Challenge Post- Day 1

Brown Mountain, North Carolina, 2016

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Challenge Post- Day 2

2. "Glass Bridge" by Savina & Drones

1. "Spotlight" by Xiao Zhan

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Challenge Post- Day 3

3. Master's Sun (2013)

Casts: So Ji-sub, Gong Hyo-jin, & Seo In-guk

Episodes: 17

Genre: Romantic Comedy, Fantasy, Mystery, Horror

Summary: A young woman who can see ghosts finds a safe haven when she touches the hand of a pompous CEO; in return for her safety, she promises to help him solve the mystery surrounding his girlfriend's death.

2. Chinese Paladin (2005)

Casts: Hu Ge, Liu Yifei, Ady An, Esther Liu, & Eddie Peng

Episodes: 34

Genre: Romantic Comedy, Historical, Fantasy, Action

Summary: Li Xiao Yao, a "Stinky Punk", journeys to Dream Island to find a cure for his sick aunt. There he meets and marries the love of his life, Ling'er. On his way back home with the cure, he discovers that he's been tricked by the Lunar Sect Cult so that they can kidnap Ling'er. He awakens in his bed, having forgotten his entire trip to Dream Island, but having saved his aunt. He rescues Ling'er from the Lunar Sect Cult, and in return is rescued by a mysterious stranger who teaches him kung fu. Xiao Yao and Ling'er travel to the capital to meet her father. Along the way, they meet various people, get harassed by the Lunar Sect Cult, discover both of their histories, save the world and fall in love with each other all over again.

1. Kill Me, Heal Me (2015)

Casts: Ji Sung, Hwang Jung-ein, & Park Seo-joon

Episodes: 20

Genre: Romantic Comedy, Medical, Mystery

Summary: Cha Do-hyun, a businessman with dissociative identity disorder, tries to regain control over his life with the help of Oh Ri-jin, a first-year psychiatric resident who treats him in secret.

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Challenge Post- Day 4

4. The Truth About Forever by Sarah Dessen

Macy’s summer stretches before her, carefully planned and outlined. She will spend her days sitting at the library information desk. She will spend her evenings studying for the SATs. Spare time will be used to help her obsessive mother prepare for the big opening of the townhouse section of her luxury development. But Macy’s plans don’t anticipate a surprising and chaotic job with Wish Catering, a motley crew of new friends, or … Wes. Tattooed, artistic, anything-but-expected Wes. He doesn’t fit Macy’s life at all–so why does she feel so comfortable with him? So … happy? What is it about him that makes her let down her guard and finally talk about how much she misses her father, who died before her eyes the year before?

3. The Book Thief by Markus Zusak

When Death has a story to tell, you listen. It is 1939. Nazi Germany. The country is holding its breath. Death has never been busier, and will become busier still. Liesel Meminger is a foster girl living outside of Munich, who scratches out a meager existence for herself by stealing when she encounters something she can’t resist–books. With the help of her accordion-playing foster father, she learns to read and shares her stolen books with her neighbors during bombing raids as well as with the Jewish man hidden in her basement. But these are dangerous times. When Liesel's foster family hides a Jew in their basement, Liesel's world is both opened up, and closed down.

2. Banana Pancakes by T.B. Solangel

Even the social elite suffer from unrequited love. For Kim Suvy and Lee Domin, early childhood escapades built the solid foundations of a passionate relationship laced with trials, tribulations, and testimonies. Despite being best friends for fifteen years, these slow-to-warm souls must overcome the adolescent dance of he-loves-me-she-loves-me-not. Through growing pains and maturing affinity, Banana Pancakes isn’t just a mantra, it’s actually the symbolization of an unforgettable childhood and future relationship.

