Take your Daughter to work day! (I Watch Too Much TV)

Song of the Day: Ugar by, Serebro (Russian girl group) 

So today I went with my mom and dad to their workplaces today.

It feels weird since I'm nineteen and I feel like a little kid again. Reminds me of that TV episode where the parent takes their child to work for the day. 

I was able to volunteer and help make Mrs. Hussey's day better :) 

And now I'm currently studying/resting at my dad's workplace on the computer.

It's been a pretty productive break so far! :D

Sunday: went to church, helped cook steaks, helped parents host the dinner for the missionaries, and just relaxed after my little freak-out on Saturday! :) 

Saturday: Donated blood, started looking at MCAT questions, went window-shopping with the mom and sister, and that's about it....

Friday: Took my last final, cleaned the bathroom in our apartment, flew home, and made it just in time for the ward Christmas party!

MCAT fact of the day!

So I was going over questions on my mcat question site again and apparently, there will be questions regarding PUBLIC HEALTH as well! Man, I got a lot of work cut out for me! Haha :)

Did you know: Although all of the above are challenges which cities face, the choice with the most impact is likely to be (A). Air pollution tends to cause the deaths of 1.2 million people per year, and contributes to countless more, according to the WHO. Most of these deaths are due to cardiovascular and respiratory issues. In regards to the other issues, Tuberculosis tends to be several times more common in cities, but tends to impact a relatively small number of people compared to air pollution. Road safety is important to health, but its effect is again dwarfed by air pollution. Encouraging healthy food consumption is especially important in cities, where access to unhealthy food and advertising for it is high, but again this effect is generally dwarfed by air pollution. 

And now some facts about urine! Cause why not? Haha! 
 Urine is produced by filtration of the blood, so excretion of wastes and metabolites through the urine will be through blood filtration, making (D) incorrect. The drug or its metabolites must be able to pass the membrane of the glomerulus which is the capillary bed where filtrate escapes the blood and is concentrated in the nephron. Ions poorly traverse the membrane, making (A) incorrect; moreover, nonionic compounds are capable of entering the urine. The same objection can remove (B) as well. This leaves (C) as the correct answer.

Before this post gets any awkward, I'm out! 
Love,
Maya 

November (A Month of Thanks)

Song of the Day: Ghosts by, The National Parks 

Note: You NEED to listen to this band! PERFECT FOR FALL! :)

Hello again after about two months! 

It's been an interesting semester to say the least, but I thought I should make this post- as well as upcoming ones- purely grattitude posts since this is the month of grattitude. 

Goodbye September (My Bucket List)

Song of the Day: Sweater Weather by, The Neighbourhood 

Another day, another Monday, another gratitude post!

But now it's time to say goodbye to September and the remnants of summer and hello to October and Fall! 

As I said before, I really am starting to love the Fall season so I can't wait until all the leaves have changed color :D

Med School Preparation begins NOW! (MCAT Fact of the Day)

 Song of the Day: Burn by, Ellie Goulding

I'm also going to be using this blog to help me prep for the MCAT! 

So here it goes....
All you need to know about ACTIN 

The mitotic spindle is mediated in part by actin which helps to control the spindle's length, supporting the microtubules. Muscle contraction is mediated by both myosin and actin. Cellular shape is largely determined by the cytoskeleton whose primary component is actin. Therefore all three will be affected by changes to actin.

 And since I'm taking the new one, here's a psychology fact of the day!

 Social loafing is the tendency for an individual's effort to be less than maximal when their efforts are camouflaged as part of a larger group effort. A tug of war is a classic example of an activity during which any one individual's effort is not able to be determined. Therefore it is the most prone to social loafing. The combined pulling strength of five members will inevitably be less than the summation of each person's individual strength.

In addition, here's a preview of what O-Chem (organic chemistry) has in store for me! D:

 An aldehyde will have a terminal carbonyl, making the carbon chain C-C-C-CHO. This configuration has a maximum of 8 hydrogen atoms, which means the molecular formula given cannot be an aldehyde. Esters have two oxygen atoms, meaning this molecule cannot be an ester. For a ketone in this 4-carbon compound, the chain will be C-CO-C-C, which also has a maximum of 8 hydrogen atoms. Only an alcohol is possible, as in the configuration CH₃CH(OH)CH₂CH₃ which has 4 carbon atoms, 10 hydrogen atoms, and 1 oxygen atom. An ether is also possible but is not listed as an option.

My Ideal Type (The One Who Will Kiss My Scars Away)

Song of the Day: Dreams on Fire by, AR Rahman and Suzanne (Slumdog Millionaire soundtrack)

Side Note: Slumdog Millionaire is one of my favorite movies of all time! (It is rated R though...I suggest you watch the TV edited version because aside from swearing, this is a feel-good movie and should not be ignored!)

So lately I've been rewatching some of my favorite movies, Cats Don't Dance and Slumdog Millionaire (the censored version mind you) to name a few.

 When I finished Slumdog Millionaire, I realized I was crying. But it wasn't because I was feeling lonely (even though I was). I was crying because at the scene when he kisses her scar, it was like him telling her that all of her pain and longing and worry is now over because they're together now.

