My Tattoo

About a year ago I decided that I wanted to do something 'different'. I decided to get a tattoo. Years ago I was completely against getting a tattoo. At least a real one. I mean, what would it be good for?
But lately I've been experiencing some pretty crazy stuff in my life over the past few years. Both good and bad. I had a steady job after high school which I loved. I lost a good friend. I moved away from my family for school. I met some amazing people and we're still close friends now. I have a job that I truly enjoy. I've grown up in so many ways and I've learned so many things.
When a friend was talking about getting a tattoo it made me think a bit. Why not get a tattoo that symbolizes everything that I hold close to me? And so I decided that I was going to get a tattoo.

I knew that, for me, a tattoo had to mean something special. It had to have significance. And here is what I came up with:

A black and white lily - The lily represents several different things. Number one: It represents the beauty of God's creations. Number two: It represents the beauty and delicacy of life and love. Number three: It represents the friend that I lost and everything she was to everyone. And number four: The lily is my absolute favorite flower.
A flower can express so much just by being don't you think?

Four Chinese characters - It was actually very easy to decide which words I wanted. But I didn't want them in simple English. I wanted them to be able to be a part of the whole tattoo. And so I chose Chinese. A beautiful language to be sure. Each word means a great deal to me and for so many reasons that I may not be able to explain them in full in this blog.
Freedom (自由): I live in a free country, a place where freedom is a thing taken for granted. I am a part of a family that allows me to do what I want with what I have. I am a part of a family that loves me enough to allow me all my freedoms.
Peace (憺): For close to a year now, despite everything I've gone through, I feel a deep sense of peace in my heart and in my soul. I know that it will always be there so long as I continue to believe that God will look after me and my needs.
Prosperity (景氣): Our country is a prosperous one. Despite what's going on around the world our country is one that will pick itself up and continue on. I, myself, am prosperous. And I am thankful for that.
Joy (樂趣): Despite everything that any one of us has ever gone through there is always joy at some point. Despite losing a friend I felt joy for the simply fact that I knew she was in Heaven and was well. Having a job gives me joy though I know that it is not so with many others. Having a home, a family and friends gives me great joy.

Later, after I actually get the tattoo (I'm getting it as a birthday gift to me) I'll add a picture of it. =)

PS: If the Chinese characters are wrong please let me know! I want them to be accurate. =)

Thanks for reading!

Bones

I'm referring to the television show titled Bones (just for clarification). I'm a huge fan of the show and pretty much everyone in it. Although, agent Booth and Bones are my absolute favorite characters. So much tension between the two and yet they still make an amazing team.

Tonight, however I watched an episode that really bothered me. It involved dog fighting. A "sport" (if that's what it is) that some people actually find entertaining. Not only to watch but to participate in. I honestly can't understand how people could be so cruel to their dogs. Commanding them to fight, and not just to win but to kill the other dog. It's horrible and it's extremely disturbing. The episode was a good one nonetheless for the simple fact that not only did they catch the murderer but they rescued many dogs involved in the ring. And for that I was happy. Also, in the episode, the murderer chose his own dog to be the murder weapon.

A dog is not a weapon. At least I don't believe them to be. No matter how misbehaved a dog may be they always see the good in a person. They don't jump to conclusions about someone, they don't blame someone for something they may or may not have done. Instead they do their absolute best to make their family/owner happy. Sure there are some dogs that need a little help here and there to understand that the leader of the "pack" is in fact their owner or family and not themselves. But in any case the dog loves unconditionally. Completely and totally without reservations. Personally I believe humans can learn a lot from dogs.

Now, back to the dog fighting and my issues with it. Dog fighting is a brutal "sport" and it's looked upon with distaste by so many. And yet it still continues. I'm not some sort of vigilante who will run off and try to expose these rings but I really hope that someday I can help in some way. You see, these dogs, though they 'belong' to someone, their love is not entirely reciprocated. Not the way it should be. These dogs are nothing more than a tool. A tool that will hopefully earn a few dollars for the owner.
These dogs are sent out to fight to the death, and afterward the winning dogs are stitched up and bandaged before being released back into the ring to continue fighting. Now that isn't right is it?