1. The Underworld Series by Con Template

Before the changing of tides, there is always silence. A prolonged silence to warn people about what’s coming, an insufferable silence that promises pain, and an epic silence that guarantees an event that will carve itself into history. For Choi Yoori, the changing of her tides has started. No matter how hard she tries to escape from her crime-ridden past, the shadows of her former self – the notorious Queen of the Underworld – continue to torment her existence. Earthshattering secrets that An Soo Jin took to the grave has resurfaced, imminent danger from a once distant past has reemerged, and an end that Yoori will never see coming is approaching. As the finalities of her borrowed time approaches, Yoori continues to fight with everything she has to hang onto the one she loves most in this world – the King of Serpents. It will be a battle of a lifetime that will carve itself into history, for if she loses, it will ignite the greatest war the Underworld has ever seen.

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Challenge Post- Day 5

5. Chicken Larb- I think it is beef larb that is the most common dish consumed and favorited. I; on the other hand, find chicken larb more appetizing. It is such a delicious dish paired with rice and lettuce. Such a simple meal but full of flavors.

4. Papaya Salad- If you have never tried papaya salad, then you have not lived. Be sure to do your research and find the best place for trying papaya salad. You want your first try to be worth it. I recommend sweet and spicy when you make your order.

3. Udon Noodles- I love my udon noodles.

2. Rice- I also love my rice.

1. Eggrolls

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Challenge Post- Day 6

6. Canada- There is something very attractive about Canada.  I think it has a great deal to do with their scenery and weather. Every time I come across a picture of Canada, it is always so peaceful and beautiful. The people there seems very friendly too. The country reminds me a lot about France as well with its language and structures. It is not a very far place to visit either if I can make it there one day.

5. China- Who does not love the history of China? There is so much to learn and appreciate bout this country from its agricultural ways of living to its modern cities of hustling. People always asked what ethnicity am I when we meet for the first time. It is not even a question of "what are you?" but rather a "are you Chinese?" My response often resulted in a long explanation of how my people does not have a country. The earliest recordings of our ancestors were made in China of an ethnic group called Miao. At the same time, we do not refer to ourselves as Miao or Chinese. No, we are not Mongolians either, but that is another topic of debate. In short, we are simply Hmong; yet we encompass a whole lot of influences from other Asian cultures. Arts and music, clothes, tools, foods, and even beliefs to name a few. By the way, I am definitely #teampanda after #teamdolphin.

4. Hawaii- I do not think I need to say more about this place.

3. South Korea- I am definitely a Kpop fan, which makes me very biased when it comes to South Korea. One of my childish wishes was to run into one of my idols on the streets of Seoul. I do not even mind if I cannot get an autograph or a picture so long as I can lay eyes on my idols. This childish wish, as foolish as it sounds, was what got me through those rough years in high school and college.

2. Thailand- The country I hold very dear to my heart. I sincerely hope that one day I will be able to return to my roots.

1. Paris, France

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Challenge Post- Day 7

7. I want to explore Paris, France with the one I love. I have an obsession with the Eiffel Tower and anything related to Paris. I think it is a beautiful and dreamy city for love. Someone once told me that the majority of people in Paris do not share the same ideals or fantasy about the tower as foreigners do. I do not know if this is true or not, but I chose to believe in its iconic symbol. I always want to visit Paris, but a part of me is waiting to go with the one I love. When that day happens, I will shout it out from the top of the tower.

6. I want to visit Thailand with my parents. I want to go back to my roots and see where I came from. For many years now, my parents have spoken of visiting the country as well to see all that has changed since they left. Thailand is also a beautiful country that speaks to me. I love their culture and appreciate their dedication to preserve their history and natural beauty in their everyday life.

5. I want to swim with the dolphins in the ocean. As much as I fear large bodies of water and drowning, I also love dolphins and always wanted to swim with them. They are such friendly and free creatures. They hold a very special spot in my childhood memories too. I remember my dad had gone with me to one of my parent conferences, and for the first time, I asked him if we could stop by the book fair in the library since we were walking through. He looked at me and asked, "Will you even read the book if I buy it for you?" (Keep in mind, my dad is a very frugal person.) When I told him yes, he proceeded to ask if I was sure I could even read a book. (I did say my parents were not very present in my childhood, did I not?) I told him I would try my best, so he allowed me to pick one book from the book fair. The very first and last book that my dad ever purchased for me was book one of the Dolphin Diaries: Into the Blue. I am 100% serious when I say I still have that book today.

