time (12)

Does it ever feel like an hour, a day, or a week is just going by so slow? Then looking back, it actually seemed to have passed pretty quickly? That happens to me all the time. What I've noticed though, is that time only goes by slowly when we're not enjoying it - when we're not happy. In that case, we're just going through the motions, trying to get through the day. Then when we look back it all feels like a blur, as if time just flew by. Compared to when we are happy, and enjoying ourselves. It has more of the opposite effect. Flies by when when it's happening, then appears slow or long when we're looking back. I guess that's why people say "time flies when you're having fun."

tis the season (11)

Christmas is only 12 days away, and I'm hardly feeling the holiday spirit. Which is kind of sad, because it's really the only the I enjoy about winter. Also, I haven't even started my Christmas shopping... Thinking of gifts has been so hard, and I've been so busy. Hopefully this weekend I can wrap things up, rather than waiting till the very last minute.

Bucket List

1. Play ball with Obama
2. Skydive
3. Climb a very large mountain
4. Skinny dip in the ocean
5. Learn to play piano
6. Live in Africa for awhile
7. Get up and go
8. See Kanye West perform live
9. Meet Will Smith
10. Run a marathon
11. Travel to every continent
12. Ride an elephant
13. Adopt a child
14. Build a tree house, fully furnished
15. Learn another language
16. Watch the ball drop at Times Square
17. Go to Coachella
18. Backpack around Europe
19. Make a big donation to charity
20. Coach a basketball team (to a championship)
21. Learn sign language
22. Set a world record
23. Sponsor a child
24. Send my parents on a vacation
25. Go on a safari
26. Volunteer in an undeveloped country
27. Pretend like I live in IKEA
28. Publish a book
29. Pay off my parents’ mortgage
30. Get locked inside a store for a night
31.  Plant a tree
32.  Drink straight from a coconut
33. Roadtrip from coast to coast
34. Cut my hair for cancer
35. High five all of the Winnipeg Jets
36. See Pay it Forward
37. Graduate from university
38. Go Christmas caroling
39. Volunteer on Christmas Eve
40. Surf in Hawaii
41. Learn how to surf
42. Read Pay it Forward
43. Use a ouija board
44. See the NCAA Final Four
45. Go to Tavarua (heart shaped island in Fiji)
46. Become left-handed
47. See the pyramids in Egypt
48. Kiss a stranger
49. Pay for someone's groceries
50. Dine & dash
51. Meet Mickey Mouse
52. Take an art class
53. Be in India during Diwali 
54. Be reunited with the boy I love
55. Open up a bakery/cafe with my best friend
56. Get my own place - a cute, cozy place
57. Messy Twister
58. Get matching tattoos (maybe only temporary)
59. Stay overnight in a haunted house
60. Learn to crack eggs with one hand
61. Go to a church service, simply because I want to
62. Make a notable, long lasting change
63. Celebrate at the Carnival in Rio de Janeiro 
64. La Tomatina in Spain
65. Pingxi Lantern Festival in Taiwan
66. Panafest in Ghana

reading reflection #11

@jamiedupasquier: The Fault in Our Stars (97). So good! Incredible how, when in times of need, the perfect thing/person can come along. @Cre8tiveHavoc #RR11

reading & writing reflection #10

Writing:

                When we were first introduced to Twitter Fiction, I wasn't too fond of the idea. Short stories alone aren't exactly my thing. Which is why as we started writing, I thought it would be easier to write a series of Very Short Stories, each being their own individual tweet. However, thinking of 30 didn't come very easily either… So I changed my plan, and began writing an extended Twitter Fiction Story. Only when I was about halfway through, it still was not quite satisfactory to me. What next? Looking at my work, thinking about it, I really enjoyed the first Very Short Stories I had written. With that, I changed my mind one last time and wrote the remainder of my Twitter Fiction in that form. Getting started was rather frustrating for me, deciding what I’d like to write and where to go with it. That's something I've come to learn though, about myself as a writer. The first step is always hardest. Until I get going, then the ideas just flow. As for publishing myself and my work on Twitter, it didn't really matter to me. I simply found it as a fun thing to do, making our work worthwhile – since people could see it.

Reading:

                I never got around to reading an entire Twitter Fiction story. Although I did read bits and pieces of Harper Collin’s story, as well as Taylor’s. I found them both to be very intriguing. From what I did read, the plot lines were excellent! I probably could read their entire stories for those reasons. Tay’s story had so much description and emotion, making it almost impossible to not get into. However, I’m not a huge fan of the fact that it’s on Twitter. Reading sections at a time, having to scroll, almost reading everything backwards (from the bottom of the page up.) Perhaps I have a short attention span, or something to that effect, but I really just found it annoying more than anything – spending an entire class “reading” continuous Twitter. The only thing I did like about the whole “one or two sentences at a time thing” would be the suspense it creates. If the story really is interesting, readers will come back. It’s almost like a cliff-hanger after each tweet. Seeing as Tay’s Twitter Fiction is also posted on his blog, I’ll definitely have to check that out, to finish what I've read so far.

Twitter:

                I've always seen Twitter as more of a social network for people who feel the need to have their every move documented. However, this assignment changed my perspective of Twitter. That could be because we’re using it as a professional account for academic purposed, and aren't being naturally exposed to those parts of Twitter. Or, because I’m noticing that it can actually be somewhat resourceful. Depending on who you follow, we’re able to get updates from different things we’re interested in. For example, I follow the Boston Celtics, my favourite NBA team. That enables me to get the latest news on them. Also, hash tags can be pretty useful if you’re looking to know more about a certain subject. Or how several ideas can be related and associated with one another through a couple words. Again, like Twitter Fiction, it’s a cool way to get your ideas and your work out there. Anyone can see our tweets, worldwide. I’m not too sure how else we can use Twitter for classroom purposes, other than to promote our ideas or our work. Only I do think it’s a neat idea how we've done that already.