I'm really bad at keeping my blog updated.

May 13, 2014

Hello to whoever still reads this. I barely post anymore now that I'm back in Boston. However, can you blame me? Australia is way more interesting.

Anyway, I have officially finished my junior year...or my first semester as a senior depending on how you look at it. This year, I feel like I am enjoying BU more. I think I've also gotten to a point where I realize I am closer to friends here than friends at home, with the exception of Jason, though that's not surprising. I had not seen some of my SHA friends for a year because we all go abroad at different times. Finally, our group was all together this semester! Unfortunately, it is also the last time, because some of them are going abroad (again) and I am graduating a semester early. I almost regret it now. Almost, because I am still happy I will be done with classes after another semester. However, that also means I have to find a grown up job. I'm not nervous about working, just about actually finding a job. Hopefully, it will be one I enjoy. I guess we'll have to wait and see.

This summer I will stay here in Boston. Part of me is really excited because I do like my office and my job right now. Several of my friends are also staying, which is nice. The other part of me wishes I could go home. I don't even know when or how often I will be visiting. When I finally have two weeks off at the end of the summer, most people, including my sister, will be going to school. Well, nothing much I can do. I needed a job and this is a great opportunity.

On Saturday, I will be attending Larissa (and all the other seniors in SHA)'s graduation ceremony. I'm actually not working Commencement this year. It is really hard to believe how quick time has gone. It's even more crazy to realize the people from Townsend who were a year above me are also done with college. My own sister is going off to college! Not to mention, this fall's high school freshmen are born in 2000. Can we just pause time for a second? This is all happening too quickly!

I don't really know how to end this post, but I don't have more to write. So, as always, thanks for reading!

I am highly sensitive

March 3, 2014

Recently, I read an article from the Huffington Post, 16 Habits of Highly Sensitive People. I am shocked at how much of a revelation this has given me to the point where I actually want to respond to the different points. There were always instances in my life where I could not understand why I reacted certain ways or why other people did not react similarly to myself. I now understand. If the statistic that just one in five people think this way, it seems like I have a minority way of thinking. However, I am actually kind of proud of being a highly sensitive person. Do read the original article if you are interested. I am just going to take the main sentence of each point and give my own input.

1. They feel more deeply. Not much to comment on this, but I think it's true. I internalize a lot.

2. They're more emotionally reactive. I always wondered why Jason could not feel the empathy/sympathy I feel for others when I read or hear their story. Many times, I feel like I react almost as if the event or situation were happening to myself.

3. They're probably used to hearing, "Don't take things so personally" and "Why are you so sensitive?" Ahem, Jason :P But yes, I hear this quite often, and all I have to respond is, "That's just how I am!," which I guess is actually pretty true.

4. They prefer to exercise solo. I prefer to workout alone, but I do actually like group or team sports. The article did mention that there are highly sensitive people whose parents encouraged and supported their children from a young age, which makes this possible.

5. It takes longer for them to make decisions. If you know me, you know that I take forever to make a decision. I try to weigh all the pros and cons before finally making a choice. This even goes for simple things like what I want to order for dinner. However, exactly like the article mentions, if I've been successful at making a decision the first time, I will quickly make it again and again, i.e. picking a dish at a restaurant I frequent often.

6. And on that note, they are more upset if they make a "bad" or "wrong" decision. Yes. I get very annoyed at myself if I made the ultimate decision or at another person if I made the decision based on their recommendation. 

7. They're extremely detail-oriented. I definitely notice things other people do not. Most of the time I don't bother pointing them out because no one would notice the change besides me, even if I find it significant.

8. Not all highly sensitive people are introverts. Well, I am an introvert, so nothing to add here.

9. They work well in team environments. I am glad I would make a good team member. I really would be that person to bring up pros and cons to choosing certain paths, but I do not necessarily like to be the one who picks the direction. The exception would be if I am really sure of a particular option.

10. They're more prone to anxiety or depression (but only if they've had a lot of past negative experiences).  I wouldn't say I am an anxious or depressed person. I have bouts of what I feel is a very mild form of depression, but overall I am sound without significant past negative experiences.

