Hola,

I do love writing and I think blogging is a-ok (not mega committed) but I am totally into KEEPING IN TOUCH and knowing the latest about you.

OK now, some of you might be thinking, “Dude, you like ignored me for six months/a year…” and while I cannot deny that this past year, 2009, has been one where I have been quite MIA (I like to call it a period of recovery, rest, and discover…), I hope the more active, slightly obsessive, chipper Cathy is back for good (cue Take That)!

FB has competed and has often won in the battle for online time for me and the blog has suffered as a result but I am trying to be more consistent here, and in everything else!

OK so since time is not a luxury, here’s some quick jots:

1. I love my new VN class so much! Yes, it forces me out of bed at 7ish and out the door by 745 (by neccessity not by choice!) but my prof, Thay Pho, is just da BOMB so it’s worth it! And I am a mega linguist, so uber dorky and in love with dictionaries, that I can see why my sister never enjoyed taking a class with me. I would love a pocket protector if only I knew where to get one!

2. Current healthy obsession: I usually have a playlist of ONE SONG. And here it is for today. I especially love this version b/c it’s by the Byrds and near the end of the clip, you can hear a girl squawking like a bird! Super awesome!

3. Planning to make a photojournal and perhaps other print products…Investigating how to do this is kinda rough, or let’s say challenging with all the haggling and quality checks, in Saigon but the opp to practise my Vnese is priceless!

4. Juggling: editing contracts, friends, working out, sleeping, cooking healthy and cheap foods, housework (laundry and dishes keep piling up!) and the million ideas that run through my head As the song says, there’s a season and time for all under heaven

5. Perhaps traveling again sooner than later. I don’t need to get away from the city but I definitely want to go to Danang and Nha Trang (gramma!) b4 I leave this country and then there’s the trip with papa and bros which I’m totally praying will happen in June and then back to Van and then to east coast/central Canada and then to a cherry/blueberry field and pumpkin patch in my near future I hope!

6. Oops, grad school! I’m just sooooooooooooo excited and thankful to be accepted at the University of Ottawa. It’s not certain that I’m headed there just yet but I love the fact that they admitted me, at my rusty age (for academics anyway!) having been out of school for ages and especially since I’m almost ESL in writing skills since I do live in VN where my native English language (and my beloved French) have deteriorated….but whatever, I’m moving back to Canada! Let’s hope that the Admissions office does not see this post!

7. Prioritizing is not my forte. Thank God for grace (unmerited favor towards all men that we do not deserve but yet still receive from God)

8. Exercise in minimal amounts unfortunately I try to go to the gym twice and line dance once a week but my schedule or perhaps my will to exercise is not as strong as I would like.

9. POM POM, a ex-boyfriend shared this concept with me: peace of mind. I have it for the most part, through reading, prayer, and intense journal writing, I think my head is screwed on rightly or tightly for the most part.

10. I am a chicken: twas born in the year of the rooster; am fearful of horror movies, darkness, giant bugs; when life gets crazy, I do run around like my head was cut off (trying to stop this!); and my talk is more like a squawk or a “bawk, bawk, bawk” than an elegant tone; and my walk is definitely awkward and ungraceful. Cockle doodle doo

OK gotta go meet with international ladies for coffee and chitchat….kinda reminds me of the Korean talkshow “Chitchat of the Beautful Ladies” except that I don’t have to be gorgeous to attend. And that is a great thing b/c this lil chicken has too many bruises from her moto.

ciao for now! mucho smoochos! thx for reading! xoxoxooxoxoxox!

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Man, it’s 6:21 am in Ho Chi Minh City and though at least hmmm 60 million locals are probably up and about, this is rare for me….the last time I was up at this hour was….oops, it was Lunar New Year for the past few weeks… so let me rephrase that, the last time I was up at 6am in my NORMAL life in Vietnam was so long ago that I can’t even remember! I’m saying it was at least a year ago…I have to say that I don’t miss those 6am flights to Danang or Phu Quoc at all

So why am I up anyway? I’m not an early riser. Well, truth be told, I’ve been up since 3:30 and I went to bed at 1am. What’s the deal, crazy lady? That’s what I said at about 3 after tossing and turning for awhile.

