I got Skyrim in the mail yesterday, and I was so excited I forgot to write about it then! It was actually a late Christmas present for my brother, but I half-got it for myself (shh) too. I was skeptical at first; I thought it was just hyped up until I actually played it. 24 hours later and I'm already addicted! It would be helpful if I actually went through the plot as opposed to going around looting everything (which is what I'm doing atm). I'm so happy; with Skyrim, BF3, and MW3, I think I am all set for a few months! Although Borderlands 2 and SWTOR wouldn't hurt ;)
Oh right, I nearly forgot my New Year's Resolutions:
Survive 2012
Don't fail school
Smile more!
Happy New Year (well.. not yet)! I gotta admit, I'm both nervous and excited for 2012. It's going to be a really big year for me! Hope everyone is enjoying the holidays.
One thing that I love and hate about Spain are the holidays and fiestas. Even though Christmas is over, there is still New Years and Reyes Magos (it's like Christmas again... but for the kids) to look forward to. And even after, there are just more and more days off and "puentes" ('bridge' days where, if you have one day off in a week, they connect it to the weekend). You gotta love all the days you don't have school and work, but on the other hand you have to wonder if this is a bit of a waste of time. Too much vacation actually has the opposite effect on me, and I feel like I have to do something productive before I implode.
On another topic, I started re-reading some books I read a few years back, like To Kill a Mockingbird and Catcher in the Rye. For some reason, I enjoy books a lot more when I'm reading them on my own time, not when it's a school assignment. A LOOOT more. Even when they're good books, they seem really boring and textbook-y when these books are based on some standardized school curriculum. Shouldn't books be read at our own pace and give us a chance to interpret it, rather than making everyone think and read it at the same rate? That just kills it for me.
Oh yeah, one more thing. Did you know that South Korea (my "home" country) is one of the countries that invest the most money into learning English, English programs, teachers, textbooks, etc.? I would know, seeing as the whole country is littered with academies for learning how to speak English (like.. 1 every 10 meters squared) and all of my Korean friends dedicate so much time to these language programs. It was kind of disappointing to find out that Korea ranks near the bottom in English proficiency... as in 136th out of 161 nations (source). Damn, I love my country and all but that's pretty disconcerting. Just goes to show that certain aspects of the Korean education system don't work.
I keep jumping from topic to topic, don't I? :P Sorry, it's just been very hectic for the past few weeks. I'll be back on track with longer, less shallow posts! And an early Happy New Year to all!
Well, as the title clearly gave away, today is my birthday! :) It was very nice to wake up to have my family bring a giant cake to my bed. I don't think cake in bed the first thing in the morning is good for you, but it's my birthday: I'll worry about it tomorrow (I'm joking)! Some people say it must be inconvenient to have my birthday right before Christmas (combined presents?), but honestly it doesn't matter to me. My birthday's always the time I reflect because:
1) It's my birthday, obviously, and I'm a year older now! I think about how I can act... more mature...
2) Day right after is Christmas so I start to think about what my family and friends have done for me... and
3) In about a week or so it's going to be 2012! Gives me some time to ponder whether or not I've accomplished some things this year.
Today I'm going out with friends and family to Puerta de Sol. If any of you guys have been to Madrid, you would know it's the busiest and most hectic place (both tourists and residents) in Madrid. The amount of people there practically quadruples around Christmas time. Wish me luck! Hopefully I don't get pickpocketed (I've yet to be)or lost amidst the HUGE crowds on my birthday!
I apologize for the short post, happy holidays everyone!
A lot has been going on lately so I thought I would summarize some interesting things in small chunks.
Christmas
I gotta admit, I'm horrible with buying presents. I think it's me over thinking the whole process... "what if she hates it?""what if they already have it?""will they think I'm cheap for buying that??". Most people have a skill for present buying. I don't. I guess the fact that I over-complicate a lot of things and am naturally anxious doesn't play too well into it. So you can guess how horrible I was at Christmas shopping this year. Personally, I think the whole buying-Christmas presents has gone way out of proportion. Plus, I really hate huge crowds. I really do.
No, thank you.
I made myself promise that I wouldn't go out of control this year and just buy what I really wanted to give to each person. I thought I was doing well until I came home and realized I spent about 40 euros on a wallet for the homeless guy in front of the grocery store... oops. Better luck next year! :P
Minecraft
Lately I've become extremely addicted to Minecraft. I mean, I've always played this game once or twice a weekend for fun with my friends. But it's just become crazy recently! I literally started seeing everything in mine-able blocks after about three days of playing it endlessly. One word of advice: as addicting as this game is, it's very important to take a break (this goes for all video games)! I'm serious. It can take over your whole life, pretty much. And I thought I had pretty good self-control until I realized I was up at 3 AM trying to build a train station.
Anger Management
Well, not really anger management. But I couldn't think of a better word for it. What I advice you guys is to not bottle things up a lot. I'm the type of person that doesn't do that whole "talking about feelings" thing much, so I just keep a cool head whenever I'm mad or just ignore it. It doesn't go away, trust me. If you're mad or upset or stressed or whatever, you should definitely talk to someone (friend, sibling, etc.) about it. Or else one day the littlest thing will make you break and you will go craaazyyy!! (I am speaking from personal experience over something that happened yesterday). It's not healthy for you!! So come on, talk about your feelings! :)
Today, what I thought would be a normal day turned out be quite a funny one (this happened about half an hour ago). I had just gotten home from frantic Christmas shopping, did some chores around the house, then I sat down in front of my computer and checked my e-mails. I was surprised to find an e-mail from "Emailcapsules.com" titled "To: Future me"! At first I thought it was spam mail; my cursor hovered over the Spam button until curiosity got the best of me.
Once I opened it, I found a long e-mail from my ten year old self. In fact, I distinctly remember 5th grade me excitedly typing out this e-mail years back. It was impressively long, detailing the many "life problems" I had at the time and wishing myself a Happy Birthday (which is in a week) and a Merry Christmas. I then asked future me if I still liked [crush's name from elementary school]. It was quite amusing to read the younger version of me talk about how cuuuuuteee he was and how I should never give up on him because we were obviously going to get married later (unfortunately, I completely forgot about my crush back then until now).
I then proceeded to remind myself never to do drugs and alcohol. And then I ordered myself to go and hit my brother ("right now!!") because he had apparently hogged the PS2 the night before. "And then tell him that past Hannah finally got her revenge!". I also talked about a lot of other things, such as how much I wanted a puppy and a lot of childish things like that. At the bottom of the e-mail, I wrote, "AND REMEMBER! I love you future meee!"... which is kind of lame if you look at it but cute at the same time. :P All in all, this whole e-mail from the past really cheered me up. It also made me think of what a dork I must have been back then. Anyways, If any of you guys want to send an e-mail to your future self...here you go!
