Let’s just say this blog is going to update very intermittently.
Today, I felt like blogging. Crazy, huh? It happens, though.
So… I finished my first year of university a few months ago. Lost my scholarship. Meh, I have an RESP to take care of tuition fees, anyways. It was a good experience, made a lot of new friends, almost all of which are in the University’s Faculty of Science. Their religious beliefs are mostly unknown to me, but that’s because it never comes up as a really topic often. I do believe that some of them have some form of religious belief, but I’ll just ignore that, because they are still entertaining people, and they don’t seem to care about other people’s beliefs that much.
That’s all I really have to say, I guess.
P.S. Huh. I never finished that Buddha book. I really think I should, I was having fun bashing some parts of it.
Yeah, I didn’t get anything until the Boxing day sales, and all I really got was a router so I could use my laptop downstairs, and a 16 GB USB drive, yo. I suppose I did make a deal with my father that my gift would be for me to see Spamalot when it came a few months ago, so there’s that.
This morning, about an hour ago, my dad gave me a book to read, that he may later test me on when he comes home from work. As soon as he said that, I knew the book must be religious. I am far from religious these days, but I don’t appear to have the heart to tell my father that. My father is a man who goes to a meditation centre, and meditates before going to bed each night, usually listening to some religious speeches about the Buddha. One day I’ll reveal who I am. But for now, the internet shall suffice.
Anyways, the book is called “Old Path White Clouds: Walking in the Footsteps of the Buddha”. Oh look at that, I was right, it’s religious. From the blurb: “[This book] presents the life and teachings of Gautama Buddha [, ... tracing] the Buddha’s life slowly and gently over the course of 80 years”. The author, Thich Nhat Hanh (Thich being a title common among monks of this particular clan) of the book was even apparently nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize in 1967 by Martin Luther King, Jr.
The chapters of this book are fairly short, approximately 5-10 pages each, but there are 81 of these small chapters, all together separated into their own “book”, named Book One, Book Two, and Book Three. How original. I am planning on reading through pieces of the book, stating a short summary, and then giving my opinion on what the book has told me so far. I’ve only read 10 pages, being the first chapter, so I’ll give a taste of the beginning to whoever reads this damn content-less blog.
The book opens with a person meditating. Reading further, it seems like the story is from this bhikku’s (meaning beggar, but also meaning a Buddhist monk who follows all the Buddhist precepts, this will overlap during the story) point of view. It appears that in this culture of monks, any caste separation ceases to exist, for Svasti the bhikku feels much more accepted in the monastery then outside, where he once lived. It then goes to a flashback 2 weeks ago where we see the Buddha make good on a promise 10 years prior to that. So in 10 years, it appears that the Buddha does not forget (but I suppose he would forgive, being the Buddha). Soon enough, they go to Svasti’s house, where the Buddha sits on a stool while everyone else stands or sits on the earth, discussing whether or not Svasti wishes, after 10 years of waiting, to join the Buddha and become a bhikku. Then they are off to the monastery! But they walk slowly, enjoying each pace, which slowed the journey down to 10 days to get to the monastery, but at least they were enjoying each moment as it was. Every morning, they would beg for food, and those who recognised the Buddha would bow in respect.
Yeah, that’s basically the first chapter to me. Now: things I liked. I enjoyed the fact that they were minimalist, that they could enjoy life just as it was, accepting all facets of it, begging causing humility to keep them from getting to full of themselves. And the caste separation elimination. I’m sure that there are many people that can live this way, and they do. But that leads to parts I don’t like as much. I do not like minimalism. I do not like having everyone as my equal. I enjoy the pleasures of life, food, entertainment, wine, being better than others, etc. I could probably never live like that. Not for my entire life, anyways. And what of the Buddha sitting on his stool while everyone else stood around him, or was sitting on the dirty ground? Couldn’t the Buddha have sat on the ground as well? This small detail really stood out to me for some reason. Anyways, that is chapter 1. Once I read the next few chapters I’ll post moar, but don’t expect it to be great and awesome. This is merely the weakest excuse for content I could get.
I saw Irony Man yesterday. I enjoyed it greatly. Much better than the other Marvel superhero movies I’ve seen (Spider-Man 3, amirite?), and more funny than certain comedies I’ve seen (Borat; who needs shock humour?). Lots of time spent on that development of Tony Stark. Robert Downey Jr. is such a bad-ass. Can’t wait for the sequel (for War Machine). Also hope that The Incredible Hulk will not be a failure, for Iron Man is in it as well. And Edward Norton, with his penguin powers~
Since Saturday night, I have been sick with something. I would assume either a virus or infection of the stomach, as this has happened before, with similar symptoms. I'm seeing a doctor today about it. I better get cured of it before Sunday, when I go off to Cuba for March Break on my grad trip~
Let's lay down the story so far.
