Hi lovelies! Things are going great, I love everything and it is snowing in the most unusual places in Spain yet we had such a beautiful day in Madrid today. Things I’m loving:

• Waking up for class and actually feeling rested! I am not sure why since I’m still going to bed a bit later than I should. I think my naps after class are helping, maybe?
• Makeup. Damn you, Youtube! I have new goodies to play with so I’ve been trying some things around. Also loving the MAC Syrup lipstick Tom got me for Christmas :3 Sounds and looks yummy.
• Getting a higher mark than I expected on my stats test! I left the entire last question blank so I must have done everything else right…yay! Now to find out how to do that last question so I can do it for the exam. Grr.
• Drinking a glass of water as soon as I wake up. I’ve heard about this being healthy and a subtle form of detox for the body (for the start of the day anyway.) But mostly I do it because my allergy pills make me thirsty so I wake up craving water.
• Crunchie Bars, courtesy of Tom again. I think everyone should be granted the privilege of Crunchie Bars, not just the UK!

The woman who follows the crowd will usually go no further than the crowd. The woman who walks alone is likely to find herself in places no one has ever been before. — Albert Einstein

What have you guys been loving this week?

1. Language barrier  shmarrier — when your life depends on it your brain will spit out words you never thought you knew!
2. Cup noodles are not a good permanent dinner replacement.
3. Cab drivers are not only full of insight and street smarts, but they are a good source for practicing both listening and speaking.
4. Having a day of the week to sort yourself out is key; laundry, kitchen & bathroom cleaning, bill paying.
5. True friends will always have your back, no matter how drunk you were.
6. That said, finishing two Soju bottles on your own is definitely not a good idea.
7. When you buy tickets to see Tiësto, make sure you’re there 3 hours early or risk not even making it to the dancefloor.
8. Student life is the life.
9. The Great Wall is not so Great after 9 times. If you’re planning on going then get yourself to the old part in ruins; it has not been touched and is beautiful, without all the tourists and vendors around so you can get a nice photo!
10. Government censorship.
11. An afternoon out at Ritan Park, in the boathouse, with dumplings, is an afternoon well spent.
12. Bargain! Anything for sale you can get for less.
13. Hou Hai and the surrounding Hutongs are beautiful, even in the freezing winter; bikes are available for rent so you can explore to your heart’s content! One of my favorite places in Beijing.
14. Coming home at 8am in last night’s getup while everyone’s grandparents are out doing TaiChi does not make you look very good.
15. I want to go back.

Natural beauty

• It is picture day; the entire high school has woken up an hour early just to get their hair right and to practice in front of the mirror. BIG mistake. It was 9th grade and I was one such individual. Once the photographer tilted my head and rotated my body a thousand times, I let my rehearsed smile shine. The result: a fake smile, unruly hair and earrings hanging awkwardly in the wrong directions. The only year I actually looked decent, was the year I didn’t put any effort into it. Be natural, especially when smiling! Think of something funny enough to make you smile but not overly hilarious to make you scrunch your face awkwardly. Tip: A real smile can be seen not only in the mouth but in the eyes.
• Experiment, take self portraits if necessary. Find your best angle and play up to it in photos, but vary enough so that you aren’t pouting with your head tilted slightly at a 30 degree angle, hand on your hip in every single photo. Again, keep it natural and relaxed!
• Posture! No slouching allowed, as it will make your belly pop out, your neck shorter and your boobage saggy. I struggle with this one, mainly because slouching is my natural state of being. I’ve tried to correct it, but I give up way too easily. At least photos are an incentive to be more aware of it!
• Spontaneous photos tend to turn out the best, or at least are good at capturing the moment!

Little touchups

• I’m not one to edit photos on Photoshop, regardless of where my pimple was, mainly because I find it tedious and it makes my computer incredibly laggy. Instead, I propose tackling those little things before the photograph is taken.
• If your skin is slightly oilier than average, a few touchups with those little blotting papers should keep the shine out of your face in photos. I hear great wonders about pressed foundation as well but have never tried it myself! Any other tips to eliminate shine?
• Concealer for panda eyes and little pimples or scars works, but don’t cake it on as this will show even more.
• For a radiant smile make sure you take care of those pearly whites! Same for skin and hair. Personally I think hands well taken care of go a long way in completing a stunning look ;)
• Remember the closer your hands/feet are to the camera the larger they will appear!

