Unwind: Botanical Journeys & Autumn Warmth

Transcendentalism has always fascinated and impressed me. (Ralph Waldo Emerson and Henry David Thoreau author most of my favorite quotes.) Today, as Apple fanatics desperately camp out and fly overseas for the iPhone6, transcendental themes such as simplicity and self-liberation from the materialistic and technologically reliant society we currently reside in are gentle reminders of the resources we gratuitously take from Earth.

As I'm preparing to move to my apartment, this past week has been mostly consisted of shopping for basic apartment needs: pots and pans, extra utensils, oven mitts, cutting boards.. you name it. I felt as if my mind and body were working nonstop. This weekend, my mom and I decided it was time to sit back and take a breather. We took a trip to the Descanso Gardens, and while this day trip is far from the isolation and self-sustaining ways of the transcendentalists, it still felt so refreshing to be in a more naturally raw setting than the bustling and urbanized city.

Some colorful flowers still bloom in late summer - Descanso Gardens

The ample space and small guest capacity during my visit likely enhanced my appreciation for the gardens. Earlier this summer, when I went to Victoria and visited the Butchart Gardens, I felt slightly swamped by all the other tourists and lack of walking space, which downplayed my fascination with the blooming gardens. This time, at Descanso, the absence of human traffic was the opportune day to stroll around the various gardens (my favorite is the Japanese garden) and also enjoy the gift shop ambiance.

Ceiling embellishments near the Pagoda of the Japanese Garden - Descanso Gardens

Descanso Gardens - the Japanese Garden (L) and the Rose Garden (R), still blooming a bit!

Back in June. The contrasting but surprisingly less-crowded view of one of my favorite spots - Butchart Gardens

The biggest surprise of the day was witnessing four deer in a queue gallop across a trail and up the hill towards the Boddy House (below). They were no more than 20 feet away from me. It looked just like a wildlife documentary where I am positioned with a camera, waiting for the perfect capture moment. Sadly, they moved too quickly for me to snap a photo!

The Boddy House - E. Manchester Boddy is the figure behind the creation of the Descanso Gardens

My imagination kicked in when I was in the gift shop, a very cabin-like building that smelled like autumn and trees. I spent at least an hour just browsing through all the books (a gentle reminder to myself that real books are still more heartwarming than my Amazon Kindle) about nature, food, and happiness. Such books with beautiful illustrations and bindings are must-own physical copies. If I replaced the merchandise in the gift shop with all my personal belongings, I would be in paradise.

It's a bit fleeting to think of decorating my temporary apartment to a dreamy cabin-like setting, but I can still start mothering succulent plants when I move in!

Book heaven at the Descanso Gardens gift shop

Succulent plants in the Descanso Gardens - similar ones are sold in the gift shop

My day-trip to the Descanso Gardens really gave me some time to practice mindfulness. My mind is constantly running - sometimes regretting the past, but usually planning for the future. We all need a moment to pause and take in what is around us, cherish the resources and beauty of planet Earth, and ultimately, unwind for a bit. For me, peacefully residing within a natural setting for a day is the best way to unwind.

Lessons from a new (and unexpected) friend

In addition to my trip to Alaska and Canada, another great highlight of summer was working as an office assistant at a home services company in my town. As someone who is slightly fidgety and constantly moving, I wasn't very accustomed to long hours of sitting. However, I gradually adjusted and learned to sit for longer periods of time in the office while coordinating real estate inquiries among agents, buyers, and sellers. I became familiar with many of the agents, who loved the presence of a collegiate young adult and grabbed every chance to give me personalized advice about my future and career. Of all these interactions, I grew closest with the office bookkeeper, a lovely woman named Dolores.

On my first day of work, Dolores was waiting for me at the front desk with a toothy smile. She gave me an office tour and a thorough training for all my tasks. Each subsequent day I showed up to work, she'd come greet me with the same bright, toothy smile and tell me a bunch of stories. I'd hear about what she ate for breakfast with her husband, how she painfully fell down a staircase and bruised her knee, her get-togethers with friends, family life, previous jobs, generation differences... the list goes on and on. Initially, I thought of this as a mentor-like relationship. Dolores is like a sweet grandmother watching out for the new employee in the office. However, as the days went by and the conversations continued, I noticed how much more comfortable I became. It wasn't as if I were speaking with a superior or an adult; I felt as if I were talking to one of my peers.  

