044; [20/50 QTWFYM] pushing buttons makes things happen

So I stumbled upon a website with a whole bunch of questions, 50 to be exact, that one can ask them self. I love talking about life and self, although it can be depressing sometimes... Anyway, I scanned through the questions and I thought it would be kind of fun to answer them in this blog. So hope you enjoy my answers, and please feel free to leave YOUR answer in the comments. 

50 Questions That Will Free Your Mind
19. Do you ever push the elevator button more than once? Do you really believe it make the elevator faster?


I've never really had to use an elevator as much as I do now. I've always lived in a house and now that I'm living in Beijing and live on the 6th floor, I have become a frequent rider -- although I end up taking the stairs most of the time for exercise.

But yes, I am guilty of pressing the elevator more than once hoping that it will speed up the process. It probably doesn't, but I guess I feel like I need to do something instead of hopelessly waiting...

043; [19/50 QTWFYM] battle of the accents

So I stumbled upon a website with a whole bunch of questions, 50 to be exact, that one can ask them self. I love talking about life and self, although it can be depressing sometimes... Anyway, I scanned through the questions and I thought it would be kind of fun to answer them in this blog. So hope you enjoy my answers, and please feel free to leave YOUR answer in the comments. 

50 Questions That Will Free Your Mind
19. If you had to move to a state or country besides the one you currently live in, where would you move and why?
What an appropriate question for someone who is moving.
If I had to move to a different state (or as Canadians call it "province"), I'd move to British Columbia (Vancouver) because it's the most similar to Ontario (Toronto): city + suburbs, multicultural, good schools.
If I had to move to a different country, I'd pick an English speaking place because getting forced to learn a language intimidates me. I also love diversity. City living or suburbs is a must. I think England (maybe Leeds or London) or Australia (Adelaide - apparently teachers are in demand in this area, Perth, or Canberra) fits well. It's just a matter of which regional accent I like better.

Temper Trap - my favourite aussie band

New blog for my adventures in eastern asia:

http://whosthefobnow.blogspot.com/

042; [18/50 QTWFYM] floating onwards

18. Are you holding onto something you need to let go of? 

I admit, I collect random things that have good memories attached to them. 

I admit, I can be an overly sentimental person who attaches meaning to things way to easily...bus transfers, wrapping paper, business cards, songs... 

I don't think I need to let go of these things though. 

In terms of dying relationships, I think I just let things float on - not really holding on but at the back of my mind knowing that they're still there. Because I used to "hold on" to people, I learned if they're not holding on to you it gets tiresome and a dying relationship is a result of that. By having these used-to-be-significant people float on, I'm not exactly cutting out the ties completely. In fact, I don't think I'd mind re-establishing ties. So no, I don't think I need to completely let go of these people.

" I've got some friends, some that I hardly know. But we've had some times I wouldn't trade for the world. " 

 - Swing Life Away - Rise Against

041; [17/50 QTWFYM] i want to party at hogwarts.

So I stumbled upon a website with a whole bunch of questions, 50 to be exact, that one can ask them self. I love talking about life and self, although it can be depressing sometimes... Anyway, I scanned through the questions and I thought it would be kind of fun to answer them in this blog. So hope you enjoy my answers, and please feel free to leave YOUR answer in the comments. 

50 Questions That Will Free Your Mind
17. What's one thing have you not done that you really want to do? What is holding you back?
One thing I want to do: party at hogwarts! Realistically, I want to live in Japan
What's holding me back?: That hefty price tag. And also my mission to finish schooling as fast as I can... (I'll soon be living in China for more than half a year so I feel like I'm getting closer!)

On a side note, I'm (re)reading the Harry Potter books again - Prisoner of Azkaban right now.  Here are the first two stories drawn out in a nutshell:

Harry Potter and Philosopher's Stone 

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets

040; Noel Gallagher...AKA what a night!

