You know what I don't get...when people find out I'm going to Japan on my mission, they immediately say something in Japanese to me (cause for some reason, they all can speak it). I can't speak Japanese, so when they say whatever they say, I have no choice but to stand there and look like a fool.
I mean, I really only have a few options in that kind of situation--believe me, I've had plenty of time to thoroughly contemplate both the awkwardness of these situations I constantly find myself in, and also the very limited number of responses I could possibly have to counter their...whatever they say.
Situation 1:
Me: Yeah, I'm going to Japan.
Other: Genki desu ka?
Me: ...What?
Situation 2:
Me: Yep, Japan.
Other: Oh....Konnichiwa.
Me: ...yeah....Pokémon.
Situation 3:
Me: That's right, I've been called to the Japan, Fukuoka Mission.
Other: (Some random Japanese phrase that I couldn't possibly remember)
Me: Oh...Is that Japanese then?
Situation 4:
Me: Japan
Other: (Another Japanese phrase probably making fun of me)
Me: ...
And so on...
I constantly find myself in these kinds of situations, where those are honestly some of my responses. I mean, who freaking speaks Japanese? Why couldn't I have been called to speak that crazy click-language in Africa? Maybe then people wouldn't try to talk to me in click. Or maybe they would...psychos.
I've thought about wearing a sign around my neck that explained my complete incompetence--that I've somehow managed to be the only person in Utah Valley that missed that day in school where they teach you Japanese. My freaking 9 year-old brother knows how to count to, like, 100 in Japanese. What is this world coming to?
It's also been really weird, learning that just about everyone I know has either lived in Japan for a few years, or went there on their mission, or had Japanese exchange students, or took it in High School or College. Okay, where were all these people before I got my call? I know it's cool that I'm going there--and now we all have that similarity to discuss at what ends up to be the most inconvenient times--but how come they didn't tell me before? Did they not think I'd care? Could I not handle hearing about Japan before I knew I was doomed to go there for the next two years of my life?
I'm probably coming off a lot more annoyed and angry than I am. And I've certainly digressed from my original point...which I've forgotten. Ah, yes, that was it: Stop saying Japanese to me! I don't understand it yet. And that just makes our conversation really awkward afterward. Then somehow it falls to me to save the conversation, and I don't feel like that's fair at all.
Example:
Other: Where are you going on your mission?
Me: Fukuoka, Japan.
Other: Oh, Konnichiwa. Anata wa saru des.
Me: ...Um...So was that Japanese?
One Half of My Brain: OF COURSE IT WAS, YOU FOOL! Now you've done it...You've really gone and done it now.
The Other Half of My Brain: Yeah?! Well, tell me what you would have said. Go on...just work your magic!
The First Half of My Brain: Okay, watch this.
Me: Um, I'm going to Japan on my mission...
All of My Brain: I'm outta here!
*sound of a door closing in my mind*
Me: ...
Other: ...
So now that I've completely exhausted this subject, I'll end my post now. I guess I'm lucky though...at least the people here don't honestly expect me to be able to say anything back. That doesn't necessarily stop them from making a fool of me--we've seen that--but I'm sure it's much easier to deal with here than it is in Japan, when I suddenly find myself on someone's doorstep, who is staring at me, wondering what I'm trying to say.
And I don't think "Pokémon" is gonna save me then...
Thursday, February 01, 2007
Wednesday, January 31, 2007
Definitely Not Del-gross-o!
It's been a few days since my last entry, and a lot has happened. I've been reading lots of different books, including Japan: The Story of a Nation, Jesus the Christ, and The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. I can't really focus on one thing, but I'll have you know that all of them are interesting, and I'm beginning to feel that the time sitting at home isn't a complete waste.
Yesterday, I went to the Provo temple with Brady and Ben at 6am to do baptisms and confirmations. It was my first time confirming and baptizing, and I really enjoyed it. I learned a lot from the experience, and as we were leaving, we saw Whitlie Murdoch, Sabrina Brunsdale, and Becca Clegg going in to do them too. And while out in the parking lot, we saw Dave Wooley and the futbol team heading in...all, like 10 of them. It's cool to see that the work is going on ALL the time, and so many people are eager to participate. I enjoyed it so much, in fact, that I went again today at 4pm with Whitlie, Sabrina, and Lindsay Pflueger. I got to confirm and baptize all three of them, and it was a really neat experience.