Even at her age, Dolores is able to find joy in small things. She is happy to pick up her granddaughter from school. She loves making special breakfasts with eggs and English Muffins. She savors great moments with her friends, even visiting them out-of-state. She may be a grandmother, but she's still so youthful. I'm reminded of the guarded person I tend to be and remember that I have to learn to say yes more often. Some of the friendships with other females can be the greatest friendships I will form, and one day, like Dolores, I will be able to cherish the longevity of great friendships I may form with more smiles and more yes. When I'm older, I hope to be as bubbly and wonderful as Dolores is.

Receiving a small farewell gift from her on my last day of work was so heartwarming. Her gift was also extremely thoughtful. She got me some handy and portable Avon products that I can use whenever I am on campus. Little actions like these can truly make someone feel extremely touched. She even wrapped it in a cute pink tissue paper held by a beautiful bag with a yellow ribbon plastered on.

"May new friends always cherish you the way your old friends do....

May you always find the joys you're dreaming of." 

-Excerpt from Dolores' card

Dolores was the friend I did not expect to make this summer. But she has been such a gift, and I am so grateful to have met her. I can't wait until I have my own paycheck to be able to treat her out to a delicious meal and share more laughs.

I'm in love with Pocket

I generally don't download apps on my smartphone. The ones I have downloaded in the past have long been deleted because of lack of use or inefficiency. I have tried downloading various organizational tools, calendars, notes, games... and I have resorted to "remove app" for most of them. I felt like a waste of a smartphone user. I already try to use my phone as little as possible (considering the technologically addicted society we are in now where technology is often abused, I didn't want to become the next young adult who spends all her free time checking social media). But then I stumbled upon Pocket while doing some random reading on the internet. This glorious application makes me feel smartphone-worthy.

As someone who reads a lot of internet content, Pocket is the perfect app for me to appropriately label, organize, and gather the articles I would read later. I get most business, environmental, and health news from feeds I follow on twitter and tumblr. In the past, I would favorite everything I would read later, but it was so incredibly difficult for me to even remember to revisit my favorites. I had 100+ favorites within two weeks, and I barely cut it down to 50 several weeks later. The system was clearly inefficient.

Luckily, with Pocket, I am able to easily save articles from my twitter feed to read for later and add appropriate labels. The labels allow me to get a better sense of what may have gone through my mind when I decided to save the article in the first place. I'm able to filter through what I prefer to read first based on customizable tags.

A sneak peek "in my Pocket"

It's easy to "archive" articles after reading them - and I can still refer back to them whenever I wish. Sharing articles with others via Pocket is very convenient as well; I can also highlight/quote anything intriguing in what I'm reading and share it.

Most importantly though, Pocket is accessible offline. Cheers for places with no WiFi; I can still catch up on the news if I save interesting articles on my Pocket feed!

For someone who doesn't use mobile apps very often, I'm surprised at the positivity I have felt with Pocket. This is truly an app that makes life so much easier, especially for avid readers. Pocket has helped my self-discipline as well. I no longer feel the urge to carelessly binge read through all the articles that show up on my twitter and tumblr feeds; I can save them in my accessible Pocket for later and read at my own pace without worrying about losing the original article location.

I have a little faith in my survival in the appreciation of this ever-growing wireless generation. Thanks, Pocket!

Katty Kay & Claire Shipman's "The Confidence Code" and Sheryl Sandberg's "Lean In"

Ever since summer classes ended, I've taken on a 9-5 part-time job that involves a lot of sitting and idleness. The most natural response for me was to read, and I have never charged my Kindle Paperwhite this excessively before. Of the last four books I've completed, three of them were nonfiction. I now have a lassitude toward fiction. As creative and imaginative as writers are with fiction, fiction makes me sad for obvious reasons.