On November 5th I had the pleasure to attend a special acoustic set at the newly named Virgin Mobile Mod Club, formerly known as the Mod Club, featuring the one and only Noel Gallagher. It was a private, pre show warm up to his performances at Massey Hall later in the week.

Mod Club

Virgin Mobile Mod Club: a mini profile

• 722 College Street, Little Italy Toronto
• Fits 600 people (floor, lounge-ish areas, balcony)
• Concert venue - one of my favourites because it's so small, sound is crisp, and there's no barricade separating you from the stage
• Night Club - Not familiar with their system but I know there are UK Underground Saturdays

So my expectations weren't extraordinarily high, although I expected something good because well it's Noel Gallagher, the better half of Oasis. The email invited me + guest to attend a 5 song acoustic set on the re-opening night. What did I get?

• A club full of middle age people - I'm 99% sure my friend and I were the youngest in the crowd
• drink ticket - thank you virgin mobile!
• An awesome view of the stage over all the tall men
• Grown men shouting "I love you Noel" between every song, to which the cool Noel replied" there's a lot of fucking love in this room."
• An 8 song set. He played:
• It's Good to be Free
• Talk Tonight - one of my favourite Oasis songs
• If I Had a Gun
• Supersonic
• Wonderwall - I was not expecting that. Thought he'd be tired of it. 
• AKA... What a Life
• Half the World Away
• Don't Look Back in Anger - soo good.
• A poster commemorating the night on my way out

I definitely got my email's worth.

039; [16/50 QTWFYM] if you're happy and you know it....

50 Questions That Will Free Your Mind
16. How come things that make you happy don't make everyone happy?

Because not everyone appreciates (free) hugs the way I do. Some people don't like touching.
Because not everyone listens to the music that makes me feel happy. Some people listen to Pit Bull/Ke$ha/Jason-I-say-my-name-for-no-reason-Derulo.
Because not everyone savours the same foods I do. Some people are picky eaters not as open minded as I.
Because not everyone likes the same people I do. Some people haven't met the wonderful people I have or don't like certain types of people.

Happiness is a funny thing. I can't define it, but I know it exists. All I know is that it is different things to different people.

What makes you happy?

This song makes me very happy. 

038; [15/50 QTWFYM] escaping the mainstream, unintentionally

So I stumbled upon a website with a whole bunch of questions, 50 to be exact, that one can ask them self. I love talking about life and self, although it can be depressing sometimes Anyway, I scanned through the questions and I thought it would be kind of fun to answer them in this blog. So hope you enjoy my answers, and please feel free to leave YOUR answer in the comments. 

50 Questions That Will Free Your Mind
15. What's something you know you do differently than other people?

Think. I think differently than other people and other people think differently from me.
It's hard to think of something unique about myself because what I think is unique might not be unique at all.
It's much easier for me to think of something someone else does differently from other people. Instead of thinking about what I do differently from other people, I rather have something I trust point out what I do differently. Example: English teachers have pointed out I pronounce "ask", "water", and "God" differently from other Canadian-English speakers. Hmm... and I thought I spoke with a perfect Canadian-English accent.

*And now that I think about it, I have a bad habit of ending conversations with strangers/acquaintances  abruptly.

037; [14/50 QTWFYM] inCREATIVITYsanity

So I stumbled upon a website with a whole bunch of questions, 50 to be exact, that one can ask them self. I love talking about life and self, although it can be depressing sometimes Anyway, I scanned through the questions and I thought it would be kind of fun to answer them in this blog. So hope you enjoy my answers, and please feel free to leave YOUR answer in the comments. 

