mexican Restaurant in Chicago where they had amazing Mexican cuisines, which names I can barely pronounce, let alone remember. But this I can tell you, the smell and the sight of the food around us were delightfully enticing and satisfied us immensely.
I was never a fan of Mexican food, but this place was seriously good! :)

Chicago was magical at night as the Christmas lights lit up and street performers filled the streets with festive music, replacing the bustling noise of the city.
Lincoln Park Zoo was one of the places that celebrated this spirit of Christmas and took it a step further by lighting up the entire zoo with Christmas lights. They even had animal sculptures made of ice which was definitely a sight to behold, especially for Malaysians like us, who are more used to decorated malls and fake snow. :)











Ming and I left Chicago and flew to the East Coast right before Christmas, as if we didn't have enough of the cold!
But both of us were so excited since it's our first time visiting both Boston and the Big Apple that we decided  to brave the cold nonetheless.

Our first stop was Boston and there was where we spent our Christmas. One of the highlights of the trip was our meeting with an old Malaysian couple who now resides in Boston and have called it home for more than 15 years now. We met them the very first day we arrived in Boston and our meeting was fated! This was how we coincidentally and miraculously connected:

I was craving some serious dim sum as we stepped out the plane in Boston so Ming and I thought we would venture out to Chinatown in search for a good and authentic dim sum restaurant. We managed to find our way to a small yet well-known place through "Yelp"(which has proved to be an amazing tool if you're travelling in the U.S. btw) and were famished and dying for some hot, good, authentic Dim Sum.
So we ordered a whole lot of food, and being food lovers, we began to discuss how good the dishes were and how each one is similar or otherwise to the Dim Sum back home.

Being a Penangite, Ming decided to order a plate of Char Kuey Gak (which is called fried turnip cake in the U.S., not sure why because the name itself does not sound appetizing but I digress... )

ANYWAY, we noticed an old couple standing behind us and as we were talking about Char Kuey Gak and how good it was. The aunty, who we now know as Aunty Michele enquired about the taste of the dish and when she heard us referring it to "Char Kuey Gak" she immediately knew we were Malaysians and Ming and I were so excited to meet our fellow countrymen that we instantly "clicked" and began talking about our visit to Boston and our plans.

Aunty Michele and Uncle Choo was kind enough to invite us to their house, even though we were complete strangers. So, Ming and I ended up spending an amazing Christmas eve with them and also Aunty Michele's sister and niece. 

Here's a picture of Ming and I with these awesome people that we were blessed to have met. 

After spending a few days in Boston either shopping or visiting places in the city, we boarded a bus and headed to NEW YORK CITY, the city of dreams!!! or so they say...

NEW YORK CITY has always intrigued me because of all the hype about it and how the media glamorizes it. However, I would have to say that while it was fun visiting the city and being able to see the sights for myself, I don't think I would ever move to New York or settle down there because of the hustle and bustle and the crowding of an overwhelmingly large amount of tourists. It certainly didn't help that Ming and I were in New York for New Years which is where everyone in the world wants to be in, to witness the AMAZING ball drop event.

Ming and I were pretty hyped up about the event until we stood in the crowds on that bitter and chilly night with a limited amount of space to stand, let alone sit, people constantly shoving us around and not being able to see anything that was going on onstage. We later found that that people who really wanted to be upfront and near to the stage had probably been there a whole 20 hours or more before the event kicked-off. And mind you, it was in December with the cold nipping at you. We concluded, that it wasn't worth it to be in the crowds but it was definitely something you want to turn on the TV and enjoy at home with a hot cup of hot chocolate beside you, snuggled in with your cat or dog or whatever. :)

OUR VIEW FROM WAY WAY WAY FAR BEHIND.









WE WERE NOT VERY HAPPY OR EXCITED AT ALL! TO SAY THE LEAST...  but it was still an experience!

After New York, I headed back to Chicago and then back to Jackson, Tennessee for school. :/ And so my holidays ended as abruptly as this post is about to... haha. 

** it feels kinda weird blogging about Christmas and New Years in March, but I am glad I got to include these memories in my blog and share them with whoever cares to read! :D 

However, I do want to stay current and try to blog more from now on. 

