bishop of london's sermon

Marriage should transform, as husband and wife make one another their work of art. It is possible to transform as long as we do not harbour ambitions to reform our partner. There must be no coercion if the Spirit is to flow; each must give the other space and freedom.

[Bishop of London's sermon]

anthony bourdain in malaysia

"I'm not an expert on the places I visit. I'm not an authority. I'm a traveler, a visitor, an enthusiast. Is it possible to feel hollow and enriched at the same time?

Travel isn't always pretty, or comfortable. Sometimes i hurts, breaks your heart even. But it's ok. It changes you. It should change you. It leaves mark on your memory, your heart, your consciousness, and even on your body. You take something with you, and hopefully, you leave something good behind. Where to next? Your guess is as good as mine."

french air

There is but one Paris and however hard living may be here, and if it became worse and harder even - the French air clears up the brain and does good - a world of good.

 

— Vincent Van Gogh

nirrimi's valentine

[one of the best messages to convey love i found yet]

my beautiful girl,

you are asleep beside me, and despite the deep rumbles and grating gears of the passing vehicles on the highway outside our window, I feel so content, listening to your breathing, and the wind in the tall backyard tree, and now it is silent of all cars and trucks and roadnoise, and now it is nicer than it was before. with you I have learnt the most about myself, and consequently the world, and with you I am calmest, clearest, happiest, realest, warmest, and all other superlatives that could be used to describe just how right things are with you. I have said it a few times but I'm not sure I've ever truly been able to express just how much I appreciate you, your presence in my life, all of the things I have learnt from you both directly and indirectly. the world will change and change often, sometimes dramatically, but I know our love will always remain. we are the strongest of the strong, and I will never leave your side.

thank you for all that you have blessed me with. i am indebted to you.

yours for all time, and timelessness,
m

do what must be done

"forget about the likes and dislikes and do what must be done. This is not about happiness, this is about greatness." george bernard shaw

thoreau

"If one advances confidently in the direction of his dreams, and endeavors to live the life which he has imagined, he will meet with a success unexpected in common hours. He will put some things behind, will pass an invisible boundary; new, universal, and more liberal laws will begin to establish themselves around and within him." - Henry David Thoreau

french milk

“I’ve always cherished that thing, of being able to travel between two different cultures. Melting into different universes in different countries makes it more interesting.” - Clémence Poésy

finally found this book

communication

To effectively communicate, we must realize that we are all different in the way we perceive the world and use this understanding as a guide to our communication with others. - Anthony Robbins

when someone knows

le love

amore, amicizia, e risa

Everytime I go to Pike Place, I buy jewelry. They have the best antique stuff, the best craftsmen, and artisans. This last time, I came across a vendor called Hammering Girl. Kathy Henning has been hand hammering sterling silver and copper for the last 23 years at Pike Place Market. She engraves the quotes onto the bracelet, and she has a list of ones that are ready to go at the counter. However, she also custom engraves what you want to say as well, and if you can't be there to pick it up, she'll ship it to you!

My favorite is this quote "amore, amicizia, e risa" meaning love, friendship and laughter. I bought one for me...and 2 as gifts. I also got one for Tien...and i absolutely love what it says..."progess, not perfection." *_*

She also mentioned that copper was good for you, but i didn't delve further into that until I got home. Apparently, wearing copper is great for curing arthritis and such. Since I'm on the computer all day long and my wrists and hands just plain hurt at the end of the day, I'm hoping this is going to help me finish law school as well as look great! Read about the health benefits of copper bracelets!

I also picked up this ring at Pike Place. It's pure simplicity drew me in, and I had to get it. I wouldn't mind wearing a ring like this instead of a diamond on my ring finger either. Although I wear tons of gaudy jewelry, that one that bears my allegiance to my man must be simple and pure...and i think that's why i was drawn to this ring so much. Please excuse the dry hands and paperwork. I'm procrastinating from doing my legal analysis homework as always.

worth fighting for

le love

cold as you

You put up walls and paint them all a shade of grey, I stood there loving you and wished them all away. And you come away with a great little story of a mess of a dreamer with the nerve to adore you. What a shame, what a rainy ending given to the perfect day, so just walk away no use defending words that you will never... say. Now that I'm sitting here thinking it through, I've never been anywhere as cold as you. -taylor swift

a dream with a deadline

"A goal is a dream with a deadline. - Never Eat Alone

I have tons of crap swimming in my head for the last week and have been lazily putting it off. Now that 2010 is officially here, I guess this is the first step to the new year.

I'm reflecting a lot on the last year and I have not had a very productive one even though I'm super busy in law school, took a few trips to different states, and made tons of new wonderful friends. It may be that I was in the middle of my law school career and steam was escaping much too quickly, but I think it was a combination of other things happening in my life as well.

Starting off this second year seemed bright at first, but it slowly diminished when I realized my heart was not in it. I can't really explain it, but my body just shut down, and so did my academic brain. I'm on the net a lot more than first year, and I can sit for hours browsing the web. If you know me, you know that my computer is attached to me at the hip, but I'm on it in a more productive way. I use it for school, class note taking, research, etc. Now, I'm facebooking, reading random insignificant blogs, and staring at the screen during the time of day when I am most productive.

My school life started to get rough although my classes were substantially easier. My grades dropped, and I really do not know what I wanted to focus on after I graduate. I didn't look for a job because I knew I'd be out of the country as soon as I took the bar. However, I didn't even look for a temporary job. Looking back, I've done the bare minimum to stay in, and that is not at all like me. I excel in academics most of the time because I love it and the environment I put myself in. Now, passing a simple mpre exam is tough, and it literally makes my blood boil.