50 Questions That Will Free Your Mind 

14. Have you ever saw insanity where you later saw creativity?

I guess there's a fine line between creativity and insanity. I can't remember a time where I felt something was insane and later thought it was creative...but I can think of some examples of what others might think:
CN Tower Edge Walk - So basically, you walk around the rim of the CN Tower while attached to some strings. The fall is only 356m/1,168ft off the ground, but it's totally safe. The insane part is the cost of the ticket ($175 CDN). I was so very much excited to do this, but it was something an unemployed summer student could not afford. Maybe next year. 
Screaming vocals (i.e. screamo, post-hardcore, emo) - Would you say it's an acquired taste? Or is it something that you like or hate in the first moments of the musical encounter? Personally, a song with pure screaming is not something I would listen to (insane) but mix it with some nice singing vocals and it's something I really like (creative).  
Haunted Houses/Scream Parks - First of all, why would you want to pay someone to scare you all night long? Things follow you until you go into a wash room (don't even think about running as they run after you), you're anxiously wait for something to pop out, and there's really no place to hide... I was looking forward for my first scream park and after experiencing a proper haunted house (not a school orchestrated one), I could actually say I love getting scared+surprised. I found it all quite thrilling, exciting and really fun! 

036; back to: back concerts/school

September 8
Two Thursday nights ago I went to a STP concert and I must say Scott Weiland is incredible! After watching him perform I found a new form of respect for him. I can't help but admire him. After his battle with drugs and despite his age (okay he's only in his early 40's) his vocals whether amplified by a megaphone or straight to the mic greatly impressed me. But enough about Scott, the band's performance was pretty awesome too. They played all my old favourites including "Creep" and "Down", and new stuff like "Between the Lines".
And something interesting I noticed, I was probably the youngest and one of the few Asians (if any) in the stadium of thousands.

September 9
I was pretty excited to hear the university I attend got Montreal's Sam Roberts Band for frosh this year. Land of Talk, which is another Canadian band, opened for them with a 35 minute set. It was pretty spacious on the field during Land of Talk's performance. Everyone sat on the lawn with the sun beaming brightly on the back of their college frosh shirts. Although my attention was elsewhere, they seemed like a decent band. Before Sam Roberts came on, a heard of freshman entered the field after the parade and filled in the spots with vivacious students, spirit, and colours.  Not too long after, Sam Roberts took the stage.

They played my favourites and the set was well timed. The encore was probably my favourite part. They did a cover of Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds "If I Had A Gun." It was one the best covers I've heard live. I really hope there's a studio version soon cause I can't seem to find it anywhere. They ended their set with "Don't Walk Away Eileen" and it was then I thought, I'd really like to see them live again. And on top of all that, the sound was so clear and perfect. I don't know if it was because it was an outdoors concert, or if they had a really good sound check session, or if it was just the band. It was a fantastic show.

035; [13/50 QTWFYM] breaking the law to save....aziz ansari?

So I stumbled upon a website with a whole bunch of questions, 50 to be exact, that one can ask them self. I love talking about life and self, although it can be depressing sometimes Anyway, I scanned through the questions and I thought it would be kind of fun to answer them in this blog. So hope you enjoy my answers, and please feel free to leave YOUR answer in the comments. 

50 Questions That Will Free Your Mind 

13. Would you break the law to save a loved one?
Depends on who exactly I'm saving of course. I have no problem loving people but when it comes down to the wire, I'd say love for my family would outweigh most(?) consequences.
It also depends on the crime. If I were to let's say, rob a bank that's like me asking for a deathwish as I'm not particularly scary or clever. I think I would be able to buy a drink for a minor though.
And of course the consequences. Anything that will give me a criminal record virtually eliminates my chances of becoming a teacher. So it all better be worth it.

Side note: This questions reminded my of the movie 30 Minutes or Less, which was pretty funny/enjoyable. Aziz Ansari is a hell of a funny guy.

smooth

034; [12/50 QTWFYM] newborn

12. If you could offer a newborn child only one piece of advice, what would it be?

 Dear Newborn,
 You don't have much at this stage of life so I'd advise you to open up all your senses - not just the 5 you'll learn in school but all 9 (pain, balance, proprioception, thermoception). You're born with these and even if you're not you'll really just need a handful of them to experience the world - past,present,and future - around you.

