Happy November and review of Mylo Xyloto.

I've decided that I'm going to be better about blogging starting this month. I may have potentially found my blogging days (Tuesdays) and by having a solid day, I will blog more consistently. I guess I will confirm next Tuesday.

So, there are lots to talk about and because I've been so behind on blogging, please bear with me as I talk about past subjects (for example, my final conclusions on Coldplay's Mylo Xyloto, which can be found in this post) and for this long first-post-in-a-while.  But before we go on, guess what I was for Halloween.

Yes, I was the greatest Pokemon trainer Ash Ketchum and it only cost me a total of 50 cents (for the ornament, which I then painted with my neighbor's paint set). I proudly showed it off at multiple dances Halloween weekend and Halloween night. 

I need to sleep.

What were you?

Mylo Xyloto

I have already expressed my undying loyalty to the greatest band alive on this planet here, but it'd be incredibly horrid as an avid Coldplay aficionado to forego reviewing their newest album.

Words cannot express what I felt when I first listened to this album. I slipped on my headphones and sat on my couch for 44 minutes and seven seconds and it was one of the best 44 minutes and seven seconds that I have ever spent. I sobbed tears of ecstasy for the next five minutes. It was that good.

As I listened on--four, five, ten times--and as I discussed the musicality and the lyrics of Mylo Xyloto with fellow Coldplay fans (Rachel was the one who convinced me in the end), I've come to the conclusion that Coldplay has, in fact, sold out.

What had happened, Coldplay? Chris? Jonny? Guy? Will? Anyone? Though some of their best songs have been overplayed, lyrics like "Lights will guide you home and ignite your bones and I will try to fix you" stick with you and in a good way. In Mylo Xyloto, they are catchy songs and some are quite creative ("Hurts Like Heaven," instead of hurts like hell, and "Princess of China"), but really. Listen. "Para-para-paradise, para-para-paradise, para-para-paradise, ohhoooh hoohoho."

On the other hand, I absolute love love love the first track "Mylo Xyloto" going into "Hurts Like Heaven," and my niece does too. That's all she dances to when I'm babysitting and we're having a private dance party. The album was an attempt at something creative and it told a story (of falling in and then back out of love and finding hope for new love), but one has to admit that Coldplay's lyric writing has gone downhill.

I guess I'm saying I prefer "Kingdom Come" and "Warning Sign" over "Major Minus" and "Charlie Brown."

Nevertheless, I still love Coldplay.

I'm alive...barely.

My friends, it's been a while. Where to begin, where to begin...

I've been really busy. When I'm not working, I'm in class. When I'm not in class, I'm at the PR lab. When I'm not in the PR lab, I'm in the Wilk eating. When I'm not in the Wilk eating, I'm at home reading Marx. When I'm not at home reading Marx, I'm in my bed sleeping with a billion thoughts running through my head.

On weekends, I make an effort to socialize. I end up internally curling up into a ball due to exhaustion from the week as I sit back and do what I do best: observe, listen and laugh.

But looking back at the calendar, here's what you missed in my life:
My article about Asians made The Student Review.

My Asian friends.

It's weird. It was like this photo was the start of something new. I met all of them (with the exception of Crystal...the one right above me) that day. And now the guy in the yellow shirt is my home teacher and the girl in the yellow shirt is my FHE mom. It's funny how the world works.

I have a newfound love for kittens. Can't you just see me snuggling up with a little kitten in my arms? Can't you?

My friend showed me this. I laughed. But it's kind of how I feel about kittens.

I found out Sunday that I'm lactose intolerant. Did you know that it is most prevalent among Asian peoples? Yeah, I found that out too. Also, it's hard to stop taking in dairy when you have been for all your life. On Thursday, I was catering with friends at a friend's friend's engagement party. They had soup shots that were to die for. I had at least fifty shots. Problem was that it was Wisconsin cheese and cauliflower. And I had at least fifty. FIFTY. I didn't feel so well, but I got paid and I got to meet and mingle with wonderful people.

There were a group of people there who had Power Ranger shirts on. They were the coolest as they are accepting me in their exclusive club and offered me a membership. I had offered to be the Yellow Ranger.

That's right, I'm popular.

I got Bradley PR labber of the week a couple weeks ago. I'm still savoring the pound of fudge and pride I received that day.

Marx has taken over my life. I'm reading him for my Anthropology class and the other day, I caught myself saying something quite Marxian. It was in a joking manner, but nevertheless, it kind of scared me.

