Invictus

Out of the night that covers me, Black as the Pit from pole to pole, I thank whatever gods may be For my unconquerable soul. In the fell clutch of circumstance I have not winced nor cried aloud. Under the bludgeonings of chance My head is bloody, but unbowed. Beyond this place of wrath and tears Looms but the Horror of the shade, And yet the menace of the years Finds, and shall find, me unafraid. It matters not how strait the gate, How charged with punishments the scroll. I am the master of my fate: I am the captain of my soul.  William Ernest Henley P.S. The movie is incredible.

Behold the Special Ones

Today for Church we had a very special meeting. The Special Needs Mutual of the Stake gave a presentation. Instead of Primary, we had a Special Needs presentation, and
it was

absolutely
WONDERFUL.

The Spirit was so strong, and tears started welling up in my eyes when they sang the first song. There were a total of 4 songs sang by the choir who consisted of the youth and adults with disabilities and their leaders, and I was so impressed with it. One of them also gave a talk about family, and described her family and activities they did together.

My heart was full of the Spirit and love. This is definitely one of my all-time favorite sacrament meetings.

So...

I haven't blogged in a few weeks- sorry. No one's reading anyway, so it's no biggie. But in case you are, here is a quick update:

• Internship- love it, love it, love it! 
• Stake Conference this weekend- AWESOME. Elder Bednar (my favorite) spoke at the Sunday session, and of course it was inspiring and full of counsel of how I can do better. Gave me things to ponder about. The General Young Men and Young Women Presidents were also there, along with Elder Craig C Christensen of the Seventy. 40 Stakes participated in this regional conference (at the conference center and via satellite broadcast)! Needless to say, it was slightly noisy and I think I'll stick to my YSA ward for now... 
• The Saturday evening session was only for my YSA Stake and it was TERRIFIC. We talked about "saving"- saving non-members, saving those who are less active, saving each other and saving ourselves. The conference was just wonderful.
• Narrowed down my grad school writing sample- I initially wanted to write a paper and why plural wives defended polygamy in the 19th century but once I commenced research, it morphed into this humongous monstrosity that could not be written well in just a few months. So I narrowed it way down and now I'm focusing on the Woman's Exponent defense of polygamy. The Woman's Exponent was an unofficial but church-endorsed magazine for women from 1872 to the early 1900s, and enjoyed a wide circulation. Anyway, the writing sample is... coming along, albeit like tar. Sigh.. I'm just not a fan of writing. Correction: I like writing (like this blog), just not scholar/ academic writing.
• Bought new food and tried 3 new recipes this weekend. Can you tell that cooking is a de-stresser for me? I bought a sweet dumpling squash (CUTE!) and tried allrecipes.com's Cheesy Acorn Squash and Food Network's Mashed Acorn Squash. The former was pretty alright... I need to tweak it a little. However, the latter was EXCELLENT. Mashed cooked squash, sour cream, little cumin and garlic powder, salt and pepper and yummy! My 3rd recipe was peanut butter cupcakes with peanut butter reeses cups with peanut butter frosting. Yes I know, I know... I was craving peanut butter yesterday (weird...) and had to make these. Turned out FANTASTIC except that next time, don't stinge on the sour cream if using Betty Crocker cake mix. It was a little too dry, but still tasted great. Peanut butter, peanut butter, peanut butter...
• Hot Pot to celebrate Vickie's birthday- DOUBLE HAPPINESS. Plus since we bought her a copy of the BBC North and South, we can watch it during the holidays... :) 
• The Good Wife- new drama series that I'm hooked on, and I will admit, is the cause of my procrastination for grad school applications... so I can't complain if my grad school applications don't get done on time. Sigh... ANYWAY, if you are looking for a tv drama to waste time on and not feel too guilty, THIS IS THE ONE. It's not just a show about a housewife-turn-working Mom who discovered her husband cheated on her. There is SO MUCH more to it. It's a very complex show that makes you think about issues. For example, how far would you go to support your lying husband, who seems to have changed, but hasn't really because he's still clinging to his political aspirations, but then has taken on religion, but also harbors Old Testament "violence"? Yeah, that complex. Watch it.
• Then, there is one film that I want to also recommend that won't make you feel guilty for procrastinating since it's only an hour and a half long. And completely clean. Lovely, Still. I LOVE Christmas movies, and this is one of my favorites. I want to BUY this (and I don't normally say this). 2 elderly people meet in a first awkward encounter that slowly turns into a beautiful romance. Boring? HECK NO! It was MAGICAL. And even more astonishing is the fact that the writer and director of the film is around my age. Makes me feel like a loser. 
• Helped with a Halloween Party for Down Syndrome children. I'm not a super huge fan of Halloween (I lack creativity), but it was fun. Those kids were ADORABLE. 

That's my life for the past few weeks. Next update? Sigh... Can't promise you when. 

Washington Monument Closed "Indefinitely"

Who cares if the government might shutdown or that the rest of the world is going bonkers?!

The worst news I received today was that the Washington Monument was closed to visitors "indefinitely" due to the 5.8 earthquake that struck VA in August.

Nooooooooooo!