Recently, I've made some wonderful friends that I will keep forever, but I also lost some that have been there for so long. I don't care to delve too much into it because I'm still figuring out what I want from that loss, but I do know that it's been a large part of my mood changes. However, that needs to change. My life has always happened in chapters as most people, but I always feel it in my bones. Something will happen, and it'll literally light a bulb in me, signaling the next phase of my life. For example, when I first met my boyfriend 6 years ago this August I felt it when i checked the phone for the first time to see if he called, when I checked my savings account to see that I made enough money to take off to Europe for 6 months, when i got my honors letter sealing my acceptance to UCLA, when my lease in LA ran out, and now, with this last small trip, to make this upcoming year MINE.

I love the quote for today. "A goal is a dream with a deadline." I stole this quote from one of my favorite bloggers, Sarah Rhoades, and it just hit the spot when I read it. My boyfriend always said that I thrive on deadlines and goals. If a deadline is given to me, I'll set the goal in my head and accomplish it. From that, I've accomplished more than most 50 year olds with my travels. However, that motto has escaped me this year.

So with no further ado, I've compiled a list of things I need to accomplish for 2010.

1. read at least 50 books and prove it on Goodreads. I read a lot. but its mostly for school now. I love reading for fun but have drastically diminished my numbers from sheer laziness or just not wanting to read when I come home from an exhausting day at school. My library has not grown at all in two years and my books are all law related and boring. I got an ebook reader for my birthday, but have come to realize that it does not feel the same at all. It's only useful for the gym because I still love the smell and feel of books. I'll be making the trek to my favorite library much more this year.
   
2. tone the body. Since I'm paying for a gym membership this year, I better make my money's worth from it. I know that everyone makes this resolution and then fails. I'm no exception because I detest the gym. However, I have incentive. The pressures of looking "presentable" are always present with my mom, but that pressure has never worked against me. I've maintained a healthy body from my amazing culture's cuisine and an active lifestyle with 3 active brothers and a slew of competitive friends. However, now that sports are on the backburner with school, the gym has to be my friend or the muffin top will get out of control! Therefore, my progress will be proven in pictures.
3. finish my studio. I've gotten my hands on my dad's DSLR and still using my G10 to its max. Since my closet is substantially updated and versatile, it should be showcased here with some amazing pictures. Strobe lighting and all are nice, but I just need the proper price...
4. pass the mpre. Enough is enough. I hate this damn exam, and I need to just PASS IT.
   
5. pass the bar. This one is a doozy. This one will require 6 months of prep because I learn much slower than most, and I have to emit tons more energy to the process. Therefore, since barbri is only a 2 month process, I have to start my studies this upcoming semester. I've signed up for 3 insane classes [each feel like 3 classes in one], and I need to set a rigorous regimen to handle these subjects.
   
6. get to Asia. This one, I will do, simply because its the one thing I have been wanting to do forever. No matter what the cost, I'll get there. The reward, if I accomplish everything above, will be this trip.
   

The deadline is July 30th, 2010. The last day of the bar exam. The dream is Asia. The journey is going to be hard and painful, but I hope to slowly plow my way through it. I'm in my prime, at the top of my game, and there is no reason to fail.

adventure

"Adventure is a path. Real adventure - self-determined, self-motivated, often risky, forces you to have firsthand encounters with the world. The world the way it is, not the way you imagine it. Your body will collide with the earth and you will bear witness. In this way you will be compelled to grapple with the limitless kindness and the bottomless cruelty of humankind - and perhaps realize that you yourself are capable of both. This will change you. Nothing will ever again be black-and-white." - Mark Jenkins

[a blogger I follow just went to southeast asia, and she came back with new perspectives in life. I have encountered that before on all my trips, but the best and greatest one will be the one to come]

life long romance

“to love oneself is the beginning of a life-long romance”
oscar wilde

Be A Loved One's Biggest Fan, Best Critic

"Your job is to be her biggest fan and her greatest critic for the purpose of her spiritual development."

"Your job is to be his biggest fan and his greatest critic for the purpose of his spiritual development."

- Michael Bernard Beckwith performing a marriage ceremony

CNN

i love you? you know i do

We are only this young for so many twisted nights.
I want you to have them.
I want you to have it.
Why am I crying, and
Why am I afraid to say
I love you? You know I do.
le love

i wonder if he ever would

He gave me a look that I would never forget. Nobody ever looked at me that way. With such desire. Such admiration. Such regret. I wish I could have seen me through his eyes.

I had just returned from seeing him a few days ago. It wasn’t the same. It had become real for me. I realized he knew me. All aspects of me. The good, the bad and the ugly. And he was still sitting there next to me. He was a genuinely good, simple, tender hearted man with flaws and faults I was clearly aware off. And I was still by his side. I wanted him, with his shortcomings and imperfection. All of him. I had never felt my heart to be so fragile and delicate. There was nothing more in this world that I wanted than for him to ask me to stay. To come back. To runaway with him. To be more than a seasonal fling. To be more than just a summer romance. To be his. A real opportunity to give what we have a chance. But he didn’t. And I wonder if he ever would.

Le Love

how lucky

“How lucky I am to have known someone who was so hard to say goodbye to.”

le love

you loved me long enough to notice

Almost six years later I am looking back on everything we have been through.

I have never been so comfortable with anybody in my life.

You know all of me,

and I know all of you.

The other night you said to me, "You look so grown up"

and I almost cried simply because of the fact that you have loved me long enough to notice something like that.

We have had our share of hard times,

but that is to be expected when you are young and in love.

It is amazing that we are still together,

considering how young we are,

and this proves to me that something just clicks between us.

I feel secure,

I feel happy,

I trust you,

and I love you with all of my heart.

-Le Love