BLUE-TUESDAY.NET //

2010-04-15T06:03:47Z

Hello y'all!

I have relocated here.

Comments on this blog have been disabled, but everything else will be left as is. Thanks for those who have followed me throughout the past year!

I will continue to blog using tumblr =)

Aussie Social!

2010-03-24T22:09:01Z

Hi everyone!

As you all know, I'm crazy about contests!

I entered one recently, hosted by CampusPerks.

I'm 1 of 30 finalists right now, so what I have to do is host an awesome Aussie Social.

Best 3 hosts win a trip to Australia!

Click on the picture below to go to the Facebook event page for details!

I'm terrible.

2010-03-22T03:04:18Z

Okay, I'm a terrible blogger. I've been MIA for two months, and I apologize.. I'm actually in the middle of so much crap right now, so I'll keep this short and sweet.

For me, the hardest part about blogging (regularly) is... Well, I just don't have much to say. Microblogging has essentially taken over - Why spend an hour on an entry when you can tweet throughout the day?

Anyhow, that shouldn't be any excuse.
So, what's up lately?

This semester has been pretty hectic - three part-time jobs on top of my normal schoolwork. It's tough, but rewarding. Especially when I know the money goes towards all of my awesome trips!

Yesterday, Jacky & I planned a rough itinerary of our summer, and it's epicness! I am excited!

June 2010

New York shopping/sightseeing
One day in Madrid
South Africa World Cup (Johannesburg, Cape Town, Port Elizabeth, Durban)

African safari
Shark cage diving
5 football matches, including a very awesome Brazil vs. Portugal match (I support Portugal, Jacky for Brazil... only one will make it out alive)

Barcelona, Spain to check out some football stadiums
Partying all night in Ibiza, Spain
Pamplona, Spain for the annual running of the bulls

July 2010

Tour de France in..... well, France
Munich
A week in Neuburg, Germany for my Camp Europe training
5 weeks teaching in Juliusruh, Germany

August 2010

Switzerland
Italy
Netherlands
England

(P.S. August is still very much out in the open--if you guys have any suggestions please let me know!)

Anyway, before I sign off, I have a quick rant. When people hear about the places I go and whatnot (i.e. the Olympics, World Cup), a lot of the times it's followed with a scoff and a "You're sooo lucky, Joan". Generally it's said in a very positive note, but some people sound downright... demeaning.

Sure, in some aspects I would consider myself very lucky. My parents don't strictly forbid me from traveling. I'm lucky in a sense that I have the summer off and I could do whatever. In the big picture though, I would say I'm far from it.

I'm not rich. I work really, really hard to get to where I am today. I work 35 hours/week so I can pay for everything. I don't use my parent's money. The football matches didn't just magically appear in my mailbox one day. I had to search long and hard. What's so lucky about that?

I probably sound overly defensive, but if you know how much effort I put into everything, you would understand. I don't deny that I am fortunate, but to attribute everything to sheer luck is just... a bit offensive. That is all! :)

Oh, and I really like this guy:

BYEEEE.

Top 20 moments of 2009

2009-12-17T18:05:44Z

The year has finally come to an end! Overall, 2009 has been... epic, for the lack of a more fantabulous word. I did so much traveling, made so many new friends.. Altogether, it has been great and I'm really thankful for it! To commemorate the year, I decided to write an entry on my top 20 moments of the year. Oh, the memories...

In no particular order...
1. Riding an elephant (Thailand)
I got hoisted by one, too ;D
2. Touching Van Fan's hand (Toronto)
Okay, I don't have a pic of me touching his hand, but you've gotta trust me on this one :D
3. Playing with a baby tiger (Thailand)
I wish I got to play with a mommy tiger, but a baby one is good enough hehe.
4. Swimming with dolphins (Taiwan)
Don't be fooled by a dolphin's cute demeanor.. They can actually be pretty fierce!
5. Parasailing/jet skiing (the Philippines)
Parasailing was really relaxing, and jet skiing was amazingly fun.
6. Red light district (Thailand)
Interesting, but never ever again...
7. 3am dimsum after a night of clubbing (Hong Kong)
8. 3am shopping in Dongdaemun (Korea)
9. Meeting Eason Chan (Hong Kong)
10. Opportunity to be in a film directed by my friend (Toronto)
It's actually been postponed until the summer, but it was a lot of fun while it lasted.
11. Hins Cheung x Khalil Fong concert (Hong Kong)
12. Lady Gaga concert (Toronto)
13. Meeting new friends in Korean class (Toronto)
14. Miss Canada Petite boat cruise (Toronto)
15. Winning $1000 worth of Annabelle cosmetics!
16. Helping out with the JYP Toronto auditions
I was asked to help out with promoting the auditions as well as a bit of scouting :) Fun times.
17. Stealing the TTC map right off the subway...
Edward's been talking about doing this for so long, until one day we finally plucked up the courage and just... took it. It's a great addition to my room now :)
18. Taking care of & playing with Ed's cat, muimui
Currently taking care of her while Ed is in Hong Kong. She's a bundle of cuteness!
19. Interhall mass dance (Hong Kong)
It was a lot of hard work (7 hours practices, omg...), but it was worth it! First time dancing with Hongers, haha. Made a lot of new friends!
20. Visiting my best friends (Taiwan)
Visited Taiwan twice this year and was able to meet up with two of my best friends.
I am sooo looking forward to 2010! Bring it :)