Alright, that's being very superficial, but it's still a pity, because that means that when people visiting DC in the near future won't be able to go up to the top of this stunning monument and look out over the entire city. *Sigh*

Today in the News (according to the Post)

The Bad News (sort-of)
A well-written article on Supreme Court Justice Elena Kegan until the very last line which left a bitter taste in my mouth. What a pity!

“Your job [as a laywer] is to try to figure out how to persuade nine Supreme Court justices to take a particular position. And now my job is to figure out how to persuade eight.”

I thought a Chief Justice's job is to take a stand that ensures the law is interpreted and administered in a just and beneficial way, not persuade other Justices to your opinion. This worries me because she is a very liberal judge, and if her goal is to sway the other 8 Supereme Court Justices to her side, I think this country is going to be in big trouble. I'm not saying you can't dissent or even try to win people over to her side- I'm just saying that her main focus shouldn't be on trying to get other people to agree with her.

The Good News though
The National Science Foundation will announce new steps that will make it easier for women to persue career in engineering and the sciences, such as making working policies easier for women to juggle a family and career.

My favorite part?
"There is a common misconception that workplace flexibility policies cost business money. In fact, the opposite is true. A study from the White House Council of Economic Advisers found that flexible workplaces often attract the best workers and experienced reduced absenteeism, lower turnover and higher productivity."

Some businesses refuse to hire or pay women lower wages, citing that it is more economical. Guess what buddies- times have changed, and you better jump on the bandwagon and start treating women more fairly. Like equalizing our pay on par with the men. If not one day you are going to find that your competitors' workforce are filled with highly accomplished women blazing a trail for you to follow limping behind.

Dear Francesca,

I feel so honored to have a blog post specially dedicated to me! I couldn't believe my eyes when I saw the blog title, but yes, it was for me. HOORAY! And it was so nice to be able to hear about YOUR life- not Justin's or Caden's, though it probably revolved 95% of the time around them (:p)- but YOU.

Thanks for your update, and based on it, you've been WAY busy. Who would have thought Nursery would be so much hard work?! It reminded me of a story told in general conference about a faithful senior sister who was ashamed that she never received any leadership callings, and was a mere Nursery/ Primary teacher. Reading your post really hit home the fact that EVERYONE makes a contribution in this church, not just those in leadership callings. Even a Nursery teacher is important, because if you don't function (or can't teach at the last minute), you cause inconvenience in someone else's life. And please know that YOUR calling is so important! Imagine if you weren't there and a teacher didn't show up either... uh oh...

Anyway, I just wanted to drop you a note to let you know that I'm always here, and on top of that, I love reading your blog! Take all the breaks you need, but I'll keep following. And yes, if I am ever in Arizona near where you guys are, I will visit- I have yet to see the cute little "no-more-chunky-monkey"

Love,
Keshia

Thought you might be interested in contributing to this project : http://www.mormonwomen.com/. I think they could really use your writing talent and strong faith and conviction.

What I Just Read - on trials and tribulations

Excerpts from Elder Paul V. Johnson's talk "More Than Conquerors through Him That Loved Us" (Ensign May 2011)

Elder Orson F. Whitney said: "No pain that we suffer, no trial that we experience is wasted. ...All that we suffer and all that we endure, especially when we endure it patiently, builds up our characters, purifies out hearts, expands our souls, and makes us more tender and charitable. 


It should come as no surprise that trials can be very personal - almost laser guided to our particular needs or weaknesses. 


The furnace of affliction helps purify even the very best of Saints by burning away the dross of their lives and leaving behind pure gold. Even the very rich ore needs refining to remove impurities. Being good is not enough. We want to become like the Savior, who learned as He suffered "pains and afflictions and temptations of every kind."


We don't seek out tests, trials, and tribulations. Our personal journey through life will provide just the right amount for our needs. 

How Do You Make Guacamole?

Because I'm sure everyone has their own recipe that they swear by. Here's my version, but I'm interested in adding in sour cream next time as recommended by Our Best Bites. Maybe next time... when avocados aren't expensive and my budget will allow me to afford sour cream too. *Sigh for delicious-but-expensive fruit*


Here's how I make guacamole that I think is AWESOME:
Avocados-meshed
Tomatoes- diced into small pieces
Onions- diced into very small pieces (no bad breathe guacamole please!)
Garlic- cut into very small pieces as well
Lemon/ lime juice- a few drops
Salt and Pepper to taste

Mix. Serve. Eat. Enjoy.

Yummy!

And yes, there are no quantities with it. It's however much you want to put in- adapt to each person's preference . A very flexible recipe- that's why I love it.

Serve with a bag of tortills chips- yummy yummy!

What about you? How do you make guacamole?

Who is a Peacemaker?

Peacemakers

"It is the gift to help people find common ground when others are seeing differences. It is... to help people see that what someone else said was a contribution rather than a correction."

President Henry B. Eyring

Ensign May 2011

My "Wedding Bit-ies"

If you are a single female like me, I'm sure you've thought about what you want your future dream wedding to be, because I have and I'm 100% sure it it happens to every girl.

Because, well, we're female. Even though I don't have all the details planned down to a "T" and don't want to anyway, however, once in a while, I collect what I call "Wedding Bit-ies," i.e. ideas of what I what I want or absolutely do not want for my wedding. That's my "payback" from all the weddings I've attended in Wedding-ville, UT :)
I'm not talking about the huge plans- only the teeny details / "idiosyncracies" (call them " personal preferences") that flash "you."