Again, this rarely happens to me. I usually snooze like a log and delay my alarm for an hour each morning. I can sleep to 11 without feeling guilty but when I sleep til 3PM, I’ve got issues! But once I’m in this state, I gotta get up cuz there’s no more use in pretending that I’ll be sleeping anymore.

(EXCUSE ME FOR NOT POSTING PICS: I AM CAMERA-LESS CIRCA JANUARY 2009.)

So what to do? Well, I’ve been listening to Alicia Keys, just this one song, for about 3.5 hours. Can you see that I can obsess easily about things?

So tonight, I’m gonna find a way to make it…
–without sleeping
–without complaining (failed already! Oops!)
–without bothering too many friends on Skype and text and intl phone calls (I think I’ve contacted almost 10 ppl in the past 3hrs.)

The only reason I can think of for being awake at this hour for me is: EXCITEMENT!!!! AHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!
March seems to be the month for me for all my life in Vietnam.
2007: Ended internship at the University of Danang and got hired by EMW
2008: Started documentary film project for East Meets West Foundation (life-changing and breath-taking experience)
2009: Completed my full-time contact at EMW and entered the world of work instability and freelance (and sleeping to noon )
2010: Have new development projects looming (school and house construction!) and suddenly the mind is on fire!

It’s so interesting but in my life, when it rains, it definitely pours! So it seems like it’s goodbye chill time and hello multi-tasking. I just have to make an effort to not be a workaholic this time So on this sleepless night, I have thought about and actually started three new projects! And have reconnected with numerous ppl who I kinda neglected during my grad school application process.

Kiss kiss to all!

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Honestly, the math permutations and percentages are no longer floating in my head. But what about the graduate-level (ahem bombastic) vocabulary that I have acquired?

I learned over 400 new words yet I still don’t know what nugatory and pontificate mean!

Here are some favourites: Oh please note that these definitions have to be a bit off since I have not reviewed my flashcards for awhile and so they may fuzzy, wrong but I think they’re accurate!

alacrity: willingness and eagerness (my fave fave of the bunch as I think everyone should live life with alacrity!)

magnanimous: having kindness and goodwill like a knight, chivalrous

perspicacious: keenly observant, having ability to discern obscure things

noisome: having bad odour, irritating

filagree: a type of ornate design

BTW did you know that discrete is not related to discretion? You are thinking of discreet my friends! See what my mind has been filled with for the past three months? Fun stuff non?

OH yeah: courtesy of dictionary.com….it’s good to know!

nu⋅ga⋅to⋅ry
  /ˈnugəˌtɔri, -ˌtoʊri, ˈnyu-/ Show Spelled Pronunciation [noo-guh-tawr-ee, -tohr-ee, nyoo-] Show IPA
–adjective
1. of no real value; trifling; worthless.
2. of no force or effect; ineffective; futile; vain.
3. not valid.

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One year ago, I was living in DN, a place that made me sad after one year and four months of seeing friends move down south to sunny Saigon.

Then it was my turn! Now I’m all sparkling with city life and friends and woo hoo I love, ummm, like EVERYTHING!

Despite the monster bugs (ants, spider nests, rats, geckos, giant moths, cockroaches etc.) and the noise and rain and MOLD, I love living in Vietnam, especially Saigon.

These days, one year after the rainy nights stuck like Rapunzel in my ratty (literally) office with no friends to hang out with, LIFE IS HIGH IN THE CLOUDS and I doubt there’s any reason not to be and chilax it!

Top ten (really just ten good things!)

1. Awesome studio complete with kitchen, toaster oven and balcony
2. Social activities galore (live music, cheap airplane travel, hip hop, NGO networking)
3. Friends I can count on (ppl to make me laugh, stylish chicas, ppl who like to eat!)
4. Skyping and its cheap options to stalk like EVERYONE!
5. Meaningful Christmas carols like JOy to the World and O Holy Night which speak truth dear to my heart
6. French and Vietnamese and Korean and all the other languages out there…sorry Anglophones!
7. Motorbikes and the impatient convenience of the cheap lil bike avec basket!
8. Working as a consultant who keeps crazy hours…..:)
9. Housemates who clean my messes w/o making me pay them
10. The elderly!

Thanks be to the Creator for this amazing journey of life that has ups and downs and things we cannot understand but if we seek, we will find marvelous glories that were intended for us in the first place.