4. I want to build a house with a lake view. It will be the perfect spot to chase sunrises and sunsets. When night falls, it will be the perfect spot to bask in moonlight. Cherry blossom trees will line the entire driveway, and in the moonlight garden will rest shades of flowers. Candlelight lanterns will flicker in and out on the dock. Strings of fairy light will adjourned the porch as music plays in the background.

3. I want to have twins when I have kids. No one in either side of my family has had twins, so I think the chances of my having twins in the future is very slim to none. However, I can hope and pray that I will be blessed with twins. Twins have a relationship that is very unique and hard to find in other relationships, and I want my kids to always have that connection with them as they grow up. 

2. I want to grow old with my family and friends. May we all grow old together.

1. I want to find true love.

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Challenge Post- Day 8

8. I fear the unknown. I believe this is a reasonable fear that everyone has because the majority of us are not psychics or prophets. We cannot foretell what tomorrow holds for ourselves or love ones. Because of that reason, I do fear the unknown. I try not to wonder about the unknown too much, but instead try to accept each day as it is. Overcome challenges, celebrate successes, and relish each moments with the people around me as much as I can.

7. I fear the unseen. This fear comes with my cultural and religious beliefs. I believe in the supernatural. I believe there are such things as ghosts and spirits. I also believe in a higher power, like guardians and gods. I have had my fair share of experiences to believe in the unseen and to fear it. And, when that happens, I pray.

6. I fear large bodies of water. I love being around large bodies of water- beach, lakes, rivers, pools. I love them. At the same time, I fear them. If I ever fall in, there is no way I am coming back up for air without help. I guess my fear then would be drowning because I almost did. Short little story: My aunt and uncle took my siblings and I to the beach when we were kids. They wanted to do something nice for us since my parents never took us anywhere. My grandma came along to help babysit. We were all told to say near the shore since none of us kids knew how to swim. I followed the rules, yet I was the one who almost drowned. My brother was hopping in the water like a frog when he knocked me over. I fell into the water and got swept away with the current. I could not touch the bottom when I tried to stand up. Neither could I get my head above water long enough to scream for help. By the time my aunt got me back to shore, I was already traumatized.

5. I fear discrimination. Who doesn't? I am a minority. I am a female. I am from a lower-class. I am a bookworm. I am short. I am overweight. I am full of scars. I think my fear of discrimination comes with how I was raised. My low-esteem and lack of confidence definitely affects the degree of this fear. Do not get me wrong. I have worked very hard to overcome those discriminations and prove them wrong. However, that fear still lingers in the back of my mind. It acts as a consistent reminder that I need to work hard, stay strong, be humble, show kindness, have empathy, and learn and grow every day.

4. I fear disappointment. I am very blessed to have the people I have in my life. All of them and the amount of support and love they have given me are endless. Whether I need advice or guidance, they are always present and readily available at my disposal. With it comes the burden of failure. Because I love and respect each and every one of them so much, I fear that I would disappoint them if I fail to meet their expectations. That fear of disappointing them scares me more than the fear of failing myself.

3. I fear men. I... do not know if 'fear' is the right word. I admit I am uncomfortable and nervous around men. I am weary of them, but I do not fear them- unless the situation calls for it. I can talk to a man and be OK (with a lot of stuttering) if it is for a short period of time. This applies to both men I know (excluding family members) and men I do not know. If that conversation is occurring over a period of time, then I start feeling anxious because I am mentally running out of topics to discuss. I prefer talking to a man in a group of people rather than alone. I know part of this fear stems from low self-esteem and lack of confidence (again), but a big part of it stems from unfortunate experiences. So, for those wondering, yes, this is why I have not dated for over a decade and is very hesitant about jumping back into the dating pool.