Here's my list so far:

• To be printed below the part about registries, "The bride requests that guests refrain from wearing only/ all black (It's a wedding, not a funeral!)"
• Wedding colors: Purple (duh!) and champagne gold
• Definitely having a FLORAL bouquet. No bags, umbrellas, fans...  
• I'm a person who loves simple feminine patterns, so I think this is a great idea...

Taken from the blog Bee in Our Bonnet

... but I'm torn between this creative idea, and using REAL flowers. How do they make these anyway?!

• No flip-flops for me or my immediate wedding party. 
• Wedding Announcement Photo: Candid, smiling, different side-profiles and ABSOLUTELY NO KISSING SHOTS. (Kissing shots on the wedding day itself is fine though!)

What "Wedding Bit-ies" do/ did you have?

To My Mother and All Mothers Everywhere

Being a mother is one of the highest salaried jobs in my

field, since the payment is pure love.

~Mildred B. Vermont

CES Fireside (Sept 11 2011)- Elder and Sister Oaks

Just heard Elder and Sister Oak's CES Fireside address to the Young Single Adults

It was
WONDERFUL.

Sister Oaks, the "poster child for single adults" (as she called herself), related her own experience being a single woman in the church until her marriage to Elder Oaks in her early-50s. She was funny, sensitive and warm, and  her counsel was spot-on. And erm, as superficial as this sound, she didn't speak with that same "high-low intonation" as other women speakers do. My favorite quote from her -

"If you cannot bear the difficulties and challenges of single life, you will never be able to bear the difficulties and challenges of married life." (italics added)

Woah. Something for me to ponder and apply.

Elder Oaks spoke on "Truth and Tolerance." EXTREMELY thought-provoking and a topic that I've been subconsciously pondering about, so this was an answer to an unspoken prayer. This talk is firm evidence of Elder Oaks' mastery of oratory and writing skills- you can totally hear Elder Oaks' litigation background through this talk. Yet, he used simple enough terms to break down this difficult concept so that everyone can understand it. Definitely a talk I want to archive.

Introducing... THE OAT GRAIN ;)

I want to talk about oats today. Yes, as in oatmeal oats.

Boring subject? NOPE. Not if if you know how to cook and eat them right.

Tell you something you didn't know before?
Well, how about... quick oats or rolled oats (the flat ones) are the equivalent of processed food in the world of grains? They have slightly less nutritional value but more fat (seriously... it's strange) and higher glycemic level. Don't even get me started on instant oats- instant oats only fill you up but have no other benefits what so ever. Kinda like iceberg lettuce. *Shudder*

If you want to eat oatmeal, make sure you cook the oat grain in its pure form, or what is termed the "oat groat." If not, try for the second best version, which is steel-cut oats. Steel-cut oats, as the name implies, are oat groats cut into smaller pieces (probably using a steel-blade knife) for faster cooking. These two types of oats cook longer but they taste soooooo much better and provide the real nutrition that oats are famous for. Plus, steel cut oats are not expensive at all.

Steel-cut oats

Notice how they are SO NOT FLAT!

I used Alton Brown's recipe, and I have to say, Alton Brown does not disappoint. I wish there was a way transport the fragrance and taste of the "toasted" oats to my readers- unbelievably aromatic nutty flavors!

I cooked up about 2/3 C oats, and that fed me 3 delicious breakfast meals. They keep in the fridge for up to a week, and in the freezer even longer. How convenient is that to simply take it out every morning and microwave before seasoning?

Two ways I "flavor" my cooked oats
1) Coconut oil. Sounds disgusting, but you would not believe how DIVINE it tastes. Btw, coconut oil is actually one of the healthiest oils on the face of the planet. It is also one of the best oils used for frying at high heat.
Start with one teaspoon to every one cup of oatmeal, and add more according to taste.

2) Cream and fruit

Oatmeal, fresh raspberries and peaches, and chocolate shavings
Mmm... 

Don't be stingy when adding cream - at least 2 tablespoons for every one cup of oatmeal. Cream is a very healthy fat, so don't be afraid! I also add in cinnamon for a nice "kick."

Enjoy!

Quotes of Past Week

Persecution can either crush you into silent weakness or motivate you to be more exemplary and courageous in your daily lives.

(Elder Russell M, Nelson, "Face with Future with Faith," Ensign May 2011)

The future is as bright as your faith.

(President Thomas S. Monson, "Be of Good Cheer,", May 2009)

Reunion: The Three Lai Sisters

My two younger sisters started school at BYU last week (go Cougars!). They arrived in Utah the week before, and I enjoyed having them stay with me for a few days before they moved into their apartments. We also took the opportunity to do some sightseeing and hiking.

Click on the labels to go to the post and pictures directly.

• Tour of the Conference Center and Temple Square and pictures
• The Mormon Tabernacle Choir concert rehearsal
• Mount Timpanogos Caves and pictures
• Cascade Springs and pictures
• Dinner with Ryan and Jenny Wood's family, and the Beutlers. 

I had a blast, and it was so fun to see them again! I can't imagine how tired they must be from the jetlag and moving here, but they were such good sports :)

Cascade Springs... Part 2!

