Guest #1.

I think people are defined the most by those they surround themselves with. I have spent practically every day with great friends since school started in August and I think it appropriate that they share a bit of this blog with me. How can I blog about my life without having you meet the people that are a constant presence in it? So, pretty soon, you're going to see something new here.

That's right, I'm going to have guest bloggers. Or rather, guest blogger. Only one person has accepted my request thus far. (Mckeelicalmont, find the email and accept my request to guest blog. But no pressure.) And maybe they'll only write once. Maybe they'll be a frequent guest. It's up to them.

Anyway, before my first guest posts, I'd like to write a short blip as her introduction. And I'll do the same with future guest bloggers as well.

Here we go.

This is Nicolle.

I love her so much. She is one of my best friends and a great music enthusiast. The greatest gift you can give her is just a really great CD mix. Her blog is the soundtrack to her life. Each post has a song that is dedicated to a moment of her life and you really get a sliver of a glimpse into her soul.

Nicolle is passionate, and she's not pretentious about those passions. Granted, some of them don't merit pretentiousness, i.e. charades, The Terminator, chocolate twizzlers (which aren't too bad after the eighth time trying them). But other passions--the Gospel, music, making people feel loved--it's incredible what she sacrifices for these in her life.

She is rather tolerant of me when I get awkward or intensely quiet and when I grab her arm or hand for comfort in moments when I don't know what to with myself.

We took a bubble bath together once. (Don't worry, mom. With swimsuits.)

Nicolle's beyond category and I love her.

Welcome.

Update 3/8/13: Nicolle's post.

Mountains to Climb.

"If we have faith in Jesus Christ, the hardest as well as the easiest of times in life can be a blessing...We never need feel alone or unloved in the Lord's service because we never are. We can feel the Love of God."

Mountains to Climb by Henry B. Eyring

mormonmessages.com

Ed Sheeran.

The rhythm of my heart was altered a couple nights ago.

No, no, not in a sappy, lovey-dovey way, though I do love Ed Sheeran (and I am forever indebted to Nicolle for introducing me to him last summer).

But literally.

The rhythm of my heart was altered.

There was a good five or ten or 30 minutes--all concept of time was lost on me--of his SLC concert where Ed just went crazy on his amplified bass drum (I don't know even if it really was a bass drum or if he was hitting his guitar). And although I was in the very back, behind the sound engineer, trying to see over the crying girl and the bizarre middle school couple who kept on swaying in and out of mine, Camille and Nicolle's lines of sight, I felt every beat that he stomped out as the rumbling booms infiltrated my body in powerful gusts of sound. I started having heart palpitations. My heart didn't know if it should continue its normal pumping, or give into the outside pressure of music, passion and its bass.

In the end, Ed Sheeran won. And my heart will never be the same.

(And props to his openers for preparing my heart for greatness: Rizzle Kicks and Foy Vance)

My testimony.

Today someone said, "I feel if I don't share my testimony, I'll start to lose it." I want to share mine to the whole world because I do know that Jesus Christ is my Savior and I don't want to lose that knowledge. But, I am not an eloquent speaker. Whenever fast and testimony meeting comes around each month, I start panicking because although I love this gospel so much, when I start talking in front of a group, I tend to stutter and sweat. I'm much better in one-on-one settings, and I realized today that blogging is also a way of sharing my testimony to the world while not having to get up in front of people.

This gospel is one of truth and light. Quite honestly, knowing myself and my tendencies and weaknesses, I am positive that I would be in a bad place right now were I not a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. I get into ruts in the daily routine of my life and I get bummed out easily in those ruts. But I know that when I sit in darkness, the Lord will be a light unto me. I take comfort in knowing that He is there and that He listens. He is patient with me when I am being foolish and prideful and loves me even when I am stubborn. He rejoices in my achievements. He provides me with daily miracles. He has blessed me with a loving family and precious friends who are all incredible examples to me.

I love the scriptures. I know that the Book of Mormon is the word of God and is a companion to the Bible, and another testament of Jesus Christ. I find truth and the love of God within its pages. I know that Joseph Smith, under the direction of God, translated this book of scripture. Joseph Smith was the first prophet of the restoration and Thomas S. Monson is our prophet today.

I love my Savior and am extremely grateful for His atonement. With it, I can turn to Him when in need of solace and of repentance. I feel His love and tender mercy with every breath I take.

Christ lives.

Ice.

Eden left her house early Thursday morning. To her great dismay, ice rain from the ninth circle of Hell poured from the skies and transformed the whole town into a grand ice rink. Muttering under her breath, Eden cautiously walked down the steps and joined students in the trek up to campus. Within five feet, books and scarves and phones soared up high as their owners plunged and slid. Eden stood her ground as she watched dozens of her nameless neighbors fall onto their backs. Wide-eyed, the small Asian girl clutched onto her umbrella and stared very intently at the sidewalk.

I will not fall, she chanted to herself. I will not fall.

She reached the foot of the hill, but not before witnessing the tailbone-cracking slips of dozens of students.

"Walk on the snow!" someone atop the hill shouted down.

Some did not listen and tried to hike the incline. One after the other, the fools slipped and fell on top of each other. Even the ones attempting to get to the snow biffed it on the small stretch of sidewalk they had to cross to get to their starchy snow salvation. Eden made it to the top, and, like a boss, she texted the whole time. She had to warn her friends of the treacherous trip they would face when they leave the apartment.

Hoping that campus would have at least salted parts of the sidewalk, Eden almost proceeded with greater confidence in her step. However, after scouting out the area, there were five bodies sprawled within a couple feet of the hill's peak. Eden thought about her best route. Should she risk yet another stretch of sidewalk just to get to the snow? She decided against walking on the ice and that the fools would have to do. They already broke down.

