Another beautiful day.. and where am I? Stuck in a computer lab at ECIAD =b One good thing about that is that I'm on Granville Island.. I can't wait for lunch! ;) :D

I was talking to my Job Search Counsellor the other day about the things you need to do now in order to find a job in today's market. Gone are the days when you'd apply to a job posting in a newspaper and wait for a call. You have to be really pro-active -- research market trends, read a number of publications about businesses in vancouver, learn to draw information from articles, networking, etc. It's literally a full-time job in itself. What about results? Will I find a job this way? There really is no guarantee. And I'm thinking, theres no guarantee for anything in life, is there? You could put all your energy into one thing and there's no guarantee that it'll work for you -- there's no guarantee that there'll be a payoff.

So why do we do it? Is it for the chance that things will work out? that there WILL be a payoff? Life is full of opportunities and I think taking jumps, leaps, and risks is a big part of it.

Have you ever really stopped to think about the things you'd like to do? I think I've been too busy to really think about it. Now that I have no job (NEWS: I got laid off from Creo a month and a half ago. Does anyone out there need a Multimedia Designer, or know of anyone who's looking for one?), I'm finding I have more time on my hands -- more than I'd like. =P

So here's my list (i've separated it into short term and long term):

SHORT TERM TO-DOs
:. Get a new Mac G5 equiped with 22" Studio Monitor
:. Get a job!
:. Go on a relaxing weekend away from all the bustling of the city
:. Go shopping!! (without feeling guilty!)
:. Go on a picnic
:. Go back to Japanese school (to take my Level 1 Proficiency Exam)
:. Go back into dancing Salsa
:. Take up Ikebana and Shoji again
:. Visit mommy, daddy, and dave in Toronto
:. Go go-karting!!!!
:. Spend a day at the spa
:. Go cherry-picking
:. Go white water rafting

LONG TERM TO-DOs
:. Go on a cruise to somewhere hot where I can swim with the dolphins
:. Spend at least a month in Japan (travel to Okinawa, swim with the dolphins at Mikurajima, etc)
:. Send my parents on a second honeymoon to China and Hong Kong (all expenses paid)
:. Go fishing and sailing

hmm.. thats quite a bit, eh? and I'm not even done yet..

What a beautiful day today was! :D The sun was shining and I was lucky enough to soak most of it in, at Kits Beach. Hottie volleyball players with tight abs, sipping a cool coke slurpee, spending time with friends, gossiping and watching people walk by -- what more could you ask for? ;) I think next time I'll head over to Spanish Banks East. I havent played beach volleyball in so long -- I'm sure I'm a bit rusty now :( Good thing is, I'm definitely not so white anymore! ;)

I've only missed 1 day, but already so much has happened. Good or Bad? Definitely good. Good in the sense that the event is a beginning to something more wonderful than you can ever imagine -- something that can become more than what it was in the beginning -- something that is so great that you can actually see it when you see me smiling, touch it when you hear me talking, and feel it when I start laughing. I've had a lot of these feelings pented up inside me for too long. All for no reason at all. We're going to just let it all go.

Yes, I know. "What the heck is she talking about?" Can I be more vague? I know things are going to be better and I'm sure you'll see it too. ;)

Have you ever really listened to the words of a song? I was driving home from skating and this song on my CD came on just as I was parking in the driveway. For some reason, I didnt just turn off the engine, but found myself sitting there and really listening to the lyrics. It was a song about her love and her relationship. I was amazed at how much the song expressed what I've been feeling. The song ended, but there was no resolution -- no end to her conflicts. I guess I was half expecting to hear a solution.. my solution.

I saw Miss Saigon just this past Sunday -- my second time. I absolutely LOVE this musical, more than Les Miserables (and we all know how many times I've seen that! [4] ). I got front row seats for my boyfriend and I, and all in all the performance was fantastic, but I was a bit disappointed about the helicopter. My boyfriend told me that years ago, when Miss Saigon was here, they actually had a life-size helicopter. Can anyone verify this? =b Seattle had one. =b Anyhow, it didnt really matter -- I enjoyed it tremendously. Now I just have to dig out my Miss Saigon CD...

I'm sitting staring blankly at my shiny, new, just-out-of-the-box blog, not knowing what to write. =P And then I started thinking about why I was enthusiastic the entire time I was creating it. What is it that drives us to keep a blog, or a diary, or a journal? Who are we talking to? Everyone? No one? Are we talking to ourselves or are we just airing our thoughts? For every post we publish, are we hoping someone in particular will read it? or does it really matter?

I think for every post I publish, there can be an intended audience and more often than not, there won't be. It's like I'm standing on a stage where the show never ends...

FINALLY! Got it to work :D Don't you just LOOOOVE javascript? ;) Thanks goes to mparka for helping me out :)
Hmm, I wonder if I can get Japanese text to show up here. Heh, my next project ;)