Happy holidays to everyone!
P.S. I apologize for the excessive use of parentheses and quotation marks in today's post.
So the holidays are obviously coming closer and everyone is talking about Christmas. My friends, teachers, tv adverts, shopping malls etc. I always found myself being overly excited for Christmas ever since I can remember. Even when nearing the end of November, I was already thinking about Christmas, my favorite holiday. It might be because my birthday is just the day before that, so a lot of fun things are happening at the time. Besides, who doesn't love sparkly Christmas trees and cookies??
But this year, something was different! I didn't feel it anymore. Whatever you call it... Christmas cheer... spirit... you know what I mean. I didn't even know my birthday was in less than two weeks until a friend pointed it out a few days back. So I pondered on why such a horrible thing would happen. How could I lose the love I had for my favorite time of the year?
And then it hit me. You see, no one in my family celebrates Christmas. My brother thinks it's stupid and my parents think it's overrated and a waste of time. Even growing up as a kid, I would always want a Christmas tree (I offered to pay for it myself) and they would always say no, you have better things to do than waste your money on presents and a tree. Now I can see what they meant, but when I was six years old I was just sorely disappointed that our house was the only one that didn't light up at night. But it didn't matter. Each year, I brought it up to my parents again. "Can we pleaseeeee have Christmas this year? I'll make all the presents and prepare everything!" But I always got a no. Sadly.
Our house on Christmas Eve
If you put it in perspective, I guess it does seem pretty childish and spoiled of me to have complained about such a trivial thing when, on the other side of the world, there are kids who don't even have families to celebrate any holiday with. That occurred to me too back then and I, a tiny little 4th grader at the time, organized a bunch of food/clothing/toy drives for underprivileged kids who lived near us. It was a blast.
So how come I'm not feeling it this year? I think as much as I love my parents, they killed Christmas for me. They really did. Yeah, it's not the worst thing in the world (obviously), but it was and still is a very special time of the year for me. It came to me that we never celebrate birthdays or holidays... I was the one who would diligently try to make a birthday cake for my parents (with my horrible baking abilities) and have it be dismissed for being a waste of ingredients and time.
My parents when I even say the word "Christmas"
I know they both had tough childhoods and they never really had a chance to do these things. Maybe that's why. But I find it unfair that their children (me and my brother) have to go through the same thing too. I'm just going to say it now. When I have kids, I am definitely going to celebrate Christmas to the best of my ability, even though I'm not feeling it now. Because it's not just about whether I like it, but it's more for everyone around you (family and friends... and yes, that was possibly the most cliche line ever).
Can anyone help me get back into holiday spirits? This is beginning to upset me.
Hope everyone has a good day! And let us all pray that it snows in Spain soon :)
Hello everyone. I know I've been gone for days, but hear me out! I've been away, visiting the US for personal reasons. It's been a few long days and I'm glad to be back, save the jet lag that continues to increase my tiredness. I must say, the US is a pretty cool place. Very different from Spain. Soooo hopefully you guys accept my apology! I will get right back onto my blog after I get some rest. More later.
Here is a video that will either cheer you up or annoy you very much:
Happy December everyone! I am so glad my favorite month is already here. Shame to say good-bye to 2011 already, though.
So for the past few weeks me and my jazz band mates have been working really hard for the December concert and another gig at Hard Rock Cafe. Needless to say, we were all nervous and excited at the same time! But I'm sure we all know that feeling (not only for playing an instrument, but for singing, acting, giving speeches, etc.) when we walk onto stage, the stage lights nearly blind you, and you can distinctly hear the murmurs of the anticipating audience travel around the room. And then those paranoid thoughts enter your head... "what if I forget my lines/music?", "what if I trip on stage?" "what if I completely mess up the whole thing?!".
I am no master of stage confidence, but over the years of performing on stage I've managed to accumulate a few tips on overcoming it. Not to say I still don't have those moments where I feel like the whole audience can hear me breathing, but I do hope these help you out!
Before the performance
Be prepared: A day or two before the big performance, make a list of everything you need to take or have ready so that you don't end up running around, trying to find something ten minutes before show time.
Sleep and food: This one's quite obvious. Get some sleep and make sure to have a nice, full breakfast. No use trying to rock it on stage when you are sleep/food deprived.
Dress properly: By that, I mean wear something you're comfortable wearing and that you know looks good on you. It doesn't help if you're constantly feeling self-conscious, wondering if people think you look stupid in that new shirt your friend bought for you.
Rehearse and practice! Work out the kinks, fix some last-minute things, make sure it sounds/looks good. Obviously, it doesn't have to be flawless, but try and practice until you know it's up to a standard you think is good.
During the performance
People are cheering for you: The audience is not on the edge of their seats, eagerly waiting for you to forget your lines and stumble. They all want you to do well and even if you do make a mistake, they will still root for you! Don't forget that!
If you make a mistake, don't show it! Nobody will notice that you made a mistake if you don't make a big deal out of it. No flinching or face cringing; just move on and don't choke up because of that one moment.
Smileand stand/sit up straight (unless it's a play/musical and it's not part of your character): This shows a lot of confidence and that can go a long way. Besides, better posture makes you sing/play an instrument much better.
Don't be intimidated by the spotlight: If it helps, just pretend you're in one of your normal rehearsals and the "wall" that faces the audience is just a solid wall and that you're performing by yourself or only to a small group of friends.
Know why you're on stage: By that, I mean that you are where you are because you are good at a certain thing (playing an instrument, singing, etc.). Know that you have what it takes and that ultimately, you are awesome at whatever you are doing. Remind yourself that you'll do a great job, because that's what all those rehearsals and auditions were for!
Keep happy thoughts in your head! Whether they're of your band members, your parents or a loved one, they will keep you positive and give you something/someone to perform for.
It's also incredibly important to know that it's all about you (I do not mean it in a conceited manner) and it's your moment, not the audience's. Keep these tips to heart when you perform next time; hopefully these were helpful! Good luck to everyone!
Last night I came across a horrifying story and I felt like sharing it with you guys. Unfortunately, all the links to the story are in Korean so I'll relay it back to you as accurately as possible.
