Just a little girl...

the one with number six.

2009-10-17T03:29:00.006+02:00

92ºF (33ºC). Heat waves were radiating from the black asphalt of the parking lot. My cousin decided to purchase a cup of orange juice from the nearby McDonald's, and I decided to tag along. As we approached the entrance, a man, who looked as though it had been over a month since his last shower, extended his hand toward us as he asked if we could spare fifty-two cents.

I knew all I had in my wallet were two pennies.

I looked down at my feet as I passed him, thinking perhaps if I didn't look, I wouldn't feel as bad.

Wrong.

I was thinking of buying myself a milkshake, a small treat to deal with the ridiculous weather (yesterday had been quite gloomy—dark and raining for the entire day). Excited, I could almost taste the milkshake and the coolness it would provide my throat.

As I was growing up, one of the things my parents stressed to me the most was the Golden Rule. You know... treat others as you would want others to treat you. It only makes sense. The world would be a better place if everyone lived by it. Think about it. You know it's true.

Five dollars was all it took to prove to the world that there are still decent human beings amongst us.

I remembered number six on my Day Zero list, and I realized it was some sort of sign or something. I went up to the cashier and bought a $5 gift card (felt a little silly to pay for it with a credit card... all I had on me were two pennies, remember), and went out the door to hand it to the homeless man I had ignored.

But he was gone.

Determined, I walked around the area, hoping he had not gone too far; but I didn't find him. A little disappointed, I stuck the giftcard in my wallet to save it for the next time I would come across someone who would need it.

I didn't have to wait long, actually.

As I walked back to have lunch with my schoolmates, I passed by the homeless man riding his bicycle in the parking lot.

"SIR!!" I shouted, as I walked toward him. "Here, there's $5 in there, you should go buy something to eat," I said as I handed him the giftcard.

At first he was confused. After a moment, "Oh... thank you!"

And off I went to join my friends for lunch.

A little later, I spied him bike away with a supersized soda cup in his hand.

the one with day zero.

2009-10-11T00:08:00.028+02:00

The Mission:
Complete 101 preset tasks in a period of 1001 days.

The Criteria:
Tasks must be specific (ie. no ambiguity in the wording) with a result that is either measurable or clearly defined. Tasks must also be realistic and stretching (ie. represent some amount of work on my part).

START: 10 OCTOBER 2009 | END: 07 JULY 2012

002/101 tasks completed

KEY

to be done / in progress / ~~completed~~

BEING SELFLESS

001: Volunteer at a soup kitchen

002: Give 1001 compliments [0/1001]

003: Donate 150,000 grains of rice at freerice.com [1900/150000]

004: Volunteer at a hospital

005: Be a Secret Santa to one of the neighbours during Christmas & never reveal self

~~006~~: Give a McDonald's gift card to a homeless person

007: Sort & donate unneeded clothes

008: Donate to Toys for Tots

009: Make breakfast for the family 20 Saturdays [0/20]

010: Donate blood

011: Bake Johan a (yummy) pie

012: Give a present to each family member without a special occasion [0/4]

013: Leave 25 post-it's with a random, happy message for people [0/25]

BEING SOCIAL

014: Go to a karaoke place with a group of friends

015: Go paintballing

016: Hang out with friends at least once a month [0/33]

017: Have a snowball fight

018: Meet up with an old friend

019: Have a waterballoon fight

020: Play an actual game of Risk

021: Send a postcard twice a month via postcrossing.com [3/66] Beijing / Amsterdam / Canada

022: Carry a conversation with 20 people I don't know [0/20]

023: Play lasertag

024: Make at least one new good friend

BEING HEALTHY

025: Create a weekday exercise regimen & stick to it for 30 consecutive days [0/30]

026: Eat at least 2 fruits per day for 14 days straight [0/28]

027: Drink only water for 30 days [4/30]

028: Do 10,000 situps [5/10000]

029: Go jogging 101 times [0/101]

030: No chocolate for 30 days [0/30]

031: Stick to a nightly skincare regimen for 30 days [0/30]