I will not post a picture of a fight. I find them disgusting and offensive.

I personally don't care if you don't share my opinions, after all, they are my opinions. I don't mean to sound rude, and I apologize if I do, but I felt the need to express my opinions on the matter.

Someday I want to help the dogs that are involved in these rings, I want to be able to help rehabilitate them if at all possible. Someday, maybe I'll be able to open a dog rescue center. I don't mean to sound like a child but I sure as heck hope that that someday comes real soon.

Thanks for reading!

Good & Bad

Normally I would start with the good news but in this case the bad news leads up to the good news. So ...
Today I went in to work, in a very good mood. A couple people may know why, but I won't be going into any details. It's nothing weird or anything, so don't get any funny ideas. The newest schedules came out and I looked at mine. See, because I work in a restaurant they have separate schedules for the servers, hosts, bartenders, etc. And for some reason I wasn't scheduled to work until next Friday! I ended up with a total of 3 shifts for all of next week with so much time between now and then. At first I was thinking "Grr! How could they do this to me?" And then I got this great idea!

So, onto the good news! I am now able to go back home to see some friends and then I can go out to my grandparent's camp. And just like that my good mood was completely restored! So I talked to my mum about it and she said it was a pretty darn good idea. Which means I'll be spending at least 3 days out by the lake, soaking up the sun, going tubing, swimming and water skiing. Among a number of other things. Oh boy, oh boy, oh boy!
None of you can see me right now but I'm positively giddy! =)

And now I need to think of what I need to pack and make sure I don't forget anything. I mean, what would a vacation be if I forgot my toothbrush? Or my bathing suit? Ha ha ha!

Thanks for reading!

Wedding Dreams

Lately I've been getting this insane urge to meet the man of my dreams, get married and have a family. Is that so wrong? I sure as heck hope not. The only problem that I'm having is figuring out how I'll know he's 'the One' when I meet him.
I mean, how do I know if I've already met him or not? And how on earth do I know if he's the man for me? Good grief! I'm not quite 20 and here I am, getting all impatient to get hitched. My sisters and I have always joked about how I would be the last to get married .. And I'm kind of wondering if I will be.

Whenever I do imagine this wonderful man I imagine the wedding .. And it's always so beautiful! Outdoors in the middle of spring when everything's blooming. A pretty white gazebo all decorated just so. And then me walking down the aisle towards him with my daddy by my side to give me away. My mum has tears in her eyes and my sisters are there standing by the altar with big smiles on their faces. But when I look at him .. He has no face. Scary!
I suppose I really shouldn't be too worried, I mean, when it happens it happens. Isn't that how it goes?

It would be kind of hilarious if we met like they often do in movies. That whole "eyes meeting across the room" stuff. *sigh* Kind of romantic isn't it. Weird, because I'm not really the romantic sort. Sure, I like the occasional 'wooing' I suppose, but my idea of a great date is to go to a hockey game or the zoo or something. Something fun!
This post really doesn't seem to be going anywhere does it? Oh well. Hang in there please.

So, what I want to know is this: If I dream about getting married, actually dream about it, and see each detail so clearly ... What does it mean?
I'm curious I have to admit. Does this sort of dream have some sort of meaning? Or is it just one of those inexplicable dreams? Does inexplicable even fit there?
So what I'm asking is that if you know anything about dreams then please comment and let me know what you think my 'wedding dreams' mean. Thanks!

Thanks for reading!

Breakouts ...

The title isn't referring to breaking out of jail or something similar. No, it means the skin issue. You know, when you have acne and quite suddenly it's everywhere on your face. People have little nicknames for people who have serious acne problems. But really, that's not very nice is it? I don't think so. If there are men reading this be warned that there are beauty tips within! And kudos to you if you keep reading! Women, you may want to stick around.