The rest depends on your style and whether it lets your personality show through; Knowing how to dress for your shape is always essential, but I don’t believe that wearing patterns is necessarily bad if that is your style. If it works for you then it works, period!

What tricks do you have for looking better in photos?

It is no secret that I spend unhealthy amounts of time online, but what’s even more astonishing is the percent of that time (about forever%) I spend on the wonderful realms of Youtube. Need some cheering up? Bloopers, America’s Funniest Home Videos, cute puppies, imaginative children and the things that come out of their mouths; Want to know how to ____? Makeup tutorials, photoshop tutorials, crafty and DIY tutorials galore; Missed Lady Gaga’s VMA opening performace? Just type the words! There is literally something for everyone. Here are some of my favorites, all randomized for your viewing pleasure ;)

Wear Sunscreen

Frozen Grand Central

Yellow Sticky Notes

I Met the Walrus (Canadian Beatles fan sneaks into John Lennon’s room; interviews him!)

Evolution of Dance

Darth Vader Being a Smartass

French Bulldog

Maru the Cat

Annoying

Boy Sees Lobster for the First Time!

Just Dance/Sweet Dreams Mashup

What’s in your Youtube treasure chest? Share!

Hi lovelies, happy Friday! I’m so excited for the weekend to come, if only for the fact that I intend to sleep in, take naps and finish reading The Bell Jar. In my life of academic chaos, this seems like the perfect way to spend time when I’m not in class ;) This week:

I’ve received some wonderful news, though they aren’t definite ♦ I bought a netbook for taking notes in class; it is tiny and weighs only 1kg, so it is absolutely perfect for carrying around! ♦ I had the most amazing sushi lunch with friends followed by an afternoon of shopping, much needed girly time ♦ I realized the benefit of liquid foundation used in moderation to cover unwanted redness (I’ve always been too scared to try because I was afraid of looking like a rubber mask like a lot of girls do).

Here’s a collection of gems around the internet for this week (including latest Lemon Soda goodness!):

• Nerves are natural responses, good in some cases and completely inhibiting in others. Check out How To Deal With Nerves!
• On Wednesday I posted about a brief but blunt reality check I received.
• For another reality check: The Picture by David Cox.

I want you to look very closely at this picture and try and keep it in your minds eye. This was a perfectly healthy twenty two-year-old young man who in the service of his country got half of his head blown off. I think that’s important, I think that’s newsworthy. Let me tell you how newsworthy I think it is. I think that it’s more important than chocolate cake recipes and far more important than comic book reviews.

• Sarah Von’s True Story Series are amazing. The latest: I’m a Recovered Junkie.
• For a think: Do You React Consciously and Responsibly?

Have a great Friday and Weekend everyone!

So far this week I still have a cold that won’t let me breathe at night and a ton of assignments piling up on my desk. I found out my Windows 7 Starter doesn’t allow for the option of changing the wallpaper, threw a mini (nerdy) fit only to find fish on my plate for dinner. Then a documental came on TV about Africa, the forgotten continent. A few minutes in I just felt stupid, because I have everything and so many have nothing; then helpless, because I can donate but never really know whether or not that made any difference, and where’s sitting at home and doing absolutely nothing going to get me?

Remember Live 8? The G8 summit? Where’s that gone? So much research going into beauty procedures, how to enhance this and that, and so many people dying of diseases we might not even have heard of in Africa. I’m guilty too; it’s not like I think about it every day, or like I don’t indulge in makeup and shopping, but seeing things like this is a big slap in the face I think we all need once in a while.

