"I Think I Chose The Wrong Major"

Photo Credit: Self Made Scholar

Is it possible?

Apparently, it's more common than I thought it was.

I hear this from friends, coworkers, and random acquaintances on occasion.   Their reasoning to this sometimes brings about a heavy sigh, a shake of the head, or both. Their tone as they speak then becomes one of sadness, regret, and even anger.

How does this happen you might ask? How does one go about choosing the wrong college major?  Perhaps you even know the answers yourself.

1.  You chose it because it's your passion.
You love learning about the major you chose and enjoy going to class.  It's something you care about and sometimes you do things related to it in your free time.  However, when you graduate, you realize there are little to no jobs for your degree, the job market for your major is saturated, the pay is poor, or you cannot find a full-time position with benefits.  How do you pay off your student loans?  How do you provide for yourself or the family you plan on having in the future?

2.  You chose it because it's what your parents wanted you to do.
Basically, they're happy and you're not...if that is, you succeed in becoming a doctor or some other parent-worthy major.  You can also major in biology and not get into medical school like you were suppose to and now you're stuck with a worthless degree you don't want and can't use.

3.  You chose it because you wanted a nice job.
Choosing a college major based on the idea of what is considered a "good" job. So now you're on top of the world, making good money, but the problem is, you're not completely happy.  You wanted, say a nice pharmaceutical position that offered good pay, but you aren't passionate about being a pharmacist, nor do you really care about the people you're suppose to help.

4.  You chose it because you like the idea of the job.
You like the title and prestige that comes with the position that goes with what you majored in.  Yet, when you actually work, you realize you don't like it.

5.  You chose it because you're good in it.
You're good at a particular subject, in fact it comes easy to you.  So why not major in it right?  Become an accountant because you are good at numbers.  Yet, the work is boring because what you really enjoy learning about is science.

6.  You chose it because you were too young to know any better. 
You just didn't know what you wanted at 18 years old, nor did you know what you wanted to major in a few years after being in college.  Now that you have been out and working for awhile, you start to realize what type of job you see yourself doing in the future and what you like or feel passionate about.  If only you knew all this before you went to college...


Am I missing anything else?  Which number are you?

Neil Armstrong Dies

"That's one small step for a man, one giant leap for mankind."

-Neil Armstrong, July 20, 1969

I wasn't planning on writing a post today, but I was shocked and sadden when I heard the news about Neil Armstrong's death.  He died at 82 due to complications from cardiovascular procedures. I guess this is the end of something spectacular and it makes you really curious about whether the space program will ever have anything exciting as it had before, such as the case with Neil Armstrong landing on the moon. With recent cutbacks for spending allocated to NASA, it makes you wonder.

Book: Life of Pi

I was putting away some books at the library one day when I happened to spot  Life of Pi, a fantasy adventure book by Yann Martel on the shelf.  The cover was interesting and the synopsis made the story seem unique.  It was about Pi, who is an adult living in Canada reminiscing about his childhood in India to a writer who comes to his house.  Pi tells the writer of his journey from a somewhat well-off life in India to his fight for survival at sea when the Japanese freighter he travels on sinks.  Interestingly enough, Pi ends up sharing the freighter's lifeboat with a Bengal tiger, a zebra, an orangutan, and a hyena, who were animals from his family zoo.

When my brother mentioned to me that Life of Pi had been adapted into a film and would be out possibly in November, I realized I had better get started on reading this book before the movie came out!

To be honest, I don't know if Life of Pi  is for everyone.  It's not a terrible book or anything, but it is slow paced and more drawn out than other books I usually read.  My brother started reading the first few chapters, but after that, gave up, unable to finish it.  And let me tell you, in my opinion, the book moved along faster in the beginning than it did in the later chapters.

Despite all this, I did finish the book and I do appreciate the reading, but I don't know if I could ever read it a second time since I found myself skimming through some chapters very quickly.  I don't blame the author though, but I get impatient after reading about someone being on a boat day after day, learning how to survive for the longest time ever. I guess I get bored easily, but alas it's a great peace of literature nonetheless.  I value the uniqueness of the plot and I feel for the character Pi, and at the same time I grew to love his boat mate, a Bengal tiger named Richard Parker.  One thing that was hard for me to imagine even as a reader, was how a tiger could actually have his own area and sense of privacy on a lifeboat and how a young boy such as Pi could create an elaborate system to purify sea water.  You really have to use your imagination with this book.  And to think that in the beginning of the first few chapters, I thought Life of Pi was a nonfiction that had been wrongly labeled as fiction!  Hah!