Help! Stuck in a woman's body...

2009-12-09T08:03:29Z

....and not a very hot one at that. Haha. I spoke with several friends about this, and they all agree. Despite my girly appearance, I seriously think that I'm a man stuck in a woman's body. Here's why.

I'm really daring. I've sat up close at a venomous snake show. Bungee jumping doesn't phase me, and I'm planning on going skydiving next year. If I really was a guy, I'd not only have balls of steel, but three at that.
I have the appetite of a boy who just hit puberty. I eat more than most of the guys I know. My cravings aren't limited to midnight snacks--they're more like 1am, 2am, 3am, etc snacks.
I can talk for hours on end about electronics and computer software.
I think like one. I can crack 'that's what she said' jokes faster than most of my buddies. I have no shame..!
I'm aggressive. Ask any guy I've dated... I'm always the man of the relationship. Not proud of this one.
I love talking about hot chicks. Gah I think I'm starting to talk like one too..
I love a good deal. I pay homage to Redflagdeals.. srsly.

There are more, but they've slipped my mind. What's the purpose of this entry? Haha, nne at all.. I'm just random like that. No pictures too, 'cause I've had nothing cool to takes pictures of this past while. Goodbye! :)

woohoo!

2009-12-02T04:10:32Z

I'm going!

Trying to think positively...

2009-11-09T14:49:11Z

To those who requested makeup: My giveaway is over! I've already contacted everyone as of 11/04, so if you haven't heard back then I'm sorry D: I said that I'd only be giving freebies to one international blog reader/friend, but I'm actually sending 4 overseas packages... I'm so broke now. Hope you girls like your goodies though!

Anyhow, my life kinda sucks at the moment, for the following reasons:

I am still full-time unemployed.
I lost my best friend.
I spend too much money.
Methinks I'm a crappy employee.
My grades suck.
I've put on weight.

I like to call it the circle of life [of Joan], or circle of Joan for short. I've been trying hard (but obviously, not hard enough) to find a job, but to no avail. Since I'm so fugtastically stressed out and uberly overwhelmed, I take it out on my best friend. Best friend can't handle it so he ditches me. No best friend? It's okay, shopping is always a nice alternative. Of course, until I realize my financial situation is analogous to that of a homeless person.

I try to make up for the money spent by taking on more shifts. More shifts leads to less time for other things; ultimately, less sleep for me. Less sleep is synonymous with poor performance in both work and school. I try to make myself feel better by filling my seemingly unsatiable appetite, but with that comes an extra inch or two to my waist. How my eating habits relates to my inability to find a full-time job, I don't know... I guess it isn't a circle after all, maybe just a linear path. Whatever. But the point is, my life sucks, end of story.

Okay well, with the negativity out of the way, here are some things I should be excited about!

1. Vancouver Olympics!
I booked my flight last week, and I'll be there from Feb 17-21, 2010. The HBC contest isn't over yet, but I've made up my mind. I want to go so I'm gonna go. I'm gonna be getting event tickets on Saturday - hopefully I get to see figure skating and short track! Despite the fact that I've booked already, please continue voting for me! I'm a poor student so it would be ubertastic if it was a free trip :D

2. Being a JYP scout!
A friend of mine asked me to do some PR work for JYP! Next week, I'm gonna be scouting with JYP reps during their audition period in Toronto. Definitely a fun opportunity to have a firsthand account of how the Korean entertainment industry works :)

3. Lady Gaga concert!
November 28th at the Air Canada Centre, so excited! I love concerts. Hopefully this will lift my mood :D

4. Try out some acting!
Oscar, who's a film production major, is looking to make his first feature length film to build his portfolio and to enter into film festivals. I'll be acting in it, oh so exciting :D We'll be filming during the Christmas break, so I probably won't be able to do my New York trip then... But it'll definitely be worth it.