Introduction (for anyone who is interested)
As many of you guys might know, there is so much competition and pressure to be the "perfect student" in Korea... In fact, this is really common in many Asian countries like China and Japan. Now, I'm all for doing well in school and getting a good education. However (in my honest opinion), Korean parents are taking it too far. Starting from playing English-learning tapes to the baby from the womb, every hour of a Korean kid's day is planned out to get tutored, go to music lessons, go to an academic institution, etc. They have no time to breathe and have a normal kid's life. That's why many of these young kids break off from all that studying (most of the time they get about 3 hours of sleep per day) and turn to petty crimes and skipping school.
Many Koreans do not think this is a problem, but more of a solution to ensuring a "good life" for their kids. What kind of good life consists of being pressured on a daily basis to get a 100 on a test, not a 99? In fact, getting a 99 is almost as bad as getting a 50 in many parents' perspectives. Most of them grow up so dependant on their parents that their parents virtually live with them throughout their college and adult life. They are no longer themselves, but their parents' personal puppet. And when they have kids (with spouses that their parents chose for them), the deadly cycle repeats itself over and over again. Obviously this does not apply to every single South Korean, but a vast majority of them.
The actual story
A Korean student in his final year of high school was being pushed every single day to be the top of everything. No, his mom was not happy with him being the top student in his school and getting near-perfect scores that would have pleased any parents. He ranked 4000th place out of millions (which ranks him in the 98~99th percentile) of Korean students on a national test similar to the SAT's, which frankly is quite amazing. But as you might already guess, she still wasn't happy. He was beaten every day (sometimes for hours at a time) for not being the best of the best ever since he was a kid. His father left their family when he was little and he was left with his mom who pretty much asked for the near impossible.
He became so desperate to please his mom that he faked his national test results and told his mom he ranked 62nd place, not 4000th place. I'm guessing she still wasn't very happy because she got a baseball bat and a golf club and beat him for ten hours for not doing better. No, I am not exaggerating. She then decided to have a meeting with his teacher the following day about his ranking. Realizing that his mom would find out he lied about his results, he then murdered her and locked her body in a separate room for eight months. Nobody would have found out if his father had not made one of his yearly visits and discovered that one room was sealed with duct tape and a horrible stench was coming from it.
Now, I know murder is never justifiable. And I'm not saying what he did was in any way "right". But I can understand why he did it. I'm guessing that having to grow up without hearing one "good job" from his mom and constantly getting physically and verbally abused would have made him snap at one point. I say rest in peace to the poor woman, but I hope this serves as a message to all parents who treat their children like robots or slaves. There are so many stories like this everyday; Korean kids who run away or kill themselves out of stress, yet this seems to have no effect on other parents and competition becomes even more fierce. Education is extremely important in my opinion, but so is making sure your kid is loved and appreciated even if he or she gets an F in every subject. In the long run, grades and rankings are just stupid numbers, but your kids are real people who deserve love and praise. Many parents don't even see that until it's too late.
And with that, I say have a great day and hopefully more and more Korean parents realize how this intense, almost inhumane academic competition is gradually becoming detrimental to our society.
Good morning! I happened to come across this story which was one of those rare ones with a happy ending... although it might not be the fairytale happy ending you're thinking of.
Here's a quick summary.
Basically, Kathryn, a university student, came out of a restaurant to find her bicycle was stolen. The next day, while browsing Craigslist listings in he area, she found an ad for a bike that looked a lot like hers. She called up the number of the guy who put up the ad and arranged a meeting. Once she got there, she confirmed the bike to be hers. She then asked the thief, Denzel Crawford, if she could take the bike for a "test drive". When he agreed, she then proceeded to throw her stolen bike into her car and drive away. Crawford then confessed to stealing the bike and was taken into custody.
I can confidently say that I thoroughly enjoyed reading this story. I know that most of the time two wrongs don't make a right, but I think it was incredibly justified in this case. What do you guys think?
Well, winter break is nearing and I can tell everyone at school has been slacking off lately. I'm pretty sure everyone here has procrastinated at one point; choosing to go to a party, play video games or finish watching HIMYM before going on to homework (or other significantly more important things). I've always put schoolwork first on my list but even I gotta admit that I've stayed up late a few nights because I'd wasted the whole day on other things. You know that guilty feeling that wells up at the pit of your stomach when you know you're not using your time efficiently? Yup, that's happened to me too.
I do think it has a lot to do with balancing out our lives (check out the diagram in this post as a reference). It's hard, I know, but here are a few tips that I've accumulated throughout my life that might help you out. Along with that, a very well-known IB-program director visited our school the other day and gave us a few tips as well. This is mainly directed to students but I guess it can work for other people too :)
How not to procrastinate so much and study properly (tips and tricks)
Make a list (like I'm doing now) of all the things you know need to be done. List the top-priority things first, less important things after. Things you do for fun (TV, Facebook, video games) are on the BOTTOM! Put it somewhere in sight so you can check it off as you go.
Study time is study time. Free time is free time. Get it straight before you start your work. Have all your textbooks, calculators, worksheets, etc. ready before you get started so that you don't spend half the time running around.
Be comfortable. Is your room the right temperature? Lighting? Are you in an ergonomically correct position?
Get rid of all distractions. Close your door, turn off your phone, you get the point.
Plan study breaks. No one can study for a solid four hours. In fact, I believe it was confirmed that the human brain can only focus on a certain thing for half an hour before we start getting distracted. During your break, stretch, go get a snack.
Reward yourself! Decide to treat yourself when you are done with the big project or studying for the huge exam.
Get anti-procrastination programs like Concentrate (Mac OS X) to block off sites (Facebook, YouTube, Twitter) for a pre-determined amount of time so you can get started on your work without distractions.
I hope these helped. I constantly have to refer to this list whenever I get distracted, but I find that this always gives good results.
On an unrelated note, how is everyone handling the cold? I love the winter yet I have to admit the worst moment of my day is having to wake up to go to school when I'm all cocoon-ed in my bed covers :)
Me (left) with my brother (right). I don't think we've changed much since this picture was taken.
Even though it's only early November, it finally hit me that my brother would be leaving for college next June. I myself will be moving by that time, so there's that, I guess. Not like there was or could be another alternative. Change has always been a thing I was okay with, especially since I moved around so much in my life and got used to meeting new people and leaving old friends. For some reason, however, saying good bye to my brother seems a bit different (will try not to make this into some mushy post :D).
Anyone who has a sibling will know what I mean when I say that me and my brother growing up was not always rose petals and unicorns... In fact, I don't think it's ever been anything like that! Of course there were always those stupid fights about who wanted which cereal and whose turn it was on the Playstation, etc. Even as we got older there was a fair amount of yelling and slammed doors shared between us. But, at the risk of sounding incredibly cliche, I don't think I could even begin to imagine life without him.