Another aspect that I enjoyed about this book was the description of Pi's life in India, which included the zoo his  father owned and that he grew up in, his family life, his relationships with others, exploration of life itself (particularly when it came to religion), and his identity at school.  I really liked the short story behind his name, Piscine Molitor Patel and the struggles he went through with it in school.  Those who have unusual, hard to pronounce names, or names that can be easily made fun off can relate to this.  Pi's parents are also interesting characters, particularly his father who definitely has an uncommon and somewhat disturbingly funny way to teach his kids a lesson!  What a way to learn new parenting skills...

In the end, Life of Pi left me feeling a little empty because I felt as though I wanted something more to justify the journey I had gone through with the characters; but in a way, the ending made sense because it made the story the narrator told even more compelling.  I guess it's because I'm such a huge Richard Parker fan.

Here's a picture from the movie Life of Pi, directed by Ang Lee. The lifeboat looks rather nice compared to how I had imagined it and the picture makes it seem almost whimsical and fantasy like in nature.  It's a beautiful photograph and the colors blend well together.  Richard Parker looks as gigantic as he should be and Pi...well he kind of reminds me of someone from Aladdin. :)   I wonder if this is a promo picture or an actual photograph from onset? This makes me also wonder how Ang Lee made Pi's family zoo in Pondicherry look like.

Photo Credit: 20th Century Fox

Saying Goodbye to August

August is near an end and the weather has been surprisingly amazing these past few weeks. It seems the heat wave is over and fall might be setting in soon.  I decided to walk today instead of taking the bus to my boyfriend's workplace. I must have walked pretty quickly because I had about 10 minutes to spare before he was suppose to come out. So, I found a spot and sat outside waiting for him. Surprisingly, it was very relaxing to just take a break and enjoy the moment.  

Finding "The One"

Photo Credit: Celebrity Icing

This weekend, I hung out with an old friend of mine and we had a conversation about finding the right person, or in her words "the right man."  Having gone through years of relationships that have gone nowhere, she decided that men were all jerks and that she will never find the right guy to settle down with.  She then proceeded to tell me about all her relationships that went wrong.  She was determined that men her age did not want to settle down.  They still wanted to go have fun and most of all, they still desired for that perfect girl...blonde hair and blue eyes.  However, she did concede that older men were becoming more attractive lately because they were more settled down, mature, and realistic about what they could or could not get.

I don't really think there is a process to finding someone, but I do know of coworkers who have found their significant others through an online dating website and now have beautiful kids and a happy family.  So is there really a right or wrong way to find your significant other? As a kid, my parents used to tell me that I'll find the person I love when I least expect it.  Being a teenager, I thought they were lying because they just didn't want me to date in high school, but I now must agree I do think they were somewhat right.  

I think that sometimes people just happen to meet, whether it is sitting next to each other in class or meeting at a bus stop.  But, I also believe that things just don't happen unless you pursue it further.  You can't expect to say have a boyfriend and girlfriend without agreeing to a date or show signs that you are interested in them.  Nor can you expect to sit at home and wait for him/her to "find" you at your house.  Trust me, I've tried this and it does NOT work.

That being said, I think finding someone involves being realistic.  We all have a picture in our mind of an ideal person we would like to date, but it's not practical at all.  Not everyone can date someone that looks like a model, so knowing the difference between fantasy and reality is important.  

So, is there really that "one" person out there? When my friend's girlfriend broke up with him, I tried to console him, saying, "Don't worry, there are many fishes in the sea, you'll find another and this time she'll be even better than the last one."  A pathetic and predictable way to console someone, but the truth is, there are billions of people in the world and to say that person that just tore your heart apart is the only one for you is ridiculous.  I think "the one" is someone that at the end of the day makes you a better you.  You don't need to have everything in common, but you do need to have an open relationship in which you can talk about everything with each other.  A relationship built on honesty and trust is important and necessary.  It's about growing together and learning to overcome challenges.  "The one" isn't something that is superficial, it's someone that is real, someone that you can touch and lean on when you need it most. 