Till then, thank you so much for reading! :)

On another unrelated note, here is a picture of our Chinese New Year celebration event that we had in our school. :)

so grateful for each and everyone of them who embraces culture diversity and rocks it! :)

Heading out to colder climates!

Heading out...

(this post is pretty picture-heavy)

Yesterday, I was reminded by my cousin that the last update on my blog was a month ago.. Oops! So much for being discipline and consistent. I blame it on finals though... HAH! .... ok.... and lots of procrastination too!

Finals week is over and it was pretty crazy, but I think as compared to Malaysian standards, it really isn't! I remember the SPM and PMR days where we had to study and had finals consecutively for one month or so. And I know that people are still having those tests.. so who am I to complain. But I sure am happy to be done with finals and have break to look forward to.

Talking about breaks, Thanksgiving break last month was a blast!! I had so much fun, that I forgot about school and work. 

Here's some highlight of some of the things I did during the break.

We did "geocaching". Basically it's like treasure hunt that anyone can do anywhere. People will hide caches that can be anything like medicine bottles to bags. They will hide these caches in certain places. These caches contain some random objects in it and if you find the "treasure", you get to sign and add your name on a list of people who have found this cache and made their mark! :) 

This is a picture of Andrew, being a serious geochacher and trying really hard!! :) LOL. good job!

I was kinda skeptical about geochaching at first, but it gets addictive, especially when you are desperate to see what's in the cache. Also, if you decide to take out any items from the cache, you will have to replace it. I think we placed a band-aid in one of the caches, so if you find one with some band-aid in it, you know who put it there :)

Here's how long one of the list is. It's pretty amazing how many people are really serious about geocaching :) 

 We were invited to some of our friends' house to have thanksgiving meal together. I don't really have pictures of the food. But here's a pretty picture of Jessica before we went to a Thanksgiving meal.

Since the weather was kinda chilly and campus was pretty quiet, we decided to have a cookout using the firepit in the Heritage dorms! There were grilled chicken, vegetables and roasted s'mores that night. They tasted so good!! It was a fun time of hanging out with friends as we enjoyed all the delicious food. 

The firepit wasn't too big, but it did the job. Anna worked really hard that night and did most of the grilling. :)

                           People chilling on trees. A common sight in Cherry Grove Apartments.

                                                 







                                       Andrew trying to be "like a boss"

 And then on Friday of the Thanksgiving Break week, we took a road trip to Memphis, which is roughly an hour and half from Jackson, Tennessee. I absolutely love Memphis for all the great Asian eats there and some awesome Asian groceries they have there. Memphis has a larger population of Asians and we as Asians, tend to flock together... mostly for good food!!

This is our favorite Dim Sum place in Memphis, Golden Coast. Actually this place is located in Cordova,TN which is a little nearer to Jackson than Memphis is.

 They have char siu pau, siu mai, har gao, loh mai kai, ngau lam!!! Almost everything I crave for in the Dim Sum category..But I can't say it's as good as the one in my hometown, Ipoh though.

Next stop, Bubble Milk Tea! Always a welcomed treat! 

After satisfying our food cravings, we headed over to Shelby Farms where we indulged in nature's beauty. This place is just so serene and beautiful, and the warm and sunny weather that day complimented the scenery perfectly. 

Oh, and we always have to stop and say "hi" to the duckies!!

Here's my friend, Hannah, being Hannah!! :) She has an awesome camera and was the one who uploaded all the amazing pictures on Facebook. Love this girl. :)

                                                                Anna being Anna. ;)

  May being unusually demure and girly looking. :) 

Gorgeous Day!!!

We had Hot Wings for Dinner after our attempt driving round looking for Thai food failed. The wings were ok, but just a tinge too spicy. But it was surprisingly good food given how "sketchy-looking" the place was. 

On another note, I got myself a new toy during Black Friday's craziness!! :D We waited in line for about an hour and waited another 2 hours?! to pay. I guess you can say we had the full American Experience of Black Friday. I was glad we were not at Walmart where it was just out-of-this-world crazy. We went to Target and I was pleasantly surprise at how organised they made it. 

 SO happy with my new gadget. :)

      Then, we were invited to the Watsons house for dinner! Uncle Vince always makes the best curry and we always feel so welcomed at their house. This is a picture of the sunset that was so breathtakingly gorgeous that day.. This picture does not do it justice. 