I initially wanted to take my sisters to Stewart Falls, because it was a relatively easy hike with a nice waterfall at  the end of it. Who knew that Abish had hiked there before?

Change of plans.

Remember Cascade Springs, the place Vickie and I had previously tried to get to but got lost and drove for almost 2 hours to get there? This time, since I knew how to get there, it took us way lesser time to get there.

That was the good news. The bad news was because we went at the time when Summer was transitioning to Autumn, the flowers and leaves that were present in my previous trip were gone, but hadn't been replaced by the stunning Fall colors. We saw lots of brown, instead of golden yellows and oranges. WAHHHHHH! A wasted trip.

*sigh*

Well, at least I enjoyed the company.

Some of my favorite pictures-

Scenery while driving through the mountains to Cascade Springs.
Takes your breath away, huh

More pictures here.

Oh and btw... I am a new member of Costco... finally! HOORAY!

New Blogger Interface

Blogger has changed its formatting layout.

Don't get me wrong- I'm all for change here. The new formatting is mostly refreshing and easier to work with. But having your "Page Views" IN CHART FORM NO LESS appear RIGHT IN FRONT OF YOUR FACE with every click you... well, click, is kinda disconcerting.

Because I don't have many page views, i.e. people reading my blog.

Simply because that's the way I want it to be. My blog is public because I want my family and friends to have easy access to it, but that doesn't mean I want the entire world to read about my life. Who even cares? Blogging is very narcissistic, and that's why I appreciate all my, albeit small, faithful core group of readers who put up with my whining and experiments and ramblings...

I JUST DON'T WANT BLOGGER TO KEEP REMINDING ME THAT NOT A LOT OF PEOPLE CARE AND ARE READING MY BLOG.

Timpanogos caves

WARNING: This is NOT a hike for the fainthearted. No really. I've been in Utah for over 2 years, and I still had to hard time hiking up.

But it was SO WORTH IT.

My sisters, Vickie (past roommate) and I went to the Timpanogos Caves the Saturday before school started.

They (as in... the park rangers) gave us "plenty of time" (hour and a half) to hike from the base of the mountain to the caves. They lied. I think an hour and a half wouldn't be enough.

Okay, it was partly our fault. We arrived there late and as a result, only had an hour to hike up the 1.5 miles. We barely made it on time. As a result, we didn't have much time to admire the scenery although we still managed to take some cool pictures along the way, such as

The climb is really steep though, so I bet we would still have been tired out even if we had taken the full hour and a half.

The hard climb was worth every drop of sweat once we went into the caves however. Did I mention how freaking awesome it was? Who knew that Utah was so cool?! Wish I'd known about this earlier because we got to see loads of cool geological formations such as

Stalactites everywhere!
We also saw lots of stalagmites (the ones that "grow" from the ground)

The GIGANTIC HUMONGOUS stalactite I term "The Beast"
It's really named "The Heart of Timpanogos Caves"... for obvious reasons

Called "Slabs" as in "slabs of ice"
Not the most creative name but hey, it fits!

I learned also learned that caves also have other cool features such as "beacon strips." 

Click here for more pictures.

Temple Square in the Summer

Isn't it weird that I've visited Temple Square many times to see the Christmas Lights, yet I've never visited Temple Square in the summer nor toured the Conference Center? No kidding. Long time coming, but I finally did it, and I'm so glad I was able to do it with my sisters.

We started by taking a tour of the Conference Center. No matter how many times I've been in that building, I am always awed by the size of the building. This time, the tour guide pointed out to us the intricate details of the building.

 Then  we went into the Conference Hall...

Unbelievable.

We also walked around Temple Square- I couldn't believe how beautiful it was. Whoever does the landscaping for Temple Square is a genius!
Here were some of my highlights:

• Dinner at the Nauvoo Cafe and view from the Joseph Smith Building
• The Salt Lake Temple- now that I've moved to Salt Lake, it's officially "my" temple now :)
• The "Dollhouse" of the Salt Lake Temple
• The Christus
• Seeing Sister Sarah Woo! She looked radiant and happy
• The Tabernacle. We requested that the sister missionaries conduct the acoustic demonstration, and 

we

were

blown

away

The acoustics... wow! There is no way Brigham Young could have known about such physics without pure revelation. 

We came back the next day to watch a rehearsal of the Mormon Tabernacle Choir for their weekly "Music and the Spoken Word" episode. 

Need I say it was AWESOME?!

For more pictures, please click on this link.

The Best Pancake Syrup EVER!

Sorry, the spotlight today is on the syrup itself, NOT on the pancakes (pardon the deceiving nature of the pictures).... pancakes still needs tweaking. I'm transitioning to only using whole wheat flour when baking, and... that's another post.

Meanwhile, the syrup was SO GOOD!
My favorite pancake syrup is pure/ real maple syrup (nothing beats natural sweetness). This Buttermilk Pancake Syrup though, is pure awesomeness... no kidding. Tastes like caramel but this is a healthy version- instead of using white sugar and corn syrup, I substituted it with honey and ta dah! Healthy syrup... an oxymoron for sure but who cares when it tastes so good???!!!


