BEIJING and NEW YORK

Aloha!

I'm off on another adventure soon. I'll be in Beijing, China from December 18 to January 5, then back to Hawaii for a few short weeks before jetting off to New York City from January 29 to February 8.

I'm excited. I need a change of scenery, even if only for a little while. While i'm in New York I plan to check out some schools.

I've been doing some thinking lately and realized that the happiest i've ever been was when I was volunteering at the Art Therapy Program in the Rehab Hospital of the Pacific a few years ago. I really felt like I was making a positive, productive difference in peoples lives. I always left feeling fulfilled and satisfied. My patients instilled a genuine feeling in me that life is alright and regardless of the circumstances, it's what you make of it. Even my patients that were paralyzed below the neck seemed to have the fullest appreciation for life and everything it has to offer. Made all of my petty issues seem so minor. But, now its been a few years and the lessons I learned from my patients are starting to wear off...

So, I'd like to get my Masters in Art Therapy! The programs at NYU and SVA are really good. Also really expensive, but let's not get ahead of ourselves just yet. I'll check things out and if I like it, i'll start plotting my escape. It'll take me a year or two probably.

I'm stoked. Get me out of this circular existence!!!

Update

Howdy Folks,

Some quick but important updates.

* I graduate with my BA in Psychology this Sunday (May 18th, 2008)!
* I have two jobs - working as a paralegal at a law firm downtown and waitressing at a Mexican restaurant.
* I have been dating up a storm, but its all amounted to ... I don't know what.
* I have had a friend living on my floor/couch for 4-plus months.
* I signed the lease for my apartment, so i'll be here at least until April 30th, 2009.
* I have been so busy that I haven't had a chance to surf or go to the beach in a long while and I MISS IT!
* I tried to learn to play piano this semester, and it was hard, but rewarding.
* I started screenprinting and I love it. I think i'm going to continue with it.
* I am planning on coming to China end of June to end of July, but haven't done Visa stuff yet.
* I have no idea what i'm doing with my life anymore. So, I guess i'm just going to keep living it and hope it amounts to something.

Love,
Soph

My Epitaph

'What" will your obituary say?' at QuizGalaxy.com

Paper Planes and 7/11

Currently sitting in a coffee shop near my house doing research for a paper due tomorrow on the dynamics of defecting from a cult with special exploration of the brainwashing conjecture and post-involvement attitudes of former members. It should be a good paper, I am just very late in starting it and procrastinating. Life lately has been...obscure. It's like a see-saw between my very scholarly life lived in and out of coffee shops working on papers between classes and work, and then there's all the other stuff, which is a jumble of people and the dynamics between them.

Earlier I was going into a 7/11 to get candy for my studying and this lady asked a guy for bus money to get back to Kalihi. I was thinking in my head, "Avoid eye contact or she'll ask you too when this guy turns her down." But, he didn't turn her down, he gave her $5 and said "God Bless." Then, she came into the 7/11 and I thought, "Watch this, now she's going to buy alcohol or a pack of cigarettes." But, she didn't. She asked for one dollar bills and left to go to the bus stop. Man, what a judgmental bitch I felt like. People really still can surprise you. It's important to try not to get too jaded by this crazy world we live in.

Final Day: Blue Lagoon and Sirkus

Blue Lagoon

On my final day in Iceland Begga, Torfi, Jonsi and I went to the Blue Lagoon, which is supposed to be like the Icelandic fountain of youth. It was pretty cool, but at the same time it seemed very commercialized. They had turned it into a spa/hotel type of thingy and you had to pay to get in. It didn't used to be like that, so I would have preferred to get to it before it was sold out and raped for all it was worth. We still had a great time though. Haha even though the bottom of the lagoon was super squishy and when Torfi, Joni, and I grabbed a handfull of the mud from the bottom it was laden with human hair! Ick!

Sirkus

After Blue Lagoon I went back to Begga's and packed and had a very nice dinner with her family. I said goodbye to everyone since my flight was at like 6AM the next morning and Begga's Grandma gave me a book of Icelandic folktales as a present - so sweet. Begga and I met up with Jonsi and Torfi after dinner and went to a bar called Sirkus, which is Bjork's favorite bar, and had some goodbye beers. It was nice, but I was sad and knew I had to get up early. I really really didn't want to leave, but I couldnm't extend my ticket. After Sirkus we went to Torfi's workplace to see his art, then he took Begga and I home. The goodbye to Iceland was tragic, I guess I kind of fell in love with everything about it...but i'll be back bitches!

