Life is good and I am grateful!

Last Christmas, I bought a notebook/journal from my ward auction party. I like hand made stuff so I paid $ 35.00 for it. Also it was for a good cause to help out unfortunate families around the areas to have food for the holiday.
I wasn't sure about what to use my little notebook for as I already have another journal where I record some of my thoughts. So I decided I would record my everyday blessings in it; the ones that often go unnoticed or taken for granted. As I go back to read it sometimes, I realize that I am more blessed than I usually think. Yes, I count my many blessings!
Here are 10 (few of the many I have written down for the last month):

1. I officially received my Masters Degree. I did it!


2. I am going to Hawaii for a one week vacation.


3. I became a new aunt (born on Aug 19). My niece's name is Dialy Fanaperana


4. My family! they are always there for me despite the fact that they are thousands of miles away.


5. I have two wonderful roommates. Believe me, we never fight!


6. One of my friends got hit by a truck, but survived.
   
7. I am healthy: I have the strength and energy to do the things that I like.


8. I have a reliable car which makes it so easy to get around.


9. The ability to believe in God and his son Jesus Christ.


10. I have a place to stay and food to eat.

My life is pretty darn good! La vie est belle for me.

phone reliance ...

I go crazy when I don't have my phone with me. First, I don't remember any phone numbers I have in it except my home phone overseas. If something ever happens to me, I don't know who to call.

After a typical evening I came home and turned my computer on. One of my friends told me that something had happened to my other friend. I went to look at her facebook profile picture and here she is with a huge bruise on her left eye and cheek.
I then went to her blog to learn what happened. She got hit by a truck while riding her scooter on Saturday! She survived the shock physically although her face looks pretty bad. CHeck her blog here if you want to see. The worse thing is that she didn't have her cellphone with her. Therefore, she had noone to call except one person ... the one who is most likely to answer.
Two important things I learned from this:
Memorize some phone numbers -- don't trust that you are always going to have your phone with you.
Moms rock! the only phone number my friend remembered was her mom's. She was home! Believe me, moms are always there.

Also, I thought of how many times we screen phone numbers when we receive a call. What if that person needed help like my friend. Things to think about!
I wish I were there for my friend! I want to give her a big hug right now. Hang in there Tanya!

... I am still here

…the time passed away with us, and also our lives passed away like as it were unto us a dream … Jacob 7:26

Time is really flying and I am still here …

The other day, my friend Sandra and I went to a BBQ party. It was organized by a girl who served a mission with Sandra in South Africa few years back. We walked to the park where the BBQ was. We couldn’t find it as we walked around this big park. We finally started to walk back to the car to head home and then I saw a South African flag hanging on a tree trunk on the other side of the park. We have walked by this group of people earlier but we didn’t realize this was our group. That’s because they were with kids and they looked older. “Doh!” My friend Sandra said. We both laughed. These friends who once were with us have moved on with their lives. They have gotten married, had kids, and built a career. Mission was like years ago. I guess they have walked faster than us. Yes, we are …, I am still here.

Good thing I am still on the journey. I can say that the direction I am headed is more important than my speed. I have come a long way and I am still here … But I also want to say, “it seems so right to be still here.” It feels good!

TXT MSG joke ... Ooops!

I asked myself today when will I finally grow up. So childish, so immature, so naive, maybe so innocent sometimes.

I found an unattended cellphone on the table, I picked it up and started playing with it. I then wrote something like: "hi baby! what's up? this is ... btw" and chose a random contact and pushed SEND. Luckily, it was so hard to figure out how to use the sophisticated phone and I decided to send the text to only one person.

Few hours later, I receive a voice msg from the friend whose phone I had my hands on, he basically said that I've caused some harm. He didn't sound very excited at all. I guess the message got sent to someone who is not supposed to receive it. Then there is the ring in my ears, the voice message over and over. YOU'VE CAUSED SOME HARM ...

I FELT SO BAD! Why did I do that? What was I thinking?

FIX it! But how?

I sent a text msg to this innocent person who is not supposed to receive my foolish message. This is what I wrote, "Hi, this is really strange but I want to apologize about the text msg you received from ...'s phone yesterday. It wasn't him who wrote it. It was a foolish joke from my part. I am very sorry!"

I hiked Mt Timp ...