Regards,
Angel

033; [11/50 QTWFYM] lawyered

So I stumbled upon a website with a whole bunch of questions, 50 to be exact, that one can ask them self. I love talking about life and self, although it can be depressing sometimes. Anyway, I scanned through the questions and I thought it would be kind of fun to answer them in this blog. So hope you enjoy my answers, and please feel free to leave YOUR answer in the comments. 

50 Questions That Will Free Your Mind
11. You’re having lunch with three people you respect and admire.  They all start criticizing a close friend of yours, not knowing she is your friend.  The criticism is distasteful and unjustified.  What do you do?
First of all, I wonder who I'm having lunch with. 
Second of all, I'd listen to what they have to say. I mean, if I want them to listen to me, I'll have to listen to them no matter right?
Thirdly, after listening to their criticisms I should be able to explain why my friend is like that/did/does that or whatever. I'd try to put a positive light on their distasteful criticism. Seeing that it's a close friend, I'd probably have many ways to justify what I said. LAWYERED.
And an optional fourthly, I'd highlight the good traits of my friend and then tell them this person they are criticizing is my friend and then make it all awwwkward. 

032; [10/50 QTWFYM] i am my hair (well not really...)

So I stumbled upon a website with a whole bunch of questions, 50 to be exact, that one can ask them self. I love talking about life and self, although it can be depressing sometimes. Anyway, I scanned through the questions and I thought it would be kind of fun to answer them in this blog. So hope you enjoy my answers, and please feel free to leave YOUR answer in the comments. 

50 Questions That Will Free Your Mind

10. Are you more worried about doing things right, or doing the right things?

When I initially read the question, doing the things right and doing the right things seemed somewhat synonymous. For me, doing things right seems more lawful, communal, and other, while doing the right things seems moral and personal. When we are too focused on doing things right, we're not really in touch with ourselves are we? I think it's more about making others happy rather then yourself. I'm definitely more of a moral person but that's not to say that I'm not worried about doing things right. One encompasses another, doing right things is a part of doing things right. When I'm doing the right things, it's doing the things that I believe are right. I'll follow the laws when I think necessary and do things that make others happy if I want to. All in all, I'd say I'm more of a do the right things type of person.

On a side note, imagine what kind of world would we'd live in if our hair symbolized who we are?

031; the death [and rebirth] of alexisonfire

If you haven't heard, Alexisonfire has called it quits. and it breaks my heart.
(funny thing is I picked up my AOF shirt today...)

The first time I saw them was on December 16, 2007. There was a huge snow storm, the car got stuck in the snow, the venue was a bajillion miles away, and my chem teacher's lesson was accompanied by strange ringing sounds the following morning.  All I can say is I don't regret any of this.

Dallas, George (in a Santa hat), Wade

The second time I saw them was on  December 17, 2010.
The third time I'll see them is on their Canadian farewell tour. (dates are not announced yet)
The fourth time I'll see them will be at their rebirth of alexisonfire show *fingers crossed*

I miss them already.

030; [9/50 QTWFYM] what did you eat for breakfast?

So I stumbled upon a website with a whole bunch of questions, 50 to be exact, that one can ask them self. I love talking about life and self, although it can be depressing sometimes Anyway, I scanned through the questions and I thought it would be kind of fun to answer them in this blog. So hope you enjoy my answers, and please feel free to leave YOUR answer in the comments. 

50 Questions That Will Free Your Mind 

To what degree have you actually controlled the course your life has taken?

As a rough estimate, I'd say I've controlled about 90% of my life:

I chose what I ate for breakfast, I chose if I wanted to eat breakfast.

I chose which high school I wanted to go to, I choose what university I wanted to go to.

I chose what social networking sites I used, I chose who I wanted to tell about my profile. 

I didn't have to listen to my parents when they said I should be home by 12.