Tonight, I went with Gregory to see the Evolution of Dance at the Scera Theatre, in Orem. I cost us $10 each, and I admit, I was skeptical at first...it had better be worth that $10! But as the concert continued, I found myself more and more entertained. We went to see Rachel Shivers (yes, that's her name, Ollie, and we never actually saw her...Greg, couldn't recognize her) who Greg had worked with. I noticed early on though, that Afton Delgrosso was dancing, and her sister too. I've noticed that there are some dancers that, when they are dancing with a group, tend to stand out somehow--like they're really meant to dance, and the other dancers are just dancing around in their shadows. The Delgrosso's are like that, and not in a conceited way, that I can see. Just, it's easy to spot one in the crowd of dancers, and you can just tell, that they're not only a Delgrosso, but also that they were meant to dance. This is obvious, as Afton has been on "So You Think You Can Dance" and in "High School Musical." She's a veteran--not to mention, she's very good-looking too.
That's right, we never actually met Greg's mystery girl, who's supposedly so stinkin' hot that Greg's glasses fog up when he talks to her on the phone (I have yet to see them fog up when she talks to him in person...). I'm hoping in manages to pull through though, cause he promised to show us a picture of his Rachel. This seems eerily reminiscent of Jeff's "Delta Girls" who were supposed to be the "hottest girls on the planet," or so the saying goes. But Jeff, despite countless promises to show us a picture, never actually pulled through for us, so we may never know. Now we wonder...did they actually exist?
But I did enjoy the show. It was very well done, and was able to incorporate elements of all styles, from African to Swing, to Hip-Hop. What Greg and I couldn't understand was why, in the 1920's, right in the middle of the Roarin' Twenties routine, a hip-hop number cut in. It looked like Dr. Dre meets Newsies, and Greg and I kept looking back and forth at each other, wondering if it was really actually happening--if a bunch of kids in knickers and knee-high socks, sporting those silly golf hats, were actually busting-a-move to Busta Rhymes. This extraordinary display continued in almost every decade during the 20th century, which messed me up, and must have completely boggled the minds of the elderly couples sitting beside us. Up until the 80's section, Greg and I were really confused at which decade we were currently in. Once we saw those wonderful neon spandex uniforms, and cut-off sweatshirts, we knew that we'd made it, and the hip-hop routines that continued to make their interjections, were no longer confusing. Plus, they did some sweet break-dancing.
Anyway, the MC guy was pretty good, despite his annoying personality, he had an incredible voice and occasionally would do a musical number. I was surprised and thought he was lip-syncing at first.
All-in-all, it was a good night, but it lasted 2 and a half hours, and that was a little long...
I'll give it an 8.5 out of 10, but mostly cause it had those Delgrosso's in it. Wow.
Yesterday, I went to the Provo temple with Brady and Ben at 6am to do baptisms and confirmations. It was my first time confirming and baptizing, and I really enjoyed it. I learned a lot from the experience, and as we were leaving, we saw Whitlie Murdoch, Sabrina Brunsdale, and Becca Clegg going in to do them too. And while out in the parking lot, we saw Dave Wooley and the futbol team heading in...all, like 10 of them. It's cool to see that the work is going on ALL the time, and so many people are eager to participate. I enjoyed it so much, in fact, that I went again today at 4pm with Whitlie, Sabrina, and Lindsay Pflueger. I got to confirm and baptize all three of them, and it was a really neat experience.
Tonight, I went with Gregory to see the Evolution of Dance at the Scera Theatre, in Orem. I cost us $10 each, and I admit, I was skeptical at first...it had better be worth that $10! But as the concert continued, I found myself more and more entertained. We went to see Rachel Shivers (yes, that's her name, Ollie, and we never actually saw her...Greg, couldn't recognize her) who Greg had worked with. I noticed early on though, that Afton Delgrosso was dancing, and her sister too. I've noticed that there are some dancers that, when they are dancing with a group, tend to stand out somehow--like they're really meant to dance, and the other dancers are just dancing around in their shadows. The Delgrosso's are like that, and not in a conceited way, that I can see. Just, it's easy to spot one in the crowd of dancers, and you can just tell, that they're not only a Delgrosso, but also that they were meant to dance. This is obvious, as Afton has been on "So You Think You Can Dance" and in "High School Musical." She's a veteran--not to mention, she's very good-looking too.
That's right, we never actually met Greg's mystery girl, who's supposedly so stinkin' hot that Greg's glasses fog up when he talks to her on the phone (I have yet to see them fog up when she talks to him in person...). I'm hoping in manages to pull through though, cause he promised to show us a picture of his Rachel. This seems eerily reminiscent of Jeff's "Delta Girls" who were supposed to be the "hottest girls on the planet," or so the saying goes. But Jeff, despite countless promises to show us a picture, never actually pulled through for us, so we may never know. Now we wonder...did they actually exist?