 They always have exquisite Christmas decorations and everything in the Watson's house just feels "homey" and elegantly simple at the same time. Spending time chatting and having food in their house is definitely one of my favoritest things to do ;>

 Oh, and how can I forget our shooting experience at the Matlock's house on Thanksgiving dinner. I must say Mr. Matlock was pretty bold to teach us and let us try shooting on his gun, since most of us have maybe only fired and tried our hand at shooting guns once. But it was an amazing experience and we had a ton of fun meeting the Matlock's family and eating with them. They are really kind people.

Aim and Fire!

After Thanksgiving break, school felt so dreadfully long and tiring. But now that finals are over... Here's a video showing you how we partied, international style. :D 

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=10200132904030379&set=t.830349931&type=3&theater

anyway,

I AM LEAVING Jackson in a few hours to visit my friend, Ming in Chicago, the Windy City. For those of you who have never been, it is called the windy city for a reason... IT IS majorly WINDYYY!!! As it is now Winter time, it is going to add that much more of coldness. I am gonna try not to freeze into a giant ice cube as I head to New York and Boston for Christmas and New Year's too. 

I am so excited to be finally going to New York, even though it's gonna be a high of -5degree celsius and low of -12degrees. 

I wil try to update my blog in Chicago. But till then, see ya and Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all!! and remember to cherish and spread more love and joy during this festive season! 

Thankful for Thanksgiving

T.H.A.N.K.F.U.L.

I am finally starting a blog! :)

To be honest, I had wanted to start a blog a long time ago but just never gotten down to it.
I guess I wasn't just as disciplined enough. But now that I have started one, I am determined to keep it alive, maybe not where it is updated daily but enough to keep friends and family back home posted on events in my life and also for me to document memorable moments in my life.

Since I came to America, I have not done a very good job with updating and keeping in touch with people back home, so this blog will be a good indicator that I DO WANT TO KEEP IN TOUCH WITH ALL OF MY FRIENDS, it is just a little hard with time difference and schoolwork.

Anyway...
I thought it will be a good idea with starting my blog with the recognition that I am extremely THANKFUL for everything in my life. Through ups and downs, by the grace of God, and with the support from people around me, I have had moments of bitterness and sorrow but also periods of joy and elation and contentment. I believe this is all part and parcel of life and all experiences help shape me and help me grow continually.

Which brings me to the title of my blog.... "This and That, Is Life". I thought for a long while about what the name of my blog should be and was inspired by this song from a singer I really like.
This is the song...

The singer, David Choi, is one of my favourite, he is an American-born Korean living in Los Angeles. He made a name for himself in YouTube land and I just love the melody and the lyrics of his songs.

I especially LOVE this song and whenever I hear it, it makes me want to throw my cares away and sing along with it. The lyrics just remind me to not take myself too seriously and to know that there is always a silver lining in the cloud. No matter how hard life is, we can still look around and find blessings and joy.
So, I just wasn't very creative with my blog title but I think it still works and it is appropriate for my blog. ;)

The title is also very timely as Thanksgiving day is approaching and we are now on our Thanksgiving Break!! There's so much to be thankful for, good friends, good food, plenty of rest.. etc.
One of the best thing about being in America is getting to witness and be a part of the celebrations of holidays we don't celebrate in Malaysia. For example, Halloween ---->>>>
We were REAL excited when we got to dress up and celebrate it with our friends on campus!!!

Thanksgiving is another celebration that I got exposed to when I got here.

                                        

Basically, it's a time to get fat and stuff your face with TURKEY.
YUMMMM!!!


However, on a much serious note... Thanksgiving also reminds me of my dad, since he passed away the eve of Thanksgiving. I have always thought how ironic it is that the day of his passing is so close to Thanksgiving. However, I think that God is reminding me that I have to be grateful for 18 years of wonderful time spent with a father who loves me sooo much!! And for the fact that I know that my dad is in a place where he is the happiest. :)

ANYWAY, just thought I would share my thoughts and updates on this blog and I hope to be consistent with posting updates regularly.
Thanks for reading!! :D
Happy thanksgiving!! NOW go get fat!! LOL.