5. A top secret art project
Since it's top secret, I've sworn on my female body parts that I wouldn't divulge it to anyone just yet. ~~Friends and family do not count.~~ So you'll have to wait! ;D

Anyway, here are some random pics taken from my mobile. My hair looks long in the photos, but I want it grow even longer. Like Rapunzel :D Not really but..

Check out these awesome Googims shirts I got from YesStyle:
I got a new lens recently! Isn't it so sharp? Excuse my cheesy smile..
Okay I'm tired. Bye.

]]> To those who requested makeup: My giveaway is over! I've already contacted everyone as of 11/04, so if you haven't heard back then I'm sorry D: I said that I'd only be giving freebies to one international blog reader/friend, but I'm actually sending 4 overseas packages... I'm so broke now. Hope you girls like your goodies though!

Anyhow, my life kinda sucks at the moment, for the following reasons:

I am still full-time unemployed.
I lost my best friend.
I spend too much money.
Methinks I'm a crappy employee.
My grades suck.
I've put on weight.

I like to call it the circle of life [of Joan], or circle of Joan for short. I've been trying hard (but obviously, not hard enough) to find a job, but to no avail. Since I'm so fugtastically stressed out and uberly overwhelmed, I take it out on my best friend. Best friend can't handle it so he ditches me. No best friend? It's okay, shopping is always a nice alternative. Of course, until I realize my financial situation is analogous to that of a homeless person.

I try to make up for the money spent by taking on more shifts. More shifts leads to less time for other things; ultimately, less sleep for me. Less sleep is synonymous with poor performance in both work and school. I try to make myself feel better by filling my seemingly unsatiable appetite, but with that comes an extra inch or two to my waist. How my eating habits relates to my inability to find a full-time job, I don't know... I guess it isn't a circle after all, maybe just a linear path. Whatever. But the point is, my life sucks, end of story.

Okay well, with the negativity out of the way, here are some things I should be excited about!

1. Vancouver Olympics!
I booked my flight last week, and I'll be there from Feb 17-21, 2010. The HBC contest isn't over yet, but I've made up my mind. I want to go so I'm gonna go. I'm gonna be getting event tickets on Saturday - hopefully I get to see figure skating and short track! Despite the fact that I've booked already, please continue voting for me! I'm a poor student so it would be ubertastic if it was a free trip :D

2. Being a JYP scout!

A friend of mine asked me to do some PR work for JYP! Next week, I'm gonna be scouting with JYP reps during their audition period in Toronto. Definitely a fun opportunity to have a firsthand account of how the Korean entertainment industry works :)

3. Lady Gaga concert!
November 28th at the Air Canada Centre, so exciting! I love concerts. Hopefully this will lift my mood :D November has been so crappy for me so far!

4. Get to try out some acting!
Oscar, who's a film production major, is looking to make his first feature length film to build his portfolio and to enter into film festivals. I'll be acting in it, oh so exciting :D We'll be filming during the Christmas break, so I probably won't be able to do my New York trip then... But it'll definitely be worth it.

I'm trying to think as positively as I can... Hopefully to mask all the crap that's been going on, but it's hard. Anyway, here are some random pics taken from my mobile. My hair looks long in the photos, but I want it grow even longer. Like Rapunzel :D Not really but...

Check out these awesome Googims shirts I got from YesStyle:

Pet Peeves? and zomgwtfbbq, Annabelle freebies!

2009-10-25T02:12:08Z

I wrote this entry a couple months ago, but never got around to publishing it, haha. I edited a couple of things on the list... Well, here goes. What is it that pisses me off?

1. MSN etiquette
I'm gonna have subcategories for this one 'cause I'm anal like that. This obviously applies to any form of instant messenger... AIM for the Americans, QQ for the Chinese, ICQ for the outdated, etc.

a. Bad spelling, or worse, INTENTIONAL bad spelling. I know you're not a Pulitzer contender, but honestly, does that mean you have to talk like you never made it past elementary? I used 2 talk lyke dis bak in da 8th grayde, and i honestlee thynk that its verii childysh n waystes a helluva lotta brayne powurr juss to sound lyke an idiott. w0rdd. paycee out. Oh... and I'm not unreasonable by the way. If you're ESL, you get a free pass (you may also skip to #2).

b. Obsessive use of the "lol" acronym. I really hate it lol when lol is inserted randomly lol in dialogue lolololol. I don't really understand how "lol" has evolved from a phrase demonstrating genuine laughter to becoming just a filler to avoid an awkward silence. It drives me insane!