But I did enjoy the show. It was very well done, and was able to incorporate elements of all styles, from African to Swing, to Hip-Hop. What Greg and I couldn't understand was why, in the 1920's, right in the middle of the Roarin' Twenties routine, a hip-hop number cut in. It looked like Dr. Dre meets Newsies, and Greg and I kept looking back and forth at each other, wondering if it was really actually happening--if a bunch of kids in knickers and knee-high socks, sporting those silly golf hats, were actually busting-a-move to Busta Rhymes. This extraordinary display continued in almost every decade during the 20th century, which messed me up, and must have completely boggled the minds of the elderly couples sitting beside us. Up until the 80's section, Greg and I were really confused at which decade we were currently in. Once we saw those wonderful neon spandex uniforms, and cut-off sweatshirts, we knew that we'd made it, and the hip-hop routines that continued to make their interjections, were no longer confusing. Plus, they did some sweet break-dancing.
Anyway, the MC guy was pretty good, despite his annoying personality, he had an incredible voice and occasionally would do a musical number. I was surprised and thought he was lip-syncing at first.
All-in-all, it was a good night, but it lasted 2 and a half hours, and that was a little long...
I'll give it an 8.5 out of 10, but mostly cause it had those Delgrosso's in it. Wow.
Tuesday, January 23, 2007
Jeff's A Missionary Now
Today was Jeff's last day before he goes into the MTC. He was set apart sometime after 8pm tonight, and is now officially a missionary for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. He's going to be serving in Calgary, Canada, speaking Spanish. I'm excited for him, but it'll be two years before I see him again. It's weird, cause I've known him for 19 years. I won't see him again until we're both back from our missions and 21 years old.
Anyway, that's about it. We just hung out with him for a while today, before he was set apart. I wish him the best of luck, and to be completely honest, I'll probably see him in the MTC in about a month...
Anyway, that's about it. We just hung out with him for a while today, before he was set apart. I wish him the best of luck, and to be completely honest, I'll probably see him in the MTC in about a month...
Monday, January 22, 2007
Staples...The New Office
One day, the CEO of Staples was looking for a completely awesome advertising campaign. The regular commercials in between tv shows were just not cutting it, so he appealed to the board of directors.
The board of directors knew exactly what to do. "See," they said to the CEO. "What you ask of us is not a new commercial to air in between television programs. No, what you truly need is a television show to air in between commercials."
Thus, The Office was born. Sure, you can say that it was based on the UK version which aired a few years ago, but only ran for a pathetic two seasons--and really only 11 episodes at that. I don't believe that's the case; but of course it is somewhat loosely based on the same idea (Tim...Jim....we might have something there). This may just be a conspiracy theory, but if Staples was able to pull it off, then this is quite possibly the most ingenious advertising campaign ever developed--certainly the most incredible one I've ever heard of. If I'm wrong, then I'm the most genius person I've ever known.
Anyway, The Office started out humbly, and the first season had a mere 6 episodes. They were very funny, and the character development was a sitcom/reality hybrid of scripted interviews of the main characters. As the show progressed, we got to see the versatility of many of the secondary characters, and even the unrequited love story of Jim Halpert. During its second season, the show picked up many many new viewers, and became a cult classic. As the forbidden love of Jim and Pam progressed, so did the audience.
People connect to The Office because it is a very funny show, but it also depicts life in a very real way. Unlike Seinfeld, which focused on a group of 4 people who, despite jobs, managed to do nothing all day everyday, this show focuses on what seems to be a more realistic lifestyle.
Anyway, I digress. During the second, and especially the third season so far, there have been many subtle hints and advertisements for Staples. At first, it wasn't noticeable, and then it grew to be part of the jokes. (i.e. Kevin's salad, courtesy of a staples paper shredder, which was advertised directly after the show, during the commercial break...)
Meredith: "Where'd you get that salad?"
Kevin: "Staples."
There have been numerous other references to products that everyone wants, including iPods. The Office is definitely a means by which brands get noticed. Staples, however, seems to be different. I formulated this idea a few hours before last Thursday's episode, telling my friend that it would be crazy if Staples was really using The Office to advertise. He agreed, and said, "Of course they are." But I meant something different.
What if the entire show was only a big commercial? What if these characters we'd grown to love were just facilitators for advertisement? What if The Office wasn't meant to satisfy peoples' desires to kill their bosses and laugh about all those stupid people they have to deal with at work, and it was only created in order to shoot subliminal messages? What if we're all being mind-controlled?
It's no secret that everyone who watches this show becomes addicted. Once you watch, you're hooked, and tune in every week. It's every bit as addicting as Lost or 24, because it's not only a comedy show, but it's also a drama, and the idea of Jim and Pam hooking up is what keeps us coming back for more...or is it? Maybe we're being brainwashed, and that's why...