So she did it. Eden leapt into the air and landed on one of the fallen. She skipped upon each of the bodies, like the ninjas do in those Chinese films, and landed on all fours into the snow. She was going to make it class, no matter what.

But it was already past 9 o'clock.

Eden swiftly grabbed her Stats book from her bag and decided this would be the fastest mode of transportation.

Eden broke through the wintery air as she iceboarded on her textbook all the way to the Brimhall. She dismounted, did a triple back flip and landed on the doormat.

Victory was hers and she laughed at the fallen fools as she entered the building.

Wheeeeeee.

I couldn't think of a better title...

Before I begin, I found this on the Interweb and I laughed.

Preach on, sister.

Moving on.

Hello friends. It's been a while since I've posted anything. I'm in Hong Kong now for Christmas and New Years. While it's nice to be in a new place for the holidays, I think I would have wanted to be in my own home with my family for Christmas and Christmas. But no matter. I'm plenty busy with the fun hoodrat activities my extended families plans.

Also, I think I've gained at least ten pounds because I've been eating lots of dim sum. (My posts can be educational...)

Merrrrrrg.

Tonight, I'll be spending New Years Eve the same way I do every New Years Eve: mahjong marathon in front of the TV while watching the city countdown.

I love it.

At first, I really wanted to see the fireworks and light shows, but I decided that a four-hour wait to watch an eight-minute show and the four-hour trek back to my grandma's was not worth it. Even if it was going to be really cool...

But also, it's cold. A wet cold, a lingering cold that chills you to your bones. A cold that doesn't care that you have fifty layers on, it will get to you.

So I'm staying in tonight.

Come listen.

"Because Heavenly Father loves His children, He has not left them to walk through this mortal life without direction and guidance" (President Dieter F. Uchtdorf). The Prophet, Thomas S. Monson, provides that direction and guidance.

I would like to personally invite you to come listen to living prophets. I always look forward to the opportunities I have to hear counsel from God's servants and to be spiritually enriched. I know that our prophet today, Thomas Monson, communes with God and reveals His will for us. Just this morning, President Monson announced that all worthy and able men can serve missions at the age of 18 (lowered from 19) and worthy and able women can serve missions at the age of 19 (lowered from 21). This is a divine revelation from a prophet of God.

I love this Church and I love my Savior Jesus Christ. With every fiber of my being, I know that He lives. I have a testimony of the power of prayer; God hears and answers them. I have a testimony of this beloved gospel; it has given me a happiness, a joy that I cannot find elsewhere.

gc.lds.org | #ldsconf | mormon.org

I'm in this. Watch it.

Paloma.

So. Second week of school and I decided to write about my women crushes. Quite appropriate, isn't it? Well, I've been obsessing over my newest crush lately.

In addition to Emma Stone and Anna Kendrick,

I have fallen in love with...Paloma Faith.

Oh, Paloma Faith.

It wasn't love at first sight. Or first listen. But as her first album played countless times (it stuck on repeat while on a drive to the airport to pick up my dear friend) her voice, an interesting combination of Adele and Amy Winehouse, grew on me. And I am hooked.

My life...Whaaattt!!!

I feel somewhat obligated to talk about what's been up the last couple weeks before I rant on again about music (oh no...insecurity coming up...um...do you like my music posts?) and people I will never meet or write something that I actually put effort into.

Here's a little update on my life, in a very unorganized manner.

Reading: "Eugene Onegin" by Alexander Pushkin. Whaaattt!!! Love it thus far. Those Russians are so romantic.

I burned my body at Coopers Beach a couple weeks ago. Whaaattt!!! I did not enjoy getting my first sunburn of this scale. It was a nice beach though. Waves were a little big, so I practically died (not really). I turned a shade of red I have never seen on myself. And it hurt, man. It hurt.

I flew a plane. Whaaattt!!! I got a little motion sick in the tiny cockpit, but it was fun and invigorating, and a lot less scarier than I thought it would be...my instructor was sitting right next to me.

This was the plane.

This is me in the plane.

I went to Boston to visit Mel at Berklee. Whaaattt!!! I wish I played an instrument better so I could transfer there. Also, I thought I liked Boston more than New York City for a couple minutes, but then I slapped myself when I went back to the city that same week with a dear friend of mine. Boston is cool, but not as cool as NYC. Also, Boston's homeless people are scarier...they grasp onto you. (It didn't happen to me, but to the man in front of me.) And it was darker at night. (Random aside: I've also decided that I will probably live on a coast when I graduate. East or West, in the United States or in Asia. Somewhere by the water.)

Me and my Asians.

If you have been around me long enough, you know I eventually start talking about Asians, and more specifically, Asian Americans. I can't help it. It's weird that being Chinese American myself somehow wired itself into my brain so that I have a sort of OCD about my people: I have to know about all the Asian Americans making it big out there in entertainment. I have to support them in some way because...well, because there is a small number of them and the ones who have made it into the spotlight shouldn't have (ahem...William Hung...who I totally forgot about until he made a cameo appearance on an episode of "Arrested Development").

But why entertainment? Simply because we all know Asians excel in everything else and one thing lacking may or may not be bugging me...

YouTube. Great, glorious YouTube is where most of my Asians reside. I love them.

Here is one of my favorites: JRA, a Filipino from Alaska

Here is the first concert I went to: Kina Grannis, a Japanese/English mix from California

Here is one of my first YouTube loves: AJ Rafael, a Filipino from California

And all their related videos link back to one another eventually. They collaborate with one another. They're all best buds or they all know of each other. I love them all.