I surprised myself as I completed each nonfiction work, especially since I used to be addicted to sci-fi and fantasy themed novels (can we say Harry Potter, please). Nonfiction has motivated me towards active self-improvement and diverts my attention towards real life as I learn about the real human condition. Brain Rules, The Confidence Code, and Lean In each provided unique perspectives about social issues prominent in the United States today. The former two especially use a scientific storytelling method to while discussing social implications. All three have strong and salient plots that educate and engage me. I couldn't help but wonder why professors don't assign these sorts of books for class textbooks. Textbooks are made to solely inform; these books are both empathetic with the human condition and informative while backed with extensive research studies to expand upon their points. Brain Rules especially had challenging but plausible suggestions for improving work life and the education system to create a better learning environment, and I loved Medina's proposals.

I'm glad I read The Confidence Code and Lean In back-to-back. They complement each other perfectly. Merely reading them already boosted my confidence level significantly. Throughout college, I've experienced several moments of extreme self-esteem drops (roll through some old posts and it'll make sense). Despite interminable personal lectures, emotional outbursts, and excessive journaling, I never seemed to get out of my I-am-going-to-suck-at-life shell that I refused to leave these past two years, especially as a female in a male-dominated field. Just last month, I was lying on the floor in my room and complaining to my mom about how I felt like I had no future. There were some legit first-world problems. Am I overloading my work for this coming school year? What activities do I participate in this time? What do I do after I graduate college? What if no man I like ever wants to date me, which means what if I'm single forever and never married? Am I still afraid of academic failure despite all I've gone through?

Hearing stories from three women who have experienced defeating moments themselves and learned to stand back up encouraged me more than any pep talk a friend or parent could give. It strikes me as hilariously sad how I would hear the exact same advice told in everyday language from someone I know and be unable to implement it, but read the advice in books published by reputable individuals and suddenly feel slightly braver. Here are some of my favorite moments from The Confidence Code and Lean In:

Mastery refers to the process and progress, not perfection.
"Perfectionism inhibits achievement."
Confidence is leaving your comfort zone and taking action. Do it.
Courage is a critical partner to confidence.
Overthinking, people pleasing, and the inability to let go of defeats are confidence killers.
"Dare the difference."
"Fortune favors the bold."
"What would you do if you weren't afraid? Go do it."
"The upside for painful knowledge is so much greater than the downside of blissful ignorance."

"Success is making the best choices we can...and accepting them."

"I truly believe that the single most important career decision that a woman makes is whether she will have a life partner and who that partner is. I don't know one woman in a leadership position whose life partner is not fully - and I mean fully - supportive of her career. No exceptions."

It strikes me that these concepts are widely accepted yet forgotten. It took two entire books to instill a different mindset within. I don't have enough self-compassion. I strive for perfectionism not because I want to be the very best at what I do, but because I always falsely believed that what I did wasn't good enough. Sheryl Sandberg suggests adopting both a long-term dream and a shorter, say 18-month plan. When coming up with these, set goals that have both "focus and flexibility," she emphasizes. It is then when I come to realize that my goals are either too out of my reach or too doable. There wasn't something appropriate for me to work towards. (But of course, in my head, it all had made sense initially.)

These past few weeks, I've voluntarily done things I usually don't do - broke a little bit of my routine actions - and it feels great. These don't even have to be big, daunting changes; they just have to be small things that I don't usually take the effort to try doing. Initiating to drive the freeway to be a better freeway driver so my dad doesn't feel the need to yell while I'm emotionally struggling in the car. Cooking and experimenting with new foods. Working out first thing in the morning at 6am. Asking questions that I may have been afraid to ask before.

At the end of the day, I learn how to better ignore other people's opinions and just keep going. Confidence and being unfazed by other irrelevant opinions come hand in hand. Slowly but surely, I'm getting there.

Thank you Katty Kay, Claire Shipman, and Sheryl Sandberg. Your words are indelible and have left a great, positive impact. 

Everyone should go read "In Defense of Food" now

To my own surprise, I've recently been reading a lot of nonfiction (that's another story) and I officially deem Michael Pollan one of my favorite science writers. Although In Defense of Food is the only work of his that I have read, it is extremely eye-opening and thought-invoking. What are we really consuming in Western society? How can we go about to better understand what is actually in the food and produce we purchase?