Funny Video from Petsami

I've watched this video a few times in the past and just find it hilarious.  In this video from Petsami on Youtube, a kid goes to retrieve a ball that is over in another yard. Problem is, in order to get the ball, he has to climb over a fence and get past a dog. What will happen when he gets over the fence?  What will the dog do to him?  I'm sure you'll be surprised just as I was. :)

Credit: Petsami from youtube.com

Want vs. Need

Photo Credit: Coolest Gadgets

"Do you want it or do you need it?"

I hate it when my boyfriend says this to me.  I feel like a little child been lectured by my dad who's asking me a rhetorical question. I always try to put up a fight that I never win in response to this question that really isn't a question.  Yet, I must agree, he is right.

When I buy new clothes, my boyfriend usually shakes his head and tells me I have enough and that I have so much that I have no room to put it.

I try to explain to him by saying,"Well, I need it!  It goes with my new shoes that doesn't match anything else and it's super cheap.."

I think he zones out after I'm half way through the second sentence.  I don't blame him.

I don't need most of the things I buy.  I just want it and I try to make myself feel better about the purchase by saying I need to have it.  It's like I'm playing mind games with myself!

A few months ago, my boyfriend gave me a challenge.  I could not buy clothes for four months.  In front of him, I tried to act like I was strong...four months, please I could do that! But, of course, secretly I was struggling to stop myself from buying.  He knew it too and would smile in front of me, telling me I would not make it.  I did though, but only because I simply skipped going to clothing stores and avoided online merchants (which also meant unsubscribing to store emails).  When my four month deadline was up, I gloated in front of my boyfriend.  He admitted that he was shocked I was able to make it that far. I was happy then for some reason.  Possibly because I was so proud of myself.

However, with the deadline over, I went back to my old habit.  It started out slowly, but then proceeded to go back closely to my usually rate of clothes shopping.  I noticed this and actually got really scared.  What had I learned?  Nothing it had seemed.

I hated wanting things!  I decided then that my new plan of attack was to curb my spending through budgeting.  Yes, I started to see the light then! I kept track of how much I could or couldn't spend, along with how much I planned to save up.  I've always saved money, but putting a number down made it more real to me.  This all limited my spending, but it didn't really stop me from buying clothes.  In the end, I had to think about what my boyfriend said to me, "Do you want it or do you need it?"

Looking at a shirt I saw while back-to-school shopping with my brother, I thought about that question again as I held this sparkly black dress in clearance.  The dress was cheap, fit me well, and I could possibly use it in the future...like every other dress I have bought.  But, did I need it?  No, I'm simply wanted it. So, off it went back onto the rack.  As I left the store that day, I found myself smiling because for the first time in a long time my purse never felt as heavy as it did then.

Book: The Devil in the White City: Murder, Magic, and Madness at the Fair That Changed America

The Devil in the White City: Murder, Magic, and Madness at the Fair That Changed America by Erik Larson has been one of many books I had on my reading list.  I've seen my coworkers reading this nonfiction book, and I've seen high schoolers read this for their class. So, it's great to say, yes, I have finally finished reading it too!

If you love history, this is a book for you.  Being a history major, I found The Devil in the White City to be enjoyable and knowledgeable at the same time.  Larson writes history the way it should be, like a riveting story that makes you wonder what will happen next. 

Court of Honor, World 's Fair, Chicago 

I would say that this book is divided into two main parts (though there are other various additions to the story here and there), one being of the people who were behind the creation of the World's Columbian Exposition, also known as The Chicago's World Fair (1893) in Chicago, such as architect, Daniel Burnham and the other being the story of the serial killer, Dr. Henry Howard Holmes who lived in Chicago and created a business there in anticipation of the money that would come in with the fair.

The sprinkling of interesting facts here and there, and the dropping of names like Mark Twain coming to see the fair (He was unable to actually visit it, spending his days in a Chicago hotel recovering from an illness.) is blended well together with the pace and flow of the story. I really found the chapters about Dr. Holmes intriguing.  Perhaps that is because he keeps killing and luring his victims in with such ease that there's this reader anticipation for what will happen next and who will ultimately catch him in his tracks. 

1st Ferris Wheel, World's Fair, Chicago

What I liked most about  The Devil in the White City was that it made me wish I could have been at the World's Fair in Chicago.  I wanted to see the White City, and I could image it in my head as I read.  To see the presentation of new technology, art, and entertainment and know that the whole country and world wanted to be there too must have been an amazing feeling.  The Word's Fair  was a celebration of the 400th anniversary of Christopher Columbus's arrival to the New World in 1492, yet it was also a showcase of everything that was changing in the United States.  It's a shame we don't have anything like this nowadays. 