I didn't have to tell someone I disliked their guts. 

I didn't have to read the stupid text book.

As much as I was against things that made me unhappy, I chose to act the way I did for a reason. 

You control more of your life than you realize. There's always an opportunity to do something different, but we're oblivious to these opportunities or just too scared to take the leap. I've done some things that I don't agree with now, but in the end that's okay. It's okay because I have wonderful people in my life who say it's okay (not necessarily literally saying it's okay, but supporting me/continuously caring for me/ not hating me/forgiving me for the things I've done wrong).
"Be who you are and say what you feel, because those who mind don't matter, and those who matter don't mind." 

- Dr. Suess

029; the black keys, you're my everlasting light

Last week I went to the sold out Cage The Elephant and The Black Keys concert at the Molson Amphitheatre. I'd just like to say that it's one of the best shows I've been to.

• Despite arriving later than usual, I had one of the best seats in the crowd - second-front row and centre on the floor. 
• Two ah-mazing bands for the price/place of one. 
• I finally got my "The Black Keys are my Brothers" shirt - and it looks better in person.
• I didn't have to pay crazy money for a bottle of plain water - I was allowed to take my own water in.
• My personal space was not violated/people around me weren't pushy - for most of the show anyways
• The set list was more than satisfying - I even scored the set list. 

Encore: Sinister Kid, Your Touch

Matt Shultz

Brad Shultz

standing in the crowd

Dan Auerbach

The Black Keys

7 days later, I'm still in awe.

I'm curious to see what they are up to next. If the new album doesn't like Brothers, does that mean they're reverting back or moving forward? Can December come a little faster?

028; If I join the dark side, do I get a welcome hug from Voldemort?

I had the pleasure of going to Toronto's Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 Premiere and it was fantastic.

The Invite

It all started with an unexpected phone call Monday morning. The lady on the other end said that my Harry Potter tickets were ready to be picked up. I didn't know what to think at first, so I asked her if I won a contest. And surely (and obviously) I did. That was the end of that.

The Movie

The movie was fucking fantastic. We got Harry Potter shaped 3-D glasses too! David Yates did another extraordinary job in directing. I loved how Neville got more screen time, I always adored him in his chubby clumsy child days. Voldemort showed his affectionate side. The unravelling of all the interconnected stories were executed wonderfully. The death of my favourite professor was so intense. That scene was replaying in my mind after the movie. This is by far the movie of my year.

The Experience

Watching it with other Harry Potter fans made the movie seem so much more wholesome. Not even 20 minutes into the movie, someone behind me was sobbing. Note that nothing sad happened. When something sad did happen, you could hear the theatre sniffling and sobbing. I am guilty of that too. It was a movie with so much emotion. Laughing and crying, cheering and secretly despising, awwing and more crying. I don't think this movie was made to be a tearjerker but over the past 10 years, I cannot help but feel attached to these characters. I was looking forward to this and now that it had ended, I feel empty-ish.  It's terribly depressing to see them off.

And my friend and I tried to crash  get in the after party, but there was no success. I just took pictures of the outside instead.

027; MMVA madness (the first and the final)

I attended the Much Music Video Awards this year. I've wanted to go since high school, but because it's always near exam time I always skipped out. Next year I won't be in the country and the year after that I'll feel too old. So this year felt like it was the perfect timing.. plus The Black Keys and Lady GaGa!

MMVA (a mini profile):

• Location: Toronto
• outdoors award show
• held annually on Father's Day (3rd week of June)
• free
• all ages* *For wristbands (you're closer to the stage) you need to be 14+ or accompanied by an adult. If you're watching on the streets you could be a 2 week old baby being exposed to fan girls at their best or a 98 year old lady reliving her teenage dream. 
• show appreciation to Canadian artists (and International artists too) 

I attended the red carpet in hopes to meet my brothers (The Black Keys) and "mother" (Lady GaGa). I didn't get to meet them, let alone they weren't even at the red carpet. That didn't dampen my spirits however.