Pollan emphasizes how consumerism-based marketing and the food industry have evolved from selling raw, whole foods to advertising products based on nutrient break-down. It is frightening how often we see "low-fat" and "low-carb" exploding in front of our eyes on packaging labels, especially when science has clearly shown that there is really no one sole component of a food that deems it healthy. It is the food as a whole which dictates its benefits. Take margarine, for example, which turned out to be the trans-fat royalty that was engineered by humans to supposedly be a "better version of butter."

As a result, Pollan suggests that we all consume and buy "real food," which has the following criteria:

• No more than 5 ingredients
• Has no unfamiliar ingredients

Here's my question: can I even find anything in my local supermarket that meets these requirements, apart from fresh produce? I can meet the two criteria at a farmer's market, but what about at the evenly-priced supermarkets down the street?  

As Westerners become busier and increasingly fed up with family and work matters, they have significantly less time to cook with whole, raw foods. Therefore, they resort to processed products with the interminable and foreign list of ingredients next to the nutrition label. Furthermore, consumers who purchase these foods are completely unaware of its origins after extreme processing. What about the procedure of making processed foods that last for years on store shelves? The condition of the soil that produce grows in? The quality of the foods that the meat we eat is being fed? Consumers are becoming increasingly distanced from the food production process and its taking a serious toll on Western society health. Interestingly enough, though, this article addresses the possible change that can take place in such a seemingly impossible force - if consumers begin purchasing foods from more reliable, firsthand sellers ("Shake the hand that feeds you," Pollan says), then the market will gradually shift to support this demand. 

Pollan has encouraged me to start growing a garden with vegetables and fruits. Reading this book has already increased my appreciation for food, and horticulture should only cement it. I'm planning on reading The Omnivore's Dilemma soon, another one of Pollan's great works. 

It's time to savor and better understand the food the enters our bodies.

What I Learned & Loved from The Great Santini

It took me a while, but I finally finished Pat Conroy's The Great Santini late last week. It's one of those books where I couldn't pick up the momentum very quickly. Usually, these books tend to be disappointing, but Conroy's work took a different turn. The most climatic and suspenseful moments occurred in the latter half of the story, but without the essential background, character motivation, and tone set throughout the first half, the ending would not have evoked such an ambivalent reaction from me.

The only other novel I read that is revolves around a military-based theme is Tim O'Brien's The Things They Carried, so I was very unfamiliar with the context surrounding military family life. It was thought-evoking and eye-opening to have detailed descriptions of military children's reactions and dialogue. We especially get to see how Ben Meecham, as the oldest child, deals with and faces the pressure and expectations from his father, Bull Meecham (aka "The Great Santini").

1. The Unfiltered Dialogue and Descriptions
Conroy does a great job of keeping his characters real to the point where their voices are the only sounds occupying my mind. Bull Meecham's inexorable pride and vulgarity, and Ben's inherent fear yet simultaneous hatred and admiration for his father are straightforwardly addressed to a level where I felt uncomfortable (in the best way possible as a reader; it's the kind of uncomfortable writers strive for). My discomfort emanates from the power behind Conroy's honesty. There were far too many times when I thought, "Oh no, definitely didn't mean that," and the text is simply laughing at me and saying "Oh yes he did!"

Conroy is also extremely open in describing sensitive subjects, such as the racial conflict and gender imbalances. In particular, a frightening rape scene written with absolutely no strings attached was the most emotionally unsettling. I am reminded of how prominent these issues still are today - if we have access to so many personal accounts, one would think that humankind should know better than to continue such bigotry.

2. Sarcasm, Comedy, and Laughable Insults
Conroy made me realize the need for comedy even in the most daunting and sensitive situations. While I may cringe because some characters make morosely sarcastic comments, the Meecham family found the need to use a mixture of sarcasm, comedic comments, and insults in order to free themselves from a rigid family structure. Mary Anne has the best hits in the family. She calls Ben "feces face." She tests Bull's patience on the phone with incestuous comments. She threatens others through the claim of committing suicide while inserting seemingly cruel jokes about how nobody will miss her because of her unattractive appearance. In hindsight, these comments may seen indicative of a hurtful and inconsiderate person. However, Mary Anne used sarcasm as a coping and defense mechanism for her insecurity in being a marine's daughter who is self-deprecating in comparing herself with her mother's beauty. Underneath the tough marine family facade, the Meechams use exaggerated and laughable role-play games in order to cope with the nature of the impermanent marine lifestyle. 