Currently, I am in the process of creating a device that recaptures all the lost thoughts that fall through the holes of my mind. It's becoming more and more prevalent in my thought process--probably due to my lack of sleep?--and it just happened to me. I remembered something important that I had to do, but it just escaped me.....

Here is a song for you to enjoy as I close this long awaited post.

Have a beautiful day, my friends.

News flash.

I am officially changing my blogging days. I don't know to which day, but definitely not on Mondays. Too stressful.

I still love you all.

Happy Mid-Autumn!

Currently, I'm trying to breeze through this blogpost because I just received my email from Pottermore and heck, I am spending the rest of the day on it (after homework, of course, like the responsible Asian student that I am).

Quick life update: I started work today at the Blue Line Deli in the Tanner Building (visit me). Not bad for the first day, though it was kind of hectic. And it is inevitable: everytime I wear white pants, I will always spill something onto it. Also, it gets super hot there, yes it does.

This was me. But not really....it wasn't that bad.

Also, I joined the Asian Ward. Officially. Papers and records are IN.

Today is the Mid-Autumn Festival or the Moon Festival. I was reading up on the traditions on Wikipedia and I came across some customs I didn't know before so I'm guessing you never known either. I shall educate you:

1. Eating mooncake. Let's be honest: I knew about this because it involves one of three things that I love and are almost always at Chinese festivals (food, money/redpackets, and lanterns). I have a huge mooncake sitting in my pantry now calling to me. And when I say "sitting in my pantry," I mean "in my hands about to be devoured."

2. Matchmaking. I think of Mulan everytime. And a little of The Fiddler on the Roof.

3. Carrying brightly lit lanterns. I have lanterns. And birthday candles.

But not really. Because I'm safe.

4. Burning incense for deities. 

5. Dragon Dances.

6. Celebrating the fullest and brightest moon of the year.

So go out and enjoy the moon tonight. It should be beautiful.

And here is an unrelated song for you to enjoy as I close.

Blah blah blah.

Um. This post is mainly to keep up with my promise of posting every Monday (or Sunday). I apologize. And I need to go and do homework now because I didn't do any today. Boo.

So yes. I was going to post earlier, but I did not. I also was going to do homework earlier, but I did not. Instead, I had a "Community" marathon with my roommates and friends, worked on a 1000 piece puzzle, and made dinner for five. I also played my ukulele on a rooftop for a little bit and Crystal and I made up a song on the spot. Keep an eye out for "Ukulele Meditations," releasing soon in a music store near you.

Meh, I don't mean to get too emotional-ish in my posts, but I feel somewhat...not special. I mean, I walk outside the other day and someone down the street is jammin' on their uke with twice the skill I have. I've kinda grown into a closet musician because there are just so many here. I'm second rate, second best and I don't really deserve to be called a musician...I'm kinda...replaceable. And I am not saying this to get pity. It's really how I feel. Anyway, enough of real emotions.

I'm writing for the Student Review, as I said in the previous post. Not only that, I'm in charge of highlighting a YouTube video every issue (because I'm a YouTubaholic). So I chose five videos and now it's time to vote on one.

Ghost

Instrumental Cover

Wong Fu

Harry Potter

Dual Step

Let me know which one you like the most by commenting with the name of the video.

Thank you, my friends. Have a beautiful rest of your evening.

To the guy on his bike...

To the guy on his bike who I almost knocked off,

I apologize. Honestly, I just woke up and I didn't even see you zooming down the road and by the time I saw you (or rather, heard you...never have I ever heard "Woah!" said with such fear...), I was just like a deer in headlights. I'm sorry I just stood there and I hope I didn't completely ruin your day. Ride safe and I promise to look both ways more thoroughly.

Sincerely,
Eden

I'm glad this didn't happen.

On another note, I started school today. I'm in the middle of yet another two/three hour break and I hate it. I just want to go to school and be done, but with the classes I'm taking, the best teachers are teaching at these sporadic hours. But hey, now I know that I will have time to blog on Mondays. Maybe.

It's ridiculously hot here. I don't like it at all. Plus, I keep on forgetting that this is a freaking desert so I'm constantly dehydrated. If you see me on campus, no matter where I am, just tell me to drink water. Chances are I just forget to hydrate and I'm just drudging along. Or better yet, remind me to buy a water bottle or something. I just need to drink water....

Also, there was an independent student newspaper here at BYU back in the day that died because of lack of funds. But, it is being revived. Guess who has her own column. That's right. Me. I'm supposed to represent the Asian at BYU (I wonder why...) and it was fun finishing my first article. But anyway, if you want to see this article in all its glory, please donate a little bit. It would stink to have done all this work and not to even have a first copy. So on behalf of BYU's Student Review:
thestudentreview.org/donations

Anyway, lots of love and prayers for my family and friends on the East Coast. Update on my family: they're doing fine. All of my town has no power so that means it will take at least a week to get things running again.

