TL;DR post

I haven't written about anything moderately serious in my last couple of entries (however long ago they were), but a thought struck me today (while I was in the shower, but that's an entirely separate barrel of fish) and I felt the need to "write" it down somewhere. And seeing as this is a surrogate journal for me... well, you get the picture.

KIDS: PROCREATION VERSUS ADOPTION

I had a conversation the other day with a dude about children, if I wanted them or not, which was really what sparked this whole thought process, and I happened to think back on it today.

Here's the thing: I don't see myself as a mother. I can't. I simply can't fathom the idea of being responsible for another human being's life. Maybe later on, sure, I may love the idea of having kids. But honestly, I'll be 19 in less than a week; I'm too young to be thinking about those sort of things. And it's a little scary and unnerving to hear some of my friends talk about it and all things encompassing it: marriage, the wedding itself, the number of kids, the name of them, what they would look like etc. I was never the girl to plan my dream wedding and perfect future family. But I digress. The point about this is children. And it struck me: no one ever mentioned how they would have kids. Would it be their own flesh and blood or would they adopt? And I, myself, attempted to tackle this situation in an unbiased fashion.

Adoption, to me, seems like the most fair and logical path, basing this only reason alone. You (and perhaps your significant other) want a child for which to love, care, and smother with happiness. There is a child out there who needs a home, needs that love. Easy math. Having kids of your own almost seems selfish, narcissistic. It's like you want your child, your actual genetic offspring. A mirror of half yourself. Then there's the whole fairness, feminist take on it. A woman going through all the pain of birth hardly seems comparable to the man who shot sperm inside of her, no?

But then again, having a child of your own, creating life, that is a beautiful thing. There is an underlying, instantaneous bond existing at first breath which truly cannot be replicated despite how much you love a child you adopted. It is man's finest work; every child is beautiful to those who conceive him or her. And isn't that the point of existence? To procreate and extend the lifetime of our species?

And then there's pulling an Angelina and doing both. That's a no-no to me. It's not fair to kids, IMO. The adopted child(ren) may think you don't love him/her as much, and your biological child(ren) may think that you're giving the other(s) more attention simply because he/she is adopted. There's the chance that this doesn't happen, but there's also the chance it does.

In my opinion, I'm too young to think about these things, but if I were to choose right now between procreation and adoption to have a child, I would adopt. If my future significant other would want to have our own child in the biological sense, though, I would be fine with that, too. I'm a tad ambivalent. I assume that later on if I want kids, I want kids. Method is not a concern.

It's strange, though. My mom thought the same thing. She didn't mind adopting, but my dad wanted a kid he genetically connected to, technically speaking. And here I am. This takes this discussion to a philosophical sense. What would everyone with whom I'd ever come in contact, be like today? Who would be the person in place of me now?

Then again, who would the hypothetical person my child would grow up to be if I choose not to adopt? The guy who I had the conversation which got me on this topic in the first place had mentioned if we had kids, they would probably look Asian (considering I'm full Asian and people have said he looks Asian despite him being Latino). Looks aside, those would probably end up being some smart kids: we're both honor students in the engineering school of our university. So, what would I be denying the world if I decided to adopt? On the flip side, what would I be saving the world from if I decided to adopt?

Something to mull over before heading to bed. A subject that is too complicated to think for someone who is too young to get her head in.

2010?

I apparently haven't posted a single thing since October... whoops.

In comes 2010 ("two thousand and ten"? "twenty ten"? "two zero one zero"? meh...) taking over everything 2009 left behind. What's to expect this year and decade? Hopefully not as many deaths. Perhaps a comedic movie that will surpass even the Hangover. Better grades for me? I pray that my 09 procrastination doesn't follow me into the new year...

Here's to fresh starts, new music, and many, many laughs along the ride.

But first, a tribute to James Owen Sullivan aka the Reverend Tholomew Plague, one of the greatest drummers who graced this earth. I wish I had been able to meet him or even seen him play live once. He seemed like a one of a kind character with the heart and passion to rival his drumming. Rest in peace and thoughts and love to his immediate family, the Avenged family, his wife, and the rest of the A7X fans who are mourning as well.

Procrastination 101

It should be class, really. I'd get an A+.


Now, I have nothing against Tokio Hotel. I shamelessly admit that I have two of their songs on my iTunes, and I think it's pretty sweet that they're only a year (or two? not sure) older than I and have a world-wide fanbase.

But this is just too funny...



Is it horrible that I actually laughed aloud when I saw this? Sue me.

BRAND NEW EYES

I'm no music blogger (<-- click it, I dare you), but how could I pass up a chance to talk about one of my favorite bands on the day their third album drops. For those living under a rock in the, well, "rock"-esque world, Paramore's album Brand New Eyes came out today. I'm going to try to make this album review short and sweet and highlight two songs mainstream America probably won't hear.