Adapted from a bunch of recipes from allrecipes.com

3/4 C buttermilk
1/2 C butter (1 stick)
About 1/3 C honey
1 t baking soda
2 t vanilla
1 decent size saucepan because the sauce will "froth" over when boiled


Stir all ingredients in the pan except the vanilla.
Bring to boil.
Cook a few minutes.
Remove from heat and stir in vanilla.
Get ready for pure heaven.

Makes slightly over one cup. 

*P.S. I accidentally added in the vanilla with the other ingredients, and it didn't hurt my syrup, so don't freak out if you do the same too!

Article on American Exceptionalism and president Obama

WARNING: This post is about AMERICAN POLITICS. Yes, sensitive subject and where everyone wants to SHOUT out their opinion so that everyone else knows about it... not that anyone else is interested. So kindly refrain from posting nasty comments here.

Just read an article in the Wall Street Journal about President Obama and American Exceptionalism. (Full article below as well). I'm not as critical as he is of President Obama (after all, until we get his job I don't think we can judge him accurately), yet I still like this article because
1) It enuciates my feelings on the difficult position of being The Superpower in the World. America has my full sympathy. You can't please everyone and you have to carefully pick your battles. This is why, despite the current chaos, I still have faith in America. This is still a wonderful country that has every right to be be proud of its fierce adherence to the protection of freedoms.

2) Because I'm a blue dog democrat and I like Pres. Obama.
And this article echos the appropriate word I've been trying to find regarding my feelings toward him.

Disappointed.

For someone who is super smart, seems to be a decent moral family guy and who promised so much during campaign season, he has yet to deliver anything substantial. His policies are sound in theory and rhetoric, but his execution is very problematic. What has he to show so far? Osama Bin Ladin's death, which *erhem* was really more a result of the military than him him? Yes, most of the circumstances were completely out of his control (such as the Arab Spring), but I'm sure Osama's death were out of his control as well, and yet we give him credit for it. Hmm...

What makes a president exceptional? What makes a person exceptional? Someone faced with tough circumstances and very limited choices, but takes control of the situation and turns it around to his advantage.

That's what plenty of people, including I, are fighting to do everyday.
So yes, people falter and fail along the way, everyone including the President of the Most Powerful Nation on the Earth, but the people didn't elect this President to ALWAYS falter. We want a leader who will pick himself up and grow stronger and tougher, someone who will solve problems and fight for the preservation of American Exceptionalism. Precisely why I wanted President Obama to succeed rather badly. He had so much going for him and he seemed like a shaker and a mover, someone who was going to start controlling the situation and change something. We wanted a fighter.

Instead, what do we get? His latest fight (no pun intended) with Beohner over the date to give his next address. Really?!

How can I not cringe and be disappointed?

He has slightly over a year left to prove to us, and probably to himself, that America IS exceptional.

September 03 2011 by SHELBY STEELE
If I've heard it once, I've heard it a hundred times: President Obama is destroying the country. Some say this destructiveness is intended; most say it is inadvertent, an outgrowth of inexperience, ideological wrong-headedness and an oddly undefined character. Indeed, on the matter of Mr. Obama's character, today's left now sounds like the right of three years ago. They have begun to see through the man and are surprised at how little is there.


Yet there is something more than inexperience or lack of character that defines this presidency: Mr. Obama came of age in a bubble of post-'60s liberalism that conditioned him to be an adversary of American exceptionalism. In this liberalism America's exceptional status in the world follows from a bargain with the devil—an indulgence in militarism, racism, sexism, corporate greed, and environmental disregard as the means to a broad economic, military, and even cultural supremacy in the world. And therefore America's greatness is as much the fruit of evil as of a devotion to freedom.


Mr. Obama did not explicitly run on an anti-exceptionalism platform. Yet once he was elected it became clear that his idea of how and where to apply presidential power was shaped precisely by this brand of liberalism. There was his devotion to big government, his passion for redistribution, and his scolding and scapegoating of Wall Street—as if his mandate was somehow to overcome, or at least subdue, American capitalism itself.


Anti-exceptionalism has clearly shaped his "leading from behind" profile abroad—an offer of self-effacement to offset the presumed American evil of swaggering cowboyism. Once in office his "hope and change" campaign slogan came to look like the "hope" of overcoming American exceptionalism and "change" away from it.


So, in Mr. Obama, America gained a president with ambivalence, if not some antipathy, toward the singular greatness of the nation he had been elected to lead.


.But then again, the American people did elect him. Clearly Americans were looking for a new kind of exceptionalism in him (a black president would show America to have achieved near perfect social mobility). But were they also looking for—in Mr. Obama—an assault on America's bedrock exceptionalism of military, economic and cultural pre-eminence?


American exceptionalism is, among other things, the result of a difficult rigor: the use of individual initiative as the engine of development within a society that strives to ensure individual freedom through the rule of law. Over time a society like this will become great. This is how—despite all our flagrant shortcomings and self-betrayals—America evolved into an exceptional nation.


Yet today America is fighting in a number of Muslim countries, and that number is as likely to rise as to fall. Our exceptionalism saddles us with overwhelming burdens. The entire world comes to our door when there is real trouble, and every day we spill blood and treasure in foreign lands—even as anti-Americanism plays around the world like a hit record.