The madness reached a peak on Thursday, just as I'd predicted, when Dwight procured a job at Staples to facilitate his search for a career. All of my wildest dreams and my worst nightmares came true when I saw him in the red uniform of Staples. Perhaps it was true...perhaps this show isn't really what I thought it was.
Needless to say it wasn't subliminal anymore...it was liminal. Maybe even superliminal. Ultraliminal?
You decide...
The board of directors knew exactly what to do. "See," they said to the CEO. "What you ask of us is not a new commercial to air in between television programs. No, what you truly need is a television show to air in between commercials."
Thus, The Office was born. Sure, you can say that it was based on the UK version which aired a few years ago, but only ran for a pathetic two seasons--and really only 11 episodes at that. I don't believe that's the case; but of course it is somewhat loosely based on the same idea (Tim...Jim....we might have something there). This may just be a conspiracy theory, but if Staples was able to pull it off, then this is quite possibly the most ingenious advertising campaign ever developed--certainly the most incredible one I've ever heard of. If I'm wrong, then I'm the most genius person I've ever known.
Anyway, The Office started out humbly, and the first season had a mere 6 episodes. They were very funny, and the character development was a sitcom/reality hybrid of scripted interviews of the main characters. As the show progressed, we got to see the versatility of many of the secondary characters, and even the unrequited love story of Jim Halpert. During its second season, the show picked up many many new viewers, and became a cult classic. As the forbidden love of Jim and Pam progressed, so did the audience.
People connect to The Office because it is a very funny show, but it also depicts life in a very real way. Unlike Seinfeld, which focused on a group of 4 people who, despite jobs, managed to do nothing all day everyday, this show focuses on what seems to be a more realistic lifestyle.
Anyway, I digress. During the second, and especially the third season so far, there have been many subtle hints and advertisements for Staples. At first, it wasn't noticeable, and then it grew to be part of the jokes. (i.e. Kevin's salad, courtesy of a staples paper shredder, which was advertised directly after the show, during the commercial break...)
Meredith: "Where'd you get that salad?"
Kevin: "Staples."
There have been numerous other references to products that everyone wants, including iPods. The Office is definitely a means by which brands get noticed. Staples, however, seems to be different. I formulated this idea a few hours before last Thursday's episode, telling my friend that it would be crazy if Staples was really using The Office to advertise. He agreed, and said, "Of course they are." But I meant something different.
What if the entire show was only a big commercial? What if these characters we'd grown to love were just facilitators for advertisement? What if The Office wasn't meant to satisfy peoples' desires to kill their bosses and laugh about all those stupid people they have to deal with at work, and it was only created in order to shoot subliminal messages? What if we're all being mind-controlled?
It's no secret that everyone who watches this show becomes addicted. Once you watch, you're hooked, and tune in every week. It's every bit as addicting as Lost or 24, because it's not only a comedy show, but it's also a drama, and the idea of Jim and Pam hooking up is what keeps us coming back for more...or is it? Maybe we're being brainwashed, and that's why...
The madness reached a peak on Thursday, just as I'd predicted, when Dwight procured a job at Staples to facilitate his search for a career. All of my wildest dreams and my worst nightmares came true when I saw him in the red uniform of Staples. Perhaps it was true...perhaps this show isn't really what I thought it was.
Needless to say it wasn't subliminal anymore...it was liminal. Maybe even superliminal. Ultraliminal?
You decide...
Sunday, January 21, 2007
The Real Office...
Okay, here's the deal. I don't really feel like explaining my whole theory tonight, as it's already past midnight and I got, like, no sleep last night. But here's the basic idea of what I'm proposing.
The Office, the wonderfully witty sitcom on NBC, which has gathered a cult following, and is quickly becoming the most-downloaded tv show on iTunes, is all an elaborate advertising scheme concocted by the Staples board of directors.
No, no, no...hear me out! I stumbled upon this theory-in-full literally a few hours before the latest installment of the series, which aired on Thursday night. I've got witnesses.
Anyway, I'll expound in the near future, seeing as this obviously needs some explaining, and I'm in no condition to do so now. Have faith, my loyal reader (let's be honest here...only one person, if any, reads this pathetic blog). I shall see you through.
The Office, the wonderfully witty sitcom on NBC, which has gathered a cult following, and is quickly becoming the most-downloaded tv show on iTunes, is all an elaborate advertising scheme concocted by the Staples board of directors.
No, no, no...hear me out! I stumbled upon this theory-in-full literally a few hours before the latest installment of the series, which aired on Thursday night. I've got witnesses.
Anyway, I'll expound in the near future, seeing as this obviously needs some explaining, and I'm in no condition to do so now. Have faith, my loyal reader (let's be honest here...only one person, if any, reads this pathetic blog). I shall see you through.
