I'm quiet.

I am a quiet person. I don't talk much, okay? It's just who I am. Some people talk a lot, some don't. We were brought up differently, we have different genes. Get over it. And what I cannot, absolutely stand is when people say stuff like, "You're so quiet!" Like, I didn't know? I know that I'm quiet. You don't have to point out the obvious to me. That's like if I said, "You're wearing a blue shirt!" or "Hey, that bird over there is flying." Imagine having someone say stupid shit like that to you at least ten times a day. It starts to wear on you. At least include some sort of insight in that observation. Like, "Hey, you may be quiet but sometimes when you talk, you can be really loud." Something that'll make a statement worth mentioning. That's partly why I don't talk a lot. A lot of the random crap people say out loud is so unnecessary and redundant that it's not even worth the energy of saying aloud. Also, I'm one of those people that when I want to say something witty or funny or something, it'll ALWAYS sound awkward. IDK why. But it always does. I'm that person in your class that whenever they raise their hand, you internally cringe because you know it'll result in oodles of second-hand embarassment for everyone in the room. That's why I keep it shut.

It's also a huge part in my gravitating towards the written word. I can be eloquent, funny, witty, whatever I want without having to stress about how I sound out loud. I don't know what I'd do if I couldn't write. I'd probably be in a mental institution somewhere. Drooling. Playing Connect Four with Hurley. Actually, that doesn't sound too bad. Hm...

There was something else I wanted to mention. But I forgot. I should just have a tiny notebook in my pocket at ALL TIMES so that I could jot my ideas down. Before you jump up and point out the obvious, let me just say that no, I don't have those fancy schmancy phones and I'm not too good with typing on a cell. Like, at all. So that wouldn't work. Plus, my phone sucks. I could get a better a phone. But a tiny memo pad is much, much cheaper. And more romantic. I can just see myself. Standing on the bus, I get an idea, I pull out my tiny notepad and my tiny pencil and jot something down. And everyone around me is thinking, "I wonder what she just wrote." See? I already got 'em hooked.

I still have no idea what I originally wanted to say. Maybe I should buy that pad sooner rather than later?

BTW, I was thinking of going to the bookstore tomorrow to get some more books but I can only buy two and I have NO IDEA which ones to settle on. Here are the options:

1. Rich and Mad by William Nicholson - A realistic (maybe?) look at teenage sexuality. I know, it sounds juicy to me too.

2. Confessions of the Sullivan Sisters by Natalie Standiford - Three sisters are threatened of being cut off by their grandmother if they don't confess to their secrets. Or something like that. It's intriguing.

3. Zombies Vs Unicorns: an anthology by various awesome authors - Yeah, I think the title is self-explanatory. I mainly was sold on this because of the INCREDIBLE cover. Check it out next time you're at a bookstore.

There are many more that I want to get but these three are at the top of my list. Which one do you think I should get? I'm so indecisive, I'll probably spend three hours at the store just staring at these three books and making pro/con lists in my head. Yeah, I'm THAT pathetic.

I interrupt these book reviews with my life.

It's been quite a while since I last posted on here. I won't bore with the specifics of how hard school is, how busy my job keeps me, how demanding all the studying and reading is so...oh wait. I guess I just did complain to you. Sorry, my bad. It was totally unintentional.

Anyway, so I was thinking about something the other day--how online school is just inevitable now. I mean, we already have online schools and stuff but I think it's going to spread a whole lot more. Especially for colleges. I mean, how many of you guys go to a college where most of your coursework is online anyway? I know I do. In fact, in a lot of classes, many people can get a decent grade by simply staying home, reading the book, and going on the school site to submit your assignments. I mean, the syllabus is online, the assignments are online, the essays we have to read are online. We just need the book. In a few years, I see these lectures to be a thing of the past as well. The professors should just put up youtube videos of them talking about whatever they want to talk about and then after you watch the video, you put your questions/comments in the comments section. It's interactive yet so much easier. How many people have skipped their lectures anyway simply because it was too much effort to go to class and they felt like that effort just wasn't worth the gain...because, let's face it, a lot of professors are hard to understand.

I know a lot of people are against online schooling and stuff. I, myself, don't think it's the best way to educate. But, it's just way too cost-efficient and convenient for us not to use this technology. I mean, just think, that gas money you need to commute? Saved. The time you take to get ready for those lectures? Saved. The anxiety of asking questions in a large class for fear of being laughed at or made fun of? Gone. It would be so simple.

Of course, I was thinking this as I was rushing to get ready for class myself so that I wouldn't be late. Therefore, there might be a slight bias because I may have left out the benefits of physical classes like face-to-face human interaction and the importance of oral communication. But, I think, in most regards, there is some truth to the claim that transferring most colleges online would be an effective way of saving money and resources. Don't you think? No? Well, fine, then. Hmph. I'm just gonna go back to eating my Milky Way. Later.

Review: Carpe Diem by Autumn Cornwell

I read this book a while ago, so forgive me if my memory is a little foggy on the details. Basically, this was a novel about a very goal-oriented teenage girl named Vassar. She's definitely an over-achiever and could be labelled as slightly obsessive compulsive. Vassar's first goal in life is to become valedictorian and get accepted into the college which she's named after. I'll admit that Vassar is a bit of an annoying character. Especially in the beginning. But, mostly, I just felt horribly bad for her. You see, Vassar is the way that she is in large part to her family's excessive planning and over-analyzing everything.

Then one evening, a phonecall comes from one of Vassar's relatives that lives in Southeast Asia asking her to come visit her over the summer. By blackmailing Vassar's parents, this relative gets her way and our main character is now traipsing through Asia with her incredibly eccentric grandmother while meeting equally colorful characters.

I, personally, loved this book. But then, maybe I'm being biased because I love travelling and I wish to do more of it once I get older (and richer so that I can afford it). So, books like this one are excellent because they take you to these foreign lands without you having to pay and plan so much. This book is also very reminiscent of Thirteen Little Blue Envelopes by Maureen Johnson, in terms of writing style and tone and also in terms of plot. They both contain eccentric relatives, a lighthearted tone, a secret adventure, and travel through foreign land.

The best thing about this book, though, would have to be its humor. I was definitely laughing out loud on almost every page of the book. And I really wasn't expecting to do that when I first got this book. I thought it would be more serious and adventurous. While it is adventurous and it can be serious, it's just, more than anything, absolutely hilarious. This book is a good time and you won't regret seeing the sights, hearing the sounds, and smelling the smells of Southeast Asia along the way. Highly recommend this one. Oh but, slight warning, you WILL fall in love with a certain Asian cowboy. Just sayin.

I give it a: 5/5 stars