11. That annoying sound is probably significantly more annoying to a highly sensitive person. I don't know how annoying some sounds are to other people, but they can drive me to the point where I want to scream. I remember when I was little, I got frustrated with my sister's analog clock ticking away in the middle of the night to the point where I got up, found the clock, and brought it to a completely different room. It does not help that I can actually hear really well, so I hear everything!

12. Violent movies are the worst. Wolf of Wall Street. I was not a fan...at all. That movie made me so angry that I wanted to leave the theater, but I was with Jason and his family, so that would have been rude and awkward.

13. They cry more easily. This is true. I do tear pretty easily, though ever since high school and college, it has been more from frustration or watching sad movies than anything else. When I was little, I would cry, or at least feel tears for frustration, embarrassment, or confrontation, especially when an adult was involved. It would not be on purpose and I would try my best to not cry, but it would happen. Over the years, I have gotten much better at controlling my emotions.

14. They have above-average manners. I'd like to think I have above-average manners. I try to be respectful and polite to everyone I come in contact with. I have noticed I say "thank you" A LOT, which I guess is a good thing. And, as the article mentioned, I do try to keep out of other people's way (i.e. keeping my grocery cart out of the middle of an aisle).

15. The effects of criticism are especially amplified in highly sensitive people. Refer to #13.

16. Cubicles = good. Open-office plans = bad. I actually do not necessarily think cubicles are good, but I like them better than open-office plans. My ideal workspace would be where I sit with my back against a wall or corner, so I have the ability to look out over everything. It is surprisingly not too distracting.

Anyway, I am really surprised if anyone (besides maybe Jason) actually read this whole thing. It's more of a reflection for myself than anything. However, if you did read it, I guess you now know more about me. Feel free to start a conversation about any of these points and how they relate to you. As always, thanks for reading!

Quite a different semester

January 31, 2014

Hello all! I'm at work right now, but I really don't have anything to do so shh! I typically do homework, but I figured I'd write a post. I really don't even know if people still read this blog, because, let's face it, I have far fewer and less exciting adventures in Boston than in Sydney--especially in the brutal cold weather we've been having.

Anyway, as I mentioned earlier, I am now working in the Events & Conferences department of BU as the Summer Conference Housing Intern. I'm finally starting to figure out how to prepare a contract. I wonder what I will be doing in the summer. At that point, all the contracts should have been completed and I will be awaiting the groups to come. I'm excited, but I also hope I have more to do than I currently do right now. However, I do have to say, the schedule this job allows me is much less hectic than when I worked in catering. I work 16 hours/week but they are all during normal work hours. I used to work 15-20 hours a week or more within three days (typically on the weekend, but in the evenings too) and it would be taxing on my body. I don't mind the crazy hours of hospitality, but I think for the time being this is healthier for me (I also do brief workouts a few days a week!) and more conducive to my doing well this semester. Once I've graduated and no longer have classes, I expect to be working some long days in the industry.

As for classes, I am currently taking Strategic Marketing, Accounting, Revenue Management, Deaf Literature and Folklore, and American Sign Language 3. I feel like I have significantly more work to do this semester than last Spring based on the classes I'm taking. I do have to say that ASL 3 probably takes the most brain power, followed by Accounting and then Deaf Lit. I am pretty surprised to see how far I have come in ASL. It is still difficult to understand when people are signing quickly (particularly spelling names), but it is slowly becoming easier to comprehend. In Deaf Lit, we talk a lot about stories and structure (of both hearing and non-hearing authors/artists). It's an interesting class, but rather long (3 hours!) for a literature class. One of our assigned books, The Storytelling Animal, is quite good! I would recommend that you read it, especially if you enjoy fictional books/TV shows. It is non-fiction, but it is told like a story and will seriously make you think about why you like your shows and stories.

Last night, my friend Kerry invited me and our other SHA friends over to her place for dinner. She made delicious pasta and foccacia bread--yum! Sam also brought some salmon, cod, and quinoa salad from her seafood cooking class. Everything was so delicious. It was a nice evening spent with them, Kathryn, and Poon. All of us haven't been in Boston together since Fall 2012 I believe. They were one of the first groups of friends I made in SHA and we still get along really well (and laugh at each other in the process), so it's nice when we are able to have these get-togethers.

