where is the logic?

my musing for today:

I have an adorable mini rabbit that I bought very soon after arriving in Japan. I have brought him up since he was able to fit in the palm of my hand at only a month old. I make sure he has a proper bunny diet, plenty of room to run around, enough fresh air and sunshine, and of course, too much attention from me. I've always made sure he has the best care taker available when I've gone on trips. I have left the light and heat on for him when I'm not home so he doesn't get cold or feel scared. I haven't throttled him for destroying the tatami in one of my rooms, but just covered it up and will deal with the consequences later on. I paid to have him neutered to regulate his hormones and increase his lifespan.

And now I'm willing to pay the ridiculous fees associated with trying to take an animal on board a plane so that, like a responsible pet owner, I don't just dump him because it's inconvenient to take him back to my home country. But what's that? I have to jump through 5 million hoops to do this? And I have to sign a waiver saying the airline is not responsible if he dies in transit, yet they won't let me take every measure possible to prevent this, including having him with me in the cabin?

I seriously don't get it. You can talk to me about sensitivity to allergies people may have, the limits necessary on taking certain animals on a plane, blah blah blah, but I ask, where is the logic?

Instead of sweeping regulations that cause unbelievable stress on both the owners and animals in the end, just take things on a case-to-case basis. My boyfriend was trying to say that they just have these sweeping regulations because of how infrequent animals need to fly, but to me that's exactly the point; Usually animals classified as pets need to be flown so infrequently that the conditions surrounding their need to fly should be evaluated and permitted on more logical grounds.

My example that I ranted on my facebook status upset a friend, but I could care less. I said that if a screaming child under the age of 2 or whatever it is can fly FOR FREE and disturb other passengers, then logically, my small, quiet rabbit should be allowed to be with me in a carry on size bag under my seat. Allowing this for free makes sense to me (since I'm giving up a carry on bag to bring him on), but in the end I don't even care if they charge me the extra $150 and say that I can't take him out of the carrier (because, duh). I'd rather have him with me so I can monitor him and comfort him with my presence.

Instead I'm facing airlines that either a) don't allow rabbits period. No reason, just arbitrarily say no to them. b) will only fly him as cargo with an extra fee c) will allow them in the cabin if no other passenger has an animal. Also for an extra fee. d) Quarantines them and requires health certificates that need to be officially translated into the language of every destination the animal will arrive at. (understandable, but what a b-itch of a task).

So: a) I have to leave him behind because you say so? Um, no. b) a small, genetically disposed nervous creature is forced to fly alone on a airplane in the freezing cargo space because you say so? NO. That's the surest way of killing him. c and d) the extra fees and hoops suck, but oh wait, I'm flying across the world (in my case) so not all of my connecting flights allow option c.

Like I said, my stress levels are high when, if logic prevailed, airlines would reward responsible pet owners who are planning on keeping, not abandoning their pets, and give them every option available to make a journey with an animal as stress-free as possible for both the human and animal's sake.

Sigh..If only logic prevailed in this world..
It's like the saying goes, "common sense is not all that common."

a mild state of dissociation

my musing for today:

The title is the definition of compartmentalization. Why didn't I just us that then? Because I wasn't expecting that to come up when I verified my use of the word (I often do this to avoid that awful moment when you've misused a word and someone equally as awful points it out. eek!). I was more anticipating this definition (which is that of compartmentalize): to divide into sections or categories.

As it happens, I prefer the former definition to go along with my musing for today. A mild state of dissociation [being disconnected].

My efforts to be connected to the world around me, to those in far away places, to what's popular among my peers often comes about in the form of connecting to social media. Yes, I do talk to people in person as well, but when all that's familiar to me is thousands of miles away, I can more easily do this via social media each of which I use for specific purposes. But living so far away has left me in a state of compartmentalization. I am in some way constantly disconnected. So my musing (and thus the expectation of the second definition), is because despite my efforts to connect via my compartmentalized social media sites, I still consistently experience this mild state of dissociation.

It doesn't burden me. I've just noticed it. It's sometimes nice to be so far removed from all that is familiar. I already know that I'll miss being able to live in a dissociated state, blissfully ignorant of some matters and lost in the unfamiliar.

my blessing and my curse

my musing for today: 

For quite some time I've been acutely aware of my sixth sense. Because of my gender it could be referred to as woman's intuition and I guess I'm okay with that too. My experiences with it so far have ranged from having an impending sense of doom to specifically not liking a situation when I encounter it for no apparent reason.