Me: How was your day?
Person: lol

Well. That's good to know.

c. Excessive emoticons. Especially ones that stand for every single letter of the alphabet. There are fonts for a reason.

d. Replying 15 hours later. Constantly. Every day. Hello, what part of instant messaging do you not get? You don't have to be replying at warp speed, but if you're making me wait half a day for a response, I think it defeats the purpose of being available via instant messenger.

2. Bad Photoshopping
Apparently, a lot of people find photos such as the first example to be very, very attractive. Obviously the fact that my nose is gone doesn't matter. The photo isn't edited at all, you're just jealous that I have beautifully ~~defined~~ drawn-on eyelashes. The second photo? Boooooring.

3. Uncreative camwhoring
There are people who post entire albums of themselves on Facebook or whatever, and every single picture is virtually... the... same. Same clothes, same make-up, same expression... Sorry to break this to you, but---to the rest of the world--your photos are really boring. At least tilt your head a little, y'know?

4. Using sexual references to sell... well, just about anything.
As a marketing student, this seriously annoys the crap out of me. Maybe some visuals will help:

Bell Canada

Since when did sleazy sex become a mode of comparison for phone and internet services? Sex sells, but it's usually limited to half naked Megan Foxes and the like. I am not impressed.

Kernels Popcorn

This one just baffles me. At first glance, I thought it said "Practise Safe Snacks lols lols lols". But "lols" it actually "lots". And what's with the circles and squiggly lines? Hidden message much?

Foodland Ontario.
Foodlands is a government organization. How pathetic is that?

On a happier note... Look what I got today? Woohoooo!! :D
Anyhow, what some of you may have been waiting for... Annabelle freebies! I've already set aside stuff for my family and best friends. Here are some extras that I am giving away :)

I am limiting my giveaways to 1 overseas blog reader/Soompi member just because I have to pay for shipping out of my own pocket. The rest will have to be local friends... Sorry! I'm also keeping all the brushes and pigments for myself because I don't have many on my own. I hope that's okay :) Now without further ado...

BlushesLip glosses & liners.

Foundations + bronzer + power (for medium to dark skin)
Dark brown mascara + brown eyebrow pencil + eye shadows

Close-up of eyeshadows

Just leave me a comment with what you want and your location... My sister told me about a site that will help me choose a random number or whatever :D So yeah. It doesn't matter if we're not close friends. Just do it :D Have a great week everyone!

]]> is it that pisses me off?

1. MSN etiquette
I'm gonna have subcategories for this one 'cause I'm anal like that. This obviously applies to any form of instant messenger... AIM for the Americans, QQ for the Chinese, ICQ for the outdated, etc.

a. Bad spelling, or worse, INTENTIONAL bad spelling. I know you're not a Pulitzer contender, but honestly, does that mean you have to talk like you never made it past elementary? I used 2 talk lyke dis bak in da 8th grayde, and i honestlee thynk that its verii childysh n waystes a helluva lotta brayne powurr juss to sound lyke an idiott. w0rdd. paycee out. Oh... and I'm not unreasonable by the way. If you're ESL, you get a free pass (you may also skip to #2).

b. Obsessive use of the "lol" acronym. I really hate it lol when lol is inserted randomly lol in dialogue lolololol. I don't really understand how "lol" has evolved from a phrase demonstrating genuine laughter to becoming just a filler to avoid an awkward silence. It drives me insane!

Me: How was your day?
Person: lol

Well. That's good to know.

c. Excessive emoticons. Especially ones that stand for every single letter of the alphabet. There are fonts for a reason.

e. Replying 15 hours later. Constantly. Every day. Hello, what part of instant messaging do you not get? You don't have to be replying at warp speed, but if you're making me wait half a day for a response, I think it defeats the purpose of being available via instant messenger.

2. Bad Photoshopping
Apparently, a lot of people find photos such as the first example to be very, very attractive. Obviously the fact that my nose is gone doesn't matter. The photo isn't edited at all, you're just jealous that I have beautifully ~~defined~~ drawn-on eyelashes. The second photo? Boooooring.

3. Uncreative camwhoring
There are people who post entire albums of themselves on Facebook or whatever, and every single picture is virtually... the... same. Same clothes, same make-up, same expression... Sorry to break this to you, but---to the rest of the world--your photos are really boring. At least tilt your head a little, y'know?

4. Using sexual references to sell... well, just about anything.
As a marketing student, this seriously annoys the crap out of me. Maybe some visuals will help:

Bell Canada

Since when did sleazy sex become a mode of comparison for phone and internet services? Sex sells, but it's usually limited to half naked Megan Foxes and the like. I am not impressed.

Kernals Popcorn

This one just baffles me. At first glance, I thought it said "Practise Safe Snacks lols lols lols". But "lols" it actually "lots". And what's with the circles and squiggly lines? Hidden message much?