Poem: I've Known You For How Long

I've known you for how long?
It seems like an eternity
Dare I exaggerate?

I've known you for how long?
Seven years of loving you
Two other years of knowing you from afar

So it's true, I've known you for nine years
Almost a decade I'm scared to say
Almost all my life
Of knowing you

I've known you since we were young, so naive, carefree, and sometimes reckless
I've known you since then
Almost all my life you know?

What was I without you?
What were you without me?

It's been so long, I can't seem to remember

So how does it feel?
This you being with me and me being with you

Is it too early to say we made it or too late to say we can't go back?

You've made me cry, you've made me laugh
You were the person that made it last

So, it's true, you do know all about me
Those things I've hidden behind closed doors
Those thoughts I've had that were once unexplored

You've known me for so long

But I also know what makes you mad and makes you feel guilty...oh so guilty, it's bad
I'm reckless in pursuing your weakness, no doubt I am

You say I'm evil, like the devil no one knows
I agree, loves changed me
Brought out the me I never knew

It's been almost forever, and we're getting old
Our relationship hasn't changed
I know what you like, you know what I hate

I've known you for so long...

Your simple ways, your kind heart
You changed me, you know?
You made me into a better me
You made me see my flaws
You gave me a bigger heart
And I learned how to share

You taught me that you know

But what did you learn from me all these years?
All these seven years...

*************

I don't know anything about poetry nor do I even claim to understand it.  I just so happened to be on my phone today typing this randomly in my notes.  Now it's posted here, unedited, and simply as it is. 

Do you ever get those moments in your life where something just pops in your head?  An idea?  A simple thought?

Lost But Found

I'm forgetful, I admit it.  I'm always busy running from one place to the next, trying to multi-task, and then I'll forget where I put something simple, such as the set of car keys I just had in my hands, say two seconds ago.

Recently, I was at the laundry mat helping my younger brother try to wash and dry out the ticks that were on his clothes.  A long story in itself to say the least, but as I walked outside with him to my car, I couldn't seem to find my keys.  I literally dumped my purse out trying to look for it and then checked my pockets too.  I then looked on the ground and went back and traced the path I had taken to the car.  Still, it was not there.  So, I went inside the laundry mat and proceeded to look at every place or thing I touched.  Sure enough, I spot it on top of the washing machine I had used.  That's when I remembered I had put the keys there while I was trying to free my hands to pour the laundry detergent into a cup.  Feeling stupid and relieved at the same time, I head back to the car to go home.

Incidents like this make me realize how losing things, whether a key, toy, an unsaved document on the computer (I think this has happened to at least everyone!), or person in your life can cause so much unwanted stress.

Years ago, my brothers and I found a stray cat, whom we adored to pieces, but could not keep.  We ended up taking her to the animal shelter, where I was informed a few days later that she had been reunited with her owner.  Imagine how this owner must have felt?  To have lost something so precious, but to have also been able to find it back? For myself, I was happy the cat had  returned to her home, but I was sad to know I would never see her again. So, my find became my lost.

Back in school, kids would lose everything or have it stolen.  It was either one or the other. Someone was always forgetting where they put something or someone always wanted what others had.  When things were found though, it was always put in the "Lost and Found" bin, where some of it was picked up and where others remained lost forever, with no one to claim or care to find what they had lost.  I used to tell my friends our school bin should be renamed, "Lost But Found" since nothing is no longer lost after it's been found.

What happens though when you lose something you can never find or replace?  The stress stays and it lingers, creating a heavy burden on you mentally and physically.  When my grandfather died, I was in fourth grade and to be honest, I didn't shed a tear.  I continued wandering around playing games and wondering when the adults would serve the pizza after they were done saying their prayers to him.  It wasn't that I didn't care or love my grandfather, I just think I was too young to have it really register.  Years later, I found myself missing him and feeling guilty for my lack of emotions or complete understanding of his death.  He was gone and he was never ever coming back.  It took me some time to get over my guilt and allow myself to heal.  Even though I had lost him, I learned to find peace later on with his death.

The loss of anything causes stress, but you can't or shouldn't live in the stress. What's done is done.  You can't fix a problem by dwelling on it, but you can sometimes try to solve it or make it better.  A loss is by no means an end.