032: Reduce rice consumption to 1 cup per day for 2 weeks

033: Lose at least 40 pounds [0/40]

034: Learn to like (or tolerate) tea

BEING LEARNED

035: Get a library card

036: Read 1 novel per month [0/33]

037: Learn & memorize 5 new songs to play on the piano [0/5]

038: Learn to French braid

039: Learn 3 ways to tie a tie [0/3]

040: Memorize the Greek alphabet

041: Finish all the Dutch courses on LiveMocha.com [0/4] Dutch 101

042: Learn a new Dutch word every day via Dutch Word of the Day [5/1001] beoordelen

043: Learn to ski and/or snowboard

044: Become a decent chess player

045: Learn to spot 5 other constellations [0/5]

046: Become comfortable driving on the freeway

047: Memorize the capitals of the 50 sovereign states in Europe [33/50]

048: Learn 30 sign language phrases & the alphabet [0/30]

BEING GROWN UP

049: Get 85% or higher on all 5 terms at school [0/5]

050: Get CPR certified

051: Become a CNA

052: Become an LVN

053: Earn my own money

054: Have at least $1000 in my savings account

BEING TRAVELED

055: Visit at least 5 national parks [0/5]

056: Visit 10 museums [0/10]

057: Roadtrip to somewhere 500+ miles away

058: Go to Magic Mountain

059: Go on a hot air balloon ride

060: Visit the Griffith Observatory

061: Go on a biking trip at least 20 miles long

062: Hike all three trails at Franklin Canyon Park [0/3]

063: Return to Europe

064: Visit a European country I've never visited

065: Go camping

066: Visit 1 of the 20 'Seven New Wonders of the World' finalists

067: Watch 5 sunsets at 5 different places [0/5]

BEING CULINARY

068: Cook a new recipe each month [0/33]

069: Eat at a new food-establishment each month [0/33]

070: Whipped cream-topped pie in the face

071: Find a GOOD bakery near home

072: Have a picnic

073: Find an alcoholic beverage I enjoy at least a little bit

BEING MATERIALISTIC

~~074~~: Buy that clear bubble umbrella I've been eyeing for a while now

075: Obtain an aux-in cable for my ipod and car

076: Buy 10 dresses [0/10]

BEING ENTERTAINED

077: Attend a taping of a show

078: Watch all 6 Star Wars movies in one day

079: Spot/meet someone famous

080: Watch a movie in the cinema by myself

081: Go to 5 concerts [0/5]

082: Watch a live stand-up comedy show

083: Watch 10 documentaries via freedocumentaries.org [1/10]

BEING CRAFTY

084: Make 10 jewelry pieces [0/10]

085: Make a dress with the sewing machine

BEING RANDOM

086: Save $0.50 per day [6/1001] $3.00

087: Read a random Wikipedia article each week via its random generator [1/143]

088: Write to a positive letter to 5 companies [0/5]

089: Race by rolling down a small, grassy hill

090: Build a sandcastle

091: Have photos taken at a studio

092: Wear formal wear on 5 normal days [0/5]

093: Dive into a pool from a diving board

094: Blow bubbles in a crowded place

095: Have pictures taken in a photo booth

096: Learn choreography to Thriller

097: Write a message in a public bathroom

098: Fill a room with helium balloons

BEING FINISHED

099: Take a picture of at least 50 tasks [0/50]

100: Donate $1 to a charity for every incomplete task

101: Create a new 101 list after completing this one

the one when kalie visited.

2009-10-09T15:55:00.001+02:00

Kalie has been my friend since we were about 10 years old. Yeah, it's been a pretty long time. We went to the same elementary (Catholic) school, but parted ways once high school began... and ever since then, seeing each other has been quite the rare occurrence. It's absolutely silly because we live in the same country... same state, even! It makes me sad, and I miss the "good ol' days".

Anyway, so we both found ourselves in Europe this summer and made plans to see each other. She visited me in the Lands of Nether for a couple days, one of which was my 21st birthday. I think it's pretty funny that we finally got to see each other not when we're in the same state, but while we were on a whole different continent!