Foodland Ontario.
Foodlands is a government organization. How pathetic is that?

On a happier note... Look what I got today? Woohoooo!! :D
Anyhow, what some of you may have been waiting for... Annabelle freebies! I've set aside stuff for my family and best friends already. Please comment on what you'd like to have. I am limiting it to 1 overseas blog reader just because I have to pay for shipping out of my own pocket. I'm also keeping all the brushes and pigments for myself because I don't have many on my own. I hope that's okay :) Now without further ado...

Blushes

Thank you!

2009-10-09T12:43:53Z

It's a bit belated, but better now than never :)
I just wanted to say, thank you so much for voting for my entry!

Thanks to everyone's kind support, I was named one of the winners of the Annabelle Makeup Junkie contest. Can you spot me?

A whopping 977 votes! It was a lot more than I had expected, and I am extremely grateful for that. So... what exactly do I win? A $75 makeup case filled with....

$1000 worth of Annabelle makeup products!

Photo courtesy of Annabelle.

I'll be receiving the package sometime next week, and I'll be sure to take lots of photos to show you! Like I said before, I will be giving away tons of freebies, and I will keep you updated with this blog! So check often, and maybe you'll win something :)

Which reminds me.. I also entered HBC's What Are You Made of, Canada? contest. The prize is... a trip to the 2010 Vancouver Olympics! How awesome is that! Every entry is judged against the following criteria:

Creativity (50%);
Relevance to contest theme (25%)**
Public voting response (25%).

**(a) what being Canadian means to you; (b) what makes you a great Canadian; and (c) why you would like to win a trip to the 2010 Winter Games in Vancouver.

This is my entry (Thanks to my baby sis for modeling for me):

If you like my entry, please vote for me here! You have to sign up and have your email verified, but it only takes 10 seconds. You can also vote everyday. This really, really means a lot to me. If you want to know why, read the following paragraph. If you're not interested, just skip it :D

I've actually been to the Olympics before, thanks to the Visa Olympics of the Imagination Art Challenge. If you want to know how I won, you can read more here. I went to the 2002 Salt Lake City Olympics and the 2004 Athens Olympics.

I had the time of my life. I was really lucky to be able to share that with my mum. I had wanted to go to the 2004 Games with my dad, but unfortunately he was too busy with work. My dad's the only one who works in the family, so that's not surprising. This time around, if I win, he has no choice.. I'm bringing him with me :) I've never been on vacation with my daddy before, and I'd really like to change that. Typing this kinda makes me wanna cry. Well anyway... enough about that. That's my little story o_o

A lot of people have been asking me... Joan, why the hell do you enter so many contests? Wtf. In those exact words. My response is... Why not? I'm tired of just going through the everyday nonsense of school, eat, work, eat, sleep. The most memorable times of my life are when I seize whatever is in front of me and make the best out of it.

Some people might think I'm selfish for wanting so much, but I disagree. The opportunity is right in front of me, so I'm not about to let it slip away :) If I don't win, someone else will. So why sit back and watch, when I can actually do something about it? I don't lose much by trying. :D

If you read this much, I am really happy. Really. Thank you so much. Thanks for reading, and thanks again to those who voted.

♥♥♥

Annabelle Ultimate Makeup Junkie Contest

2009-09-28T18:11:39Z

VOTE FOR ME HERE

What: Makeup contest
Why: I could win $1000 worth of makeup!
How: Click on my photo and then click "Vote for this makeup junkie"
When: Until Sunday, October 4th, 2009 at midnight!

You can vote once a day per IP address, so please help me out!
I will be giving freebies if I win.

Thanks!

Wake me up when September ends...

2009-09-23T12:38:03Z

Sorry, I know I'm not very creative with the blog titles. But it's either that or "Untitled", and I'd rather NOT settle for the latter.

Wow, it's been almost a month since I've last blogged. I knew I was gonna be busy... but it's only 3 weeks into school and I'm exhausted. But happy. Stressed to tears, but satisfied. I think most people in Schulich feel the same way - they'd rather be stressed albeit productive than bored and not doing much.

School's alright. I'm taking a full course load, but it's not so bad. I actually want to be in class for a change, and it's refreshing. I almost forgot what it's like to enjoy school. I'm taking advanced Chinese, but my Chinese is relatively poor compared to my classmates :( That means I have to try extra hard to get the A... But I love challenges :)

With school and work taking up most of my time, my life feels pretty boring sometimes. I miss the exchange days when I could do almost whatever I want, whenever I want with little consequences. So in an attempt to make my life more "colorful", I've been trying to do as much as I can outside of school/work.