I hope you all have a beautiful day.

Hurricane Irene.

Hopefully, you've heard about Hurricane Irene.

So, a couple Sundays ago, we had a whole Sunday school devoted to hurricane preparedness. An area authority of my church felt inspired to talk about it to the congregations in the area. They began the presentation with the statement, "The last major hurricane to hit the NYC area was September 21, 1938." And according to weather patterns and stuff, we were long long long overdue for one. (ready4tomorrow.org)

I was at the gym today and was gasping for air, not because my cardio workout was too much. It was because I was watching the weather.

While I am here in Utah, my family, friends, my home is in Connecticut. I saw my heart rate soar on my cardio machine.

I had just barely finished storing water for my family before I left for the airport. And the week before I left, I finished their 72-hour kits.

There was also an earthquake in Virginia that my sister felt in Connecticut. I received her text on Tuesday:

Earthquake! The kitchen cabinet was rattling but i though a big truch was just driving by the house Hehe

I had friends in Virginia, but they're all good. They just said that the "house was making some weird noises."

Blah...I'm just worrying right now. Almost every single home in Connecticut is surrounded by trees and power lines.

My East Coast readers, please be safe. Charge your phones, buy water, food, batteries.

I don't know, I may be overreacting, but I'll be praying for you guys anyway.

Back to school.

Today, I bought five college-ruled, 70 paged notebooks, two cases of 12 pencils, one case of 10 pens, and one folder. The total came out to be $1.48. Also, my most expensive textbook, coming in around $150, I got for $50. That's right. I know how to save money.

So, here I am, back in Utah. I got in late Saturday, early Sunday. Saturday was the strangest day for me. My family and I went to Flushing, Queens, with some friends when all of a sudden, I spotted someone in the corner of the dim sum restaurant we were in. My older sister and my brother-in-law's friends, who recently moved to New York, were just finishing up. Out of all the places in the world, we bumped into each other in that restaurant. I love them much. They were the ones who got me General Conference tickets last April and the October before. And they're genuinely good people.

I love dim sum.

Then, on the plane, my friend's mom had the seat across the aisle from me. And it turned out another family in my ward was on the same plane. One was attending a wedding, the other was having a wedding. Too many weddings.

Anyway, when I got off the plane, all of a sudden, I realized I couldn't really breathe. My friend's mom was trying to talk to me but I kept having to cough and catch my breath. I cursed Utah's arid air and high elevation, Connecticut's moisture-saturated air, and my own body. Had my body not been accustomed to Connecticut's humidity, then Utah's dryness probably would not have gotten to me. The high elevation...meh.

I am quite excited for this year. I'm trying to figure out if I want to change my major to Public Relation and switch my Anthropology major to a minor (which would help with my PR major). It's still in the works. Either way, it'd be easy for me to make Anthropology a minor; I just need to take 16 credits of Anthropology classes. I'm also taking a Anthropology class on China and I am totally psyched for that. I've really gotten in touch with my roots this summer.

(Sadly, none of the "good" pictures came out well...these were the best.)

Still jet lagged and tired. And it's hot here. And dry. And there are no trees. On the plus side, gas is at a more reasonable price. But I don't own a car.

Spiritual gift of faith

Being a child of a member of the bishopric means having to hide from him in your own home in order to avoid giving a talk. Inevitably, our paths crossed and I was asked. I gave my talk today and the theme was spiritual gifts. I chose to speak on the spiritual gift of faith.
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Reading the scriptures, saying your prayers, attending church, and so on are commonly known as the “Primary answers” but there is a reason why we have been taught these from the beginning. These are the essentials for building faith in Christ; it is how we exercise our faith in Christ.

We’ve always learned that you had to first exercise faith in order to accept the gospel and receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. Spiritual gifts then come through the gift of the Holy Ghost. I was initially confused when I learned of the spiritual gift of faith. One had to exercise faith to receive the gift of faith? What is the difference between the initial faith and the gift of faith?

C.S. Lewis describes faith in The Screwtape Letters as “when a human, no longer desiring, but still intending, to do [God’s] will, looks round upon a universe from which every trace of Him seems to have vanished, and asks why he has been forsaken, and still obeys” (40). Faith is actively acting on what you know you should do.

