I don’t know what it is about today, but I really miss Filipino food. I haven’t eaten any in years because my dad doesn’t really know how to make it. I grew up eating rice for almost every meal and dishes like sinigung, adobo and lumpia. It’s sort of sad because I really enjoyed my mom’s cooking and now don’t even experience Filipino food randomly.
When I was sick, my stepfather would make me eat sinigung to make me feel better. I am one of those people who do not like eating when they are sick (which is probably a bad thing). I’ve never been a really picky eater, but I get in moods where I only want to eat a particular thing. I eat a lot of things that other people don’t, but I will only eat it at certain times.
There is one exception to this…pork in Filipino dishes. I have had this discussion with some of my friends…Filipinos only use fatty pork in their food. It’s so strange to me. I always refused to eat it because it always grossed me out; it still does. As a result, I do not enjoy eating pork as much as my family.
I am probably rambling on about food right now because I really have not eaten today and the thing that I really want is lumpia and you can’t find it anywhere. I will just have to settle for a sandwich at Jimmy John’s or something. Jimmy John’s can’t even compare with the feeling that lumpia brings to a person. It feels like home, something I am missing terribly right now. I think when I get back to Pennsylvania, I will make lumpia. I have only done it once and it was year’s ago, but it is worth it.
Saturday, April 24, 2010
Sunday, April 18, 2010
Being a Hokie and Cadet
This past weekend, the freshmen in the Corp finally were turned into upperclassmen. It’s sort of funny now because all of the things that they made us do, we sort of do out of habit. We had to always stay on the right side of the hallway, greet people, and a bunch of other random things that seem pointless. In one instant, all of it disappeared. In a way, it’s sort of comical. Nothing was stopping us from walking down the middle of a hallway or all those other dumb things. We made the choice.
I think it’s hard for people to understand why anyone joins the Corp. At times, I don’t even know why, but now that I look at it, I have learned so much… about other people and myself. Cadets in the Corp think that it’s dumb and that a lot of what we do is dumb, but it actually isn’t. It’s a learning experience.
Every interaction we have with one another is an experience that we learn and grow from. Housing cadets from all the services is also beneficial because we learn more about the other branches than if we were at an academy. We even have interaction with the rest of the Virginia Tech community that we are a part of.
On Friday, the vigil was indescribable. I had always felt that I was a cadet, but for the first time, I truly felt like a Hokie. When we were all there, it didn’t matter what backgrounds we came from, the clothes we were wearing, or anything else. We were a group remembering the lives lost on 4/16. It’s not every day an experience like that happens.
*Oh, and my blog from last week about the drill competition, my company won for the second year in a row.
I think it’s hard for people to understand why anyone joins the Corp. At times, I don’t even know why, but now that I look at it, I have learned so much… about other people and myself. Cadets in the Corp think that it’s dumb and that a lot of what we do is dumb, but it actually isn’t. It’s a learning experience.
Every interaction we have with one another is an experience that we learn and grow from. Housing cadets from all the services is also beneficial because we learn more about the other branches than if we were at an academy. We even have interaction with the rest of the Virginia Tech community that we are a part of.
On Friday, the vigil was indescribable. I had always felt that I was a cadet, but for the first time, I truly felt like a Hokie. When we were all there, it didn’t matter what backgrounds we came from, the clothes we were wearing, or anything else. We were a group remembering the lives lost on 4/16. It’s not every day an experience like that happens.
*Oh, and my blog from last week about the drill competition, my company won for the second year in a row.
Saturday, April 10, 2010
A Year Almost Over
In the Corp, there is this drill competition called Eager Squad. It’s sort of a big deal for the freshmen. Basically, you train in drill and Corp of Cadets knowledge only to compete for a total of 3 minutes. We have been training for two months. It’s funny because we all did not want to partake in this competition because of the time commitment to practice.
I was supposed to be an alternate because I hate drill, but this morning, I was told that I would be performing. There are no words to describe how poor I am at drill. I have little to no coordination and still hit my face with the rifle when moving from position to position. Unfortunately for me, I am not the worst at drill, so I was picked over some of my other buds.