For starters, I entered some contests :) The first one being HBC's "Hey Canada, what are YOU made of?" contest. The winner gets to see the Vancouver Olympics! I am so desperate to go, so please vote for me! :) You need to register and get your account verified before your vote counts though. Please vote for me here! I'll buy you icecream :) I haven't heard from the makeup contest yet, but I will by the end of the week. Will keep you posted!

Outtake from the contest.

I'm also taking Korean classes! It's a free certificate course offered by the Korean Consulate, so I thought... why not? :) I made some new friends and it's great! Hmm, what else... Kevin took me to see a Leafs game yesterday. We won, yayy :) Haven't watched hockey in so long, so that was fun!

Kev & I.

Fightttt!

Will go on a photowalk with Ken this weekend :) Never actually done that before, even though I have so many artsy fartsy photography friends. Can't wait!!

Shots from the BoA contest (that I didn't win.. Boooo)

Random shot before going out.
Goal for next entry: Take better portrait shots!

Top 10 best jobs!

2009-08-26T17:02:27Z

Jobs, jobs, jobs. As September is fast approaching, that's all I have been thinking about lately :( So, when I was bored the other day, I came up with a list of pretty interesting/fun/cool/thashizzlemynizzle jobs. Screw being a CA/marketing analyst/ibanker :) Have you considered other options? Such as...

My top 10 "jobs":

Professional blogger - Isn't it so amazing to be paid for just... expressing your opinion? No need to go through mundane stages of editing and proofreading from higher-ups. Freakin' XiaXue gets paid thousands of dollars just for a single advertorial. I can't even begin to imagine how much money Perez Hilton makes.
Resort tester - Lying on the beach, relaxing in the spa, and fine dining for every meal. At the end of your "work week", you do a write-up on how your week went. If that isn't the best job in the world, then what is?
Restaurant/movie critic - If I could get paid to eat or to watch movies, I'd be a very rich (and obese) woman. Nonetheless, there are very few things in life that trump food and entertainment. And you get to try it first, before anyone else gets to.
Children's book author - Write a few words, draw a few characters, get published, cash in. All sounds too easy. Except for the publishing part, of course. But, it's definitely fun and rewarding, knowing that kiddies everywhere are reading your work.
Parent of a child star - If you can't make it as a children's author, no worries. MAKE ONE (a kid, that is). Put them in a diaper commercial and cross your fingers that your kid will grow up famous (hopefully not for nude shots though *ahem*). You'll have a steady income until they turn 18, of course! :)
Professional Photoshopper - Help celebs look good. You'll get the inside dish on which ones actually rely on makeup and software to look presentable. Pretty fab if you ask me.
Beauty pageant judge - Get paid to check out hot girls, need I say more?
Professional corpse actor - No lines and no need for movement. You don't even have to be a "good" actor. Just roll over and literally play dead. Shows like CSI are always looking for new "bodies" to play their corpses, so if you have some spare time (ideal for aforementioned Parent of Child Star) you could make some quick bucks.
Mystery shopper - Calling all shopaholics! Becky Bloomwood would be delighted at this opportunity. You basically pose as a customer and do whatever a normal shopper does. Ask questions, buy things, and even file complaints if necessary.
Video game tester - Most of these jobs are geared towards the female audience, so this one's for the guys (I'm aware I'm generalizing, but whatever). I know that among my circle of friends, if one got invited to test an unreleased game, they'd be automatically hailed as a god. It's like the holy grail of the male existence.

Anyhow... Toodles my nooodles! (Honestly, is there a less awkward way to end my entries?) Yours truly? Sincerely? xoxo? I shall sleep on that one.

♪ Don't trust a ho, don't trust me...

2009-08-22T22:15:40Z

I used to hate that song until I read the lyrics (for all who don't know, my last name is 何, or.... Ho). Now it's like, my theme song :D

GUESS WHAT! I made a podcast today :) This time, I'm gonna actually update it once every 2 or so weeks. You can subscribe to my feed to the left! You can either click on the link or manually subscribe to it on iTunes (Advanced>Subscribe to Podcast>enter URL). It will also be available in the iTunes store in a couple of days. :D

But, the main purpose of this entry is... *drum roll*... My new toyyyyy (cameras). Actually, "toy camera" is a serious misnomer 'cause... There's really nothing "toyish" about it. It works just fine. But they're so cuute and ahh... My latest serious obsession. It started a while ago when I first got my hands on a Polaroid One600, but realized that they discontinued it :( Then in Hong Kong, I got another instant camera, the Fujifilm Instax Mini 7S.