Iceland Part 3: Park/Celtic Cross Day & Mini Road Trip

Park/Celtic Cross Day

One day after I pre-celebrated Begga's Mom's B-day with Begga's close family members we went to a park with some friends and drank beer, etc. etc. At one point when it got really cold and Begga and I both had you use the bathroom we hopped into Torfi's car and went downtown to an Irish pub called the Celtic Cross because Jonsi said he felt like having a Guinness. We ended up staying out until the bar closed and from the time we got there to the time we left a lot happened! We met this crazy Sicilian Guy who was trying to conceal his smoking cigarettes from his angry looking Swedish wife sitting alone at the bar with a beer. This man was very talktative and drunk and some people at our table didn't like him, but Torfi stepped up to the plate and sat at the bar with the guy and talked with him while I sat at the bar with his angry wife and talked to her because she looked so upset I though she was going to cry! I ended up really getting along with her after she was rude for about 1/2 a minute because she was mad we were giving him cigarettes since he was supposed to stop since he was having surgery in 3 weeks. Eventually crazy Sicilian man dissapeared and she sent me to find him at the bar next door. I found him, but I wasn't able to escape his clutches - literally! He grabbed my hand and made me hold hands with this guy he was sitting next to at the bar who was reasonably attractive and paid me lots of compliments, but I was only interested in getting him out of there and back to his wife! I got stuck with a beer and some guys hand, then thankfully Torfi came in and saved me. Then, we were both stuck there, but at least we had each other! He and I talked to the bartender after she was done yelling at Sicilian guy for being handsy, it turned out she was a gypsy from Copenhagen who followed her one true love who wasn't evern her boyfriend yet to Iceland. Her gesture of love was successful and now they live together in Iceland and he's moving to Denmark with her soon. I thought the story was very bold and romantic - good for her! Finally, Sicilian guys wife showed up at the bar and after Torfi and I were done talking to an older gentleman who said he was an artist we went back to the Celtic Cross. A whiskey later the bar closed and Torfi, Begga, Jonsi and I went back to Jonsi's house and drank and hung out til early morning. The next day Begga and I were off on another mini-roadtrip, hungover...

At the Park Before Celtic Cross Talking

Me Swallowing the Sun

Random Bar Image
(Note: Unfortunately the debauchary of the night wasn't well documented!)

Geysers

Geysers were pretty spiffy! I'd say the best part was watching all the people stand around them with their cameras ready to snap a photo waiting for it to errupt. It usually takes up to 20min, so you can wait for what seems like awhile. The water from the geysers was in little pools on water on the ground we walked on to get close to them and I could feel the heat through my sneakers! Also, it was kinda stinky cuz of the sulfur.

Behold the Natural Heat!

Waiting For it to Errupt

Damn - I moved out of the picture before it went off!

Small Hot Water Pond by Geysers

(No joke - it was this blue in real life.)

Most Powerful Waterfall in Iceland

Begga and I didn't stay here too long on account of our hangovers, but we snapped a few photos to prove we were here. Then, we decided tourist groups are evil as they spent forever taking a stupid group photo and blocked the only walkway back to the car! I must say, the waterfall was mighty...well mighty!

Big Powerful Waterfall

Begga and I "Watching the river flow" like Bob Dylan

Begga Giving the Wink and Gun

Mountain Torn in Two

This was pretty cool. I wondered if the mountain was torn in half because of Iceland being on 2 tectonic plates? Not too sure though. On the way to getting here it bucketed rain while we were driving on this teeny tiny dirt road (there was even lightning!) and Begga and I were a but concerned. But, we drove through the rain and made it OK. Once we arrived we walked around a bit and saw a little lake where they used to drown women - total bummer. Also, saw the oldest parliament (or something to that effect). When we finally left, we made a wish in a brook that I would be able to stay in Iceland an extra week - but, the stupid wish didn't come true! Oh well!

One Side of the Mountain Split

Me Standing Right in the Middle

Pond Where They Drowned People

Plaque Explaining How The Pond Used to Drown People

Named of Women Drowned

Parliament House Where They Were Probably Sentenced to Drowning

Icelandic Flag - Viva Iceland

Icelandic Sunset!

For a place where it doesn't actually get dark, they sure have a rocking sunset considering it doesn't actually set! I saw this around midnite when Begga and I were on our way home from tasty dinner with her Mom's boyfriend and his kids. Awesome-ness!