At first, I did not take it seriously at all, but I was just thinking more about what my buds and I have accomplished this past year. We have been training all year to become sophomore cadets, a job that we do for little over a semester. All this preparation for only a brief moment of execution. Then again, I would like to think that I am prepared for almost anything and would prefer to be over-prepared than under.
It’s weird to think that we are going to be “upperclassmen” in exactly seven days. Soon, we will be taking care of the freshmen and we will have responsibility. My buds and I have been through so much together; it’s going to be surreal when we aren’t all together anymore. The Corp splits all the freshmen up in a shuffle and move you to a different company. Of course, most of us will still be in the Corp, but we won’t be screaming across the hallway to ask for paper towels or any of the ridiculous nonsense that we usually get into. It just kind of puts it into perspective for me. Although a lot of crappy things happened this year, I wouldn’t trade it for anything.
I was supposed to be an alternate because I hate drill, but this morning, I was told that I would be performing. There are no words to describe how poor I am at drill. I have little to no coordination and still hit my face with the rifle when moving from position to position. Unfortunately for me, I am not the worst at drill, so I was picked over some of my other buds.
At first, I did not take it seriously at all, but I was just thinking more about what my buds and I have accomplished this past year. We have been training all year to become sophomore cadets, a job that we do for little over a semester. All this preparation for only a brief moment of execution. Then again, I would like to think that I am prepared for almost anything and would prefer to be over-prepared than under.
It’s weird to think that we are going to be “upperclassmen” in exactly seven days. Soon, we will be taking care of the freshmen and we will have responsibility. My buds and I have been through so much together; it’s going to be surreal when we aren’t all together anymore. The Corp splits all the freshmen up in a shuffle and move you to a different company. Of course, most of us will still be in the Corp, but we won’t be screaming across the hallway to ask for paper towels or any of the ridiculous nonsense that we usually get into. It just kind of puts it into perspective for me. Although a lot of crappy things happened this year, I wouldn’t trade it for anything.
Saturday, April 3, 2010
Jane Austin and Pride and Prejudice
Last night, some of my friends and I watched Pride and Prejudice… the version with Keira Knightley. In the movie (and the book), Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth Bennet both love and hate one another. Their hate is fueled by pride and the prejudice formed against initial impressions. The way that Jane Austen portrays love is unique to that of other authors and is seen through the movies based on her books.
It seems like everyone today wants to watch movies like “The Notebook”, “Titanic”, “Pearl Harbor” and movies that, in my opinion, seem more like lust than love. They basically make out, have sex, and either get married or die. The characters are overcoming external obstacles rather than internal, which makes it seem like relationships can only be stopped from outside forces.
Jane Austen uses internal conflicts rather than external. Although her writing is somewhat outdated because of the writing style and difficulty to connect, her characters are real. People act the way that she writes her characters to be. In my opinion, it is much more likely that a relationship will fall apart because of internal conflict rather than external. Another thing which is unique about her characters is that there does not need to be some big kissing scene. Most of these chick flicks have at least one, but “Pride and Prejudice” utilizes a series of intense moments where you can feel the emotions without action.
I don’t believe it’s the writing that makes Jane Austen famous, but more of the universality of her characters. Despite the fact that her characters were written almost 200 years ago, they are still real in any time period. They live through their personalities rather than just pure action, which is a rarity in writing. I think this is why Pride and Prejudice is one of my favorite movies.
It seems like everyone today wants to watch movies like “The Notebook”, “Titanic”, “Pearl Harbor” and movies that, in my opinion, seem more like lust than love. They basically make out, have sex, and either get married or die. The characters are overcoming external obstacles rather than internal, which makes it seem like relationships can only be stopped from outside forces.
Jane Austen uses internal conflicts rather than external. Although her writing is somewhat outdated because of the writing style and difficulty to connect, her characters are real. People act the way that she writes her characters to be. In my opinion, it is much more likely that a relationship will fall apart because of internal conflict rather than external. Another thing which is unique about her characters is that there does not need to be some big kissing scene. Most of these chick flicks have at least one, but “Pride and Prejudice” utilizes a series of intense moments where you can feel the emotions without action.