Thursday, January 18, 2007
Female Comedians...
Is it just me, or is there really no such thing as a decent female stand-up act? Why is it that they're so horrible at stand-up comedy. There are great female comedians, but they're on scripted television, or SNL. I ask this because I just barely saw this horribly overweight and hideous woman on Jay Leno tonight. She was so incredibly awful that it sparked this thought. I've discussed this with friends in the past. I mean, there are so many funny male comics: Brian Regen, Mike Birbiglia, Jerry Seinfeld, Bill Cosby, and Conan O'Brien, just to name a few. Most of those were stand-up comics. They're also pretty clean too; they don't base every joke on sex, or racism, or a lot of swearing. They're actually funny, and prove that comedy doesn't rely on scum and crap.
But it's a running theme with almost all female comedians, that they must not only bore us, but also offend us with their crude jokes and racist jokes. What is the deal? What ever happened to grape sno-cones, or chocolate cake?
It's just sad that women resort to crudity. That's no way to act, especially for a lady. I say, quit it. Nobody cares. Nobody listens to female comics anyway.
But it's a running theme with almost all female comedians, that they must not only bore us, but also offend us with their crude jokes and racist jokes. What is the deal? What ever happened to grape sno-cones, or chocolate cake?
It's just sad that women resort to crudity. That's no way to act, especially for a lady. I say, quit it. Nobody cares. Nobody listens to female comics anyway.
Wednesday, January 17, 2007
Personal History
I'm supposed to write a 500-word personal history for something, so I decided to make it a post. You know, to help you get to know me more than you ever wanted to. Sounds like fun, huh?
I was born of two goodly parents in December of 1987, in a little town known as Provo, Utah. My father was attending Brigham Young University at the time, and eventually graduated to become an electrical engineer. He was offered a few jobs after graduating, and took the best one, which was a job working for Bell Labs in New Jersey. So when I was nine months old, we moved from Utah to New Jersey, to the dismay of my grandparents. We lived in New Jersey for a few years, but then relocated to North Carolina, although my father continued to work for AT&T. While in New Jersey, however, my first brother, Michael, was born. We lived in North Carolina for a few years, while I attended preschool. Just before I started kindergarten. After living in North Carolina for a few years, my parents decided it was best to relocate once more to Allentown, Pennsylvania. This was in my best interests, as I had begun to pick up a southern accent from my preschoolish peers. That "yaller crown" just wasn't going to cut it...I needed the yellow crayon, and it was nowhere to be found in North Carolina. Pennsylvania it was! I began my elementary school education at Ironton Elementary School, in Whitehall Township. We lived in a suburb of Allentown...yes, THE Allentown, sung about by Billy Joel. Ironton was good for me. I made friends with just about everyone, and spent my recesses dominating in kickball with all of the guys. We we so good that we often beat the kids in the grade above us. When we weren't playing kickball, we'd play our own version of soccer, that was more like rugby once someone decided to pick the ball up off the ground. That was a lot of fun too. We spent most of our recesses, however, trying to stay out of trouble and keep from being sent to "the Wall", which was our recess aids' version of the Nazi concentration camps, intended to punish us for poor behavior. Whilst living in Pennsylvania my two other brothers were born, Alex and Matthew successively, were born in an Allentown hospital. Shortly after beginning middle school at Orefield Middle School (so called because naming it after our high school "Parkland High" would have resulted in the initials PMS, which for obvious reasons was a poor choice) I moved back to Utah. We moved to Highland, Utah, and have lived here ever since. I attended Mountain Ridge Junior High and perhaps the only memorable things I did there consisted of making the yearbook staff, and um...running the fun run. Hey, I never said the memories would be good, just memorable. I started at Lone Peak High School in 2003 and that year I made a TON of new friends, and had a wonderful time. I took some very engaging and rewarding classes during the next three years, and formed some lasting friendships with both students and teachers. I performed well during the AP tests both my Junior and Senior years, and did well on the ACT, receiving a 31. I was accepted to both Brigham Young University and The University of Utah, with a half-tuition scholarship to BYU and a full-tuition scholarship to the U of U. Most of my friends went to BYU, but Mike, Quinn, Drew and I decided to go the Utah. I went because of the Architecture program at Utah. I'm now working toward a Masters in Architecture. We all love Utah and look forward to continuing our education in two years. In the meantime, however, we're all preparing for our LDS missions. I've been called to go to Fukuoka, Japan, and I leave on February 28th, 2007 for the MTC. Thus concludes my personal history. I hope you enjoyed it.
Gee, I hope that was 500 words. But then again, who cares? Does it really matter if it's 500 words. I mean, it accomplished the same purpose. If I can inform someone of my own personal history, in less than 500 words, then more power to me, I say.