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Me blog is rejected as I have facebooked too much and now monsieur bloggy is upset and neglected and I am experiencing writer’s blog block/guilt.

Ok whatever! I like to write but hate to post pics cuz it takes time but here goes. I noticed that successful bloggers have pics and care what they write and they also think about the stories b4 they post. This segment is a blurb that’s just spitting outta my mind.

Thanksgiving….I like sharing what I’m thankful for b/c there is oodles to be happy and smiley about and if you are feeling blue, well, shake that head of yours and think of your blessings…My happy thoughts calendar says smthg along the lines of “count ten blessings before you even start your complaints” and usually if you get through ten happy things, well, the one negative just disappears or does not seem so important anymore….

So here’s the list:
1. Saigon living: peace and activity…a random mix to be balanced but I am sooooooooooooo blessed to be here and enjoying the sunshine and the fruits and ppl who are trusting and gentle.

2. REAL friends: from afar and near they are here in my life whether in person or online, I LOVE MY FRIENDS! High school, FB, colleagues, church members, brothers and sisters, teachers, baking buddies etc….it’s sooooooooooooooooooooooooo good to have ppl around Oooooh and I cannot forget the household pet TURTLES (one’s an albino and I have to show a pic soon!)

3. FREEDOM and material WEALTH: these two are iffy as in too much of a good thing can be bad for us and I see this in that I love to express myself but yet I don’t want to spend so much moola doing it. However, the freedom to think and talk and evaluate and pray and write and read and sleep…..I LOVE TIME! And with wealth, if it comes your way, how you use it will be your legacy…it’s ok to have money even lots of money as long as you use it to do good and for me that means charity, donations, feeding ppl, gifts of all LUSH-ious sizes and intl text messaging. I don’t mind spending to tell you that JE VOUS ADORE!

4. TRUTH IN GOD: I love reading the Bible and learning about God’s plans for his people….I am experiencing peace and faithful revival. Yip yip yip!!!!!

OK toodle-y noodle-ies! Bye but I’ll be back! Je ne crois pas que c’est deja le premier decembre!

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Nobody has noticed I’m sure….

But I have written less in the past few months. It’s because I have had issues with blogs in general. I don’t want to be narcissistic and I feel blogs are. So I stopped.

However, maybe 2 people in this world read this thing (thx Anh and Michelle) and I wanted to keep it up sorta…as long as it isn’t about me much. I mean, I have connected w/some Gary Barlow fans and have received 2 job offers through the blog so I figure why not continue rite?

So I am changing direction. I won’t be posting too much personal stuff on this cuz it’s just freakin’ weird to have out in the open like that. Also, if you are HR and you’re looking on this blog, I don’t want to be ashamed of anything I’ve written. I am not fearful of what you find here so it’s fine but it’s still strange to think that ppl who don’t know me mite read this stuff….

To continue writing, I have to change my style. So the blog will now be about YOU, not me. I will raconter mes histoires mais avec le but de t’aider. What I’m saying is that I will bring out useful lessons if I have any. This blog will not be for gloating purposes anymore. I WANT TO BE HUMBLE. The goal is to help and if I don’t, then I will quit!

So here’s to a better blog that is interesting and useful. Like my blogmaster’s, he’s sooooooooooo awesome! NOT ABOUT ME BUT TO HELP AND BE A POSITIVE PIECE OF BLOG ONLINE.

OK, I wonder if anyone cares….I think I almost prefer if you don’t

Love,
Cathy

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After much activity in the first half of 2008, I have now been in my new home city for about 3 weeks in a ROW. I know, like totally normal pour la plupart des gens. But alas, for me, it’s a feat, something to be cherished actually.

However, I have not been without guests. I figure that my life is constantly jostled by a continuous flow of new ppl passing through visiting Vietnam and I just happen to be in position of meeting and greeting them.

Mais je suis fatiguee. Maybe I’m getting “old” or whatever, but I am pretty contented to go home every night and flop on my bed or swing in my hammock and watch K-dramas and Flight of the Conchords.