The first time I can really remember this happening was at volleyball camp between my junior and senior year of high school. I'm good at volleyball. Not professional level, but I was good and certainly one of the best on my team. The last few days at camp, I couldn't even bump the ball. My coach took me out of the rotation and we were both dumbfounded at what was wrong with me. After I returned home from camp, I found out my family hadn't wanted to spoil my time at camp by telling me that my beloved grandfather had died that on the day I started playing terribly.

The next time I clearly had a bad feeling about a person. It was within a group of friends and at the time, I only tried to get the person closest to me away from that person, but he didn't buy my 'having a feeling.' I felt forced to ignore the feeling since we were all in a a group of friends. Big mistake. Bad people can't hide their true colors forever, so when I was proven right the situation was just terrible for everyone involved, but especially me.

It's happened on smaller scales as well. I can also get the feeling but have it go away. Today, I sat I my desk shifting uncomfortably with the impending sense of doom feeling when a friend texted me to see how work was going. I was honest and within the span of our conversation, the reason behind the feeling revealed itself. The reason is more like another potentially bad situation, but it's too soon to tell if it will end in the worse way possible. We'll see.

Sorry to be so cryptic in this post and not reveal all the juicy details of these stories. My policy has always been that those who need know the details, will. This musing is more about my strong intuition and how I've learned to recognize it as a defense mechanism. That's why it is my blessing and my curse.

die doing what you love or live doing the mundane?

my musing for today:

I felt a moment of swelling emotions as I read this article today on MSN about a young couple who died during their journey to cycle around the world. They were both struck and killed by a truck while biking through Thailand. The tragic circumstances of this situation isn't what got to me; the reactions of their loved ones did. They were quoted as saying things along the lines of 'they died doing what they loved' and 'they didn't just talk about doing this, they did it.' Is it morbid to think that I love this attitude and would hope to have that said about me?

I feel like if it were my family - passionate and crazy as they are - they would probably be inclined to be upset that I had put myself in danger in the first place, essentially robbing them of my presence in their lives (sounds selfish of them I know, but they do love me so). These people left behind though immediately recognized that although this couple was in their early 30's and still had their whole lives ahead of them, they lived and died passionately in pursuit of their dream. How could they be upset with that?

This leads me to the title of this post. Someone in the comments actually said they'd rather be alive and pushing paperwork at some desk than to die, even if it was doing something they love. As soon as read this, I involuntarily leaned back a bit and shook my head as my brain was processing this information and vehemently rejecting it.

Maybe it sounds selfish of me and would be interpreted by my family as such (like I mused). However, I often check myself to make sure I'm really living and not merely existing. I want to be pursuing dreams and having amazing experiences that enrich my life. If I died in pursuit of this (knock on wood), then I'd hope to be remembered that way. 

R.I.P. to these young and passionate people. You are being remembered for the incredible life you lead and not for your untimely demise.

a serendipitous occurence

my musing for today:

I was discussing future plans with a friend today and revealed how serendipitous the timing of my return home in August will be. I mean, I don't want to get ahead of myself, but so far I've received news of three other friends moving back to Miami around the same time that I am. Three friends who have been living their separate lives in separate places, all of whom I am close with and will definitely be seeing much of if they're in town.
How does that just happen?!
I know I'll be dealing with the stress and emotions involved with reverse culture shock, so although I like to call this serendipitous, I know it's a little help from above to help me fill the voids that will be missing from my life.
It's funny.. usually with these kind of things, I can only see their purpose looking back; It's strange to think I'm connecting the dots looking forward. Strange and comforting.

life of π

*spoiler alert* There are spoilers in here. You've been warned. And don't say you're the type who doesn't mind spoilers - this book/movie is too good for that.


I went to go see Life of Pi last weekend and I can honestly say that a movie hasn't captured my attention and stirred my soul like that in a very long time (and yes I did go see Les Mis - ugh). I was in great company too which only enhanced my experience. Because honestly, when you're the only two people laughing at the perfect irony in a line like, "but Columbus was sailing for India!," you just appreciate it all a little more. That and laughing at Richard Parker whenever he'd revert to being a big 'ole pussycat was priceless.

These days it seems all movies are either remakes or based on a bestselling book. I'd heard of the book, but my friend and I didn't actually know if this was a true story or not. It's not. And that makes the story even better because at the end you are truly able to choose which story to believe. I wasn't blown away by the twist that he had masked a gruesome story with one of a spiritual journey. Instead, the spiritual journey was so compelling that it was almost unimportant to learn of what really transpired. But that scene where he is describing what really happened is so powerful that it makes me glad I hadn't read the book first.

