About that list...

A certain item has been nagging me for the last 9 months. Namely, that list I drew up of things I had wanted to do by graduation.
It started out as a list of things I've always wanted to do, but found excuses to not to. When it was first written, I was excited to get started, go forth, seize the day, and all that jazz. Mental images of me carpe dieming at TIFF and bungee jumping were still fresh in my mind as I tried to plan the first items to be completed. But as I planned, I still found myself making excuses.

"Oh that will get me arrested."
"That will never work!"
"...Why is this even on the list?!"
"It's too cold/hot/windy/breezy/sunny for that..."
"I bet the squirrels will eat all the balloons, and choke and die.."

At a fantastic 6 months later, I tried to appease the nagging feeling by completing one item. I planted a tree, with SAVE no less. Interestingly, while planting the tree, I did not feel like I was accomplishing a life goal. Or, more accurately, if it was indeed my life goal, it would imply that I make some shitty life goals.

The more I thought about the list, the less excited I was to complete it. Bungee jumping seemed less and less exciting and more and more suicidal, as it seemed that I misjudged the heights I would be falling. Of course, some of the items on the list still seemed to be an exciting prospect, but they were easy targets anyway. Drive in movie? 15 minutes away, really.

I suppose I've just lost interest in my endeavour. I've changed, but my list has remained static. Everything changes all the time, and I suppose who I am now is not quite the same as who I was 9 months ago in an English class, bored out of my skull trying to discuss short stories. Part of the reason I wrote the list was so that I could go out and be more exciting. Well, I've done a lot of exciting things since, none of which happen to be on this list.

But, all of this rambling is just to soften the blow when I say "I am not going to force myself to complete this list." or in other words, I'm not following any lists. I'm going to go seize what I want, with no timeline whatsoever. Of course, that doesn't mean I'm going to avoid doing anything on the list, I'm just not trying to smoosh it all into the next year.

TL;DR I've changed, I'm not doing my list anymore

also: New theme! To suit the summer, though I guess I'm a little behind for that.
also: MOTHER, if you are reading my blog. Please stop. It's weird.

I can't believe I forgot!

I had completed another item on my list way before. (March)

Masquerade! Granted, I wasn't holding it. But I'm a terrible hostess, so it was probably for the best. Anyway. I wore the mask I got from Venice which looks a little like this


Okay, it looks exactly like that, because that is the mask I wore. The more observant ones will notice that it is also not a picture of me. That's just because I couldn't find one of me and the mask together. That picture is from a masquerade-like themed get together on the cruise I went on in the summer, though, no one really wore masks, and it was more of a "I'll wear your mask and you can wear mine!" thing. Which, explains the picture.. somewhat.

I don't really have much else to say... So. I guess I'll go into a totally different tangent now.

I Probably put too much of myself onto teh interwebz

This blog, forums, facebook, random sites, etc. I probably divulge more information than I really should. Everything is on the internet in one way or another. It probably won't take too long to find if one was a dedicated googler. But it doesn't really bother me as much as it should.

The way I see it, you can live in the dark ages, and fear the internet, or you can embrace the internet and everything it can do for you. People already date/hook up/buy groceries/ chat/gather/plot/etc on the internet, why should it be unreasonable for me to expect it to take out my laundry one day? Being raised in a family where both my parents depend on evolving computer technology for their jobs, I've always had up to date computers, operating systems, and always fairly up to date on computer trends. So, it's really no surprise that I spend a lot of quality time with my laptop, Fred.

The internet is everything for me! It plans, and organizes, I can share my thoughts (here), talk to my friends even if they're far away and awkward on the phone, and I can encounter totally random people all over the world (Omegle/rest of the internet) So, what I mean is: I love the internet!

I should blog about Fred...
In due time.

One down, 21 to go.

So today, I went tree planting! Wooooooo sounds like a party right?

No.

We went with SAVE (students against the violation of the environment) and planted trees at what we thought would be the UTM campus. We were actually planting trees on a very steep hill right beside the road. It wasn't too bad though, the soil was very clay-y, and there were tonnes of rocks, but that's all to be expected.

What was unexpected was the "nature hike" and the "Seed ball activity" we were encouraged/forced to do afterwards. For someone that was under the impression that we would only plant trees, it was in interesting experience. Now, it doesn't sound that bad, but I hate nature walks. They remind me of all the times my family and other likeminded asians gather together to go and violate a provincial/random park on weekends.

The car is loaded up with chairs, and parasols or whatever, and coolers chocked full of food that no one will finish along with ridiculous snacks in case anyone is still hungry. After we arrive, the walking commences, all in a hige pack, with small children darting around people that may or may not be part of the asian congregation. Of course, all this commotion brings out the mosquitoes. And if there's anything I hate more than nature walks, it's small insects. Knowing that they are there makes me paranoid, and then I feel like there's insects all over me, and then I start running and flapping my arms like a psycho. At this point, all other asians decide to intervene, and offer me random herbal concoctions made to keep the bugs at bay, all the while insisting that DEET is going to kill me. Personally, I think I'll take my chances with DEET and keep my sanity. Just when you think you are going to go insane/collapse, a group photo is called for. All the adults gather with their visor hats, raise the sun-shield or whatever that thing is, and smiles at the camera while wearing their backpacks/fanny packs. Upon return to where the cars are parked, picnic tables are scouted, and the crap in the car is dragged to where ever the table has been dragged to to stay out of the sun. The feasting usually commences from there, while pictures of the food is taken, and pictures of you eating is taken. When this is all over, everything is repacked into the cars, and we all head to our respective homes.

This is exactly what the nature hike felt like, I was always anticipating someone in a visor-shield-thing to pop up, or for someone to insist that I stay out of the sun for fear of getting a -GASP- Tan. Those asian treks have slowly made me loathe nature, and forests, and especially trails. Which is exactly what the "nature hike" was. Of course, I wouldn't even call the place we went a park, it was like a small strip of woods that just happened to avoid being bulldozed with a trail winding through them. There was litter everywhere, and the "beautiful canopy" was non-existant because it is spring. Upon arrival at a clearing, we were told that we would be making "seed balls", an innocent sounding activity, right?

WRONG.

"Seed balls" were balls made of clay, compost (manure! poo!) and the seeds of native plants. We were told to grab the gluey mixture and throw it somewhere to "encourage" "natural" growth. As much as I support the regional flora, seeding is not natural growth. Nor is the planting of natural shrubs and trees. And I do not think that southern ontario was ever a "prarie" like area. The soil is practically artist quality clay! And no matter what you call it, compost is probably mostly made of decomposed poo, and I am not touching that with my hands that I just washed 5 times to get the dirt off of. It was at this point that I got out my "Shiying is having a very bad trip" face. And I kept it on all the way home, to prepare for any surprises.

TL;DR Tree planting is okay, nature walks and seed balls are not.

22 (ish) things to do before graduation

Take a (small) road trip
Go to a drive in movie
Get all the friends into one swimming pool (anyone volunteering their pool?)
(Edit!) Go craft bombing
Befriend a random person
Hold a stake out
Have a picnic dinner and watch the stars
Hold a subway party- Edit: We may be arrested by the transit crew, so we might have to substitute a block party instead
Hold a mustache party
Learn and successfully conduct a magic trick
Pull an actual April Fools prank
Go clubbing
Plant a tree
Go skating at city hall
Make LED floaties
Visit a long lost friend (or a far away friend)
Shop Drop
Hold a masquerade
Commit a random act of kindness
Bungee jump at Canada's Wonderland
Double date
Attend the Toronto International Film Festival