That's about all for now. If you still read this, let me know! :)

New year, new semester, new job.

January 14, 2014

Hello all! Hope everyone had a lovely holiday. It's been a while since I've written here. I know I was supposed to summarize my experience at InterContinental Sydney. To be honest, I just got lazy because it was winter break. Now, I'm back at school for my second to last semester of undergrad and it is kind of frightening and kind of exciting at the same time.

Working at InterCon Sydney was a great experience. I met so many people from different parts of the world. The hotel itself had a great atmosphere with the staff and I am glad I was able to experience it. Everyone was so welcoming and willing to talk to me. My internship was split between Engineering and the Executive Office, which is odd, but it allowed me to see different sides of this hotel's operation. Being with Engineering, I also got to see several rooms, including the Australia Suite, and stand on the roof of the building. It was a really nice experience and I hope future BU Sydney students enjoy themselves there too.

Now I am back in Boston. This semester I'm living in Student Village II, or Stuvi2 as it is referred to here in BU. It's such a nice apartment and quite spacious for two people. It also happened to be Larissa's room from last semester--what are the odds of that? I got sick of dining hall food last year. It is actually pretty good, but I'd rather buy and cook my own food like I did while I was in Sydney. My apartment-mate seems really nice too. I haven't gotten a chance to talk to her, but she is friends with the girl who lived here with Larissa--even smaller odds, but somehow it happened! I think we'll get along just fine.

This year I have also started a new job. I'm the new Summer Conference Housing Intern for Boston University Events and Conferences. I'm actually quite excited about this, even though it means I'll have to stay in Boston for the summer. I think I burned myself out while working in catering last year; I just can't do it anymore. Luckily, I was able to secure this opportunity where I will be working with clients to figure out their housing and meals for summer events, in addition to overseeing events. Everyone in the department seems really nice and I am looking forward to seeing what I will learn from them.

Well, that's about all for now. Classes start tomorrow, eek! Hope all goes well this semester. Again, thanks for reading!

Sorry for neglecting my blog. Updates!

December 6, 2013

I meant to post this yesterday, but I was exhausted and went to sleep instead.

December 5, 2013

Hello all! Sorry for the month (or so) long hiatus. After Spring Break ended and my internship started, I didn't get around to doing too much. My friends and I still went out a bit on the weekends and such but I was lazy and didn't have too much to update you all on. Including this one, I will have two posts: one about touristy things and one about my internship/wrap up of my experience in Sydney. I meant to write at least one of these two posts while I was at the airport in Sydney but I had some struggles along the way; I'll explain more later. For now, things I've done!

A few weeks ago, Kunchy left us. Since she's not an American citizen, she had a different type of visa to Australia, which did not let her stay until the end of the program. She left on November 20th, but not without first having a potluck dinner! She found enough friends to book the rooftop kitchen (12 people minimum) and we each cooked/make some sort of food to share. Kunchy even made bubble tea--yum! It was a really nice evening, and we took a couple pics with awesome lighting. 

On one weekend, Inez, Denise, and I went to the Chinese Garden of Friendship. It was kind of odd in that it was a Chinese style garden surrounded by walls that kept it separate from the rest of the bustling Darling Harbour. Nonetheless, it was really pretty. We even got to watch one of the employees feed the Koi fish! There were so many and they were so large. Of course, where there is food, there are birds. In this case, ducks were wading around in the water waiting for food to be thrown in their direction.

A few weeks ago, my social policy class took a field trip to a drug injection site in Kings Cross. At this facility, people who use illegal drugs can bring it here to use safely, under the supervision of staff who can treat overdoses. They are given needles, filters, etc. to avoid viruses/diseases and limit the amount of particles entering the blood stream. If they do overdose, the staff are able to provide oxygen and a drug to counteract their injection. They have been in operation for a couple decades (I believe) and have not had any fatalities. Controversial idea but seems to be working.