I have no idea why I'm using cats to represent me and my brother, but I might as well be consistent :)
When I was young I never appreciated how much of a good friend/brother he was; most of the time he was just the annoying boy who took all my favorite Game Boy roms. Eh, but the years passed and I realized how much he taught me. Life lessons, to be precise (although he did do a fair amount of chemistry tutoring for me). He taught me to keep my chin up, be confident and try not to do everything so perfectly all the time. Have fun, but don't let it get out of control. Stay away from drugs and alcohol. Know which kinds of guys there are out there.In his own twisted, humorous way, he made me feel really special and I would know when he was proud of me.
Him going to college is inevitable, I know. He'll soon have his own life and I'll have mine. But will I miss him? Oh yeah. Sure, it's not like he's going off to war and I'll never see him again, but somehow I don't think us meeting each other as adults will be the same as the time that we- us only- spent the whole day building a castle out of Legos. Or that one time we made a "documentary" on the "unknown creatures of the dark" (my stuffed animals). Me and him gunning down droids for hours in Battlefront. Hours and hours of childhood fun I can't take back. All of these things that are meaningless to you guys but that take up a huge part of my heart.
So here's to siblings! People we're "forced" to live with that teach us more about life than any teacher can. People we think we hate but find out we can't live without. People who, no matter how much we throw things at them and yell insults at, will always come back for you. People who we can really be ourselves around and are a part of us.
Have a great day to everyone! Make sure to give a call to your brother/sister and tell them how much you love them!
And oh boy, I hope my brother doesn't read my blog. :)
I know, I know. I need to stop talking about video games. But how can you stop talking about something that you really love and actually helps you relax? Just this one time, please? I apologize in advance if I sound much more excited and hurried than usual. It's just that today's been a very fast-paced and eventful day. :)
So a few days ago my copy of Battlefield 3 finally came in the mail (it was delayed for 3 days due to "unforeseen circumstances".. ooh dear). It didn't even matter that it was late because I was so excited. That's what's been keeping me happy for days.
To top that, I joined a Minecraft server (something I've done only once or twice) and saw Notch there! No joke, there was him, epic beard/cape and all, just doing a checkup on this particular server. This might be some frequently occurring thing I'm not aware of, but needless to say I was very (disproportionately) excited.
Lastly, MW3 arrived this afternoon. I know I'm going to get a lot of hate for ordering it, but I really wanted to try it out. I've only played the multiplayer and so far I've had so much fun!
You see this triangle?
I'm thinking that I might have to add another category there.
It's all in good fun guys! Where do you think you fit in this... rectangle?
I know I haven't given exactly the most comprehensive and descriptive reviews for each game, but I just thought that websites like IGN would give a far better review than me, an average gamer, would. So to wrap it up, I hope you all have a great day, and to all the gamers out there, I hope you are enjoying the "video game season" as much as I am!
Many of you guys probably know what TED talks are. If you don't they are pretty much short seminars (20-30 minutes) where a very educated speakers comes to talk, educate, or motivate us on pretty much every single topic there is.
I came across one on the "art of choosing". It was actually incredibly interesting. The speaker, Sheena Iyengar talked of cultural, psychological or emotional differences between each person when we make choices. Or when other people make choices for us. Do we react differently to when WE make the choice and someone ELSE makes the choice for us, despite it having the same results? How do the choices we make define us? All of these questions are discussed by Ms. Iyengar, along with explanations of the various experiment she conducted on the topic of choice. I found her to be a remarkable speaker. Despite the fact that she is blind (you barely notice until near the end), all her observations seem to spread out to all your senses.
A frame from Sheena Iyengar's TED talk from ted.com
You guys can check it out here. I hope you guys enjoy and learn from this talk as much as I did!
Today was a pretty normal day. Not very memorable in the least. I woke up at the same time as usual, ate pretty much what I eat every day, etc. I didn't even feel particularly tired or sick. Strange how ten minutes after I came home from school, I pretty much dropped dead on my bed and slept... and slept... for hours. I have no idea why, to be honest. It was a really deep sleep too. The type of sleep that when you wake up, you are completely clueless to everything (for a split second I thought it was Saturday morning) around you for a good ten minutes. How strange. I do take occasional naps but only short, twenty minute ones. Guess who's going to be awake in bed until two in the morning?
It's been two hours since I woke up but I am still feeling dizzy and kind of spacy. I just might have been accumulating all the stress and late nights from the past few days and my brain just decided to release the tiredness that comes with it today. Not that I'm feeling much stress nowadays though. I even get a good six hours of sleep each night. Maybe I just need more water. Yep, it's probably that. Not really looking forward to how tired I'll be once I go to college or even later, when I have a rigorous, work-demanding job. Urgh....
Happy November guys! I thought I'd share something that happened to me the other day. Well, more like two things. Involving my close friends and my cell phone.
First off, I made the huge mistake of lending my phone to two of my guy friends because they desperately needed to look up an assignment on it. Whatever, I was okay with that so I lent it to them before school started. I got it back four hours later with them smirking like idiots. The screen seemed to have been scratched to death. Oh, and that was the least of my worries. My phone was off and when I turned it on, it turned out that they had changed my pin number. I have no idea how; maybe they knew my old one or guessed it? Anyways, I spent the remainder of the day trying to figure it out because of course, they wouldn't tell me. After incessant pleading they finally gave in and told me the unnecessarily complicated pin number. Once I actually turned it on, for some reason all of my three dozen widgets had been dragged out onto my desktop. Contact names had been changed to "lol" and all my memos erased. And let's not forget all my text messages and photos being erased! I was not amused.
Two days later, I had to make an urgent call to my parents during lunch time. This is where the immature circle of friends come in. My mom picked up the phone and a chorus of "Hi Hannah's mom!" followed. Not that bad, right? Soon after my friends were shouting, "stop hogging the bottle to yourself!" and "hang up already and pass me the lighter, Hannah!". Oh, it gets worse. My phone was then wrestled out of my hand and one of my friends then proceeded to have a 3-minute conversation with my mom discussing my non-existant drug habits. Needless to say, my mother was not very happy (even after I called her an hour later and explained what really happened).
Moral of the story: no phones when your immature friends are around.