I recently came to the realization that I don’t have to be doing something at every moment of my life. I CAN RELAX once in awhile. But my first instinct is to resist it, TO FIGHT IT, TO DO SOMETHING. Have you ever been challenged by a somewhat “empty” schedule? In this HCMC life, I have challenges that I haven’t faced before–EVER. It’s the task of living in a city of 8 million people and not having at least 1 million friends. It’s the fact that I don’t have a place I need to be all the time. It’s the question of what do I want to do for myself. It’s much ado about perhaps….nothing!

Maybe some call it freedom; others will say boredom/loneliness. I say it’s new but good. I was praying for a challenge and I think this is part of it: to do well when doing, well, pretty much nothing. OR maybe I can say while doing nothing too exciting…like living steadily w/o constant changes. That’s better: the challenge is to do something in times of peace and quiet.

Must DOs: mop, stop grocery shopping, change lighting and curtains, manage clothing situation, and that that gushy stuff which was oh-so-neglected in more hectic times. Adjusting to regularity, that’s what I’m doing.

BTW slightly soured fancy melon smells like rotten fish….ciaoness

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And I don’t remember how to write French w/accents on the keyboard anymore

GRAVE!

1. Ma proprietaire pense que je suis la fille la plus bete/distraite a Saigon…elle a raison!

2. Je dors pas regulierement. Il est 4 heures du matin et je devrais travailler mais non, j’ecris sur ma blog (gosh is this masc. or fem.? I’m too lazy to check!)

3. Je depense comme une folle/un fou! Je suis folle mais je ne m’empecherais jamais de m’acheter des produits etrangers comme des tortillas Ahhhh taco shells!

4. Ma chambre, c’est un desastre comme la fille qui habite la-dedans…hmmmmm!

5. J’ai trop de vetements mais je pense que je n’ai rien a porter!! Trop de choix = desastre!

FOUX DE FA FA!!! Trop drole, trop fantastissimo!

6. But whatever right? Ca va je pense Prenez soin de vous et merci pour avoir lu ce poste

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“Learn from the mistakes of others–you can’t live long enough to make them all yourself.” Uh huh, amen, I concur: I think it’s fine to try smthg and fail, and we all do but there’s something to be said about the art of observation.

I imitate often. At work, I style my writing on previous reports and articles to keep the same tone. When I see s/o doing smthg cool or noteworthy, I’m all about trying it myself.

With mistakes though, I’ve seen some big ones and I’ve completed my own whoppers (I could so use some BK right now) and I’ll say that I’d prefer to stay away.

So just think about it…etes-vous d’accord? Selon moi, c’est un autre conseil sage de mon calendrier joyeux = Another gem from my Happy thoughts calendar

Have a brilliant day. Thanks for reading…why r u reading? Who r u? Love u CN: Peacing out like the hiphop badboy she AIN’T.

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It’s been about two weeks since my last post. But have I done anything “worthy” of webspace? Do I write for me? OR to ward off emails? Or to share a message? Or because I think I’m cool?

Since then, I have done the following:
–went to Danang over the weekend and bought what will be beautiful hangings for my doors
–lost my house, work, motorbike keys (not robbed, I misplaced!)
–hip hopped to some v. cool electronica beats (innovation, I like it!)
–caved into having a cleaner attack my studio with sanitizing agents
–held an American Idol finale party

I remain thwarted in my attempts/dreams/hopes in the below:
–making shoes
–attempting to bellly dance
–volunteering (soon, soon, soon)
–keeping a regular schedule

I am not cool. I am confused often and usually am a bit of a mess in the head…being busy is not helping me. I want to write more for myself, in my green satin journal. Do I want to be in public places open to conversations or do I prefer the solitude of my place? Can I be a loner in a social shell? I am not a socialite or a smoozer really. I prefer deep relationships. I don’t want to know everyone out there. I want to be your friend…Friday is here but I feel it should be Tuesday sometime in MARCH!

Two more trips planned for June. I don’t want to fly no more. I want to lie on my hammock and watch movies while the world passes. But I need to maintain relationships or ppl will think I’m antisocial.

SHOULD, SHOULD, WOULD, COULD, WHAT TO DO? ZZZZZZZ UM UGH ERRRRRR SHOULD OR WANT OR WHAT OR NONE OF THE ABOVE. I NEED HELP. PRAYER. TIME. PEACE. TIME TIME TIME YESSSSSS….

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