We also know that faith is one of the “first principles and ordinances of the gospel” (Pearl of Great Price, Articles of Faith 1:4). And Alma taught the poor in Chapter 32, our initial faith “is not to have a perfect knowledge of things; therefore if ye have faith ye hope for things which are not seen, which are true” and “any more than faith is a perfect knowledge.”

The gift of faith is a stronger, deeper faith, an almost perfect knowledge that Christ is there next to you, that if you ask, you will receive. Elder Dallin H. Oaks said, “this gift takes root in our hearts as hope and, nurtured as a seedling, will eventually flower into knowledge and bear the fruit of eternal life.”

It was the gift of faith of Alma and Amulek that caused the prison to crumble. It was the gift of faith of the three Nephites that they should not taste death. It was the gift of faith of the brother of Jared that allowed him to see the Lord.

Social networking.

I did it. I deactivated my Facebook.

I know, I know. "Why Eden? Why deactivate in the last month of summer?" To be honest, it's so I can see if I can do it. That way, in the middle of the year when I'm swamped with work, I can say to myself, "Hey friend, you were able to survive without Facebook for a bit in the summer, you can do it again."

Me telling (threatening?) myself "You can do it!" in the bathroom mirror, where many pep talks have been given.

Unfortunately, once my main social network was deactivated, a part of me yearned to be connected to the outside world digitally. And it burned within me with such passion, I've taken on more home projects to keep myself off my laptop. For example, I've decided to help my family update their 72-hour kits and food storage in case of hurricanes or, more realistically, zombies (I had another zombie dream except this one was a prequel to my recurring one). Also, I've been working out so I can better outrun the brain-sucking living dead.

But you can tell how well that's going because...
...I stopped working out. I was so good from April till about three weeks ago when the darn heat wave got the best of me. Though good news: I did cardio today because *drumroll* we got air conditioning! It finally happened after ten long hot summers of complaining!
...blogger was calling to me. Do you like what I've done with the blog? I decided I had enough of my "faces" background...apparently, there can be too much of my face.

Too much?

Anyway, so since I've been gone from Facebook (really since Wednesday night), I fixed up by blog, strained my thumb while texting--not really--and went crazy on Twitter--where I decided to follow as many Asians as I can--and on Tumblr--which I now admit I have had since late June (edenwen.tumblr.com). It's like I'm trying to desperately fill up the time I would have spent on Facebook on other social networks! Blah.

Also, I realize now that you guys probably won't be reading this for another two weeks (when I'll be back in the social network) since I've done all my blog promotion on Facebook. Shoots.

If you are reading this now, you are a fine, loyal follower of mine. I love you. Or I gave in shortly after posting this and decided to reactivate. If this happens, I give you permission to call me a weakling.

Worse case scenarios.

No, not a zombie apocalypse (but I will get into that recurring nightmare another time). (Oh, and can I add that I'm glad I'm not in Utah for the Annual Zombie Walk? I think I would die of a heart attack.)

I'm a thinker. Before making decisions, I like to think everything through. Oftentimes, I think too fast and miss important steps. Other times, I think myself into a hole, create implausible situations, and scare myself. For example, especially after watching "When a Stranger Calls," I start thinking of different scenarios, mainly worse case scenarios, that could happen when I babysit. 

Like getting a Calvin to babysit.
Rosalyn is my babysitter hero.

Like losing a child while playing Hide-and-Seek.

But this one scenario came to pass. You ever worry that the animal you are petsitting died? Um. Well, let me tell you that when it happens once, the worry increases. 

I was petsitting two chickens. I let them out into the gated area in the morning, I put them back into the coop at night. When I went back one evening to shoo them into their nesting area for the night, I felt like I entered a crime scene. Feathers were everywhere, the ladder to the coop was on the floor, and one of the chickens was squawking. I peeked into the coop and the other chicken was not in there. Shoots. What happened? I looked around. No blood, just feathers. Then I saw it. In the back corner of the gated area, there was a hole leading to the outside world. I slowly walked towards it and saw that the area was dugged out. Loose grass littered the area and I stood there. I stood there sweating as I thought of what I was to say to the family of six kids, to the parents who bought the chickens, to the oldest child who received the chickens for her birthday. 

I spoke with the parents who told me to keep the live chicken in the coop, but have the window open. Everyday after the...incident...my mind kept on floating back to the poor lone chicken in the coop. Will whatever got the other chicken break into the coop with superanimal strength and strangle that last one too? Gah!

But the owners returned and I have nothing to worry about any more...but I still feel bad. 

Blah.

Random update: I'm a couple weeks behind on the Bachelorette. The second I logged into Facebook, statuses ruined the surprise. I'm peeved.