Well, since it's been gloomy and gray all week, I thought I'd talk about the rain. One of my favorite things in the world. Actually, any type of precipitation: rain, snow... hail, etc. Don't forget thunderstorms! I have no idea why I like them when so many people don't. I've always been fascinated by them ever since I can remember. I used to freak my parents out by laying down on the grass in our backyard staring up at the thunderstorm for hours. Although I have no backyard where I live now, I compensate by going to the balcony instead. For some reason, rain gets me all spacy and slightly homesick (I have no idea why). You gotta admit, the pre/during/after-rain smell is pretty delicious. Of course, the weather forecast has been predicting rain for days in Spain yet I've been sorely disappointed. I would say there has been about ten minutes of rain in total this week. Just a lot of chilly wind and leaves fluttering down (annoyingly) onto your head.
On another note, I've been reading the first book in the Lord of the Rings trilogy for a few days now. I have to say, it is quickly becoming one of my favorite books. Of course, even though I was an avid watcher of the movies since I was a kid, I never got to the books (I am ashamed to admit this). I remember how "magical" LOTR was when watching it as a kid; while I'm flipping through the pages the same feeling rises inside me. I really look forward to finishing the books and watching the movies again! I'm also very excited for The Hobbit, which is coming out next year.
Oh yeah! Speaking of, is anyone surprised at how quickly the year's passed already? It's almost November!
I am so excited for BF3 which will be coming out in exactly a week. I haven't had something to look forward to in a long time. I've already pre-ordered it and will be getting it in a matter of days.. hee hee. It's even better than Christmas, actually. For anyone who's played the beta, what did you think of it? Personally (despite a few bugs), I loved it and got me even more excited for its release.
For some reason, what makes me even happier than shopping for shoes or bags (which I don't do very often anyways) is buying a new video game. Or just even downloading one online or going to a friend's house to play it. The most fun part is sitting down, controller in hand, (and preferably a snack to your right) and getting ready to start a totally new game. I remember getting the N64 back when I was in kindergarten and had my first experience with a console playing Mario Kart. Needless to say, my little mind was blown away. After that, new video games have been somewhat magical for me!
Do any other gamers feel the same? Is anyone ready for the "gaming season" when all the new games (AC4, MW3, BF3, Skyrim, etc.) are coming out? I sure am!
Hey guys, so the past week I had to do a group project with two other people. Normally I don't like them because of how many times I end up doing all the work. And this time was no different, except it was possibly worse!
Long story short, I had a lot of stuff to do that week even BEFORE the project was assigned. Now the project itself wasn't hard at all... In fact, it could have easily been done in a day, not a week. I assigned everyone fairly equal parts, even giving myself the hardest bits. Of course, even with the huge amount of work I already had, I worked my butt off and was actually proud of the result. I checked up on my group members every day, and they were full of excuses and complaints but somehow we trudged along. However, they couldn't even be bothered to at least attempt to do something. On presentation day, nobody was ready except for me, and I had to pretty much improvise and do their parts as well. Needless to say, it would have been a borderline F if I had not put some special effects here and there.
And that is why I will hate group projects for the majority of my life. Well, that's not to say I have had some succesful ones in the past, but most of the time it's a nightmare. I'm usually the "smart kid" who ends up doing all the work.... What annoys me is the fact that the people I usually end up working with CAN do their part, but they just choose not to.
What about you guys? Yea or nay to group projects?
I'm sure a lot of you guys have heard someone being described as an introvert many times. Most people think introverts are socially awkward, shy, and have no friends. Welllll... not really.
I was doing a bit of research on this because I was wondering why I was quiet and more known as the "thinker" compared to others, even though I have a good circle of friends and am (hopefully) not socially awkward. According to about.com, this is what an introvert is defined as:
Basically, an introvert is a person who is energized by being alone and whose energy is drained by being around other people.
Introverts are more concerned with the inner world of the mind. They enjoy thinking, exploring their thoughts and feelings. They often avoid social situations because being around people drains their energy. This is true even if they have good social skills. After being with people for any length of time, such as at a party, they need time alone to "recharge."
When introverts want to be alone, it is not, by itself, a sign of depression. It means that they either need to regain their energy from being around people or that they simply want the time to be with their own thoughts. (link)
Surprisingly, this was almost an exact fit for my personality!
Then what are extroverts you ask? From the same website, here is what they have to say:
Basically, an extrovert is a person who is energized by being around other people. This is the opposite of an introvert who is energized by being alone.
Extroverts tend to "fade" when alone and can easily become bored without other people around. When given the chance, an extrovert will talk with someone else rather than sit alone and think. In fact, extroverts tend to think as they speak, unlike introverts who are far more likely to think before they speak. Extroverts often think best when they are talking. Concepts just don't seem real to them unless they can talk about them; reflecting on them isn't enough.
Extroverts enjoy social situations and even seek them out since they enjoy being around people. (link)
Another fun fact: we are either born as introverts our extroverts! It is extremely hard (or impossible) to just snap our fingers and go from introvert to extrovert or vice versa. Although I was very shy as a kid, as I grew up it was much easier to make friends and socialize. However, it was (and still is) hard for me to be a "party girl" or the one that likes to be in the spotlight.
So what do you guys think? Are you introverts or extroverts, or something in the middle? :)
Wow. Hi guys. Too be honest I'm a bit angry with myself for not writing on my blog for so long. This week has been a Disaster with a capital D, but I know that's no excuse for slacking. Anyway, Halloween is coming up! It's in a little more than two weeks; to be honest, I never got too excited for it for the past few years, but for some reason I am getting that childish excitement rising once again.
However, I am not the most original person in the world, so I am still struggling to think of what to be. I'm actually considering being No Face from the movie Spirited Away simply because it's a very easy costume and it's also from my favorite movie. But who knows what I'll be? I haven't dressed up for years! :D
No Face
I've also considered being a video game character (haha very original) but somehow it's leaning more on cosplay than an actual Halloween costume. And let's not even talk about those "policewoman" or "nurse" outfits I'm seeing the stores selling to 12 year old girls... blegh
So what do you guys plan on being this Halloween? Will it be a store-bought costume or home made? And most importantly, any ideas for what I can dress up as?
Hi guys! I woke up this morning to find I finally had 50 followers. I know it's a small milestone, but it's still a milestone, right? :) Thanks so much to everyone who has commented and followed my blog. I promise I will put even more effort into it! I also want to say that I've been tweaking a few things on my blog like the layout and background. I know these changes are subtle; more will be coming soon!