It was a fun visit, though. There was some intense bonding time in those few days...

(FYI: I am an EXTREMELY happy drunk)

group photo.

21st birthday + 2 bottles of booze for 4 people = very drunk night.

drunk johan.

drunk (but cute) kalie & madie.

swinging always seems like a good idea when drunk.

kalie & johan playing pirate...

tired madie.

the one with her homebase.

2009-09-22T17:09:00.000+02:00

This past summer, from 09 June until 03 September, I called Utrecht my home.

view from the Dom

It was my first time actually visiting the city (I had only once passed through Utrecht Centraal a couple years ago on my way to Eindhoven), and I have to admit, I've learned to love it more than Amsterdam (and waaaaaaaay more than Rotterdam... that shithole of a city... oooh but that rant is for a later post). Utrecht is smaller and more "gezellig" (nice, cozy atmosphere), and honestly? There aren't as many weirdos (for lack of a kinder word). Perhaps it's the senior-citizen inside of me, but Amsterdam is too... wild. Then again, the partying scene has never really been my cup of juice (I don't like tea).

Predikherenstraat, the street where Johan worked (lawfirm specialising in immigration & european law)

The city center is small and very navigable by foot. One of my favourite spots is the stretch of area along the Oudegracht called "Vismarkt" (Fishmarket, I can only assume it was named so because it was where the fish market used to be in the "olden days" since I found no fish markets there... you can find those at Vredenburg on Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays, along with many other shops selling this and that) where my favourite store, an antique/used book store called ALEPH, is located.

view from the Dom

Though Amsterdam outnumbers Utrecht in the canal department, Utrecht more than makes up for it with something unique: little "wharfs" alongside each bank of the Oudegracht. The old canal houses were built with cellars on the canal level (aan de werf, or a/d werf) which now have been converted into a consortium of shops and restaurants where patrons can enjoy the rare sunny day sitting right next to the canal drinking their beer and/or eating their food. Actually, while taking a canal-bike (pedal boat) tour of the Oudegracht with a couple friends, we spotted a daycare as one of the establishments "aan de werf"! Call me crazy, but I don't think that is exactly the best spot to care for a bunch of children...

(left) The Oudegracht with restaurant terraces along each side, (right) Johan's dad & Joanne waiting for our pancakes at Het Oude Muntkelder, a pancake house aan de werf. While Americans regard pancakes as breakfast food, I've learned that Dutchies consider it more of a lunch or supper food.

(left) Johan & Cas pedaling our boat, (right) Vero & me caught with my amazing self-photo aiming skills.

Canal houses along the Oudegracht.

(left) A duck napping in the sun, (right) Rebel parking only! All others will be crushed.

(left) A really colourful door, (right) Super modern canal house...

(left) Gondola ride on the Oudegracht, (right) Cool woodcut panels that look VERY Dutch.

But where is a nice place to care for children? Utrecht Terwijde. It's the neighbourhood in which Johan lives and which I've called my home during my extended visit. It's in the west of Utrecht about a 7 minute train ride to the city center, in the Leidsche Rijn area along with Vleuten.

(left) Train station and our local Albert Heijn, (right) field of grass... and an apartment building.

(left) Lady riding her bike to work, (right) We're pretty sure that thing is an evil lair.

We call this the Bridge of Eternity... because it seems like it takes an eternity to walk across.

(left) Some houses... (right) Dutch clouds are so fluffy :D

(left) View from Johan's window, (right) some more houses in the neighbourhood.

Some horses in the neighbour's yard.

(left) Cute little dock in the neighbour's pond, (right) Strolling on a little bridge thing.

Terwijde is a really nice neighbourhood to take strolls in :)

Johan & me!

the one where she finally started.

2009-09-13T23:18:00.008+02:00

Slowly, but surely (hopefully?). Pictures and anecdotes from 3 months in Europe to come.

In the meantime, will someone tell me where in Orange County can I buy some decent rosbief, kaiserbroodjes (kaiser buns?) and pâté like the one from Albert Heijn? I'm kinda missing my typical Dutch breakfast.