I don’t believe it’s the writing that makes Jane Austen famous, but more of the universality of her characters. Despite the fact that her characters were written almost 200 years ago, they are still real in any time period. They live through their personalities rather than just pure action, which is a rarity in writing. I think this is why Pride and Prejudice is one of my favorite movies.
Sunday, March 28, 2010
Stengths and Weaknesses
This past weekend, I attended a leadership conference, which was reinforced what my strengths and weaknesses are as a leader. It’s kind of funny because not a lot has changed. I am analytical, disciplined, deliberative, focused, and an achiever, but I don’t know how these attributes affect my weaknesses. It makes it seem as though I am somewhat detached from my feelings.
I suppose I can give off the impression as a cold person, but I do not think I am. My true weakness is being in tune with my own personal feelings, not with those around me. Usually, I can tell when someone is upset or the mood in a room. I am a good listener and usually give (I hope) good advice.
Over the course of high school, I have been put in several leadership positions and I have one true fear. I am not afraid of a team that has trouble working together or a group of people who are not as skilled for a job as they should. I am scared that the people I am responsible for are not comfortable coming to me about their problems.
As a leader, it is important that people are comfortable coming to you for any of their problems, personal or work related. I have found that people’s personal lives affect their work and how they perform. Since my initial impression is somewhat tough, it makes it difficult for people to approach me, but I usually talk to people individually to get to know them.
I miss the people that I was responsible for in high school. I still visit them and give them advice occasionally. In my opinion, the mentor-mentee relationship does not end when you leave a situation or position. It’s your responsibility to continue to help that person with any problems they have.
I suppose I can give off the impression as a cold person, but I do not think I am. My true weakness is being in tune with my own personal feelings, not with those around me. Usually, I can tell when someone is upset or the mood in a room. I am a good listener and usually give (I hope) good advice.
Over the course of high school, I have been put in several leadership positions and I have one true fear. I am not afraid of a team that has trouble working together or a group of people who are not as skilled for a job as they should. I am scared that the people I am responsible for are not comfortable coming to me about their problems.
As a leader, it is important that people are comfortable coming to you for any of their problems, personal or work related. I have found that people’s personal lives affect their work and how they perform. Since my initial impression is somewhat tough, it makes it difficult for people to approach me, but I usually talk to people individually to get to know them.
I miss the people that I was responsible for in high school. I still visit them and give them advice occasionally. In my opinion, the mentor-mentee relationship does not end when you leave a situation or position. It’s your responsibility to continue to help that person with any problems they have.
Sunday, March 21, 2010
A Picture Worth 1,000 Words
People say that one picture speaks 1,000 words, but I disagree with this argument. How much can you truly say about one picture? I was thinking about a picture in particular today. It used to sit in the formal sitting room when I lived with my mother and stepfather. The picture was a replica of an original that my mother found when she had visited the Philippines the year before.
The picture was of my grandmother, someone who had died before my mother was a teenager. I still cannot tell who she was from that picture. The original picture was black and white, small, probably a 5x7 and was torn and at one point had pieces missing, which were replaced by a professional who had drawn them in. It was yellow from old age and somewhat brittle.
It turns out that I did not know much about my grandmother or mother for that matter. My grandmother was young in the picture, probably around 25, and had short, curly, dark hair and a face that was rounder than mine. She was not smiling, but I don’t know if that indicated anything about her. I used to pass the picture everyday and wonder what she must have been like.
I suppose that we do not know much about the people around us, their lives, past experiences, hardships, or even the truth behind some of their stories. Sometimes I wish I had taken the initiative to ask about the lives of people I knew. For instance, I lived with my mother for nine and half years, yet I still learn things about her every day. I did not know how hard her life was when she lived in the Philippines, that she was dirt poor. I did not know that she was the only person with my grandmother when she died in the back of a jeepney. I was with her almost every day for nine and a half years and I hardly knew her.