Despite many comments of being "disappointed," I don't feel that in the least. Unlike those who are less than satisfied with this record, I approached it with really no expectations. The band was near-breaking point, they just ended a stint with No Doubt, there were too many outside factors to really predict or expect anything regarding what their sound would be like. After listening to BNE once, I already love it. Many bands can never go back to their original sound from their first record (Fall Out Boy with Take This To Your Grave, anyone?), but Paramore goes back to the raw emotion, feeling, power, and edge fans first saw and fell in love with in All We Know is Falling while production levels are much higher as in Riot!. Try listening through the whole album without jumping around or dancing at least once. Pretty tough and damn near impossible, let me tell you. On to the songs!

"Turn It Off" Contrary to the title, don't. Talking purely music, it's catchy but sounds like nothing too special: been there, heard that. Key word is "heard." What you need to do is listen, not just hear. The lyrics are what got to me. Close your eyes, lean back, and listen to Ms. Hayley Williams' words flow through the speakers. A verbal picture is painted, and it's one hell of a painting.

"All I Wanted" Now, this song picks up where "Turn It Off" falls a tad short. They complete each other, really. "All I Wanted" cannot compare to "Turn It Off" at all lyrically, but the instrumentals are powerful and the vocals. Oh, the vocals. The redhead-recently-gone-blonde spitfire shows us where that traditional vocal training went. There have been arguments that the she sounds strained. I'd love to hear them belt like Hayley does.

And here begins (and probably ends unless I find a stroke of inspiration) my music review writing.
For more on Brand New Eyes, please check out this review. I agree with most, if not all, of what is said in it. She covers every song on the record, even if just for one sentence.
And for more on music recommendations in general (and if you ignored my not-so-subtle link in the beginning), check out my wonderful friend Boy Wonder. His musical insight is fantastic, and you won't be disappointed. Money-back guarantee.

We All Need a Laugh

Especially in the midst of college move-ins, homework, and quizzes/tests

And this definitely makes me laughAnd for the record, I have read all 4 Twilight books. I am allowed to have my fun.


On a completely unrelated note, I made the club soccer team for my school, and I'm ridiculously stoked! :D

The People Who Matter Most

If there is one thing I've learned, it's that you can never take too many pictures or, more importantly, be in too many pictures. I, for one, hate getting my picture taken sans the rare times I'm in the mood to be a cam-whore. I'm usually the one behind the lens, and for not having a fancy, shmancy camera that has suddenly spiked in popularity all of the sudden, I think I take pretty decent pictures with my little digital. But I digress. Because of my fondness of taking pictures rather than being in them, I found that I wasn't in as many as I thought. Picking out pictures to print and take to college with me for decoration turned out to be both an easy and a difficult task: easy because I picked the few I was in and difficult because some my favorites were those I was not in and, incidentally, took myself.

Lesson learned. I've tried to include myself in as many opportunities for being in pictures as I can because, really, pictures become the memories that we can always revisit even when we forget. And, as narcissistic as it sounds, I'd like to be in other people's memories as well.

Title Credit: Action Item

The wall of my friends, family, and loved ones. Some from years ago. Some excluding myself. All with people I'll never forget. (For any facebookers who know me IRL, this is a more updated picture of my wall/collage than posted on Facebook)

Recipe for College

So, I have just begun my career as a college student. Exciting, no? Welcome Week was really fun: meeting new people, exploring the campus, seeing Anjelah Johnson/Bon Qui Qui perform (a personal favorite; ahh, private school), going on retreat, and *shudder* actually classes and learning. Here's my take so far...

Welcome Week/1st Week of Classes (shaken, not stirred for better results)

• 1 part anxiety (nervous or excited will do)
• ? parts boxes (filled with necessities and dorm stuffs; everyone has a different number he or she needs to move-in)
  
• 4-6 parts classes (get creative with this one; variety leads to different results)
• 2 parts awkward social situations (my personal favorite is the "meeting Facebook friends for real" but you may prefer the always lovely "ice-breaker game")
• 3 parts activities (so many options, so little time; choices include, but are not limited to, retreats, dances, concerts, parties, and beach trips -provided you are near one)

Throw everything into a cocktail shaker, and shake well. Or if you want a very well mixed concoction, throw it all in a blender. Once satisfied, pour slowly into a glass of your choice. I myself like the martini glass; looks classy and reminiscent of Sex and the City, though I never watched it. Garnish with good-byes and photos/posters to decorate, and if you really want a kick, sprinkle in some tears of the parental variety. I, for one, did not, but hey, sometimes they can't be help.

Sip slowly (or down it in one gulp) and enjoy!