The peak of Mt Timpanogos

I went on a hike with a few friends on Friday early morning (1:30 AM) to hike this famous mountain. Many people usually start their hike that early to arrive at the top to watch sunrise. It was hard for me but I did. I almost gave up when we got close to the top but my friends who are experienced hikers convinced me to keep going up and I did. I was worried about the height thing but it wasn't bad. I was so tired though, especially I didn't really get enough sleep the past few days. It could have been easier if I was well prepared. I can't express how bad the pain in my feet was when we hiked down. The hike was about 7 and 1/2 miles one-way (normally 4 hours). I thought I was going to have a very sore body the next day but to my surprise, not really. Just some tight muscles.

The sunrise -- I actually took from a lower peak

View from the top

Cool facts:

• It's the second highest point in the Utah's Wasatch range with an elevation of 11,749 ft (3586 m)
• Mt Timp has the only real glacier in Utah although relatively small due to drought over the years

This is an accomplishment for me. I hiked Mt Timp and got to the top. Yeah :)

... to be continued

I usually go back and read what I've posted on my blog in the past. Then I realized that I tend to post some things that I started doing or were happening but then never say anything about it afterwards. Not that I think anyone would really care how they ended, but I just want to update it for me. Some readers might! I don't know.

Anyway, here are some ending stories:

Back in June when I posted that I was following EURO 08 (the European Soccer Tournament) and I said that I supported Italy. Yep they lost and long story short, Spain ended up wining the whole thing. I was disappointed but it's okay.

My internship at the Zoo is about to end, next week is going to be my last week. I am now in the job hunt for a new change. tbc ...

My arm is not healing. I have to go see a surgeon to operate on it to remove the sac inside otherwise it will keep growing back the nurse said. I will make an appointment next week. tbc ...

Twilight series -- I finished book 3 on August 4 (later than I planned) and I haven't started with the new book: 'Breaking Dawn' yet. I will soon though, because I am dying to read it. It's just that I had to find some balance. tbc ...

About the post on being famous. Yes, I did appear in the Ensign for this month. I got a lot of calls and text msg from people. It is kind of fun to have your picture in the magazine, but it's not pleasant when everyone you meet mentions about it. If you want to have a look, here.

And lastly I did survive the Ecology class. It was intense but I learned a lot. I still have to write a huge research paper which is due next Friday. I wish I can get away with it but I can't. tbc ...

Surviving the ECOLOGY class

Watch the bee!

I am very stressed about this course I have to take this week. It's called 'field ecology' and it's Mon-Fri 8:30 a.m. -4:30 p.m. We spend time outside studying plants and other species. Maybe it shouldn't be that bad, but it is really kicking my butt. Most of my classmates are all guru with the subject as they are all environmental studies major. They look at a plant and they can key it right away. I have to flip the pages over and over and figure out what they were talking about. This is the first time I have ever taken an Ecology class. I am not very familiar with the different terms they use and I don't have a great patience.

But hey, it's gonna be okay. I care about the environment and this is going to teach me more about it. In fact, here are a couple of quotes I really like:

"The major problems in the world are the result of the difference how nature works and the way people think." Gregory Bateson
"The more clearly we can focus our attention on the wonders and realities of the universe, the less taste we shall have for destruction." Rachel Carson

Suppose you're famous !!!

Suppose you appeared in a magazine called the Ensign that a good number of people including your friends will see. Some reactions would be:
"I saw you in the Ensign !!!"
"Hello?!?!?!? Why didn't you tell us that you were going to be in the Ensign?!?!?! That is so awesome!!!!! :-)"
"you appeared in the Ensign, please send me a copy"
"Hey, what's up with you in the Ensign? How'd you do that?"
"you're famous!!!"
Further reaction was even with someone who comes to visit you with a copy of the magazine and asked you to sign an autograph. Or you would sit somewhere outside eating lunch and some random people happened to read the magazine a feet away from you and stare and try to resolve the puzzle if that is really your picture.
Interesting !!!
I guess you can say that you are famous. But that reminds me of this quote:
"All is ephemeral -- fame and the famous as well." Marcus Aurelius

"I love to see the Temple ..."

I received a link from one of my friends the other day; a link to a slide show of all the LDS (Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints) Temple all over the world. Click here to view these splendid, gorgeous, and stunning buildings. There are 126 of them today. Not only they are so beautiful from the outside, but they reveal such symbol of eternity. As a member of the LDS church, I love going to the temple. I find peace in there and I feel closer to God and to his Son Jesus Christ whenever I visit these sacred places.
The first temple I have been to -- Johannesburg South Africa (Aug 1999) The temple I frequently attend -- Salt Lake City Temple