Sometimes, I wonder why I did not know these things. They were a part of who she was, yet I knew nothing about them; it’s like I knew nothing about her. I suppose I still do not take the initiative to ask about people’s lives. I like to ask questions, but am I truly asking the right ones? Am I really finding out more about a person or only finding a small piece of the big picture?
The picture was of my grandmother, someone who had died before my mother was a teenager. I still cannot tell who she was from that picture. The original picture was black and white, small, probably a 5x7 and was torn and at one point had pieces missing, which were replaced by a professional who had drawn them in. It was yellow from old age and somewhat brittle.
It turns out that I did not know much about my grandmother or mother for that matter. My grandmother was young in the picture, probably around 25, and had short, curly, dark hair and a face that was rounder than mine. She was not smiling, but I don’t know if that indicated anything about her. I used to pass the picture everyday and wonder what she must have been like.
I suppose that we do not know much about the people around us, their lives, past experiences, hardships, or even the truth behind some of their stories. Sometimes I wish I had taken the initiative to ask about the lives of people I knew. For instance, I lived with my mother for nine and half years, yet I still learn things about her every day. I did not know how hard her life was when she lived in the Philippines, that she was dirt poor. I did not know that she was the only person with my grandmother when she died in the back of a jeepney. I was with her almost every day for nine and a half years and I hardly knew her.
Sometimes, I wonder why I did not know these things. They were a part of who she was, yet I knew nothing about them; it’s like I knew nothing about her. I suppose I still do not take the initiative to ask about people’s lives. I like to ask questions, but am I truly asking the right ones? Am I really finding out more about a person or only finding a small piece of the big picture?
Sunday, March 14, 2010
The Beatles
My dad just drove me back to Tech today and I started thinking about a lot of car rides that I have taken. It’s sort of funny. My dad and I always have conversations about what went on in our lives while apart and then listen to the Beatles. We both love music and he influenced me to like much older music than most people my age would listen to.
For some reason, I have this strange fascination with the Beatles. Their music is just so unique, but there is still one album which still eludes my grasp… “Hey Jude”. I have tried and tried to get a hold of this CD, but whenever I get to a store, they never have it. I suppose it would be simple to just go on Amazon and buy it online, but I have this thing where I want to personally go and buy a CD versus just ordering it. The stores always have the twangs of “A Hard Day’s Night” or the eerily calming sounds of “The White Album”, yet I can’t get my hands on “Hey Jude”.
The Beatles are one of those timeless groups whose music never get old and still can evoke the same feelings across the generation gap. On Friday night, I watched the movie, “A Hard Day’s Night”. Although it had basically no storyline, it was still entertaining all the same. Through that short movie, I basically met who each “Beatle” was and sort of got a better understanding of their music.
It’s somewhat frustrating for a 19 year old to get frustrated over something as silly as finding a CD especially since I am making the trouble myself. I think there is some pride involved in finding something that you have been searching for. In finding the missing piece, the puzzle is complete and you can see the entire picture.
For some reason, I have this strange fascination with the Beatles. Their music is just so unique, but there is still one album which still eludes my grasp… “Hey Jude”. I have tried and tried to get a hold of this CD, but whenever I get to a store, they never have it. I suppose it would be simple to just go on Amazon and buy it online, but I have this thing where I want to personally go and buy a CD versus just ordering it. The stores always have the twangs of “A Hard Day’s Night” or the eerily calming sounds of “The White Album”, yet I can’t get my hands on “Hey Jude”.
The Beatles are one of those timeless groups whose music never get old and still can evoke the same feelings across the generation gap. On Friday night, I watched the movie, “A Hard Day’s Night”. Although it had basically no storyline, it was still entertaining all the same. Through that short movie, I basically met who each “Beatle” was and sort of got a better understanding of their music.
It’s somewhat frustrating for a 19 year old to get frustrated over something as silly as finding a CD especially since I am making the trouble myself. I think there is some pride involved in finding something that you have been searching for. In finding the missing piece, the puzzle is complete and you can see the entire picture.
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