At home the values that made us exceptional have been smeared with derision. Individual initiative and individual responsibility—the very engines of our exceptionalism—now carry a stigma of hypocrisy. For centuries America made sure that no amount of initiative would lift minorities and women. So in liberal quarters today—where historical shames are made to define the present—these values are seen as little more than the cynical remnants of a bygone era. Talk of "merit" or "a competition of excellence" in the admissions office of any Ivy League university today, and then stand by for the howls of incredulous laughter.


Our national exceptionalism both burdens and defames us, yet it remains our fate. We make others anxious, envious, resentful, admiring and sometimes hate-driven. There's a reason al Qaeda operatives targeted the U.S. on 9/11 and not, say, Buenos Aires. They wanted to enrich their act of evil with the gravitas of American exceptionalism. They wanted to steal our thunder.


So we Americans cannot help but feel some ambivalence toward our singularity in the world—with its draining entanglements abroad, the selfless demands it makes on both our military and our taxpayers, and all the false charges of imperial hubris it incurs. Therefore it is not surprising that America developed a liberalism—a political left—that took issue with our exceptionalism. It is a left that has no more fervent mission than to recast our greatness as the product of racism, imperialism and unbridled capitalism.


But this leaves the left mired in an absurdity: It seeks to trade the burdens of greatness for the relief of mediocrity. When greatness fades, when a nation contracts to a middling place in the world, then the world in fact no longer knocks on its door. (Think of England or France after empire.) To civilize America, to redeem the nation from its supposed avarice and hubris, the American left effectively makes a virtue of decline—as if we can redeem America only by making her indistinguishable from lesser nations.


Since the '60s we have enfeebled our public education system even as our wealth has expanded. Moral and cultural relativism now obscure individual responsibility. We are uninspired in the wars we fight, calculating our withdrawal even before we begin—and then we fight with a self-conscious, almost bureaucratic minimalism that makes the wars interminable.


America seems to be facing a pivotal moment: Do we move ahead by advancing or by receding—by reaffirming the values that made us exceptional or by letting go of those values, so that a creeping mediocrity begins to spare us the burdens of greatness?


As a president, Barack Obama has been a force for mediocrity. He has banked more on the hopeless interventions of government than on the exceptionalism of the people. His greatest weakness as a president is a limp confidence in his countrymen. He is afraid to ask difficult things of them.


Like me, he is black, and it was the government that in part saved us from the ignorances of the people. So the concept of the exceptionalism—the genius for freedom—of the American people may still be a stretch for him. But in fact he was elected to make that stretch. It should be held against him that he has failed to do so.


Mr. Steele is a senior fellow at Stanford University's Hoover Institution. Among his books is "White Guilt" (Harper/Collins, 2007).

Evidence of Ignorance

How much does Hollywood know of Asia?

"She was one of the persons involved in the 2004 night club bombings in Singapore."
Line from "Standoff: Episode 12 No Strings"

Really? Of all Asian countries to pick, you pick Singapore where there has (so far) been no terrorists acts of bombing? At least get some facts right.

Fantastic criminal TV series though, once you get over the first episode.

Quote of the Week(s)

I just love this quote, even though I struggle so much with it.

Real charity is not something you give away; it is something that you acquire and make a part of yourself. And when the virtue of charity becomes implanted in your hear, you are never the same again. It makes the thought of being a basher repulsive. 

Perhaps the greatest charity comes when we are kind to each other, when we don't judge or categorize someone else, when we simply give each other the benefit of the doubt or remain quiet. Charity is accepting someone's differences, weaknesses, and shortcomings; having patience with someone who has let us down; or resisting the impulse to become offended when someone doesn't handle something the way we might have hoped. Charity is refusing to take advantage of another's weakness and being willing to forgive someone who has hurt us. Charity is expecting the best of each other.

None of us need one more person bashing or pointing out where we have failed or fallen short. Most of us are already well aware of the areas in which we are weak. What each of us does need is family, friends, employers, and brothers and sisters who support us, who have the patience to teach us, who believe in us, and who believe we're trying to do the best we can, in spite of our weaknesses.

Elder Marvin J. Ashton

May 1992 Ensign "The Tongue Can Be A Sharp Sword" 

Daylight Robbery

That's what ordering graduation pictures are- daylight robbery.

Okay, so professionals do spend a lot of money on equipment and time. And yes, a professional photographer for a wedding day is A MUST. If I had the money, I would love to hire him as my photographer.

But I can't say the same for graduation pictures. Charging $8 for a 5x7 picture that is PRE-TOUCH UP AND DOESN'T EVEN MAKE ME LOOK GOOD is not worth it at all. And their proofs are downright hilarious. Wish I could post them here- you would laugh (and cringe). There is even one with a tiny-bity size Jimmer in the upper right corner. Ha!

In fact, Jay (Su's hubby) took one picture using his camera that I love and will use as my official graduation photo.

Worse of all, is that the professional is charging me an exorbitant amount of money for shipping. Yes, I understand that normal mail might bend the pictures, and that will not do- you have to ensure that the pictures arrive in pristine condition. But charging us the full price for that? Hello? Shouldn't good service at least cover some of the cost? Amazon ships bulkier and more fragile objects for less than that cost.