2. I fear enclosed space. This one is easy- I am claustrophobic. I got locked in a laundry mat restroom by accident when I was little. The restroom was very tiny, dirty, and scary with its poor lighting. I screamed and screamed for help but no one came right away. It was late in the afternoon, so the laundry mat was quite empty. My mom and grandma did not hear me over the sounds either. I was locked in the restroom for a good while before my grandma came looking for me.

1. I fear the death of a love one. 

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Challenge Post- Day 9

9. I love watching dramas. I grew up watching all sorts of dubbed dramas with my family, so dramas are actually a huge part of my life. My grandparents did not speak English, work, or drive. As survivors of wars and immigrants from another country, they were very anxious about the outside world. Us little kids did not have the luxury of playing outside whenever we wanted. We could not afford toys inside the house either. Therefore, watching dramas after school were our only option- when we were not too busy eating, sleeping, or playing pretend. My parents, especially my dad, would watch dramas on the weekend when they were able to rest from work. If my siblings and I wanted to spend some family time with them, then we would have to watch dramas with them too. Over time, watching dramas became an activity that allowed our family to spend time together. Now, watching dramas is still a favorite pastime of mine.

8. I love reading books. I will forever be grateful for books. Reading books became my lifeline when I was drowning at age 10. My parents were not as present during my elementary years. They were always working to support our family. My grandparents raised my siblings and I along with my cousins. I was the older girl in the group, so I was responsible for taking care of the little ones. I was forced to grow up. I remember feeling very lost and alone in 4th grade. I did not have an adult I could connect with at home, so school became my favorite place to be. My 4th grade teacher basically opened the door to the world for me when he showed all of his students our classroom library. I realized I did not have to "stay at home" with books. I could read and go places. I could escape my world and lose myself in a whole new dimension. Reading books became the one thing that my family could not take away from me.

7. I love working with digital art. I have said it before and I will say it again: I am not a social butterfly, and I am a very sentimental person. I enjoy videography and photography for that reason. I can be behind the camera and still be able to capture the moments. I wanted to learn photography and go into the arts and film industry when I was in middle school and high school. However, I was never allowed to. My dad had expectations he had set for me, and I always felt I had to live up to them. So, I never pursued those interests but still wanted to be able to express myself when words failed me. Luck was on my side when I discovered the world of fan fiction and graphic designs that eventually led me to photoshop and digital art today. 

6. I love writing snippets. I think snippets are as good as stories. They are moments- memories- scribbled and captured in action. In fact, it is those individual snippets that combined makes up a story. Think about a storyboard or a timeline. Can you really create an entire story without an outline? Even in real life, we have stages that mark the different chapters of our life story. Graduation. Marriage. Death. I kid you not when I say Shakespeare's "The Seven Ages of a Man" resonates louder than anything at this moment.

5. I love listening to stories. The Hmong people did not have a written language until the Romanized Popular Alphabet was introduced to them in the 1950s. Oral storytelling was how our cultural practices and beliefs were passed down for generations after generations. We have a type of stories called "dab neeg," which roughly means fables, folklores, fairytales, and/or legends. (Now, there is another type of stories called "neej neeg," which refers to storytelling of more recent events. However, I do not listen to "neej neeg" as much as I do "dab neeg.") My grandparents, especially my grandma, were really big on storytelling. She would tell us all these different "dab neeg" when we were kids. Most of them were told to teach us a life lesson (i.e., Cinderella or "Nkauj Nog"). Others were told to scare us from doing something we were not supposed to (i.e., ghost stories as "dab" in dab neeg can also translates to ghost). So, listening to stories was also another activity that allowed our family to spend time together. It was a time when us kids would actually ask questions about the characters and discuss the stories. I still listen to "dab neeg" whether I am cleaning my room, hanging out with my siblings, or driving on the road.

4. I love traveling to new places. I enjoy the sceneries and seeing new places. I do not travel as much as I would love to though. One, I cannot afford to travel whenever and where I want. And two, I am afraid of exploring new places alone. I feel extremely anxious when I am out of my comfort zone. As a result, even though I desire to travel the world, I do not do so. I guess I am still waiting for my traveling companion to show so we can explore new places together.