A week or so ago, I met up with Denise, Laura, and Cara after work. We wanted to see/walk across the Harbour Bridge and eat at Pancakes on the Rocks. Since I worked at Circular Quay, it was easy enough to do. I ended up having to kill an hour and a half so I walked around the Rocks and looked at souvenirs, while walking in the general direction of the Bridge. I ended up walking on it alone and found them when they arrived.

Of the four of us, I was the only one who hadn't been to Pancakes on the Rocks before, but I kept hearing how great it was. My friends were absolutely correct--it was delicious! I shared a sweet pancake order and a savory crepe order with Laura. So much food, but so very good. For any of you who are reading this and going to study in/visit Australia in the future, I recommend you go here. From what I hear, it's also great when you're drunk; you can let me know if that is correct.

Last Thursday, BUSAC had a Thanksgiving dinner for us since we were all so far from home. There was turkey, mashed potatoes, roasted veggies, and, of course, drinks. The food was pretty good and the semester-end slideshow was really nice, but it was still no competition for having a Thanksgiving meal at home.

This past weekend, Denise and I took a ferry out to Watson's Bay. It's a small area that reminds me of Cape Cod. Lots of beach houses and sailboats. We walked around a bit and spent two hours lying in the sun by Hornby Lighthouse waiting for Ken. We spent quite a long time there before deciding to move down to the beach. The sand was nice and the water was so clear. You could stand chest deep and still see your toes!

On the evening of the Watson’s Bay adventure, Denise and I stayed in a Superior Cityside View Room at the InterContinental Sydney. Apparently all their interns get a free night stay. We are in Circular Quay so often that the location was not anything special, but it was a nice room and a very comfy bed. We even received complimentary buffet breakfast the next morning in Café Opera. I still do not understand how some people believe there is not enough of a selection. Anyway, thank you IC Sydney for the stay!

Finally, This past Tuesday, BUSAC had a final farewell event for us. We bowled! However, it is not the type of bowling you’re thinking of with the ten pins and a heavy ball with finger holes. This version was more like boccie. You first roll a small ball across the field. Each team then takes turns rolling one of their balls as close as they can to the small ball. It sounds simple except the larger balls is like a slightly squished sphere that slightly favors one side. Sounds strange, but it was actually pretty fun. After the competition, we had another delicious meal before we went our separate ways for the night.

I did not do very much Wednesday other than very last minute souvenir shopping and spending some time with people. In all honesty, Sydney was great but I was ready to come home.

This morning, I was supposed to be picked up by taxi at 8:30 so I could get to the airport around 9. The taxi never did pick me up and when I called the company, they said it had picked me up. It seems like someone else probably took the taxi I called for. They said they would send another but no when or anything. I decided to just go downstairs and hail a cab, but a whole bunch of other BU people had the same idea which made it a bit of a struggle. Finally, I just called another cab company and luckily they came to pick me up around 9:15. Getting through the airport was another adventure in itself. From stepping in the door to getting through security, it took over an hour. Way too many people were traveling today. Luckily, I left plenty of time for mishaps that the taxi situation and long wait in the airport still didn’t have me rushing. The rest of the journey was nothing spectacular. I didn’t sleep much on either flight, but I am tired now and it’s the perfect time to go to sleep. Oh by the way, I did end up wearing my kangaroo onsie to be picked up from the airport :)

That’s all for now. Final recap on internship and just general closing thoughts to come. As always, thanks for reading!

Time is flying by!

November 5, 2013

Just wanted to pop in and say I have exactly one month left before going home. To be honestly, I'm actually excited to go home. I know right, what am I thinking?! But it's just been a long time since I have been home and the holidays are coming, which is one of my favorite times of year. I love Thanksgiving and Christmas. I will not be back for Thanksgiving, but the BU program is holding a celebration for us here--yay food!

Anyway, this past weekend I didn't do too much. Central Park, a new shopping center, finally opened up. I am extremely happy there is a supermarket inside, because it is about 5 blocks closer than the one we have been going to. There's also a burrito place that satisfied my craving for Chipotle and Chatime was having a BOGO sale for opening weekend. I was a very happy camper.

