Rechel & Jun

I cannot even remember how I came across this Youtube page, especially considering I am never on said site, but for the past hour, I have been obsessed with this channel!

http://www.youtube.com/user/MyHusbandisJapanese/featured

Basically, it is a bunch of videos about Japanese culture and what it is like being there as a foreigner. Since I plan on working in Japan and with Japanese companies (remember, future translator here) I found their videos quite interesting and very funny at times. The channel features a married couple, Rechel and Jun. Rechel is from America, majored in Asian Studies, and Jun is from the land of the rising sun, majoring in English Language.

But the best part is...

Wait for it!

Rechel is a fellow Ginger! Check out this video!

I had one of those odd moments where I sensed a kindled spirit. But then I remember that I was just watching Youtube. Sigh, fellow redhead at heart then.

I will say, she brought up an interesting point in her video. In America, we call red-hair 'red' even thought it is actually orange. Rechel mentions that many people in Japan comment, "Oh, but your hair is orange, not red!" It made me laugh. Ha, ginger humor...

Seriously though, these are good videos for those interested in Japanese culture. They give great tips on learning the language and on customs and such. They also respond to questions and comments, so feel free to shoot a question on anything you want to know!

Oh, and this cat:

Cats that can open doors. Our world is heading in the right direction.

Delta Rae

So, I have a fantastic band to share today. The amazingly talented Delta Rae!

I happened across this group via Itunes and bought the album on a whim. I do that quite often with music and usually have awful shopper's remorse. Seriously, I have so much music from this bad habit that I cannot even keep it all on one computer. But with this group, within the first verse of the first song, I stopped what I was doing and just froze for a moment to listen.

I was in love.

I could not even listen to another group for about a week because I was so attached to this band. This was the song that started it all:

These guys have a sound that clearly shows that they are from the south, but on the same note, it is unlike any other group with the same roots. It is like a modern folk-pop sound. There are songs where you can hear gospel influences and others that seem as if they came straight from the top 40's. They have amazing harmonies. Not the plastic and simple lines that could be sung by a middle school choir, but unique vocal lines that obviously have more thought put into them aside from "Hey, this fits the chord!"

The band consists of three siblings and three friends. Four of the members take turns singing lead and the others are practically always present with harmonies.

Interesting fact, their name comes from a story the siblings' mother intended to write. It was about a girl named Delta Rae who summoned the greek gods to Earth. I would very much like to read that story, but I do not believe it was ever published. Sigh.

For those out there who like The Lumineers, Florence + The Machine, or Of Monsters and Men, I recommend taking a quick listen to the wonderful Delta Rae. For fans of Mumford and Sons, this might be a good fit for you also, but they lean on more of a pop sound than rock.

Take a listen!

Official Website:

http://www.deltarae.com/

Broke College Student

Yeah, I'm not even at school yet and I already feel like a broke college student. It will probably be ten times as worse once class begins. I will say, I will not have two tuition deposits, two housing deposits, and airline tickets to pay for once in Oahu, but I will have food, books, clothing, and the one thing that will drain my bank account the quickest: sunscreen. Seriously, I will go through probably two bottles of that stuff in a week over there.

In my attempts to be proactive, I am researching ways to make money once I am a student. Obviously, there is the option of a part-time job, something I have now and something I will also obtain during school. However, with the typical pay of $7.25 an hour, and maybe, not always, 20 hours a week, that amounts to $290 every two weeks. Eh, that's something, but it does not leave much to savings after expenses.

So then, what are my options of making extra money? There are plenty of lists: 38 ways to make cash, 50 ways college students can earn extra money, blah blah. Out of these lists, there are maybe four options I am capable - or have the patience - to actually do.

1. Selling Photos

This is a website that I have only recently heard of: Dreamstime.com
For all of those aspiring photographers, this is a site where you can upload pictures and make money when people download them. Of course, not all pictures are used. They have to meet a couple of requirements and even then, may or may not sell. But, if you take good pictures and are willing to wait, this can be a place to earn a bit of money over time.

2. Tutor

I could possibly maybe earn a bit in this area, but then again, I have very little patience for teaching others. I could teach basic Japanese and help with writing - essays in English that is - but I have found with past tutoring experiences, most only resort to that when they are forced to. I have no problem teaching when someone wants to learn, but I do have a problem when someone wants me to write their essay for them. I would love to meet someone who truly wants to learn another language or might struggle just a bit with writing, but I refuse to deal with someone who does not even want to be in school. But maybe that was more of a slacker high-schooler thing. Maybe those in college will actually appreciate those individuals who offer their time to teach others.

Hm. I went off subject a bit there. But yeah, tutoring is an option...for those with the patience to do so.


3. Mini-Seminar

This is kind of similar to tutoring in that you should enjoy people. If you have some sort of special skill then you can make a bit by teaching it in a course. So, knitting? Surfing? Dancing? There will be lots of people who want to learn new things and find a way to meet new people. This is a great way to make friends and money money money.

