The Internet Challenge

Imagine you’re a contestant on The Biggest Loser standing tall amongst your competitors, ready to face whatever challenge the trainers throw your way. But what if the competition isn’t about losing weight but rather about how many days you can survive without using the internet. You may be thinking, “Oh yeah, that’s easy! I’ll win hands down!” But trust me, it’s not simple. I have lasted only one week without the internet; I haven’t been able to check my emails regularly, update my Facebook status, or even listen to my playlist on YouTube repeatedly.

This tragedy of a tale began only a week ago when school had ended and the big move had started. Packing took an eternity, or so it felt like, but it was straightforward. Moving took a lot of strength and will power but it was doable. Unpacking stole precious relaxation time that I desperately needed after an entire week of exams but I was committed because the move was almost over. Reassembling was just a nuisance but it had to be done. After all that hard work, all that pain endured while moving back and forth and all I wanted when it was over was to just log on to WordPress and write a new post but then I realized that we have no internet. I remembered right then and there that my sister had called TELUS three days before the move to ask for their technicians to connect the Wi-Fi at our new house. When she told me that the representative had said the earliest date they could send a technician over would be January 5^th my jaw dropped to the ground. I was about to faint but then I thought it would make me look weak. So what if we had NO INTERNET for three weeks? It’s not like it’s the end of the world…or so I thought.

Here’s an example of a scary situation. It was during the move when my friend had texted me to let me know that the final grades for our courses were online. That’s when I started freaking out. I really wanted to know what I had received in all my classes and how was I supposed to do that without the internet? So I had to wait two days to check my marks and it was when we were at a McDonald’s that had Wi-Fi when I quickly checked using my sister’s blackberry…yes, to all you iPhone users out there blackberries can be used to access the internet. Just mine can’t. Okay, well if that wasn’t convincing enough here’s another example. My family and I were really hungry a few nights ago and we wanted to order pizza. When all you’ve had is breakfast and you’ve been working for twelve hours straight do you really want to drive out and get the food yourself? The proper answer is no. So how do you contact Panago if you don’t know their number? It’s not like we keep a phone book handy anymore. (This is when we would search for their number online, but seeing as we couldn’t do so we just drove there ourselves.) It’s actually torture sitting in the restaurant waiting for your pizza while the scent of cheese, fresh bread, and tomato sauce is suffocating you, growing impatient for the slice of pizza to be in your hands.

I am currently sitting in Starbucks as I type this post because 1) I’m craving a strawberry hot chocolate 2) Do I look like I’m going to wait till January 5^th to post this? Don’t answer that. And 3) I do not want to go back to McDonald’s.

Found this on Google and thought it was funny...I'm not a cyclops but this describes me at the moment.

Today, we live in a world that depends on technology and without it many of us cannot continue with our day-to-day activities. It’s not something we should become attached to and dependent on but what can you do? Technology has made life easier, simpler, and things get done fast. Unique inventions such as smartphones, computers, and machines used by hospitals have been invented for ease of everyday life.  Technology has also taught us to be lazy and reliant on something that isn’t perfect, that can be wrong, or even let us down.

I can see it now, surrounded by addicts of all kinds but it’s my turn to speak, “Hi, my name is Sara and I’m an internet-aholic.”

 

 

No School = Back to Blogging

School’s out + (weeks^3) = Freedom for three weeks.

This is my newly created equation which is very easy to understand, no explanation necessary. But just in case if it’s too complex to comprehend, all it’s really stating is that I will have no late night studying, reading of multiple chapters back-to-back, extensive group projects, and exams. My stress level was way past its limit so the break came along just in time! It’s really silly though…I woke up this morning and the first thing that came to my mind was that I miss school…I think I’m coming down with a cold or something. I couldn’t possibly miss school one day after my final exam!!

This will be me in a week's time.

Anyways, I’m beginning to fall asleep as I type this so I’m going to stop now.

I’ll be back soon.

Sincerely,

Sara

Hola WordPress…Again

Hello WordPress, we meet again.