Without further ado, here is a celebratory son (I just really like this song and I thought you guys would like the music video- it has tons of video game references in it!) :
So many of you guys might know that there was a bit of a scare where people thought The Simpsons would end in a few more seasons. Here is an article where it is stated that it will go on at least until Season 25, which is a relief. However, must all good things come to an end? As many of you probably have, I grew up watching The Simpsons on a daily basis, and I've been glad for such a long time that they were the one consistent television show.
However, I've noticed that the show has gone downhill nowadays; even though it DOES keep its charm and unique touch, there are more recycled, predictable jokes and a lot more inappropriate content.
Trust me, I really AM glad that The Simpsons won't be ending any time soon, but I'm thinking it will end after Season 25 or maybe one or two more seasons. Although I'll be upset like many others, I wouldn't be very surprised. So tell me guys. Is it a good time to bid farewell to our favorite American family? :)
A lot of you are probably aware that a lot of new season premieres are going on right about now. I've been busy watching them but there was one in particular that caught my eye: it's a new TV show called Person of Interest.
Here is a short summary:
PERSON OF INTEREST stars Jim Caviezel, Emmy Award winner Michael Emerson and Academy Award nominee Taraji P. Henson in a crime thriller about a presumed dead former-CIA agent, Reese, who teams up with a mysterious billionaire, Finch, to prevent violent crimes by using their own brand of vigilante justice.
Reese's special training in covert operations appeals to Finch, a software genius who invented a program that uses pattern recognition to identify people about to be involved in violent crimes. Using state-of-the-art surveillance technology, the two work outside of the law, using Reese's adept skills and Finch's unlimited wealth to unravel the mystery of the "person of interest" and stop the crime before it happens. Reese's actions draw the attention of the NYPD, including homicide detective Carter, and Fusco, a cop whom Reese uses to his advantage. With infinite crimes to investigate, Reese and Finch find that the right person, with the right information, at the right time, can change everything. (link)
I watched the pilot and I have to say I love it. Somehow this show seems new and fresh. The show itself is a very good idea and is NOT a letdown. Acting and plot was very good, and I was actually very excited for the upcoming episode after I finished watching the pilot. It really makes you think about how many times we are being watched and observed everyday. Anyone who likes action and mystery will adore this.
Some of you guys might know that I love reading, yet I had never considered any of Stephen King's books until a few days ago. I know, that's a pretty horrible crime :) Anyways, after my mom's incessant recommendations to try out one of his books, I decided to read one of his first and most popular books: Misery. Now I know I can't say my opinion of his entire work based solely on one book, but I have to say that I am already hooked to his style of writing. I am nearing the end of Misery and already I am subconsciously trying to choose which Stephen King book I should read next. Now I know why my mom has a HUGE collection of his books.
To be quick, Stephen King has a knack for keeping you at the edge of the seat with just a few well-composed words. He can glue you to your reading chair for hours and hours because of his ability to balance out suspense and horror in a subdued manner. It is not just a freaky, horrorific, gore-splashing-everywhere type of book. I recommend any reader who is into mystery or thriller books to try it out. Any thoughts guys?
Hey guys, just a random thing I wanted to talk about today.
I remember reading from a magazine a few years ago that we generally tend to like seasons (as in spring, summer, fall, winter) that we were born in. I can't say if this is true, yet it has been true for me and many of my friends and family. I was born in December and I have to say I LOVE the winter. Not just Christmas and the "festive spirit" (although that does make up a lot of it), but the snow, drinking hot coco, you get the picture. My brother was born in the spring and he himself loves springtime, for "no explainable reason".
Does this ring true for anyone? Or is it just a coincidence that everyone I know says this is correct? And now for a little tune to settle ourselves into winter (although we are still in September):
Hey guys! I know I have been missing for the last two days but I was heaped with work for school... Anyways, I felt like introducing you guys to an awesome website known as 8tracks. Many of you might have already heard of it, but it's pretty much a website where you can share or listen to mixes from pretty much every existing genre. In addition, they also have special mixes geared towards a specific situation, such as when you are stressed out or if you have to study for an exam. Trust me, it's awesome.
I always used to think that *I* was the best judge of what kind of music I would like, but after visiting this site, I realized how wrong I was! 8tracks introduced me to so many artists and songs that I realize I can't live without now. Just give it a visit, I'm sure you'll love it!
Feel free to leave any feedback or opinions! Have a great day guys.
Now I'm not one of those Facebook haters. I actually was a fan of it for some time. But the change's they're implementing are ridiculous, especially the one they added yesterday. So here's a little rant. The little "Ticker" on the right is distracting and annoying; I don't really care that my second cousins' friend liked a picture of her boyfriend's dog. Besides, if I can see all this information from other profiles, I'm pretty sure that makes my information quite vulnerable as well... The "Top News" features is also getting on my nerves. I am getting top news from people I barely know, even with the help of filters. I know we'll just get used to it like we always do, but I feel like I should migrate to Google + soon....
When I was young I used to believe all kinds of crazy things. I must admit that to this day I'm still a big interested in blood type personalities and horoscopes. Doesn't mean I believe them, but they're still fun for me! Now I'm no expert in astrology so I have no idea if horoscopes and zodiac signs are actually accurate or something to entertain us. Either way, I find that horoscopes are very fun to look at, although I'm not one of those crazy types that base their relationships and actions on horoscopes. It's cool to think what my "type" of people are "supposed" to do. What about you guys? Do you believe in things like Zodiac or Chinese animal horoscopes?
On another note, I just watched the new episode of How I Met Your Mother today! Absolutely loved it and I thought it was touching. I won't give any spoilers here, so you better watch it! :)
Alright, before you berate me for being so childish, I would just like to tell you that I've been playing Pokemon games since I was 6... therefore I feel the need to check out every Pokemon game that has been released years later. :)
I came across this recent article at IGN that talks of a game for the Wii where you can play mini-games Pokemon style. It has also been revealed that the Pokemon will be based off Pokemon Black & White, along with more Pokemon to control and an entirely new world to play in. Am I the only one who is immaturely excited for this? In my opinion, no one can be too old for a good old game of Pokemon (can you count how many times I've said "Pokemon" so far?).
I'm pretty sure it won't be the same experience as playing my old Pokemon games on the gameboy, but I'm still looking forward to it. A lot.
Hey guys. So I woke up to this beautiful Saturday morning and decided to browse the news. I came across this article where an 18 year old girl pretended to have cancer. She raised over $17,000 from concerned people all over the world, along with getting sympathy and love from her community for something she didn't have. Frankly, this disgusts me. I lost my grandfather to cancer and this is no laughing or joking matter. It's not just the money wasted on her; I just can't figure out what would make this girl do something so morally wrong! How utterly selfish and... evil can someone be? I have to say this almost ruined my morning... I just hope all the money she raised goes to kids that really do need treatment from cancer.