3. I love watching sunrises and sunsets. I am also quite obsess with moonlit nights. The beauty of nature is at its finest, if I may say so. Maybe one day my traveling companion and I can watch sunrises, chase sunsets, and bask in moonlight together.

2. I love spending quality times with my family and friends. Do I need to say more?

1. I love my independence.

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Challenge Post- Day 10

10. I have a weak stomach. As a result, I avoid eating in restaurants and social events if I could. It is not that I do not enjoy the food or eating out with family and friends. It is simply because my stomach will reject the food. Within 10 minutes of eating- 20 if I am lucky- I will need to use the restroom. Even a rich sandwich or salad will still send me running. It is embarrassing, but it is also a disgusting truth.

9. I find socializing exhausting and challenging. I was never a social butterfly. I still am not a social butterfly. I often do not share the same interests as other people, making conversations very difficult to carry on. Because I am socially awkward, I find making friends and finding potential dates quite difficult. However, for the ones who persevered and actually made it past my wall are truly treasured and kept close to my heart.

8. I do not give second chances. Every person that I encounter and become an acquaintance with will always have 100% of my trust. I chose to see the good in people and believe that there are good intentions behind every actions. I will trust that person, support that person, and stand up for that person until I am proven wrong. The moment that trust is broken is the moment I am done with that person. I can forgive mistakes, but I can never forget them either. As the saying goes, "wounds may heal, but the scars remain."

7. I live with insomnia. It has been a part of my life for as long as I can remember. It still is a part of my life. For a while, I though I was an oddball in the family because I would lie awake late into the night while everyone else slept. Then, I thought I was simply born a night owl who could pull all nighters during the week of school and still managed to function. Now, I realized all those sleepless nights were due to insomnia. The insomnia gets worse with stress, which in my case is all the time.

6. I experience some degree of depression. With the insomnia comes the depression. I am a physically, mentally, and emotionally weak person. More so physically and emotionally, I think. I empathize easily with people, and with that, I also hurt easily. I cry as quickly as I laugh. I sometime wear my emotions on my sleeves, but most times, I hide them so well others cannot tell how I am feeling. If mild, I find myself spending hundreds of dollars at a time on myself- something I do not practice on a regular basis. If moderate, I find myself isolated in my room and in my bed sleeping the hours away. I have yet to experience severe depression, and I pray I will never do. I am afraid of what I am capable of the moment all I see is black.

5. I hate changes. I understand that not all changes are bad, but boy, do I still hate changes. Eleanor Roosevelt said, "Many people will walk in and out of your life, but only true friends will leave foot prints in your heart." It is not those people who walk in and out of my life that hurts me most but those friends who leave foot prints behind. Because I am such an emotional and sentimental person, I hold everyone and everything very closely to my heart. When changes happen, some of those I hold dearly start slipping away, and I cannot get them back. I learn to let them go and to adapt to those changes, but every time it happen, it hurts so much.

4. I enjoy watching people. I do not know if this counts as a secret since everyone participates in all the times. However, being the kind of person I am, I do enjoy people watching. The shape of their smile, the sound of their voice, and the ways they interact with their surrounding are all so unique and special. Every person is living out his or her very own story, and for just a moment, I am blessed to get a glimpse of it. I may not be a participant but I am a witness of such a story no matter the ending.

3. I believe in those once-in-a-lifetime-love. I acknowledge that love comes in many forms and can be given in many ways to different people at the same time. I love my family. I love my friends. I love my students. I love my idols. I love my books. I love my independence. However, these are not quite my once-in-a-lifetime-love. My family is continually growing. My friends and students come and go with each passing year. My idols and books change as my independence take me places. A once-in-a-lifetime-love will continue to grow but will never leave or change as it remain by my side.

2. I am uncomfortable around men. Where to start with this one? It may have to be a post of its own for another day.

1. I hold too many secrets.

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