Good day to you all.
I was born of two goodly parents in December of 1987, in a little town known as Provo, Utah. My father was attending Brigham Young University at the time, and eventually graduated to become an electrical engineer. He was offered a few jobs after graduating, and took the best one, which was a job working for Bell Labs in New Jersey. So when I was nine months old, we moved from Utah to New Jersey, to the dismay of my grandparents. We lived in New Jersey for a few years, but then relocated to North Carolina, although my father continued to work for AT&T. While in New Jersey, however, my first brother, Michael, was born. We lived in North Carolina for a few years, while I attended preschool. Just before I started kindergarten. After living in North Carolina for a few years, my parents decided it was best to relocate once more to Allentown, Pennsylvania. This was in my best interests, as I had begun to pick up a southern accent from my preschoolish peers. That "yaller crown" just wasn't going to cut it...I needed the yellow crayon, and it was nowhere to be found in North Carolina. Pennsylvania it was! I began my elementary school education at Ironton Elementary School, in Whitehall Township. We lived in a suburb of Allentown...yes, THE Allentown, sung about by Billy Joel. Ironton was good for me. I made friends with just about everyone, and spent my recesses dominating in kickball with all of the guys. We we so good that we often beat the kids in the grade above us. When we weren't playing kickball, we'd play our own version of soccer, that was more like rugby once someone decided to pick the ball up off the ground. That was a lot of fun too. We spent most of our recesses, however, trying to stay out of trouble and keep from being sent to "the Wall", which was our recess aids' version of the Nazi concentration camps, intended to punish us for poor behavior. Whilst living in Pennsylvania my two other brothers were born, Alex and Matthew successively, were born in an Allentown hospital. Shortly after beginning middle school at Orefield Middle School (so called because naming it after our high school "Parkland High" would have resulted in the initials PMS, which for obvious reasons was a poor choice) I moved back to Utah. We moved to Highland, Utah, and have lived here ever since. I attended Mountain Ridge Junior High and perhaps the only memorable things I did there consisted of making the yearbook staff, and um...running the fun run. Hey, I never said the memories would be good, just memorable. I started at Lone Peak High School in 2003 and that year I made a TON of new friends, and had a wonderful time. I took some very engaging and rewarding classes during the next three years, and formed some lasting friendships with both students and teachers. I performed well during the AP tests both my Junior and Senior years, and did well on the ACT, receiving a 31. I was accepted to both Brigham Young University and The University of Utah, with a half-tuition scholarship to BYU and a full-tuition scholarship to the U of U. Most of my friends went to BYU, but Mike, Quinn, Drew and I decided to go the Utah. I went because of the Architecture program at Utah. I'm now working toward a Masters in Architecture. We all love Utah and look forward to continuing our education in two years. In the meantime, however, we're all preparing for our LDS missions. I've been called to go to Fukuoka, Japan, and I leave on February 28th, 2007 for the MTC. Thus concludes my personal history. I hope you enjoyed it.
Gee, I hope that was 500 words. But then again, who cares? Does it really matter if it's 500 words. I mean, it accomplished the same purpose. If I can inform someone of my own personal history, in less than 500 words, then more power to me, I say.
Good day to you all.
Tuesday, January 16, 2007
Why Does This Seem Like An Empty Victory?
Don't quote me here, but the high for today was something around, like, 29 degrees...maybe in the 30's. Pretty darn cold for any self-respecting winter-hater like myself. So why do I call this a victory? Well, my point is this. It actually seemed warm. Call me crazy, but I walked out of the house today (which is something I rarely do anymore, since I've got nowhere to go), and I actually was relieved that it had warmed up. Sick, I know. I hate winter because I hate the cold. The cold is bad. I can do cool. I can do breezy...slightly breezy, slightly cool. That's great stuff. I hate too hot and too cold.
This concerns me, as I'll be living in southern Japan for two years. The cold shouldn't be too bitter, supposedly it'll snow only a few times while I'm there and the coldest it'll get is like, 30's. It'll probably get pretty hot though. I might be living in Okinawa for a while, and that's a tropical island. Cool, tropical island, I'm totally all for that. Humidity is foreign to me, since moving to Utah. I grew up back east, and humidity was all over. You couldn't get away from it. It was like a big, blankety, wrappy, huggy thing. So I don't know if it'll be a welcome thing again, but I'm going to have to deal with humidity again. During the summer, humidity makes it seem so much hotter, and during the winter it makes it seem so much colder.
Um, yeah, so I just rambled, and it took me like, an hour to write all of that, cause I've been watching tv at the same time. I'm done, I promise.