The concept of choosing your child's sex has been around for a few years now. I'm not here to argue about how successful it is, or whether it is even a real thing. All I want to talk about is how ethical something like this is. Now I want to start off and say I'm not a religious person, so this just stems from my own personal beliefs. I remember how when my mom got prengant with my older brother, she wanted a daughter really bad but ended up giving birth to a son. She tells me, however, that she had nothing to worry about because my brother was "the best son in the world". What if she had been living in our times? What if she had taken some sort of procedure or treatment that would let her choose a baby girl? Imagine how different my brother (or potential older sister)'s life would be, along with mine and my parents'.
There are also some rumors circulating that soon we will be able to choose our baby's physical characteristics, like hair color, eye color, height, weight, etc. It's all very impressive, but in my opinion I think it's morally wrong. Giving birth is a natural thing in my opinion, and we shouldn't try to change it and play God. If you wanted a daughter and you get a son, I think you should just be glad to have a healthy baby boy, instead of messing around with "gender choosing kits". In the end, just because we have the technology to do something doesn't mean we HAVE to use it.
I was snooping around on Google and I came across a fairly recent article about how the order you were born in (only child, last child, middle child, first child, etc.) can affect the types of people you have most compatibility with when you are dating. I myself am a last-born and I prefer guys that are more outgoing and confident, although I don't have much of a problem with shy guys either. I'm not too sure if this is exactly accurate, but it is still fun too look at! Check it out here. What do you guys think? For anyone in a relationship, does this ring true? Any other opinions?
Today I decided to write about one of my favorite singers (in the world). You guys probably know who he is: Jack Johnson! I was one of the late fans, to be honest. I first listened to one of his songs last year and I fell in love. So without much ado, here is one of my favorite songs by him!
I just love that even though he uses very few instruments, he manages to make amazing songs coupled with very original lyrics. I always listen to his songs whenever I am stressed or having a bad day. Anyone agree with me?
Hey guys. As most of you know, today marks the day that, ten years ago, thousands of lives were lost. I don't want to go into specifics because I'm pretty sure it's all been done throughout the past decade.
I just wanted to say that even though time has passed, it still hurts many of us (even those who haven't been affected directly by 9/11). I myself am not American, but I still pray for those who lost their lives that day. I have to admit that I wasn't a full-grown "adult" at the time and couldn't really process why something so horrible would happen. Anyways, although this is a short post I don't want to drag it out and make it more depressing.
All my love and prayers to those that lost loved ones or those that lost their own lives on September 11, 2001.
Have a great day guys! Sorry for the short and sad post.
Hey guys. Sorry about the lack of posts this week, but this week was my first week of school and as you know, they are the busiest. I'll be back with my daily posts by next week! Anyways, today I wanted to touch on a popular question among future pet-owners: where to get them?
I, like many people, love animals. I grew up with half a dozen of them throughout my childhood and I can't imagine how my life would be without my lovely pets :P I just want to start this off and say that in the end it's all up to you to decide where you want to get your puppy. However, I just want to say my part on the best places to get your cat/dog/other.
I HIGHLY recommend you adopt a dog or cat from a volunteer shelter. I know many of you guys think that these places are "dirty" and none of the animals are clean, but that is so far from the truth. I've been to these animal shelters and it is so clean and hygienic- they make sure all the animals get their vaccines and if they are sick, they take care of them so well and are better in no time.
Besides, they are not "damaged" either. Sure, some of them have come from an abusive home, but that just means they are even more desperate for love and a companion. Remember that you save TWO animals by adopting one- the one you adopted, and the space you freed up for another animal to live in. When I volunteered at an animal shelter a few years ago, I had to admit that they are such lovebugs. At the risk of sounding extremely cheesy, all they want is some affection :)
If you are looking for a specific breed (whether you just like a certain type or you take care of show cats), the obvious place to go to is a dog/cat breeder. However, please know that they are VERY pricey, and why pay $800 for a cat when you can adopt one for free? Be very careful when buying a dog at these places- although most of them are just nice people raising cats and dogs, some of them are "puppy mills" that put dogs in near-inhumane conditions and are inbred just for the sake of profit. Same goes for cats and any other type of animal.
What I also suggest is just buying or adopting a pet from your neighbors. Most of the time they are very cheap (or free) and they were raised in nice conditions. The downside is that they might not have all the vaccinations and medication they need, nor the right type of environment. You can, however, easily get it checked out at the vet.
Now the last option is the pet store... Personally, I don't recommend it only because I don't really like how they are objectified and put on display so that people will buy them. In addition, they are usually put in really bad conditions (very small space, no toys, not very clean) and buying an animal from there will only make another space for another dog to live in. However, there are some nice pet stores that keep their animals in large, free spaces. If you want, you can get one from those- although adopting one is still the best option :D
So that's all the information I have on where to get a new pet.
Have a great day guys!
Today I'm going to tread into some controversial ground. I just want to start off and say this is my opinion only and you are totally entitled to yours! After watching a hilarious episode of Modern Family, I started wondering what are the pros and cons of being raised by a same-sex couple.
I guess the biggest concern is that the child will be missing either a motherly or fatherly role in their life, seeing as it has two guardians of the same gender. I agree completely that every kid needs to have a dad and a mom during their childhood- I know many friends who come from broken families and they have more struggles and problems in their lives. Now who's to say that (for example) a homosexual man can't assume the role of the mom while his partner acts as the fatherly role? Does it have to be an actual man and woman, or can they just have the qualities that a mom and a dad are "supposed" to have?
In addition, although homophobia as gone down compared to the past decade, it is still persistent in our society. Wouldn't the child face ridicule or bullying as it grew up for having gay parents? Wouldn't that affect him/her psychologically? I too was bullied as a kid (for a different reason) and I have to say that it still does affect me years after.
Now, leaving it at that, I think that there are some pros to this. Obviously same-sex couples can't just straight up have a baby whenever they want. It's either adoption or artificial insemination, which are both incredibly time-consuming processes. To me, it seems that if they are willing to go through all that to have a child, it shows that they are definitely ready to be loving parents, unlike a 15-year-old (STRAIGHT) girl who ended up getting pregnant because she didn't use protection.
I have to be honest and say I am still on the fence about this topic. I am leaning slightly to the pro-gay couple side, although (as I expressed before) I have doubts that the potential child will have a "normal" childhood. However, I do have a close friend who was raised by two lesbians. He is perfectly normal in my opinion.... good grades, popular with the girls, and a generally nice kid. I know this is just ONE person and doesn't represent every gay parent in the world, but I just want to put it out there.