4. Freelance Writing

And then there is this. The one job most broke writers share on their resume. If you happen to have nice writing/editing skill, you can make a bit by freelancing. This is a helpful site in finding jobs: freelancewritinggigs.com
But, Craigslist is also an option.


And yeah, those are a couple of ways to make some money aside from a part-time job. I am sure I am only stressed about this because I have payments to make now. Once I'm there, I will not have tuition and housing junk to pay. But then again, I need to start saving money, being independent and all.

Aside from earning more money, I should probably learn to stop spending it too. I do enjoy a nice shopping trip.

Hm, maybe that is my problem. I should stop...I'll thank myself when I have several thousand saved. Who wouldn't enjoy seeing that number in their bank account?

Sunburns and Suntans

So, for those of you who do not know, gingers do not tan. Those of us that do are liars and are only darker because their freckles have multiplied to the point of anarchy. Moving to a place such as Hawaii means I will be spending quite a bit of time outdoors, placing me in the path of my natural enemy...the Sun. So, like any other ginger, I must wear sunscreen. Easy fix, right?

Yeah. Not so much.

I have been researching sunscreen and skin protection in wake of my upcoming move, and I realized that I have been lied to! Not really, but I have been following a lot of untrue rules when it comes to avoiding the ball of fire in the sky. Several articles have educated me, but this one summed up everything best:

The New Rules For Sunscreen!

First off, I totally always bought the highest SPF I could find. When I went to Valdosta for a summer program, I brought several 110SPF spray-bottles. And yes, I did still burn. I believed the lie that I could stay out longer! I will say though, it worked to keep bugs away.

This meme lies. I hate sunscreen. It sinks.

I was always jealous of the other kids who went out to tan and never wore sunscreen. I also always glared at those poor creatures who complained about how white they are. Seriously? You poor thing. Your skin isn't tanned? Go cry in a corner and then go outside to catch a bit of skin cancer. To be clear, I was never ever never jealous of their orange skin, but the fact that they did not have to glue themselves to the sides of buildings in order to avoid CancerGiver in the sky.

When did orange skin even become "beautiful" to point where we risk our health for it?

Many of us already know this, but before the 1920's, pale skin was a must for centuries. Tanned skin was a sign of workers in the field and, seriously, what dignified lady wants to look like a fieldhand? Women went so far as to use lead make-up to avoid the BurningBall's terrible rays. Those women also suffered early deaths from lead poisoning.

And then this lady here:

Miss Coco Chanel went on vacation. Legend says that she suffered from an accidental sunburn and when she returned to the public eye, she was sunkissed and tanned. Well then, everyone just had to go out and look like her! Because, we of course must do whatever Coco Chanel does. Around the same time however, Josephine Baker, a Paris singer with "caramel" skin was rising in popularity. These two women were able to push away centuries of pale-skin envy in western culture.

Crazy.

As the years passed, we got another gift from the French: the bikini. Only those who had the time and money to live at the beach/pool wore bikinis. These people were also the ones with the tans. So now, tans are a sign of beach fun! Enter the classic beach/surfer movie! Now everyone must have tans, because, that's what the movie stars have!

Today, apparently, we tan because pale skin is sickly. Also, we want to look like we just came back from the beach, even in the dead of winter. And celebrities. Celebrities are tan, therefore, we must be too. I think this is ridiculous. What sort of reason is that to do anything? Why are we risking cancer and the removal of our skin for the sake of darker skin? What is that going to do for you in life? The closest I have ever gotten to a tan is second-degree burns. Twice.

Ugh. Look at me, getting worked up over this. Tanning reminds me of smoking. But the harm from tanning is much more visible and immediately painful. Both lead to cancer. Both exist only for the sake of vanity. Both will cause our future selves to travel back in time and scold our younger selves. Ugh.

Well then, allow me to calm myself.

So guess what. In China, people wear ski masks at the beach to keep their skin pale.

Asia will laugh at us when we all get skin cancer. And die.

Summer Time

Summer time when I was a kid:

Summer time now:

Am I alone here? Really, I mean when I was under five feet, I loved Summer. I counted the days down until break. And! I was actually sad to go back the next year.

Now, however, I have grown taller (sort of) and hate this terrible, extended, and utlimately, pointless break. I mean, what am I supposed to do with myself? What did I do last year? Should I read? Should I sleep? Should I watch tv all day? What is the meaning of this?!

I just become bored easily. I also procrastinate. I mean, I should be editing my book, but then I think: "Hey, go check the mail." "Hey, go check the fridge." "Hey, go put tape on the bottom of the cat's feet." And maybe I will get to writing after that. Really though, I just make it to my computer and then I end up on Facebook or some other stupid site.