Thursday evening was Halloween and it's not a huge thing here in Australia, so the BU program held a party for us at the Australian Youth Hotel (remember, hotel = bar). It was pretty nice. Open bar (beer/wine) and canapes. The food was pretty good, but I was stuffed from the burrito, so I couldn't eat much anyway. I dressed as Cinderella before the ball because I didn't want to buy anything. Kunchy won the costume contest by dressing as Henry, our vacuum cleaner. Each floor has one, but somehow he is never around when you need him. It is a constant occurrence to see a post on our Facebook group that reads, "Please return __ floor Henry!" To anyone studying abroad in Sydney next semester, you will find out what I mean very soon.

On Saturday I went to the Australian Museum, which was nice, but after going to the Museum of Natural History in New York, it was tiny. It was nice though in that they had many (dead stuffed) animals that are only native to Australia--bugs included. It was also extremely quiet for a Saturday, but I felt that way about the Powerhouse Museum too, so maybe museums here are just not as popular as the ones in NY.

That night, I headed over to The Rocks with Inez and Kunchy to check out the old carnival type festival that was going on. It was closing down around the time we got there, so we didn't see much, though it seemed interesting.

That was about all for the weekend. Fourth week of work started today. I can't believe how fast it is passing by. We have three more weeks after this and then we are done. Crazy to think about. Anyway, thanks for reading along. Until next time...

Work and more work.

October 30, 2013

Hello! I realize I don't have very many interesting things to blog about anymore. I spend most of my time at work. Then I come home and I'm tired so I don't do much...whoops. Anyway brief update and I will include a bunch of pictures from Saturday, just because they are pretty or cool looking.

Since my last post, I had work Tuesday-Friday. As I mentioned, during most mornings, I work with Andy, our Chief Engineer. Last week, I spent a lot of time helping him prepare reports to send to the General Manager and/or owners. We are working on a lighting project, an elevator upgrade project, and a general refurbishment project. Basically, he has to make a case for why these things need or should happen so I have been helping with that. I spend a lot of time typing what he says, but it is not that bad. I do learn about what they have to show for each case.

My afternoons with Kim were a bit slower last week. I spent a little time replying to online reviews. Then, I spent a fair amount of time imputing guest complaints into their hotel profiles. Honestly, it is ridiculous what guests complain about sometimes. I really wonder if their lives are so great that they have to look for things to complain about. One writer kept referring to his/her fourteen year old daughter as a princess while speaking with the staff at the hotel. He/she (I really do not remember) also complained about everything possible, so what can I expect? I did feel for other people who wrote letters though. They had very legitimate reasons to be upset and I was glad to see how the hotel responded to them.

On Friday, I met up with Denise after work. We wanted to get free oysters, but the place that was offering them were bringing them around very slowly, which was not a surprise. We ended up leaving, but we had not purchased anything anyway, so it was okay. That night, we went to Chinatown because there was another Good Food Month event. So much delicious Asian food! I miss home for the food and my mom's cooking very often, but I realize I will be back before I know it. Time passes so quickly now that I have my internship.

On Saturday, Denise, Inez, Kunchy, Denise's friend, Nick, and I went out to Coogee so we could walk back to Bondi. It was so beautiful! Also why the pictures on this post are pretty much from a single day. This was also the start of Sculptures by the Sea, which is an art installation along part of the walk close to Bondi. Some pieces were very cool while others a bit odd. After reaching Bondi, we went to grab a bite at a Japanese fusion restaurant (sushi!) then headed to Darlinghurst to wander around.

Ken and I went to brunch on Sunday at Four Ate Five. I question why they did not name it Seven Ate Nine, but that's just me. It was pretty delicious, albeit quite salty. I still enjoyed it nonetheless. That afternoon, Denise, Kunchy, and I went to watch the 40th Birthday Concert at the Sydney Opera House. It was pretty good, though I was not very found of their main act--the orchestra. I enjoyed the previous acts much more. Still, it was a pretty nice day for the most part and an enjoyable concert.

This week is more work with a couple essays sprinkled in. On Friday, the engineering department is going go-kart racing and invited me to join. Can't wait!

By the way, I found a minion :)