“If anyone has any suggestions on how to stop this, how to make it better, please come and tell us. We don’t know how to stop the war, we need help because we are born into it and die in it”

That is what one of the Ugandan kids from the documental was saying. I wonder what it feels like to live in constant fear, to lose your family and have to live as the world watches on and does nothing about it. I’m not saying we can eradicate the wars, but so much more could be done. Unfortunately it doesn’t seem like a lucrative option for businesses or pharmaceutical companies, and then it comes down to money over lives.

So this week, I’m loving everything in my life. I don’t think I’ve ever been truly unhappy, so I’m thankful for that! I invite you to take a step back and put things into perspective; what’s really important in your life, and what can you do to make someone else’s day/life/experience better. Join Bloggers Unite and blog for causes, help spread the word!

summer

Imagine a dolphin dancing in the sky.
Let it dance with joy.

Think of yourself at the bottom of the ocean
watching.

Imagine a group of dolphins dancing in the sky.
Blow kisses to them
in your mind.

— 100 Acorns

I don’t think I could ever be angry at a dolphin, they look too sweet. Spring is making its way to Spain and I am so thankful for it! We had 14 degrees today, but as usual I find myself thinking one season ahead: summer. What are your plans? I’ll most likely be spending some of it in Beijing, and then hopefully I’ll be able to get myself to the sea, somewhere!

Anticipating an outcome
If you crashed your dad’s car, you’ll be nervous as you walk through the door because you are anticipating that he will get angry. If you’re about to give a speech, you’ll be nervous that people won’t respond well to it or you’ll say something ridiculous and embarrass yourself. These thoughts are mental barriers we set up, and we get nervous as we find them hard to overcome; we anticipate a negative outcome even if there is the possibility of a positive one (for instance, job interviews). I don’t think there’s a surefire way to ‘overcome’ nerves, but there are ways to make them less intense.

When public speaking
This is probably one of the number one nerve-wracking situations for many. You’re about to give a speech to your entire class; everyone will be silent and the lights will catch any signs of nervousness. Generally you become more aware of your mannerisms because you feel observed, which will cause you to sway, or wonder where your hands should go, or whether you’re talking loud enough. To cope a little:

• Make sure you know what you’re going to say. Practice your speech out loud over and over like your life depends on it, changing things around a bit each time so that in case your PowerPoint messes up you know where to pick up the slack.
• Use an audience. Grab your parents, siblings or grandparents.
• Before the event (or class) begins, try standing around the front as people take their seats. This will help you familiarize with the space so that you can move around more freely.
• Take a deep breath as you get ready to say your first words. Start with a strong voice so you can follow in the same pattern. Make the audience believe in what you’re saying.
• Speak as though you were conversing; logical, bite sized sequence of events using natural language (not colloquial, but not extremely technical — specific enough to the subject area but easy enough that everyone understands.)
• Be interested in what you’re saying and you’ll bring your audience with you; rather than focusing on whether or not you said something right, they’ll be trying to grasp concepts and put ideas together.
• Once you’re done, think ‘that wasn’t so hard’. Remember this moment for your next speech!

When doing something for the first time
Skydiving. All your friends seem to have done it and they won’t stop raving about how amazing it is. If you’re deathly afraid of heights (like me), no amount of convincing will work on you; however if you’re naturally curious (though not exactly an adventure seeker) you might find yourself wanting to try this out. It’s your first time jumping off a plane though, and you are —with reason— scared as hell. In this case:

• Let it be known that you are nervous as hell. Communicate it to your friends who have done it, to the instructor and to the pilot if he’s around. You’ll get a biased response, but in this case you need all the positive feedback you can get: “It’s nothing!”, “You’re more likely to die from being struck by lightning”, “Nobody’s died from it — yet!”. You’ll still be scared as hell, but running these through your mind will help ease the tension (somewhat)
• Know how to get out of it in case of an emergency. In skydiving, if your chute doesn’t open you might be in big trouble (that’s probably an understatement.) But say you’ve decided to go rock climbing and get stuck somewhere. Make sure you know what you need to do to get out!
• Think about the risk and weigh it against the benefits. If it’s your first time asking someone out, think of the possible consequences. Worst case scenario: you’ll be rejected. Will you die? No. Will you be hurt? Most likely. But if they say yes, will it be the best decision you ever made? Then go for it.

