I’ve never tried Origins before, so I was thrilled to get this free sample. It feels fantastic and has a subtle mint scent to it. Cleansing and refreshing all in one! I also got a small test of the A Perfect World face wash, which feels and smells great too. I’m looking forward to finishing up my current moisturizer so I can try one of theirs. Definitely a convert!
A special edition Earth Day version of Origins face wash! I got it for free that day.
When some people found out that Panda and I will have Skype on as we go about our normal business, they didn’t understand it. They asked me what the point is and they found it to be weird. Obviously they don’t take the same comfort that I do in just having him around (in whatever form required). I don’t believe that conversations should have to be staged for a certain period of time just because you are on a phone or meeting with each other. That works for those you don’t get to see much. But for someone you’re dating, it’s just not enough. Plus, it’s much more natural to have spurts of conversation based on what is happening in real time, rather than condensing everything you want to share into a few minutes a day.
So what better than to sit on Skype, being able to check in on each other and see what the other is doing? I mean, it’s as close to being in the same room as you can possibly get when you’re (thousands of) miles away. And really, the best sort of interaction is in person, so I don’t see why more people wouldn’t want to sit around video chatting their loved ones. I guess part of it is my inability to relate to their need to keep things from their significant other. It’s a common theme among the talk I hear about relationships. Why do people have so many secrets to keep? While I understand you don’t always want to share everything, I certainly never feel the need to hide things and Panda actually errs on the side of sharing too much.
I love being able to look up from what I’m doing and see how he is when I am unable to actually be with him. I like the freedom of being able to come and go and not have to continuously call him back or disrupt his routine. Apparently other people just like to have their lives to themselves, but me? I like to have Panda around as much as possible. That’s why I keep my Skype on.
He seems scared of something! Maybe he only feels safe when against a wall… quite unusual for a fish.
suction fish from Mary Qin on Vimeo.
What an adorable presentation at a Smithsonian gift store. I’ll take the whole set, please! 😉
It's like they're floating down from the sky!
I was in class today, listening to problem solutions when I began to feel ill. My face flushed and I felt queasy – then before I knew it, I developed a bit of a fever. I was nauseated from not eating, so I quickly began to munch on some crunchy Cheetos. At the break, I rushed to a vending machine and got chips and cookies. It was enough to stave off the illness and stabilize my body. Crazy how it just flared up like that, in part due to being weak from hunger, in part due to the chilly room conditions. Even now as I lay in bed, it’s lingering there and I feel on the verge of getting sick. I guess the wind today affected me more than I expected.
Have you ever experienced a sudden fever like that? One that comes and goes before you fully react to what’s going on? I used to get it every afternoon in high school for awhile, but now I only get flare-ups occasionally. The nice thing is they go away pretty quickly, but they just as quickly and unpredictably come back too. I hope that rest will stave it off and not give it a moment of weakness upon which to pounce!
A little baby monkey has some fun ruffling up leaves at the Singapore Zoo. Meanwhile, the adult one climbs up to a treehouse lookout.
baby monkey from Mary Qin on Vimeo.
I was once called Dory, and I never knew why...
Ever since visiting Panda two weekends ago, I’ve been able to get up earlier in the morning (in fact, I can’t help but wake up between 6 and 7:30). When I first wake in the morning, I usually take a look at my phone to make sure I still have time and go back to a light sleep until my alarm goes off at 8:30. I then get out of bed in the next 15-20 minutes, shower, and get ready to head out. I’ve been able to make it to work on time or 5-10 minutes early. Fantastic!
Prior to my trip, I’d been getting in a bad habit – snoozing until 9:15, when I’d jump out of bed, throw something on, brush my teeth and hair, wash my face, and rush out only to be 5 minutes late to work. While nobody is watching the clock when we start showing up at work, I always felt a little guilty that I just couldn’t make it on time. Who knows if anybody else noticed. All that mattered was my own conscience, nagging at me silently. I’d been slipping into a funk and no matter what I tried, I couldn’t fix it. I even slept a good 8-9 hours once and I think it actually made matters worse.
I guess getting up at 3:30 AM PST to get to the airport and hop on a flight that would get me to LA by 11:30 AM PST did something to adjust my biological clock setting. Even though I did sleep quite a bit on the plane, none of it was very restful and as soon as I landed I headed back to work that day. By the end of my work day, I was so exhausted I wanted nothing else but to rest. Maybe what I needed was just that one day of extended exhaustion to make me tired by 11 and actually willing to sleep before midnight. Now I get plenty of sleep and while I always want more, it is much easier to get up on time in the mornings (and even sneak a shower in!).
So you see people, jetlag isn’t always a bad thing! Maybe it’s even that restart or jump start that your body has been waiting for.
Carlos loves frisbees. 🙂
carlos the seal from Mary Qin on Vimeo.
Every year, the Orientation Staff at UCLA paints the letters to form this welcome sign that hangs over the building that Orientation students see when they arrive. Come summer, a new sign will be up at Rieber Terrace to greet the incoming students of 2011.
The lovely handiwork of the Orientation Counselors at UCLA, 2010.
Panda helped make the M - they chose a music theme.