Saturday evening. I eat rice. I eat salmon, raw, with lots of wasabi. Probably not a good idea. I start to feel sick, but it is only a minute pain that would probably go away after a good night's sleep.
Saturday night. I do not have a good night's sleep. I go to bed, and all of a sudden feel incredibly cold. In the fetal position, I gain a massive headache, and the previous sickness grows into a just as massive stomach ache. I go to the washroom several times. Diarrhea~
Sunday. I wake up after that terrible night of sleep, and decide that I probably shouldn't eat raw stuff anymore. I drink some water, and I skip breakfast because I feel too sick to eat. I skip lunch and eat a few chopstick grabs on rice and fish for dinner.
Monday. I feel better. Still have a stomach ache, still have a headache, but it is less severe. My stool is more solid, but comes in really small droplets. Eat mostly toast for the day. I still choose to go to school.
Tuesday. Headache is completely gone, but the stomach aches come and go, signifying some uncontrollable peristaltic movements, and causing me pain. I notice some blood when I wipe my bum after I go to the washroom. I start to eat some normal stuff again.
Today. Snow day. I go to school to do a Calculus test, which was moved to tomorrow because of the snow day. I learn about parametric functions and polar coordinates instead. Same thing about the stomach aches and bloods and foods as Tuesday. I find out I have a doctor's appointment today at 15:30.
Okay fine, apparently the universe is giving me stuff to talk about. That summer school thing I did? I got an 82. Not bad for a class I absolutely hated. Maybe that means I’ll get better in English this coming year~ (Unlikely.)
Eventually I’ll go to my actual school to get the report card for the past year, maybe. I suppose I’ll make sure the Bio credit went in, as well as seeing if my schedule can be added to in any way. Yep. I wish I had more to talk about other than lamer high school-ness.
(Also, I got the Final Destination stage in Super Smash Bros. Melee, finally. Go Jigglypuff~)
So I changed the skin. I don’t know why, but I felt like changing it to whatever the current theme is now. And…yep. The change in skin means nothing. I’ll still not post for months on end before posting again and whatnot. No change in this blog’s schedule.
So, apparently I’m part of a video group now. Some people write stories, and some people act it out. When the first video is done, I’ll probably mention it in passing here. My job is to be an actor (’cause we don’t have enough) and labourer (this is because I am the only Asian).
Check out the worthless site we have. Vote for the logo. VOTE FOR IT.
Apparently so. That plant test was a lot easier than it should have been. Unless of course, I read all the questions wrong somehow, or I was given the wrong test. We shall see when I get my test back. And memes~ Stolen from wherever I saw it first. (more…)
Biology is murder. I hate it with a passion~ It was okay for the biochem part, and the genetics, but I HATE PLANTS. It’s good that they supply oxygen and all, but I really don’t care how they work and what they are made from. Failed that quiz so hard~ Can’t wait for that damn test.
So yeah. I saw Transformers today. As many say, it was a lot better than expected. One problem. Megatron was not a big gun. Other than that, pretty awesome. Good use of minor comedy to lighten the mood, the robots themselves are beautifully rendered, and this is not a movie critique. All in all, I liked it. But that’s my opinion.
P.S. The transforming All-Spark was pretty random, yet awesome?
I go to summer school tomorrow for Bilology, because that grade 11 credit could probably prove to be useful in the future. And yeah. I guess I’m ready to fail this so hard~
So I gots a level G1 Driver’s Licence today, though I could have gotten it last year, but laziness. I didn’t realise it cost $125 just to take the test. Costly~ I found this out after I had spent an hour on two bus rides just sitting there, falling asleep. Then I spent another hour going home, eating lunch, then another hour going back to the licence place, take the test, then another hour going home. At least now I can kind of drive myself places.
These past days have been my exams. Today was my Law exam. Yesterday was Math, the day before was Physics. Physics, I’m betting was my best exam, with Math and then Law trailing behind. The reason for this is because I figured out (4 hours after my Math exam) the mistake I made. Law is because I just don’t bother to memorise the random facts that I will never need to care about.
Today I got free pizza. After my Law exam, I went to the music room and helped to clean up, just because music is the fun~ I was rewarded with pizza and drinks. Fun times~
Now I may relax for a week, then I go to summer school for Biology. That credit will probably prove to be useful. Maybe.
And now I will not post for another forever, but no one reads this anyways.
You are… an atheist, though you probably already knew this. Also, you probably have several people praying daily for your soul. Instead of simply being “nonreligious,” atheists strongly believe in the lack of existence of a higher being, or God.
So, still alive.