Polaroid One600 & the Fujifilm Instax Mini 7S

... BEST INVESTMENT EVER. I love love love it to death, and I bring it almost everywhere I go. You never know when you'll bump into celebrities, y'know! You could get them to sign your photograph promptly afterwards... How convenient ;) *Is now vindicated from my impulse purchase* I bought about 150 exposures, enough to last me about a year, I think! :D

Collage of my instant photos :)

Huhuhu.. More from my camera collection! Presenting... the FISH EYE.

The White Slim Angel & the Actionsampler

While I got lots of new stuff, on the other hand.... I also broke stuff :( Omg, I broke my beloved pink button Audio Technicas the other day. I WAS SO CLOSE TO CRYING... The closest I've been to crying in a long, long time actually. I was so sad... Anyone know how to fix it? Will superglue work!? Argggghhh!

Camwhore time! Huhuhu... I think the last time I posted photos, I still had my extensions. Well, now they're gone and I'm feeling balder than ever. A lot of people don't notice it (I assume so 'cause they don't ask), but still. The other day, I saw that it costs $700 to get extensions here in Toronto. OMG. $700? I might as well go back to Hong Kong for $800 and just get it done there instead, for not even a quarter of the price.

Left: Limp, boring hair. Right: More limp and boring hair!

Camwhore, interrupted... by my sister =="
I camwhored for a good 5 mins (trust me, that gives you A LOT of photos), THEN noticed that there was a grandma and grandpa parked across from us. *sigh* How embarassing :(

Random, but y'know what would be an awesome idea? If there was a universal tagging system. Some sort of website that links tags from Facebook, Youtube, random blogs or whatever. For example, if I had a photo of myself on Facebook, people could tag me as Joan from joan@blue-tuesday.net. That way, you don't have to log in to a bazillion accounts... That's so messy and counterproductive.

Another awesome idea? I've had this idea for eons, but I'm just not capable of materializing it. If there was a Facebook application that shows your "unanswered wall posts". It's just a page that shows a list of all the wall-to-wall in which YOU were the last to reply. It'd be so useful for ditzy people like myself, so I don't have to keep a mental tab of who I haven't responded to, etc.

Man, I should copyright my ideas. Wait... Is that even possible? I dunno. But if something like a universal tagging system or the said Facebook application pops up, you know where you heard it from first! HERE. :)

Toooodles!

20 things?

2009-08-11T04:05:49Z

Hmmm. I should really make my blog more of a priority. It's like.. e-collecting dust at the moment D: Anyway, so everyone's seen the "20 things" post that was popular on Facebook eons ago... I couldn't really think of anything interesting to say (not that I do now...), so I gave up rather quickly. I'm actually in the middle of several blog entries right now, but too lazy to finish... So I figured I'll just write this up for the time being. I mean, I'm not paying $80/year for nothing D: Alright, so here goes.

What are 20 random facts about Joan?

When watching (English) movies, I always select subtitles for the hearing impaired. I don't have any hearing impairment.
When watching said movies (or TV shows), I HAVE to be knitting something. I feel utterly useless when my eyes are just glued to the screen.
My family actually sorta has a shoe room! Two years ago, I owned 80+ pairs of shoes. Haven't done an inventory count since then!
I need a minimum of 10 hours of sleep every tonight, or else I'll look really bad or be cranky... or both.
I'm super paranoid. As a kid, I'd avoid stepping on cracks on the sidewalk, fearing that it'd kill my mom, dad, or both.
When I like something, I get super duperly obsessed with it until I get sick of it. For example, for several months I had gamjatang (pork bone soup) every day for lunch 'cause I really liked it.
I'm super anal about brushing teeth... I can single-handedly use up a bottle of toothpaste in 2 weeks.
I hate being photogenic, because that means people are always disappointed when they see me D: D:
I can eat more than the average male. Not something I'm proud of...
I'm one of those "nice, forgiving girls", but I'm trying to change. :)
I'm super anal about ID3 tags on mp3s!!! I could spend an entire day updating album artwork to make my iTunes pretty :X
Urbandictionary.com is LOVE. How else would I know what "D.I.A.F" and "wenis" mean?
I get EXTREMELY jealous when I see someone's beautiful artwork/photography.
Special skills include bug killing and wearing contact lenses in a moving vehicle. Similarly, I can also gauge your driving abilities by whether or not I can apply my eyeliner in your car :)
I'm super ditzy. I'm literally like... a walking accident about to happen o_o
My pride is in my ability (mainly perseverance) to self-teach. HTML, Photoshop, podcasting, knitting, digital painting are some to name!
In order to make it to my Top 25 most played songs on iTunes, I must have listened to the song at least 180ish times.
I loooove making lists. To do lists, shopping lists, where to travel lists, top 20 lists, top 25 most played lists, everythinggg! Except I'm having trouble with this one...
I can gain and lose weight really, really easily. I don't do anything and my weight can fluctuate plus/minus 10 lbs.
I do a lot stupid, stupid things, if you could follow me all day you'd find me very amusing. Just last week, a classmate told our group to guess a number from 1-20, and the closest guess will have first dibs on choosing a topic to work on for the class. Low and behold, I chose the number 1. Woooow.