Hm. I could post some writings here. I could edit the first couple of chapters and post it here for comments and junk.

Yeah! I'll do that! Thank the happy days for goals. I would be a lost wandering child without them.

What was this post even about? Oh yeah, Summer. I have been told that the point of this vacation - or bored hell - is because children used to have to help with "the harvest" and could not attend school. Whether this is true or not is above me, but I am quite sure none of us kids are helping with any sort of harvest. I would prefer school to be longer with more week long breaks. I drown with any more free time on my plate.

And by the way, the date for me to leave is July 3rd! I am definitely counting the days down to that!

Also this:

This is what boredom leads to.

College Debt

So, being a soon to be freshman - at the University of Hawaii, be jealous! - I have to deal with the issue of coming up with $40,000 to pay for my education. Most humans in this country do not have this sort of money, regardless of how much they save. Even if they have managed to save this amount over the years, they certainly do not have enough saved for all four years of college.

This leads myself and countless others down the road of scholarships. We do obtain said scholarships, but unfortunately, not enough in most cases to completely cover tuition. Now, us unlucky not-millionaires look to loans.

Shoot me now.

I have seen the average yearly student loan amount between $25,000 and $27,000 on different loan websites, but regardless of the actual amount, any number in the thousands is difficult to pay back. Even more so considering that most students can only carry a part-time job with school work and even after graduation, we are not looking at high paying jobs. We have to start at the bottom, regardless of our career path, and claw our way to a decent position.

Meanwhile, our loans wait silently. Waiting. Growing bigger.

Also annoying is the fact that in most cases, the only way to obtain any sort of a job is to be educated. If we are aiming above retail and fast food, that education needs to be from a university. So then, we must collect thousands of dollars in debt. After doing so, we are now suitable for a job, but then we still must prove that we are somehow superior to the hundreds of others applying for the same spot, others who most likely are several years out of school and have experience.

Yeah.

Being the optimistic person I try to be, I look at this impending dark future with the knowledge that I will at least enjoy what I will be doing with my life. I have every intention of paying back my debt, and I am also aware it will take several years, but it will be easier with my career choice. I want to be a translator, an individual that happens to be quite popular. Most do not want the troubles of learning a second/third language, so I have quite a nice chance of landing a position during/after graduation. I also want to write, so still holding on to my optimism, I may earn a bit if I can have something published.

But then again, it is better for me to put my future on learning languages well. Writing is one of those subjective fields where I may end up living on the streets. Cannot have that as my only source of income...

I guess people should try to focus on doing what they love. Or, we could stage a huge take-down-colleges-and-their-empire plot, but I do not see that happening in the next four years. I do not really agree with the stigma that one must have a college degree to be good enough for a position - take for example my field. I could learn a language on my own for less than $40,000, but I would have a difficult time finding a position translating when I compete with those who have degrees - but that is the state of living at the moment. My optimism says: do not attend college with the intention of getting a job for money. Attend college as a stepping stone to the job that will make you happy. Have a reason to wake up each morning.

Also, this is the nice little article that had me thinking about college debt:

http://news.yahoo.com/first-person-careful-swallowing-student-loan-lies-231600404.html

Personality Types and The Enneagram

Something I have always found interesting is personality types, and the way they are studied and categorized. In my PSY 101 class however, I wanted to melt into a puddle and leak away under the door. It was terribly boring to hear about all the scientific studies and biological facts behind why we act the way we do. Sometimes, it even felt dehumanizing. Many believe we act and interact with others only as a means of survival.

That is just too depressing for me. I want to see and experience the color of life, not box it into means of instinct and survive skills.

In saying this, I favor the Enneagram when it comes to reading about personalities. This model is criticized mostly because it is very much open to interpretation. It is not generally taught in an academic course. In fact, it's one of those methods that are taught at self-help seminars. However! It is not complete nonsense that some male created while having fun with pot. Much of the Enneagram makes sense. I promise.

The Enneagram works like this: each person has one dominant type (see the above photograph) and one wing. The wing is connected to the dominant type (see above) and the person only shares certain traits with the wing's type. This is a nice site that explains about the Enneagram:

http://www.enneagraminstitute.com/intro.asp#.UYsKT0pvBD4

Warning! This site offers tests to discover your personality type, but seriously, there are tons of free tests on other sites. Do not spend ten dollars on free questions.

So then, what is the point of even bringing the Enneagram up for discussion? Well, it is quite interesting. And, if you happen to be into personality and all, it is refreshing to read about something that does not contain black and white numbers. This model is based more on emotion and how well an individual knows oneself. Also, for the writers/actors out there, the Enneagram can help in fleshing out a character. When writing about someone who is completely foreign to you, it can help to have a tool that gives you insight to what kind of person you are creating. No, this is not going to write your novel, but it is a method of knowing where your characters come from and why they make the choices they do.