I ended up grudgingly paying over $30 for 2 pictures, one 5x7 and the other 8x10. I believe wedding pictures don't even cost that much on the average. URGH!!!

It's storming now

I love the smell of rain (from indoors)
Especially when it's at night and close to bedtime. Or even better- during bedtime.
Mmm...

Moving Away from BYU Single Wards

Oops, wrong name since it's not called "BYU Single Wards" anymore. It's "(Place) YSA (#) Ward" now. I used to be in the "Provo YSA 203 Ward" and now I am in the "Granger YSA 1st Ward".

First Impressions:
- The ward boundary is HUGE. If you understand Utah coordinates, the ward goes from 2100 S to 4100 S (200 blocks up to down) and 1000 W to about 4000 W (300 blocks left-right).
- Which means that the ward is huge as well. There are apparently about 400 people currently in the ward (old and new).
- The ward has more people around my age, especially the guys- hooray!
- However, there are also more guys that are... *erhem* I shall not say
- The 3 block meetings were spiritual and uplifting. I especially felt that the teachers did a wonderful job,
- Mingle after church = lasagna, mac-and-cheese, pasta salad, garlic bread, ice-cream... they feed us well here
- Someone told me I looked way younger than my real age. Bwa ha ha ha ha...

I've only made a few friends though, so we shall see. I don't function well in extremely large group settings. But I think I'm off to a good start.

My Dad Will Be So Proud of Me

I've turned into quite a health-food junkie! I only eat wheat pasta now, I can't stand plain white bread (whole grain bread tastes so much more interesting!) or sugary cereals except once in a while, and I eat so much vegetables and fruit now, I feel like a rabbit.

Not that I will ever give up meat unless I have to.

It all started with Sis Brooks, my bishop's wife. Actually, it started with my Mom because she always made us eat healthy, but you don't appreciate all her efforts until you hear it from another authoritative source, right?! Sorry Mom- I appreciate your conscientious cooking even more now.

So anyway, Sis Brooks held a nutrition class last year and introduced us to all the yummy goodness of eating healthy. Since then, my diet and life has changed completely. I used to HATE the grainy texture of wheat pasta, and now that's all the type I buy now. I still eat white rice though... it's hard to give up a staple I grew up on.

But nutrition is a whole other post.

My point in this particular post is to demonstrate how you can take everyday food and turn it into something that is not only healthy but looks extraordinary and tastes phenomenal. Everyday food such as... Jiao Zi/ Dumpling! Well, "everyday food" as in Chinese everyday...

Step 1a: Get Chinese roommates, though this can be skipped if you are very determined.
Step 1b: Make your own dumpling filling, which is basically a mixture of ground pork, chives/ pickled vegetables and all types of Chinese sauces. The longer you marinate, the better (as all meats are).
Step 2: Get ready flour and water.
Step 3: Insist on making your own dumpling skin. This is very important because once you have perfected the art of making it, you won't want to go back. I was quite apprehensive about making our own dumpling skin because we were making over 150 (!) of them but my roommates refused to use store-bought ones, and I am so glad they did!
Step 4: The fun part- EXPERIMENT! We actually weren't quite sure how the different skins would turn out since we did not consult the omniscient machine a.k.a. the internet, but who cares?

And the results...

Verdict- 
Homemade white skin is healthy because there are no preservatives, but nothing special.
Spinach flavored (blend some spinach with water till liquid, and add to mixture... almost like coloring) was great, except after cooking it turned yellow-ish. Note to self: use more spinach but not more water.
The wheat was my favorite, but that's because I love whole wheat. Be careful though because the wheat flour made it less "elastic." 

Step 5: Wrap a meatball with one of the extremely pliant, soft, healthy dumpling skins. Arrange neatly in a row.

Lining in a row, ready to be frozen for future eating... 

With the fruits of our labor

Step 6: Cook
Final Step: ADMIRE BEFORE ENJOYING!!! Oh and no need to feel guilty about eating so many since it's also healthy!

Loving my bag in my freezer :)

Recommendation

If you are looking for a quick and short easy-to-read comprehensive summary of Mormonism and polygamy, this is the book:

Mormons & Polygamy by Jessie L. Embry. It is a very good "reference" go-to book for quick information about this topic. Embry also wrote another scholastic, groundbreaking book (which she referes to quite often in this book) about the same topic. I've read it and it is excellent.  

This book is only slightly over a hundred pages, but the font is large so don't worry- it's like reading any other church book. In fact, this is also not meant to be a scholastic read (go read her other book if you want it to be). Everything in here is explained in simple terms- there is even a section on the Plan of Salvation to help non-members understand our doctrine better.
 
Most of all, I like her explanation for why Mormons practiced polygamy because she articulates my feelings regarding this subject perfectly. She writes, "As a single female historian and member of the The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, I have seen people become alarmed when I tell them that the mormon Church's historical practice of polygamy does not bother me. But polygamy for me is a historical fact that I study. I do not think about its possible impact on me. the LDS Church is a much against polygamy now as it was for it in the nineteenth centry. I know that I will not be asked to marry a man who already has a wife. I have no idea what will happen int he next life, and I do not worry about polygamy then. yet I do feel it is essential that both members and nonmembers learn about the history of Mormon polygamy before drawing any conclusions about Joseph Smith and why he and his followers accepted such an unusual practice." (pg. 7)
 

Confession Time

Growing up, I never read Anne of Green Gables.