This concerns me, as I'll be living in southern Japan for two years. The cold shouldn't be too bitter, supposedly it'll snow only a few times while I'm there and the coldest it'll get is like, 30's. It'll probably get pretty hot though. I might be living in Okinawa for a while, and that's a tropical island. Cool, tropical island, I'm totally all for that. Humidity is foreign to me, since moving to Utah. I grew up back east, and humidity was all over. You couldn't get away from it. It was like a big, blankety, wrappy, huggy thing. So I don't know if it'll be a welcome thing again, but I'm going to have to deal with humidity again. During the summer, humidity makes it seem so much hotter, and during the winter it makes it seem so much colder.
Um, yeah, so I just rambled, and it took me like, an hour to write all of that, cause I've been watching tv at the same time. I'm done, I promise.
Monday, January 15, 2007
Miss Katie Millar
I almost died on the freeway today, but that's not important. What's important is this!
Katie Millar - Miss Utah
What a beautiful picture of her. Well, she's beautiful, so of course the picture will be. She's the awesomest candidate, so watch for her. It's too bad the pageant will be broadcast on CMT. I guess it's not as a respectable pageant as I thought it was, otherwise a decent channel would pick it up. But alas, we will be forced to tune into the Country Music Channel. Ugh, I think I just threw up in my mouth...
Katie Millar - Miss Utah
What a beautiful picture of her. Well, she's beautiful, so of course the picture will be. She's the awesomest candidate, so watch for her. It's too bad the pageant will be broadcast on CMT. I guess it's not as a respectable pageant as I thought it was, otherwise a decent channel would pick it up. But alas, we will be forced to tune into the Country Music Channel. Ugh, I think I just threw up in my mouth...
Sunday, January 14, 2007
Okay, So That Didn't Work Perfectly...But Check This Out!
That test of the email posting didn't quite work. It saved my post as a draft, rather than actually posting it. This may not work quite as smoothly as I wanted, but I will not be shaken so easily. I'm going to iron out the wrinkles and make a few more test runs. If it seems that I cannot actually post my email "posts" then I'll have someone, like my dad, come in and hit the publish button once a week. Pictures...well, we'll see about that. I'll try posting pictures too. Trust me, it'll be okay.
So anyway, today was pretty long. After 3 hours of church, and an extra hour of temple prep, I went to two temple recommend interviews and then at 5 got ordained as an elder. Phew, so much going on. On the bright side, it was fun...I mean, it wasn't like boring, so spending that long in a suit wasn't as excruciating as it could have been. It was good to see everyone, especially my grandparents. I'll go to the Mt. Timpanogos temple on Saturday, and I'm extremely excited for that. It was nice to see Bret Millar too. He got assigned to preside over the ordination instead of Dennis Larsen, who was out of town. I love Bret Millar, he's one of the nicest men I've ever met; always friendly and looks out for you. His family's amazing too. Talk about beautiful daughters!
This brings me to my next point. Katie Millar. She's Miss Utah this year, and next week she'll travel to compete in the Miss America Pageant! How incredibly exciting! I danced with her at MORP, so back off! There's a send-off for her on Thursday at Lone Peak, 7p.m. Everyone's going to wish her good-luck, and say goodbye, at least for a week or two. Poor Bret, though. He told us today in Priesthood, that he had to review the rules of football the other day, just to prove to himself that he still knew them. He's so involved in the pageantry, he's begun to critique Katie, and he can tell you all the points for everything. "I'm counting on you brethren to help me out here," he joked. When Kurt Holmstead said, "Well, it's quite probable that Katie could win Miss America." Bret countered, saying, "Yeah! The headline'll read: MISS UTAH CROWNED MISS AMERICA, PARENTS COMMIT SUICIDE".
Phew...just about wet myself over that one! Good times.
Well, this post probably sucked and was totally boring, but oh well. Deal with it.
So anyway, today was pretty long. After 3 hours of church, and an extra hour of temple prep, I went to two temple recommend interviews and then at 5 got ordained as an elder. Phew, so much going on. On the bright side, it was fun...I mean, it wasn't like boring, so spending that long in a suit wasn't as excruciating as it could have been. It was good to see everyone, especially my grandparents. I'll go to the Mt. Timpanogos temple on Saturday, and I'm extremely excited for that. It was nice to see Bret Millar too. He got assigned to preside over the ordination instead of Dennis Larsen, who was out of town. I love Bret Millar, he's one of the nicest men I've ever met; always friendly and looks out for you. His family's amazing too. Talk about beautiful daughters!
