Ghost of Corporate Future

This song by Regina Spektor is absolutely amazing. This is our world, people! Seriously!

Definitely makes you think. I was going to post some of the lyrics, but I realized they're all so perfectly relevant: I'm posting the whole song and link for it. This is what society has come to... We've got to change our ways!


In the meantime, enjoy! :)


"Ghost Of Corporate Future"

A man walks out of his apartment,
It is raining, he's got no umbrella
He starts running beneath the awnings,
Trying to save his suit,
Trying to save his suit.
Trying to dry, and to dry, and to dry but no good

When he gets to the crowded subway platform,
He takes off both of his shoes
He steps right into somebody's fat loogie
And everyone who sees him says, "Ew."
Everyone who sees him says, "Ew."

But he doesn't care,
'Cause last night he got a visit from the
Ghost of Corporate Future
The ghost said, "Take off both your shoes
Whatever chances you get
Especially when they're wet."

He also said,
"Imagine you go away
On a business trip one day
And when you come back home,
Your children have grown
And you never made your wife moan,
Your children have grown
And you never made your wife moan."

"And people make you nervous
You'd think the world is ending,
And everybody's features have somehow started blending
And everything is plastic,
And everyone's sarcastic,
And all your food is frozen,
It needs to be defrosted."

"You'd think the world was ending,
You'd think the world was ending,
You'd think the world was ending right now.
You'd think the world was ending,
You'd think the world was ending,
You'd think the world was ending right now."

"Well maybe you should just drink a lot less coffee,
And never ever watch the ten o'clock news,
Maybe you should kiss someone nice,
Or lick a rock,
Or both."

"Maybe you should cut your own hair
'Cause that can be so funny
It doesn't cost any money
And it always grows back
Hair grows even after you're dead"

"And people are just people,
They shouldn't make you nervous.
The world is everlasting,
It's coming and it's going.
If you don't toss your plastic,
The streets won't be so plastic.
And if you kiss somebody,
Then both of you'll get practice."

"The world is everlasting
Put dirtballs in your pocket,
Put dirtballs in your pocket,
And take off both your shoes.
'Cause people are just people,
People are just people,
People are just people like you.
People are just people,
People are just people,
People are just people like you."

The world is everlasting
It's coming and it's going
The world is everlasting
It's coming and it's going
It's coming and it's going

Getting back to life

So for those of you who don't have a Twitter/ don't follow me on it, I spent most of Friday in the ER.

Now, if you know me- you know I HATE going to the hospital/ doctor. But I had been having severe abdominal pain for 14+ hours, and when I was looking into it, everything said that was cause for going to the ER. So after hours of calling my friend Brian, I was off to urgent care/ ER in LaCrosse... They did some x-rays and blood tests, only to find everything was "normal".

I called shenanigans. I'm clearly NOT normal, as the pain is still here... Luckily it's improved since then. But it is still here. I'm supposed to have been eating rice, apples, bananas, and toast only. But I fail and have no self control... So that hasn't been happening. BUT from this day forth, I AM going to have a vegan diet. Because dairy is one thing my body cannot digest, among other things. Unfortunately, chronic digestive issues run in my family so I think I'll have to be seeing a gastrointestinal specialist in the near future to figure out what the hell is wrong with my body.

In the mean time, I must get back to enjoying life, as "normal" as it can be. What is normal anyway? Who knows. I'm attempting to get back on track and focus on school...despite the strong senioritis I have :P

The weather is getting better, so that's cool. Most people call it "spring". I call it "track weather" ;) Thanks to my papa and having track be a part of our lives since I was a wee tot. Hehe.

How is everyone else's lives? I'm sure I'll update with more detail soon. For now, I will leave you with some random pinterest photos, and a couple happy songs I've been listening to on repeat lately. :)

These make me dance :)


(Dad this would be great for some of your classes!!)

Yes.

 Love this woman and what she preaches.

This is great.

Mmhmm.

Happy Valentine's Day: Andrew ♥

Well, here we are! Valentine's Day... I've never really been one to celebrate it (besides getting dressed up and wearing red stuff). But it's kind of fun to be extra romantic and such for a day ;)

This year my valentine is 7 hours away from me and working for the big man. He sent me a cute homemade card and two homemade DVD's, so this post is my gift to him. If love and copious amounts of couples pictures make you want to vomit, you should probably stop reading now. :)

Happy Valentine's Day, my love!

[Disclaimer: VERY photo heavy!! ;)]
~~

Back in the beginning... We happened to both enjoy Ed's bar. [Shocking!]

We both happen to enjoy Nepali culture...and food!

I needed a second opinion [and a photobomber] when purchasing new glasses

We both enjoy Mexican food. And margaritas. ;)

We like to be weird.