*Gas* Yes I know- a travesty. It's partly because it was never mandatory reading in school (probably because Anne's imaginative genius is way beyond the comprehension of *erhem* MOE). Well, I should have been locked up and forced to read it.

Because finally, I read finish the book last week, and it is probably one of the best books I've ever read. I laughed and cried and fell in love with Anne. Makes me love redheads even more! And it was a breezy read.

The book image is blurry, but this is the copy of Anne of Green Gables that I have. I bought it on my flight back to Provo from DC while laying over at the Chicago airport. Yes, I know, that was ages ago... forgive me- I'm still in the thick of research for my paper.

Anyway, if you have not read this, PLEASE GO READ IT. I can lend you my copy! It's simply delightful!

If You Fail

Try, Try Again

No kidding. My sister didn't receive any word from BYU regarding any scholarships, and she kept trying to reach them over and over again. I already told her to give up since they would have notified her if they did, but did she? No.

And good thing not.

Because after trying countless times, and one explanation email, she finally received word that she was awarded a scholarship after all!!!

O Me of Little Faith. Sigh... I guess I still have lingering resentment toward the BYU administration which isn't too student-friendly.

So excited for her. The Lord has been extremely kind to my family.

A word about my sisters as well- I CAN'T WAIT TO SEE THEM IN 2 WEEKS!!!

It's Nice to Have Space

In a previous post, I wrote about moving up to Salt Lake so that I wouldn't have to suffer through horrible traffic. Well, it's almost official. I've started living in my new apartment on the weekdays and commuting back to Provo on the weekends (various reasons). I'm so much happier now.

How's my new place? So far... I like it!

#1: It's only 3 highway exits from my work place, which means the commute is only 15 minutes in total as opposed to 1 hour 15 mins from Provo.

#2: My landlord is very nice, and my other roommate is a good friend of mine.

#3: My landlord and other roommate are very clean people, particularly my landlord. And in order to minimize the amount the clutter, she requests that we use her kitchenware and keep our own set in storage. Sweet!  

#4: It's furnished, so I don't have to get furniture while I'm doing my internship- now that's a real relief.

#5: The furniture is very well-maintained

#6: I have SPACE. Now, I'm not someone who needs a lot of space. I grew up in Singapore where there is anything but space. I shared a room with both my sisters till I was almost 15. I guess that's why I didn't mind moving into my last (dang! that's surreal) BYU apartment after my mission even though it was old and cramp. I don't mind small, it was reasonably priced for its location, I had great roommates, terrific ward... 

However, now that I have space and my apartment is generally clutter free and it's conveniently located, it's really... nice. I miss having a room- roommate, but I feel like I have so much more breathing space as well!

My closet all to myself.
I have more clothes than that (of course)
but just a sample of how spacious it is

My new bed. Yeah, sleepovers!

Why Do People Have So Much Talent?!

Whenever you think Mormon Tabernacle Choir, you don't think organist. I think from now on though, I will!

Sound Financial Principles

The beginning half is J Reuben Clark Jr's classic talk on DEBT. I've never read or heard the talk in its entirety, and it was a treat to listen to this- it is marvelous.

Then keep listening. You will not regret it.

On a Lighter Note...

I LOVE THE IMAGES IN THIS VIDEO!!!

Doesn't even the "freeze frame" (little girl high up on a swing) just make you smile?!

New Mormon Messages Video on Combating Pornography

Very sobering, but I thought it was such a good video.

One thing that stood out to me- notice that both the "good" and "bad" dad turned off the computer screen initially. However only the "good" dad walked away and filled his mind with more wholesome activities. That jumped out to me, and made me think about my own life- how I not only need to stop doing wrong things, but also fill it with other better things.

Neighbors With Benefits

Benefits such as... 3 little cute boys lighting up the apartment complex! Peter (5), Ammon or more commonly called "Hammie" (2+) and Eric (8 months). They are the ones who have been using chalk to draw trains and construction equipment on the pathway outside. My apartment invited their family over for dinner last night - yes we are just cool like that ;) - along with one of my old roommates and her husband. It was a blast, except for the part when the happy-tempered Eric was woken up suddenly by his brother and turned ornery. Oh dear... he was NOT happy at all, but he's still so cute!

We will miss them when they move back to Orderville

This is us enjoying a delicious meal of pasta, steamed vegetables, super delicious baked chicken (supplied by us), sweet grapes (courtesy of Cici and hubby Fory) and homemade brownies, ice-cream, chocolate sauce and strawberries (by the family). Such a great dinner, and even better company!

So Not Big Love

 As creepy as this sounds, this is a fantastic book. Well, can't expecting anything less from something printed by Oxford University Press, right? ;)

The book is a compilation of various articles about modern day polygamy, that ranges from their history to modern day statistics. I learned a lot from reading about them, and frankly, much more about my religion. There are many parallels to the stories of modern day polygamists and those of our past church leaders- isolation, persecution, determination... learning about them has helped me view this group of people in a whole different light. It has made me much more sympathetic to their cause, even if I disagree with  their religious beliefs.

Recommended? A definite yes.