It was a beautiful, poignant scene.

Then it got me thinking about how I can apply this to my own life. I am jealous that she gets the man of her dreams, but then I remind myself that she went through so much crap- prostitution, abuse, isolation- in order to finally get her happy ending. That's why the ending was so satisfying.

When You're Upset (Misery + Time = Laughter)

Song of the Day: Haru Haru by, Big Bang 

(Another great band! I'm starting to listen back to Kpop songs I used to listen to everyday) 

So I'm so sorry I'm starting off this week with a rather bittersweet post and video but I just need to get this out because my mom is kinda the best person ever. 

This morning, I couldn't handle it.

I couldn't handle it because right now hormones are raging (that darn time of month) and I'm stressed out for a test AND it was Monday morning (I'm not in the brightest of spirits). 

So because of those factors, I was upset and wanted to shout.

Now if this predicament happened to anyone else they would blurt out exactly how they were feeling and probably voice out their anger of that incident from time to time. I don't do that. 

It's just not in my nature to express any negative feelings (and if I do, I usually apologize and feel bad afterwards) especially to people I truly care about. Now to some this might be a problem, but my mom taught me that it's better to just keep those negative feelings in. 

A little bit of Sunshine Saturday (My Smile Is Worth A Cookie)

Song of the day: Galaxy Supernova by, Girl's Generation 

To those of you who don't know this band.... LOOK THEM UP! They're my favorite girl group in the history of ever :D 

So this week we experience a chill spell in Utah (while according to my dad it's now in the perfect 70's in California.....whatever.) 

Luckily today was pretty sunny and comfy :) 

I still had to wear a sweater though.... oh well! Fall is actually becoming one of my favorite seasons now that I'm here in Utah (sorry summer, but the humidity back in California kinda ruined it for me.....)

Which means I'm starting to become more like a Utah girl! (don't know if that's a good thing or a bad thing.......I'll get back to you on this!) 

Anyways, time for my grattitude entry for the day! 

Backlog (Having A Strong Finish)

Song of the Day: Treasure by, Bruno Mars 

So I didn't keep my word....

Seeing as how it's Saturday.

So this is the list of things I was grateful for on Thursday and Friday!

Thursday, I was grateful for:

Change of Pace (A Post A Day)

Song of the Day: Clarity by, Zedd 

Hello blog! 

So I decided to not just mention highlights of my life because that means I will have the excuse to just not write on you....and then my weak memory will either distort or leave out important things in my life when I finally gather the motivation to actually write about them. 

Now I'm going to try writing on it daily, which means there will be more activity going on here and because I want to take the challenge from the apostles (I forgot which one President Henry B. Eyring?....see my memory is already failing on me!) in making this also a gratitude journal because lately I've been just stressed out with my classes and life and whatnot. 

Let's first cover what's been going on in my life so far!

Finding the JOY in the JOurneY (School vs. Sleep vs. Social Life)

Song of the Day: Almost There by, Anika Noni Rose

If I can relate to any of the Disney princesses, it would have to be Princess Tiana from Princess and the Frog 

Let's compare!

We both: 

• have parents that loved us so much 
• love to sing
• know what we want in life, and know what we must do in order to get there 
• are workaholics (or in my case, a "schoolaholic")
• and love our family and friends and will sacrifice our own happiness for theirs 

Now granted, the whole "turn into a frog" thing never happened to me, nor have I found my husband yet... but Tiana and I are pretty much twins. And I look up to her because she was able to achieve her dreams through her positivity and her hard work.

However, we have one problem: we give up our own happiness in order for others to be happy, and we lose focus on what's really important in life.

Luckily for her, she was able to realize that by the end of the movie, but as for me....
I still have the rest of my life to figure this out.

Repentance (The Untold Story Of Maya)

Song of the Day: Gold by, Britt Nicole 

So I have something I should share with you....

So you know how in Lion King Rafiki gives the best quote in the entire movie? 

He says 

Yes the past can indeed hurt. But the way I see it, you can either run from it, or learn from it.

Or something like that anyways....

Well, he's right. Now I shouldn't be using Lion King as an example because they botch up this theme (the past that Simba was running away from actually was not his fault....so we're not going to delve into that) BUT I do have a point I want to make.....

I've been running away from my past. There I said it.
And let me tell you, I haven't had it easy....

Summer Semester (What time is it? Summer School!)

Song of the Day: Summertime by, New Kids on the Block

So I decided to make this more like a journal by blogging about things on a weekly basis instead of highlighting important events in my life. Besides, I feel like a LOT of things have been going that are worth noting (and that have been happening on a weekly basis). 

Let's see....

See this is the probably the hardest part of writing: whether it be a research paper (that I'm currently procrastinating on) or just a casual blog, it's always hard to begin writing what I want to talk about.

This is a reason why I am not majoring in English. English is way too hard for me to comprehend...

(if only it was as simple as calculus....)

Anyways, 

I guess I can start with the Summer semester, which is infinitely a thousand times better than spring semester.