I’m sorry for the separation, this wasn’t suppose to happen. I was supposed to be by your side and blogging weekly, but as you know school has been in the way. College doesn’t like for you and I to be friends odd enough. It’s just jealous of you, it knows that you bring out the best in me and I feel happy with my favourite blog site. All school does is deprive me of extracurricular activities. School has become so envious of your bewitching ways that it has given me the lowest possible iron level to date (that’s what I think anyway). I have never taken an iron pill in my life, but I did it for school. I did it to stay healthy and alert when I’m attending lectures and staying up studying for exams. Can’t school see that I care for it? Does school not understand the extreme lengths I’m going through to do well? WordPress your not the only one in my life, I do have other priorities. I don’t mean to hurt your feelings but it is how it is. My family and friends barely see me anymore! My room has been a mess for weeks! I’ve been eating microwaveable food frequently which is just horrible. I did not forsee this. This amount of school work should be illegal.

Take care of yourself, I will definitely see you soon.

Sincerely,

Sara.

Occupy Vancouver

Wall street you are not alone; Vancouver, BC wants to make a difference too.

I wish I recorded all of the rap, it was very well said. There were plenty of other speakers/activists that came up to share their personal experiences on life. Their were also speeches about corporations, governments, and the greedy and how they need to change their act and start caring for the citizens that live from one cheque to the next.

In the video above I had just reached the area and was amazed by the number of people that were there!

Downtown Vancouver, BC is where it's at.

There were so many smart signs made...this one stood out.

Sincerely,

Sara.

p.s I shot the videos and took the photos myself.

The Influencer – A Must Read

Ever thought of making a positive change in your community, school, or life but just don’t know how? How about being a role model with superb influence strategies for the better? Well then you have come to the right post because I want to introduce to you a novel that can truly make a difference in your life or the people around you. The Influencer – The Power To Change Anything isn’t just another book about how to lose 10 pounds in 10 days, it literally is told like a story but with shockingly true events and examples that will surprise you and teach you the strategies and tactics you must follow when becoming a professional influencer. Of course, you can’t just become an exceptional role model off the bat, it takes time and motivation and you’ll probably fail a couple times but who’s counting? Failing only drives our need to excel. Trust me, I am only into reading fiction, never have I truly sat down to read a documentary like book but it’s fantastic! I’m only on the fourth chapter but I have learned lots about people, their behaviours, and much more.

This is what the cover looks like...obviously.

I just had to share this with everyone who comes across it! So read it on your free time, it’s educational and entertaining. Hope you all do enjoy it. And if you don’t well then I don’t know what to say…

Sincerely,

Sara

3 Ways to Focus When Doing Homework

One month into school and I still need to learn how to master my ability to focus while doing my homework. It takes so much energy to give all those papers and projects your undivided attention and yet it must be done. Procrastination is a huge weakness of mine, leaving everything to the last minute which is the stupidest thing anyone can do…honestly. Well, after one year of college and finally understanding my bad habits I decided to share a list created by moi of how to tackle my motivation towards completing homework ahead of time.

1. Social media isues – If your like me and you like to update your Twitter or Facebook account every five to 10 minutes then this is for you! Do NOT under any circumstance give into logging into your accounts even if it’s to “take a break” from studying. It’s a horrible excuse because when you get sucked into the vortex everyone knows that it’s hard to get out. Those twitter/facebook breaks you take actually use up valuable time which could be put towards studying. Instead think of how great it would be to complete all your assignments and then log on to your favourite social media website knowing that everything is finished. Seriously, you can tweet about it too!
2. Put it in writing – To have every single task for the day written down on paper is the best way to follow through with your objectives. Visuals make everything clear, I understand what needs to be accomplished and by when. If you just sit for hours wondering about what needs to be done then that just leads to too much thinking! You can stress yourself doing so because your mind will be juggling so many different thoughts which can make it easier for you to be forgetful. I like to number off my tasks with 1 being the most significant task of the day and 5 being the least significant. When planning everything out I feel prepared and organized, you will too.
3. Location, location, location – It’s not just an important term used for real estate, it’s highly important for educational purposes also. I find that doing homework/studying and all that is difficult to do when I’m at home. I tend to drift away and start thinking about the weekend; I end up talking with my family for hours; T.V turns me into a hypnotized zombie, too lazy to get up once I’ve sat down. Here is a wonderful solution: Work at the library! There is absolutely nothing there to distract you, it’s quiet and T.V free. I’m most productive whenever I go to work at the library, it’s the best medicine to cure my procrastination!

