"A Total L.A. Girl"

People at school say that I'm "a total LA girl." What does that mean? Is it because I have a dark complexion (seemingly like a perpetual tan)? Do I talk like a valley girl?

In fact, some people tell me that they forget I'm even Asian because I'm "so LA." Oddly enough, it's not the first time I've been told this. People tend to be surprised that I speak Chinese at all.

How can people forget? Don't I LOOK Asian? In fact, I think I'm more "Chinesey" than most of my Chinese friends.

What do I do that makes people forget I'm Chinese? And what makes me "a total LA girl"? Any thoughts?

Public Transportation Frustrations

Today, I waited nearly one hour after church for the #22 bus to arrive. (It's supposed to arrive every 20 minutes.) And when it finally came, it was absolutely packed... claustrophobic-like standing-room only. While riding the bus, several things came to mind.

(1) If you're a youngish person who is sitting, you should give up your seat for elderly people.

(2) If there are two seats (side-by-side) available, you should sit closer to the window so that someone else can sit next to you. If you just sit in the aisle seat, you don't allow another person to sit in a perfectly empty seat.

(3) If there are available seats next to you while others are standing, you should either take a seat or make room for others to take those seats... too many standing people makes the bus feel even more crowded.

(4) There's a small plastic and metal box near the bus door that says something like, "In case of an emergency, break box and pull handle to open door." How do you break the box? It doesn't seem obvious.

I guess those were just totally random thoughts, but that is what happens when the bus is so packed that you can't even read or pull out your iPod.

You've Got Mail

Ever since I was a kid, I loved getting personal mail. And when anyone sent a personal card, postcard or letter to me in the mail, it was always very special. That still holds true today. I definitely love getting phone calls, emails and blog comments. Facebook wall messages, text messages and e-cards are nice too. But there's something extra special about getting a hand-written piece of personal correspondence in the mail.

However, I recently had a conversation with a friend and was told that people don't really care for getting personal "snail mail" anymore because "it's an extra piece of paper that I have to figure out where to store." According to this friend, technology has taken over and electronic communication is just as good, if not better because it doesn't take up physical space.

I disagree with my friend. What are your thoughts on this? Am I just too old-fashioned?

As an aside... I've received some nice mail since I moved to Vancouver. I so much appreciate the few postcards, cards, and even letters. I especially love the care packages of Trader Joe's items, and other yummy snacks! Thanks.

Don't "Cover Your Mouth!"

With the weird weather during this time of the year, many people are suffering from colds, flus and allergies. When they sneeze/cough, most tend to cover their mouths with their hands.

As a kid, I was taught by my parents and teachers to do this as well. Covering your mouth with your hands during a sneeze/cough was considered good etiquette and good hygiene at the time.

However, when I started working in the food service industry, I learned just how disgusting it is to cover your mouth with your hands because those hands will eventually touch other things (door handles, handrails, etc.) or even other people. Thus, the contamination spreads. Instead, we were required to either sneeze/cough into the inside of our elbow or to sneeze/cough directly to the ground.

Now, when I see people around me sneezing/coughing into their hands, I just get so grossed out. So, if you're sick or suffering from allergies, please sneeze/cough directly to the ground or into the inside of your elbow.

Thank you... and bless you!

He Has Been Named

Thanks for all the input on my plant. It now has been almost two weeks since I received the primrose as a gift from my friend. As of now, he seems to be doing well. The weather has been fairly nice recently, so I've actually left him outside most of the time. He gets sunlight and rain almost on a daily basis.

Anyway, I decided that my primrose is a guy because he needs so much maintenance and thought. (Wink, wink.) Furthermore, he seems kind of snobby, so I decided to name him Thurston Howell III after the millionaire in Gilligan's Island. Now, I might need to find a wife for Thurston, and name her "Lovey", which I just found out in Wikipedia was a nickname for Eunice Wentworth Howell. How cool is that!?!?!

Thanks for the idea, Victor. And, I'm sorry your suggestion didn't make the cut, Carolyn.