When taking an exam
You have a huge final on Monday. It will determine whether or not you graduate, and again, you are nervous as hell.

• Nerves will only block your mind, and in this case they will arise from uncertainty. So you need to start by making sure you understand the material. Reading over your notes 15 times will not help if you still don’t understand how protein synthesis works. Break down the information until you understand it, and then connect ideas and new concepts; this way, even if you don’t remember minute details in the happenings, you’ll still be able to tell the whole story.
• EAT! I used to think this was a silly cliche, but it kind of seems obvious that if energy is required to process thoughts, and energy comes from food, then eating is a smart choice. Glucose is especially important in brain processes and is used up faster in the brain than anywhere else in the body. So have a hearty breakfast and a chocolate bar on your way to the exam and get thinking!
• Right before the exam, if you really feel there’s so much information in your brain that it might fall out, jot it all down on the margins before you even look at the questions. This way your thoughts won’t be tainted by tricky wordings and you can refer back to them if they come up.
• Divide your time, otherwise you might find yourself chewing away at your pencil until you realize time’s almost up. If it takes more than 5 minutes, leave it for later and move on.
• Read everything twice. Once you’ve answered, read over everything once more. Make sure you haven’t been tricked and that you actually answered the question! Nerves can make you read words that aren’t there, turn negative numbers into positives or even make you think that the entire question is a trick.
• When you come out, DON’T talk about the answers with your peers!! Everyone does this, it’s natural, we want to know how we did compared to the rest of the class and knowing that someone else put a for the first question makes us feel more secure. But if you find that your answers are completely different to everyone’s you’re likely to think you probably failed, when sometimes it may mean that you were the only one to actually answer right. Then you’ll just be thinking about it and feeling terrible until the official results come out.

When approaching someone
A lot of times we want to complain, or ask someone for directions, or just talk in a crowded cocktail party. For some reason we are embarrassed, and can’t bring ourselves to do it.

• Firstly, remember people are only fellow human beings. They’ve also needed help at some point or wanted to complain that the fries are too salty. If you are nice about it there’s no reason why they won’t help you out.
• Don’t over-think it. You’re at some event for a book that just launched and you find yourself alone. Instead of hanging over by the punch, go over to someone else. It may be easier to break the ice with someone who is also alone, or maybe two people. I don’t know about you, but if I’m also roaming around alone and someone comes up to me, I’ll be more thankful than annoyed.
• Classic advice: if you want to be interesting, be interested. Ask genuine questions, reply with personal experiences or simply comment a bit on their answer.
• Tip: if you aren’t speaking in your first language and can’t find a crucial word, say it fast in your own language. This way, the op will think they either misunderstood or don’t know the word. At the risk of sounding stupid, it is unlikely that they’ll ask you what it means, but if they do, just innocently say it again (in your language) and tell them that’s how you say it in your country.

When making an important call
I’m not a phone person; I don’t even like calling for pizza, but sometimes you can’t avoid it.

• If you have to call someone important, or have something important to say but know your nerves will get in the way, the best thing to do is to write down key points you want to touch upon. Keep them in sight as you’re talking to the person. Before you dial, rehearse how you’ll greet them and lead into the conversation. The good thing about phones is the other person won’t see your panicked face, or your pacing back and forth as you try to calm the nerves.

In the end, it all comes down to feeling under prepared (and therefore less confident) for a certain situation; prepare well and visualize success. Think of the moment the struggle is done and what you can gain from it. Life goes on whether you want it to or not, and even if it doesn’t end up being what you had envisioned it to be, it’ll still be Friday, and Saturday, and Sunday. By Monday you will barely remember the feeling, so get over it and try again!

What makes you nervous and how do you cope? Any strategies to help us calm down in the face of fear?

Her sketchbook is girly and so full of whimsy, her photographs elegant and crisp; I am definitely jealous of her abilities! This Lazy Sunday browse through her creations for instant inspiration at Krisatomic.com!

Who are your favorite online/offline artists? Do share so we can add on to our inspiration wall!