When you reach puberty your body will begin changing ... Strangely enough, that's when acne seems to become an issue. Or at least when it becomes more prominent. I'm sure there's some sort of scientific explanation for this but I really don't want to get into those sort of details. When girls have a break out what do they do? Freak out! First thing they probably think is that their facial cleanser just isn't working. So ... They would most likely run to the store and buy a new brand in the hopes that the new one will help. Or they cover it up the best they can with makeup. Neither is the answer. You should actually be at least a bit worried if you don't break out at all while using your cleanser. Because that means it isn't doing its job properly.

"What the heck do you mean by that?" You might ask. Well, I'll explain.

In most instances your pores become clogged with dirt. Sounds gross I know. But it's true. So don't cringe and exit the page. Most facial cleansers are not designed to actually flush out your pores. Instead they simply smooth them over, making it appear as if you have no acne. This is not the case! A cleanser is doing a proper job if you break out while using it. It has to get worse before it gets better.

"But I want it gone now!" You say.

Just hold on a minute! It takes time. It can't just happen now. Right now, I'm going through this stage of my facial cleansing. And I know that my product is working because I have had break outs. Eeew! Yes, definitely eew! But at least I know that it's going to get better. My pores are being cleansed and very well I might add.

So what product do you use? Neutrogena? Noxema? St. Ives? Is it -really- working for you? Have you experienced any break outs? Are you certain that your pores are coming clean? Is there more than just a scrub of some kind? Is there a toner and a moisturizer?
Let me show you what I use ... Let me know if you've heard of it. Men, if you're still reading this then you ought to know that there is a product designed for men as well. And it has a more manly name. Tolsom. Very good!
Artistry is an exclusive product distributed by an online company known as Amway Global or Quixtar. And it's a product guaranteed to give you the results you're looking for but may not be finding with your current product.

"Is this a sales pitch?" You may ask.

Only to a point. You see, I realized the other night that so many women (and men) deal with acne on a day to day basis but can't seem to be rid of it and are frustrated by this. And so I decided that I would tell people about the product I use. As I was growing up I had acne like crazy and it just drove me crazy! So, after seeing results with Artistry I love telling other women (and yes, men) about it. It's got to be one of the greatest products I've ever used! And I've used quite a few.

A product such as Neutrogena may only come with a cleanser. Artistry has three separate products that come together. A cleanser, a toner and a moisturizer. The cleanser is to, well obviously cleanse your face. The toner is used to open up your pores. You can then take a warm cloth and gently squeeze the pimples (gross!). Gently being the key word there. You don't want to squeeze until you bleed (it happens!). And lastly, the moisturizer is to moisturize your face and re-close your pores. It's simple and only takes 5-10 minutes twice a day. Not so bad really.

I know that some people may dislike this post and may object. That's okay. I would, however, like to know why. And if you do feel like telling me, I just ask that you keep it clean. And at least polite.
I also know that some people may have questions or may know of this product. That's good too! And I would love to hear your questions and I will do my best to give you the answer you're looking for.

Thanks for reading!

Day One

Alright ...
So, last night I was thinking about how I wanted to share my thoughts with my family and friends, and maybe some people I don't actually know. And I was thinking about how I could do this. Sure, I could write little notes on Facebook and maybe people would read them, I could update on Twitter but then I wouldn't really get all my thoughts across. Suddenly I got the idea to start up a blog. But how?

So this morning ... As in right now, I searched good old Google and found this site. See, the blog site had to be free for me because, well, let's face it, I'm not exactly king Midas. So I needed a site to post a blog, add pictures if I wanted and it had to be free. Lucky me! I found one right away.

Unfortunately for the people that read this first post, it really has no point. I just wanted to introduce myself and get a feel for the site. So to you, I apologize. Hopefully if you stick around long enough, one of my later blogs will be a good read for you. At least, better than this one.

Thanks for reading!