First, I'll say something about the non-spiritual elements of the movie. The life they depicted of India in the 1970s, together with the setting of Pondicherry made India such a more alluring place than what one hears about India these days - just beautiful. As a novice, I found the acting to be perfect. I was so glad that they were an unknown cast as it could have been distracting to see any familiar faces on screen. On top of these elements, the music did more than just fit the movie, it complemented it and raised it to that level of enchantment. It's not surprising that Mychael Danna won the Golden Globe for Best Original Score (we have yet to see what other awards this film will win).

The story and the way it was told were incredible of course, but the two biggest things I took away from the movie were more at the bookends of the film. First, earlier on, we see how young Pi is incredibly sincere in his search for God, something highly unusual for a boy his age. As a result, he becomes a follower of Christianity, Hinduism, and Islam. - that's a lot of theology on your plate young man. An important scene is when Pi and his father have a discussion at the dinner table about it. Pi has just finished praying when his father tells him that he doesn't mind if his son opposes his own beliefs (being that science is more real than God), but as long as Pi has applied reason, he can live with it.

For quite some time now, I've been seeing the truths that religions and faiths other than my own have. While I was growing up, I was taught that Christianity is the only way and while not outright stated, it was implied that everything about other religions was wrong. Subconsciously I held this belief to be true. I do believe in only one God, but to think that other religions hold no truth of their own is ignorant and insulting to one's own intelligence. No one sat me down to tell me this. I learned it from my own observation much like Pi. He was not persuaded by words, but by knowledge. After learning about the life of Christ, young Pi says, 'I like this Son of God' and bam, he was a Christian. I am still surrounded by minds that can't comprehend the virtues in other religions and would call it heresy to abide by any of them while calling myself a Christian, but deep down I know who I am in Christ. Ironic anyway is that many of the 'foreign' religious principles I abide by and believe to be true translate into Christianity, but are just thought of in different terms. Things like the belief in karma or the principle of meditation; divinity in nature and many forms of prayer.

"Hindus, in their capacity for love, are indeed hairless Christians, just as Muslims, in the way they see God in everything, are bearded Hindus, and Christians, in their devotion to God, are hat wearing Muslims." - Pi, Life of Pi 

No one but God can know the heart of a believer. If someone is following three religions because they aren't really sure which is true, you'll see the manifestation in their lives. If they follow three religions because they see the value in each, you'll see it then too. Most apparently are those who you only hear about as being religious but don't act it out in any way. God doesn't judge by your works but by your faith. If you need to boast about your works, then it is time reevaluate your faith. Since a person't faith is such a personal aspect about them, seeing Pi's spiritual awakening and the faith he carried with him was touching.


The second thing I that really moved me is something adult Pi says after recounting his story to the writer. In speaking of Richard Parker he says, "I still cannot understand how he could abandon me so unceremoniously, without any sort of goodbye, without looking back even once. That pain is like an axe that chops at my heart." Harsh reality. Richard Parker is no longer the guru on his spiritual journey, but the animal that he is - cold, harsh, and uncaring. It leads adult Pi to say something I already knew to be painfully true since it's something I've had to learn on my own like he did.

It is important in life to conclude things properly. Only then can you let go. Otherwise you are left with words you should have said, but never did, and your heart is heavy with remorse... All of life is an act of letting go, but what hurts the most is not taking a moment to say goodbye.'

In my spiritual journey, a Jain nun once taught me that when those who are spiteful and angry do not give you the chance to end things properly, writing a letter to unburden your mind and heart of things unsaid is an option. The letter doesn't have to be sent. Simply the act of writing out what you need to say it cathartic enough. I've written two and sent both. I prefer speaking in person, but in my cases this has been the only way to end things as properly as possible.

This is a movie that everyone needs to see. It takes you out of your comfort zone, dazzles your senses, and intrigues the mind. I feel that when someone sees this movie will greatly affect what kind of impact the movie has on them, so whether you're in a place to enjoy a giant cat doing giant cat things or feeling inclined towards enlightenment, watch it.

The 30 Day 'End of the World' Challenge: Whoops!

Haha! Well, I missed doing this and spent the end of the world flying across it to warmer climates. But knowing that some of you were expecting it, I decided to finish anyway.

The 30 Day 'End of the World' Challenge:

Day 1 - Your current relationship, if single discuss how single life is. 

I am taken. We have a great relationship, not perfect, but it's what most would hope for.

Day 2 - Where you’d like to be in 10 years. 

In 10 years, I'd like to be blissfully married with at least one child. I hope by then I will have found my calling, so that I can be happily and fully engaged in leaving whatever my legacy on earth will be.

Day 3 - Your views on drugs and alcohol.