Let me tell you why: 

Missionaries (So this is what it feels like...)

Song of the Day: Eien by, BoA 

It has only been a month. One month. Can you believe it? 

And the saddest part is....I still haven't fully moved on yet....

I still look at the pictures in my phone that John took when he "borrowed it". I still look at the pictures Marlee would post on Facebook in which I'm in about the majority of them with you guys. I still look over the text conversations with you guys and remember those inside jokes and special moments shared between us. When I walk to work, I look at all the places where I usually hung out at New Heritage and remember all those funny and cherished memories I had with you guys. And after doing this, I would cry by myself until something else occupies my mind. 

It's hard. 

It's hard to move on when almost all of your closest friends are going on missions and you're "left behind". 

You guys always remind me that you are the ones getting left behind because, in all honesty, you are the ones leaving everything behind, keeping with you the memories from before the mission. In a sense, you're preserved in time because you'll be so enveloped with serving the Lord that you are not updated with what's going in the world. 

As for me.....I'm forced to move on....

It's hard.

To My Future Generations (To Be Continued)

Song of the Day: One Step At A Time by, Jordin Sparks

I can't BELIEVE I still haven't really introduced myself yet! It must be awkward that you've been hearing all of these random and angst-y thoughts without knowing the author behind them!

Well, to be honest, I don't know myself either....

But just some general facts on me....

• At the time of this post, I'm 18 going on 19 *in the tune of 16 going on 17*
• I'm 5'4"; a height which I found out is pretty short here in BYU 
• I was born in Fountain Valley, California but I grew up in Santa Ana where everyone is either Hispanic or Asian (hence, if you were 5'4" you were on the taller side) 
• I have a beautiful Guatemalan mother and an amazing Indonesian father who met each other in their ESL class at community college (they literally came from opposite ends of the Earth to America to find new opportunities and love. I know, I'm going to pitch a movie about their stories. More on them later!)
• I am the oldest child of three and the oldest grandchild of eleven. 
• My two younger siblings are Nicole (the fashionista) and Andrew (the video-game/anime/comic book nerd) 
• I'm currently attending BYU for my undergraduate

Dear Freshman Year, (Just Around The Riverbend)

Song of the Day: Just Around the Riverbend from the movie Pocahontas

So a new semester has started! 

I really don't know how I feel exactly about starting a whole new semester right after the emotional roller coaster that constituted the end of winter semester. Because literally I was in one ward and one place last week, and now I'm in a whole new ward and place this week. 

Sometimes I feel elated because I have a clean slate once again but now with these past experiences I'm stronger and more mature.....

At the same time, I feel sincerely sad because I know that from now on, even if everyone does come back after two years, it will never be the same as freshman year.

Dear Future Husband, (#WifeMeUp)

Song of the Day: God Must Have Spent A Little More Time On You by, N*SYNC

So I've been thinking a lot about you lately....

It's not that I already have a particular person whom I want to marry because in truth there are many guys that could potentially be the one. But I do have my "checklist" that most girls have. 

To my future sweetheart and better half, 

Crushes (Dude, He's so Attractive!)

Song of the Day: The Little Things by, Colbie Caillat

P.S. This isn't your typical journal entry of a crush (aka So I met this boy today. His name is bla bla bla and today he did this! Does he like me? Oh I wish I knew!) NO. This is what I've learned with all the boys I've had crushes on, and about this awkward phase of limbo between platonic and romantic relationships. I will warn that this is one of the more angsty posts though....

So... this is probably one of the most confusing aspects about life for me.
I mean, don't get me wrong, having a crush isn't that abnormal. In fact, television shows always portray these kinds of things for their characters. They always start off like this:

Dear Journal,

So the reason why I created this blog is because I have decided to make a personal resolution with myself. 

Our church leaders have always encouraged us to write in a journal for future generations. And while I am great at starting my journals....I'm horrible at continuing/ finishing them. 

Then I took Honors Writing 150, where they showed me this awesome thing Google has called Blogger (aka the thing you're reading right now) and today I had an epiphany! I thought why not instead of a journal, you start a blog where you write about the life experiences you have experienced so far! 

I mean, come on. Why didn't I think of this sooner? A blog retains all the characteristics of a journal (it's personal, you "write" it, you can voice your opinion) except it has so much more to offer! 

Plus, I can make this blog prettier and add videos and pictures here without having the need to cut and paste and draw like I would have to with a journal (I'm not a crafty person....)  :D 

So here it is: My Journal. 

Just like the song says, my life is defined by "these small hours, these little wonders"...

And so, most of the entries will comprise of experiences during my college but I will also try to recollect important defining moments from before that. 

It will comprise of songs that mean a lot to me. 

It will comprise of pictures that capture all of my sentiments, thoughts, etc. from that moment. 

It will comprise of the lessons I've learned and what I want my future self to take from. 

It will comprise of my dreams and promises and anything else I want to remember once I become a responsible citizen of society, wife, and mother. 

And, most importantly, it will comprise of my growth, my progression into the person that I want to become. Into the person that Christ wants me to become. 

So here we go. Let the adventure begin...

Love,
Maya