3. Who do I root for?
Conroy creates his characters so that it's difficult to completely invest in a single one of them. It is natural to side with a member of the Meecham family and identify any antagonists, but within the Meecham family, each character possesses countless admirable qualities and flaws. The Meecham family dynamic is constantly changing; their interactions and reactions often surprised me. It's easy to feel sympathy for all of them at a certain point, yet cringe due to the nature of the obscene words and choices.

4. Cyclical Storytelling
I was expecting a maximal climax point in the novel, but Conroy chose to tell a series of short, small stories with small climaxes, all of which revolve around very similar themes. Bull's marine parties, Ben's basketball games and cryptic excursions with Sammy, Toomer's business.. each conflict kept me in extreme suspense, and the desired result isn't what usually plays out. However, the cyclical storytelling method kept the military family theme in-tact and set the stage for the ending.

Highly recommended book. Conroy is a gifted storyteller, and I certainly plan on reading another one of his works soon.

the evolution of me

I was rereading my old journal entries and noticed a trend. At the beginning of every new notebook, I start off with optimism and some great paragraph about the refreshing nature of starting a new notebook. It's extremely neat, and every inch of the page is filled. Then, as I proceed throughout the rest of the notebook, the writing becomes messier, there's more attitude and UMPH to my personality, and basically, I become more unfiltered. Some pages are vulgar. Others are show extreme passion about a particular subject. Usually, I sound overly critical and self-deprecating.

Throughout Vol. 1, I continuously write about my goal of sleeping early and rising early. I laugh as I read that now, because I never truly implemented that until this spring. Then there's the issue of self-control. I swear I read the sentence "I lack self-control"at least ten times within fifteen pages. Following that is usually "I must maintain control" or "I must learn control in order to feel like a civilized human being." Mastered it? Nope, self-control is so not in control. Still learning (and probably always will be). And the worst parts of reading this is how obnoxiously dumb I sounded when I wrote about the male species. Oh yes, it happened. The naivete, jealousy, and disoriented realities? Thinking about it makes me cringe. More cringing to commence in future volumes. I excuse myself as I think of the horrid person I was during my first year of college, clearly incompetently transitioning from high school.

Writing in Vol. 2 is the first time I relished in writing in a composition book instead of a spiral bound notebook. Small, strange things like these still excite me. Vol.2 is filled with grotesque complains about running an organization with incompetent staff. Short stories proliferate these pages. There is brainstorming about fantastic sci-fi plots, highlighting main characters and superpowers. There are beautiful words I jot down when reading a novel. Some of the best quotes from peeps, especially Natalie and Leah ("I tried to catch the fog, but I mist. Did you hear about the cross-eyed teacher who lost her job? She couldn't control her pupils. I'm a fermata. Hold me"). Extensive complaints about academics. I consistently and philosophically question morality and the meaning of life.

Now, I'm currently halfway through Vol. 3 (already waiting for the moment when I can whip out a new notebook in a few months). So far, it is mostly filled with some of my favorite quotes I read from great novels and hear from inspiring TED Talks (my favorite so far: "Expected the unexpected, and wherever possible, be the unexpected"). I write about things I feel proud of, and things I need to work on. I continuously remind myself to not care, or at least care a lot less, about what other people think of me. I describe new people I meet, and treasure the genuine moments I have with others. That wonderful feeling of being able to talk for a couple hours with someone I've truly come to respect, admire, and empathize with.

If someone has never met me and only read my journal, that person would likely find me pessimistic and blunt. But isn't that what a journal is for? Journals record my innermost thoughts that simply cannot be transferred through sound waves or understood by another person. It's for me to look back at and laugh at a younger, less mature me, or to realize that I haven't grown at all and should probably go partake in more worldly activities. Journals reflect the worst in me, and sometimes, the best.

I wish I had written during high school. I can't imagine the bizarre things I would have written then, and it would be nice to see how my mind has been molded since.