Ideally, they would be that if they don't harm or affect others negatively, then go as wild as you like. Unfortunately, people are stupid. Because of this, those who are found guilty of harming or affecting others with their use of either of these should be fined, jailed, or flayed depending on the degree of harm.

Day 4 - Your views on religion.

Organized religion is a tool of man whether for good or evil. One should have faith and a personal relationship with their Creator and rejoice in the fellowship of those like-minded in their beliefs. Your personal beliefs should not impose on anyone else and if you succeed in converting someone to your faith as a result of your actions and not your theology, you're doing it right.

Day 5 - A time you thought about ending your own life.

N/A

Day 6 - Describe something you're passionate about.

Photography! I get really excited to when my surrounding inspire me photograph them. I've even started to day dream about my trips in terms of how the photos will turn out. When I share them, I really try to tell a story through them. From the feedback, I think I'm doing a good job so far.

Day 7 - Your zodiac sign and if you think it fits your personality.

I'm a fire tiger, Sagittarius and it definitely fits me. I don't believe horoscopes but it's fun to see what your personality type and quirks are based on these things and I do find them to fit.

Day 8 - A moment you felt the most satisfied with your life.

Sitting at the top of Mt. Fuji. I felt like it validated some of the most important life decisions I had made up until that point.

Day 9 - Do you think people have the wrong impression of you?

All the time.

Day 10 - Discuss your first love and first kiss.

Puppy love no longer counts, so in that case what I'll say is that despite our bumpy start, it's proven to be a love of a lifetime. The first kiss? It was magical and ordained as a spectacle for the gods.

Day 11 - Put your ipod on shuffle and write 10 songs that pop up.

Blink 182 - Rock Show
Kid Cudi - Day and Night (Crookers Remix)
Tool - Schism
Frou Frou - Let Go
Kanye West - Good Life
Death Cab for Cutie - Sleep Spent
Aurora - Ordinary World
Minus the Bear - Intro
Nujabes - Next View
Ayla - Angelfalls

Day 12 - Bullet your whole day.

• Woke up.
• Went back to bed.
• Woke up.
• Laid in bed on my iPhone for an hour.
• Layered up to come to work.
• Sat at my desk at work all day catching up on varied interests.
• Drove home and huddled around the heater for warmth.
• Debated whether the kitchen is too cold and whether just have crackers for dinner...again.
• Watch all my favorite YouTubers and TV shows. Or play on the Wii. Or read on my iPad.
• Pass out at 11:00pm.
  

A typical day in the life of a JET. Riveting.

Day 13 - Somewhere you’d like to move or visit.

Europe! From my one and only visit, I can tell that I would do well there. I don't think anyone can see all there is to see in Europe even if you lived there all your life, but I'll give it a go.

Day 14 - Your earliest memory.

Eating a french fry.

Day 15 - If you could turn back time, is there anything you'd do differently?

Yes. High School for starters.

Day 16 - Your views on mainstream music.

It's fun.

Day 17 - Your highs and lows of this past year.

Lows - missing out on important events back home.
Highs - accomplishing all and more of my travel goals.

Day 18 - Your beliefs.

Love all, trust few, do wrong to none.

Day 19 - Disrespecting your parents.

A thing of my juvenile past.

Day 20 - How important you think education is.

Important, but not as important as experience.

Day 21 - One of your favorite shows.

So so many. One of my new favorites is Downton Abbey. It's magnificent.

Day 22 - How have you changed in the past 2 years?

Well, I've been living abroad and have changed dramatically in 2 years as a result of being completely independent for the first time in my life. Only those who have lived apart from everything they hold dear and familiar can know the subtle ways this changes someone, but in summary, I've matured quite a bit. It's been invaluable.

Day 23 - Give pictures of 5 guys who are famous who you find attractive.

I can't be bothered to do that so I'll just name them:

• Robert Pattinson (when he's not Edward Cullen)
• Alexander Skarsgard (especially when he's Eric Northman)
• Brad Pitt (especially around the Fight Club era)
• Vin Diesel (all day long)
  
• David Beckham (especially when modeling)
  

Day 24 - Your favorite movie and what it’s about.

What Dreams May Come. It's about the lengths one goes for true love.

Day 25 - Someone who fascinates you and why.

Me. I constantly surprise myself.

Day 26 - What kind of person attracts you.

Confident, funny, and kind.

Day 27 - A problem that you have had.

Connecting.

Day 28 - Something that you miss.

Those days and nights at FIU when anything could happen.

Day 29 - Goals for the next 30 days.

Read, write, plan, publish.

Day 30 - Your highs and lows of this month

-The month is young so I'll consider from this day last month till this one-

Lows - thinking honesty really was the best policy
Highs - hitting another JETset goal and going to Singapore!