So most of you know that Dead Island was very recently released. When I first heard that a new zombie-shooter game would come out, I was seriously disappointed at the lack of the gaming industry's creativity. However, now that I got a look at a few gameplays on YouTube, I have to say that it looks like an exciting game to me. I'm actually considering buying it with my November-video games money. :)
The question is... why do we keep buying games that are pretty much the same? For example, ZOMBIE GAMES! I myself own quite a lot of them and they usually have similar concepts albeit the little tweak here and there. Are we just slightly sadistic in the fact that we like to blow up the undead, over and over? Or are some of us big zombie-fanatics? This can apply to many genres, as a matter of fact.
What do you guys think? Why do we keep buying sequels or video games that have pretty much the same plot/story? It was just something I've been thinking about for quite a while. And for anyone who has gotten Dead Island, how is it? Any different from the normal zombie games?
Hey guys! School starts tomorrow for me, and I have to say I'm excited and nervous at the same time! I'm not new this year, but I've met some of the new students and they seemed really anxious. That gave me the idea to write this post about how you can have fun at a new school. I've moved around SO much in my life (from continent to continent), having to start a new school every 2 years or so. Over the years, I've accumulated a small amount of knowledge when it comes to being the new kid at school. So here goes :)
#1: Make a good first impression Dress nicely and be polite. Don't be afraid to let your personality show, because people you meet won't know what type of person you are at first. It's okay to be shy, because who isn't on the first day? But try and be friendly as it's a very easy way to make friends. It's a very shallow thing to say, but on the first day, everyone will be checking out the "new kids". It's a good idea to make a good impression so that the rumors don't start flying around the moment you step into school.
#2: Don't worry about making too much friends at first That can come later. For now, it's important to try and meet one or two people who you like. They can help you around the school for the first week or so and also introduce you to their group of friends. I've been lost countless times during my first few days at school, so it's always good to have someone who can guide you to your classes.
#3: Don't lie! We all know how tempting it is to tell everyone that your dad is actually the CEO of Sony and that you used to live in a mansion. BUT things always catch up in the end! It is a really bad idea to exaggerate and lie about your past life to your new friends. In the end, they are bound to find out the truth (for example, your classmate's cousin might have known you before) and it'll just make them lose trust in you. Trust me, I've seen this happen so may times.
#4:Learn the "rhythm" of the school Try and find out what the teachers are like, what people expect from you, and what type of class rotation you have. It'll be so much either when you figure out the rhythm of the place. You can easily do this by asking a new friend, or just spending a few days at school will give you a good idea of what type of school it is.
#5: And finally... be yourself I know, what a cliche thing to say. But there's no point trying to be someone who you aren't. It'll just end up stressing you out and bothering you. I say it's always good to be yourself; if someone doesn't like you for it, then just don't be their friend! It might seem like a good idea to change yourself to fit in in the short run, but it's always a bad idea in the end.
That's all I have for you guys... most of these tips apply to high school but they can be used in any sort of setting- middle school, college, etc.
So anyone who's grown up in the 90's like me probably read a lot of Calvin and Hobbes in their childhood. It was always a laugh to read the C&H comics, and I still read them now. I've always wondered as a child if Hobbes was really.. real?
Do not despair, this comic strip has been proved to be fake!
I guess what most people would say is the "main message" is that you know, "Hobbes was just Calvin's figment of imagination"... blah blah blah. But I always thought that Hobbes was a real tiger that would only come to life when Calvin was around. Even as I grew up and grew skeptical of Hobbes' existence, I was reluctant to let go of this theory. I mean, there were certain instances where Calvin couldn't possibly have done something if Hobbes had been a stuffed toy.
Is this a slightly stupid, immature topic to discuss? Possibly. But I've been wondering this for many, many years of my life and I finally get to talk about it! What do you guys think? Was Hobbes ever real?
Yes, I know. E3 was months ago. I just felt like writing about it because November (the release of many undeniably awesome video games) is nearing. Anyways, at the E3 conference, Nintendo showed us the Wii U; a new video game console that looked promising in the trailer.
The key distinguishing feature of this new console is that it introduces a controller that can continue your game even when the television is off (or your parents came in and changed the channel. I myself have experienced that as a kid).
Now let's see. The Wii was never intended towards hardcore gamers in my opinion. I remember trying to play Black Ops on the Wii and it being a incredibly frustrating experience. In my opinion, the Wii is for fun in groups, family time, or for smaller kids. Something tells me that the Wii U's target audience will be the same as it's parent console.
In that case, I think this will be a hit! I'm not too sure if people will be willing to splurge on it, especially during a time like this, but the concept itself seems awesome to me. Who doesn't remember all the tears we cried as children when our parents "accidentally" turned the television off while we were driving through Rainbow Road in Mario Kart?
However, I think the games for the Wii U should be limited to fun arcade/party games, but nothing as "deep" as the Assassin's Creed or Battlefield series.The reason why is that when playing a game like Battlefield, I like having a big screen in front of me, not a little handheld controller. I also like focusing on one thing (the television screen), and not two (the tv screen AND the controller) in such an... intense game. I'm pretty sure Nintendo is already aware of that, and hopefully they will be releasing games that are an appropriate match for what the Wii U does and doesn't offer.
Well, that's all I have to say on it. I know, it's a short review, but I like to keep it that way. :)
All right, so ever since iPads and Kindles came out, eBooks have been the newest thing. This isn't going to be an article about whether eBooks will soon replace paper books, although I got my inspiration for this blog post after reading this article. This is just my personal opinion on which is better.
So my mom recently got a Galaxy Tab and I have to say, the eBook app is pretty cool. It's fun to mess around with the font and highlight random stuff. I guess it's also better to have a very light machine that holds thousands of books than lugging around a bookshelf. However, I think I will stick to paper books for now. There's just something about them: the solidity [?] of them, the smell of each page, and the fact that it's somehow more comforting to curl up on a sofa with a nice paperback rather than a tablet that gets hotter and hotter the more you hold it.
It somehow saddens me that the younger generation will use online textbooks and read some of my favorite books on iPads. It just doesn't feel real to me, for some reason. Even though I know I bought the e-book and it won't be going anywhere, I keep thinking that it's not actually there. Stupid, I know.
So what do you guys think? Do you prefer eBooks over tangible ones? It'd be nice to hear your input on this matter.