Hope these methods give you some insight on how to focus when doing homework.

Sincerely, Sara.

p.s Any studying techniques that work and you’d like to share?

Nailpolish: An Interpretation of Colours

Nailpolish is the one thing in my life that has been there for me since childhood. Separating me from nailpolish is like separating a smoker from his/her cigaraette, possible but that detachment never lasts. The one thing I loved to do when I was a little girl was to paint red nailpolish all over my nails, nothing else but red. I don’t know why, but at the time I thought that it was such a bold, dominant, and womanly colour compared to all the others. These reasons led me to believe that red was a worthy colour to paint on my nails, no other nailpolish was worth my time. Eveytime I would paint my nails it ended up looking tragic though; it was all over my hands and sometimes smudged on to my face, accidentally of course. When your a kid you sort of forget that nailpolish takes some time to dry, but Sailor Moon was on and it wasn’t going to wait for me! Now that I’ve grown up I still love red, but I’ve toned it down a bit. I still believe red is a bold colour but I’ve left it for special occassions.

Compared to what I used to have 13 isn't much...but I'm working on gaining more recruits.

I’ve bought loads of different nailpolish colours, shades, and brands and I’ve adored them all for a period of time. I have this magnificent yellow that screams, “look at me!” There is also this light pink that I only paint on my nails when I feel truly content and girly. The day that I went back to school I had a bright and funky orange colour that said, “Back to school and feeling great!” And at the time I was feeling superb, but then my mood changed so I thought my nailpolish should too. As I type this I have a light blue colour painted on my nails and it’s decent. This colour says, “I look calm on the surface, but trust me, I’m stressed.” I’ve had this colour on my nails during the past week that I’ve been at school and it reminds me of my assigned projects and upcoming exams…oh dear. Next on my list is a neon pink and an army green colour. The neon pink says, “Why use a highlighter when you’ve got me?” and the army green says, “I’m someone you don’t want to mess with.” Well, I think it sounds cool.

 

Sincerely, Sara

Bullying Is A Crime

Making jokes, pointing fingers, calling names, leaving others out of your group of friends are all ways of bullying. They are not the only ways, but they can break a person into pieces with their self esteem and confidence scattered all around the floor. Picking up the pieces is the hardest part, feeling alone and helpless as if no one out there cares for you. As if the world is slowly coming to an end. But there is always a light at the end of the tunnel, there is always hope and you must hold on to that. There are people that love and support you, stick to that. Some people just don’t understand that all human beings have feelings, a sort of presence in their heart that aches when it’s been hurt and beats like a jungle drum when it is loved.

We have all witnessed bullying in some manner, either directly or indirectly involved but I’m certain that everyone in this world knows what bullying is. I am writing this post because I came across something tragic, I found out a 14 year old boy, Jamey, committed suicide because he was bullied by students just ’cause he was gay. It’s definitely not the first time I’ve heard of this happening, plenty of young kids commit suicide because they’ve been bullied, but I had to make some sort of stand against this. This should not have taken place. I never knew Jamey personally but he did not deserve to be disrespected and emotionally abused. I was crying so hard when I was watching his It Gets Better video because he was just a kid with dreams and a long life ahead of him.

 

RIP Jamey Rodemeyer

Bullying is disgusting; bullying should be stopped; bullying is a crime. Let’s stop the hate and take a stand.