This brings me to my next point. Katie Millar. She's Miss Utah this year, and next week she'll travel to compete in the Miss America Pageant! How incredibly exciting! I danced with her at MORP, so back off! There's a send-off for her on Thursday at Lone Peak, 7p.m. Everyone's going to wish her good-luck, and say goodbye, at least for a week or two. Poor Bret, though. He told us today in Priesthood, that he had to review the rules of football the other day, just to prove to himself that he still knew them. He's so involved in the pageantry, he's begun to critique Katie, and he can tell you all the points for everything. "I'm counting on you brethren to help me out here," he joked. When Kurt Holmstead said, "Well, it's quite probable that Katie could win Miss America." Bret countered, saying, "Yeah! The headline'll read: MISS UTAH CROWNED MISS AMERICA, PARENTS COMMIT SUICIDE".
Phew...just about wet myself over that one! Good times.
Well, this post probably sucked and was totally boring, but oh well. Deal with it.
Saturday, January 13, 2007
This Is A Test
Here we are, testing out our ability to post via email. If this works, I may be able to post occasionally from Japan, and perhaps upload pictures, but let's not get carried away here. I mean, at this very second I don't even know if this will work...
Four Months?
Is it really a problem that I haven't posted in four months? Does anyone actually read this? Would you be interested in learning more about the mundane goings-on of a college/post college student? Did you understand what I meant by "college/post college"?
Although no one actually reads this, I'll attempt to post a daily blog here at least until I leave for Japan. Yes, that's right, Japan. Which brings me to my next point. I'll be serving an LDS mission in Fukuoka, Japan for the next two years, beginning in March. I can't post while I'm there, so if'n I decide to continue with this blog when I get back, it'll be two years until I can actually do so. And that's precisely what I meant by "college/post college"!
Two years in Japan, you say? Better than Seven Years in Tibet, you say? Never saw that one, but I can guarantee you I'll enjoy the next two years. Sure it'll be hard, proselyting and preaching, teaching and ...sleeping? I honestly couldn't think of another thing to rhyme with preaching and teaching, so I slant-rhymed it. Can ya dig it? Too bad. Anyway, Fukuoka is supposed to be the oldest area in Japan, because of it's proximity to China, the mother of civilization and originator of Panda Express. With all this buzz about China and how great it is--I mean, c'mon, that Orange Chicken is to-die-for--Japan seems to be overshadowed, wouldn't you say? WRONG! You couldn't be more wronger... Japan has a lot of cool stuff, like...the Japanese language, for example. And video games, and anime, and ...video games. I'll not be allowed to participate in any of that (except for the Japanese language) for the next two years, which basically limits my activities to languaging, sleeping, teaching, preaching, ...bleaching (ha, got one!), and more teaching. Which is fine by me, cause that's all I wanted. Good thing is that I won't have to worry about anything else, so it's all good.
I don't really have much more to say right now, mostly cause I'm heading over to Greg's house to play Fifa 07. I'd rather play that than blog, you see. ...Aw, shucks, don't cry. I didn't really mean it. Look.....I'll make it up to you. How about I post again tomorrow? Sound good? Okay, sweet.
Although no one actually reads this, I'll attempt to post a daily blog here at least until I leave for Japan. Yes, that's right, Japan. Which brings me to my next point. I'll be serving an LDS mission in Fukuoka, Japan for the next two years, beginning in March. I can't post while I'm there, so if'n I decide to continue with this blog when I get back, it'll be two years until I can actually do so. And that's precisely what I meant by "college/post college"!
Two years in Japan, you say? Better than Seven Years in Tibet, you say? Never saw that one, but I can guarantee you I'll enjoy the next two years. Sure it'll be hard, proselyting and preaching, teaching and ...sleeping? I honestly couldn't think of another thing to rhyme with preaching and teaching, so I slant-rhymed it. Can ya dig it? Too bad. Anyway, Fukuoka is supposed to be the oldest area in Japan, because of it's proximity to China, the mother of civilization and originator of Panda Express. With all this buzz about China and how great it is--I mean, c'mon, that Orange Chicken is to-die-for--Japan seems to be overshadowed, wouldn't you say? WRONG! You couldn't be more wronger... Japan has a lot of cool stuff, like...the Japanese language, for example. And video games, and anime, and ...video games. I'll not be allowed to participate in any of that (except for the Japanese language) for the next two years, which basically limits my activities to languaging, sleeping, teaching, preaching, ...bleaching (ha, got one!), and more teaching. Which is fine by me, cause that's all I wanted. Good thing is that I won't have to worry about anything else, so it's all good.
I don't really have much more to say right now, mostly cause I'm heading over to Greg's house to play Fifa 07. I'd rather play that than blog, you see. ...Aw, shucks, don't cry. I didn't really mean it. Look.....I'll make it up to you. How about I post again tomorrow? Sound good? Okay, sweet.
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