Artsy updates:

Finally developed my first set of lomo pics! Here's a sneak preview...? You can see the rest of the set in my new flickr account here!
Did a bit of singing (solo covers). I'm currently working on a collab with Mike. Hopefully we'll have that done asap! :)

One month in one entry...?

2009-07-14T03:21:02Z

I've been home for almost a month now! Wasn't used to it at first, but I actually really like it here. I missed my family lots, so I'm happy about getting to see them every day :) Gonna try to summarize my past 30 living days in one entry--here goes!

Last couple of images from Hong Kong! My last outing with my cousins

I miss having a pretty roommate =[

With Dylan.. an awesome singer he is!

Went out night after night... I miss LKF soo much!

With Kathy during my last visit to HKU!

But all good things have to come to an end (otherwise, how do we appreciate them!?)! So, after a 14-hour plane ride and hours of hulking and sulking, I made a surprisingly quick recovery from my withdrawal stage and began to appreciate my "normal" life again :)

Jess was being her awesome self & spent lots of time with me :)

We took a whole set of photos, most of which are posted on FB :)

Loooove this girl.

Webcam whoring.

Courtesy of my sister :)

So nice to spend time with old friends <3 Bri & I playing big2, our all-time favourite.

Annnnnd guess who came to visit all the way from Omaha, Nebraska? Ryan! :)

Oh, I've found myself a new hobby! Well, two to be precise. Photography and lomography :) My dad doesn't really use his dslr, so he let me have his Canon Rebel XT. It's relatively old, but good nonetheless.

It's my fave new toy <3

I've been bringing my dslr with me everywhere. I look like a freakin' tourist/paparazzi/stalker, but I don't care :D I've always admired other people's photography, and now I finally have the equipment to pursue it myself! Yay. The other day I was really desperate to take photos of the setting sun... and I was literally chasing the sunset.

I looked like a fool :( Not to mention that I made my sister worry I got raped *rolls eyes*... I didn't even get the shot I wanted either, I'm so full of fail.

Celebrating daddy's 50th <3

I've been spending so much time downtown these days! There's just so much more to see and do. I love living uptown for its comfort, but it gets pretty dull sometimes. Plus, methinks there's better variety of food downtown :)

In Korean town <3 I love my banchan!

I like this shot of Jacky!

I like the colours in this one <3

Went to Night It Up! over the weekend. It was the closest I'll ever be to an authentic night market in Taiwan for a looong time. It brought back nice memories :)

With my sisters <3

With my 三色冰!

Ever since exchange ended, I've felt an ever pressing need to just go out and "experience" Toronto for what it is. It's definitely not the same as Asia though, since going out in Canada usually means spending lots of money, especially on transportation.

At the Toronto Outdoor Arts Exhibition :)

Beautiful sky :)

Brings out my artsy side :) I wanna sew so badly (no pun intended).

And what's a July in Toronto without Summerlicious!? At Alize Restaurant.

With Chen!

Me & my udon (nts: Never order Asian food at an Italian restaurant! D:)
I was so tempted to PS my cheeks in this photo, but I (grudgingly) let it be *sigh*

Aside from going out, I've been trying to get some things done at home too. Basically, things that I don't really have time to do throughout the school year... I.e. knit, read, dance, etc. I finished 3 books in the past week or so, so I am fairly pleased with myself :)

Jocey said, "You're reading, AGAIN!?" and snapped this photo.

Shortly after that... The classic pout D:

My sock... SOME progress, hopefully!? :D

In terms of dance, Jocey & I have been trying to choreograph Feedback by Janet Jackson. It's our first serious attempt at choreography, so I'd say we're doing pretty well :) We're not exactly disciplined though, so we only have 30 secs so far D: I'll post a YT video when I decide we've improved! :D

Also, I've always had this crazy idea to... write and illustrate a children's book o_o. It might sound far-fetched, but I really think I can do it. I just need to manage my time well (which also means less time on this blog :D). If I could accomplish just this lone goal of mine, my summer is complete <3

Hopefully by my next entry, I will have done the following:

Finish Atonement by Ian McEwan;
Choreograph 60secs of Feedback;
Figure out my lomo cameras;
Rough draft of my book

I'm way over my head right now. But at least I have my lolly :)