Sincerely, Sara

p.s Here is the link to the article about what happened. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2039801/Bullied-gay-teen-Jamey-Rodemeyer-commits-suicide-Thanks-Lady-Gaga-post.html

p.s Sign this to help make a change and stop bullying others no matter what your sexual orientation is! http://www.change.org/petitions/ask-tea-party-leader-to-denounce-bullying

Coffee: Why I Had to Say No

As I sit in my living room with the sun blaring through the windows and my music whispering in my ears I decide to make some coffee for the first time in forever. Making coffee isn’t as difficult as I presumed, just follow the directions on the little box and then *poof* right in front of my eyes is that dark and mysterious drink with an alluring scent that is impossible to say no to. I could have driven to McDonald’s and just bought a medium double double, but I find making coffee at home is much more fulfilling. I may sound like a coffee drinking addict, but I’m truly not. I had my first cup of coffee in six months just last week! I take a small sip of my freshly made coffee and feel very satisfied from the rich taste. Thats when I begin to wonder, why did I ever stop drinking coffee when it tastes this good? I finish my coffee to the last drop under five minutes happier than ever. I sit down, turn on the T.V and suddenly memories of why I stopped drinking coffee come rushing back to me.

• The after taste is treacherous, bad breath is one of my biggest no no’s especially when I’m speaking to someone in person. Thoughts of school begin to fill my mind; many of my classmates barely eat food but they sure drink a lot of coffee which is a horrible combination. Let’s just say that when we talk I’m holding my breath.
• My teeth are always visible, I can’t cover them up. I dislike it when my teeth are stained from coffee, and the acid can remove the enamel from your teeth which is NOT good because enamel protects your teeth from biting, chewing, grinding, and crunching.
• When I used to drink coffee frequently I noticed my skin would break out easily and had many pimples. Nobody likes pimples, zits and all that jazz so I began drinking water much more and BAM my skin is so much better today. Of course, water wasn’t the only reason why my skin got better, working out, eating healthy, and sleeping more helps.
• Sleeping was a huge problem for me, it seemed impossible because of the high caffeine intake that I had. I know everyone’s body is different, maybe sleeping wasn’t an issue for you, but it was for me. It made waking up that much more harder.
• The most scariest effects coffee had on me was when my right hand would tremble lots, specifically when I would drink coffee. I’m so grateful that it doesn’t happen anymore.

As I rattle the thoughts out of my head and come back down to earth I notice a commercial with a lively woman drinking coffee as if it were the reason for her happiness. What liars.

Sincerely, Sara

Everyday Life

It’s difficult waking up in the morning feeling exactly like P.Diddy when you don’t have the same luxurious lifestyle as him, but I do grab my glasses and hit the city (Random reference to Kesha’s song, don’t exactly know why I did it, but if you don’t know what I’m talking about then just forget you ever read that). But before I hit the city (and by city I mean school) I must get myself ready mentally. Every morning I wake up with an open mind, feeling new and positive about school. It’s like an athlete that gets pumped up for their big game, but there is no special chant, yelling, or loud music involved. All of that happens between the time I wake up and change. What to wear, what to wear, one of the toughest decisions I have to make at six or seven in the morning every day. I usually end up wearing skinny jeans and a random top with converse shoes, but there are times when choosing my outfit for the day can be stressful and that can be a problem. During the picking-my-outfit stage is when my stomach starts to grumble and roar. That means I need to hurry the heck up and choose something because it’s munching time!

Now, let’s just fast forward my mornings to the part where I am at school. It’s a place full of wonderful and not so wonderful surprises, kind of like a Kinder Surprise! Hey, not every small toy inside was fun to play with, but the chocolate was delicious and still is. No I don’t play with the toys anymore…I just eat the chocolate and give the little toy to my baby cousin. Going off topic, I think it’s time to press pause. I’m certain that most people know what school/college is like so I’m not going to elaborate, nothing overly exciting has occurred, besides the fun moments shared with friends.

Okay, so let’s fast forward again to the part where I’m finally back where I belong, home sweet home. Pretty much the greatest place on earth, well besides Disneyland of course.

Sincerely, Sara