To my surprise, I met half of Billy Talent. I didn't even know they were coming. My encounter with Ben Kowalewicz was one of the highlights of my night. He was such a friendly guy. For BT fans, when I asked when the new album was coming out he responded with a smile and said "soon." Yay for new material!!

While most of the members of Simple Plan were strutting their stuff, Chuck was "greeting" the fan girls who screamed at the site of anybody who appeared to be famous. I put greeting in quotations because all he was doing was signing anything that came his way, much like a robot who didn't care. I knew Simple Plan was going to be at MMVA so I packed their old cd with me. I held out the booklet for him to sign and he looked up and said "thanks for coming out."  Although I stopped listening to them years ago, I liked the fact he acknowledged me. Small things like that make me happy.

I had the opportunity to meet some people who don't interest me. Some pictures of a few of them:

Shawn Desman

These Kids Wear Crowns

Karl Wolf (?)

Fefe Dobson

Nikki Reed

Abandon All Ships

David Guetta

Down With Websters' lead singer

Selena Gomez

MTV Live hosts
 (I would have liked to meet Daryn Jones actually...)

Here are some red carpet walkers that I would have liked to meet, but didn't have the chance to:

Marianas Trench
(as you can see, they were busy racing in their bubbles)

Bruno Mars

Colin Farrell
(Is he looking at my camera/me? I'm gonna pretend he is anyways..)

Johnny Galecki

The actual award show on the other hand... too many tall people so I didn't see much. I did however see Lady Gaga's dress rehearsal performance earlier in the day. that was another highlight of my day actually.

All in all, it was a fantastic experience. :)

026; [8/50 QTWFYM] learning to walk again

So I stumbled upon a website with a whole bunch of questions, 50 to be exact, that one can ask them self. I love talking about life and self, although it can be depressing sometimes Anyway, I scanned through the questions and I thought it would be kind of fun to answer them in this blog. So hope you enjoy my answers, and please feel free to leave YOUR answer in the comments. 

50 Questions That Will Free Your Mind 

8. If the average human life span was 40 years, how would you live your life differently?

(That would mean I've reached my halfway point!)
Honestly I don't think much would change. Ultimately, I'd like to travel more but that costs money. A lot of money. I'd need a stable, decent paying job which means I'd need an education. If the education system changed (as in cutting the crap and sticking to learning life's bare essential) than there would be more time to do enjoyable things. However, if you're like me and you like learning about stuff then more than half your life shall be spent at school. Here are some things that came to the top of my head:

• Harry Potter's beginning to ending will take up half my life. And I'm okay with that. 
• get a tattoo earlier (in the process of creating one right now!)
• get piercings earlier
• attend concerts earlier
• not worry about trivial things
• don't worry about other people's opinions.

025; [7/50 QTWFYM] shitty job + Justin Timberlake = a job worthwhile?

50 Questions That Will Free Your Mind 
7. Are you doing what you believe in, or are you settling for what you are doing?
     Within the context of careers.... I can honestly say that I am doing what I believe in. Since I could remember, I've wanted to become a teacher and so I couldn't be happier with my program and overall decision. If it was not teaching I would not know what else I would want to be doing. Okay, maybe interior decorating or event planning...     
      Just throwing this in there... I slightly dislike people who turn to teaching as a back up profession. Without saying "you guys suck", I  personally think they make up a huge portion of the bland/boring/burnt out/reason-i-skipped-class teacher.       
      BUUUT, I have to say these types of teachers make interesting characters in movies like Cameron Diaz in Bad Teacher. There was no real moral in the movie and the good guys don't win, but I couldn't help but like her even if she was a little burnt out.

I don't think I could settle for a shitty job even if I had a chance to date Timberlake

A shitty job, a charming Justin Timberlake and  funny man Jason Segel however.... I'd have to think about that.