We also like to be weird with other awesome couples.

We both love Matisyahu (and hate humidity).

We enjoy drives to downtown St. Paul, especially after huge storms, to listen to great music.

We like to cuddle and watch fireworks together.

We like pretending to ride bikes (that are actually bike racks).

We like dates by the river.

We like late night walks.

We like snuggling, relaxing, and watching tv.

We like coffee (from the French press especially!) in the morning.

But mostly... We just love each other, and like to enjoy the simple things in life. :)

"You got the love I need to see me through."

"All I know is I love you, and that's about all I can do."

Love,

Lisha

♥

Time Flies // Recently enjoyed things

Life! Ah! Where did you go!?

I can't believe it's already February, 2012. What the heck? I don't know where all the time went. It is just flying by me. I've been sick for the past few days and I've literally stayed at home the entire time (besides a trip to the store once). I've been itching to go back to work! And I feel like a terrible person for not having done anything productive. But I guess it's my body, and the universe's, way of saying HEYYYY. LIFE IS SHORT. SLOW THE HECK DOWN. I'm really bad at getting those messages usually. :/

People always told me "time goes by so much quicker as soon as you graduate from high school", and you really don't know how true this is until you're living it. I feel like so many things have just been a big blur... This isn't good. I want to be able to remember everything, and enjoy all the little things life has to offer.

Here are some simple things that make me happy lately :)

Legwarmers

[source]

Headwraps

Hot Tea

TV dates/ long phone calls with Andrew

Long talks with my mama

In depth talks about culture

Handmade winter gear made in Nepal

Fun accessories

French fries with friends

Late night chats with my best friend

Tattoos

Just to name a few :)

What are some things that made you happy today? Sometimes the littlest things make the biggest difference. Let's all try and remember to take deep breaths once in a while, and enjoy life a little more.

xo

PS-- It's Darwin's birthday today, February 12th! What a guy ;)

[source]

Graduation: The first step

Wow. So I just filled out my graduation application. It's kind of weird. It doesn't actually feel like I'll be graduating. Once upon a time, I had a plan for my life. I was going to graduate with a degree in Special Education, minor in Spanish, go on to teach, pay off my debt, get married, have a family maybe, settle down... You all know the drill.

Then I found out I wasn't going to be able to afford to finish my last two semesters of the Special Education program. There was no way around it, unless I just randomly came up with a couple grand to pay for it. Ha, like that'd be possible working at a food service job ~20 hours a week. I like to take things that life throws at me as a sort of...lesson. Or a guide. Like, if something's not going to work out, life will let me know in the most unexpected ways possible! Throughout the last bit of my classes, even before I knew I couldn't finish with that degree, in the SPED program, I started drifting from the idea of being a teacher. I didn't like the bureaucracy of the education system here in the US. I couldn't stand any of the people I would be working with. Oh, and I'm the polar opposite of a morning person. (So weird how most teachers are those people that just get up at 5am and be like, "Oh morning how I love thee! I'm going on a run before work!" All happy and dandy... Yea, NOT me. At all. I hate mornings.) So, once I found out I couldn't finish with the program, I started accepting the idea of doing something else with my life.

This sounds very simple and uncomplicated. But let me tell you, it was not. This last semester was extremely difficult for me. Literally my whole life, for 20 years, I had always dreamt that I would just be a teacher. And that was that. So having to change that idea, having to change my entire plan and goal in life because I couldn't afford the degree, that hurt. It was depressing. I felt like I my whole life and school career had been a waste. What had I been doing all 4 years here? Why is college so damn expensive? Why should I have to suffer and not fulfill my dreams like I planned because our country doesn't value higher education enough to lower tuition? What's the point of even finishing school now that I have no effing clue what to do? What is going to happen now?

Obviously, as I'm sure I've stated in previous posts, I changed my major to just Professional Studies BA, with a minor in Child Advocacy Studies and Spanish. Prof. Studies is basically nothing... It's meant for people who are going to get their Master's or Ph.D.

Sooo, my plan is to go to grad school and get my MA in Counseling. I was going to go right away after college, but I just don't feel comfortable yet. It doesn't seem like the right thing to do right now. I don't know EXACTLY what I want to do yet with my life. So going into Counseling is a good step, but what emphasis would I want? Now that I had to switch majors, there are so many unexplored things in the world that I haven't yet learned about. I've been so forced to just think on the education path of life, that's all I know. So now, do I want to work in a school still? Do I want to eventually go back and get a teaching degree? Do I just want to aid? Do I want to work in a hospital? A jail? WHO KNOWS.

The world is my oyster. Whatever that means, right? But man oh man, I am so scared. I've always had a plan. I've always thought I knew what would happen in my life. But at this point right now, I have no flippin' clue. I do know that I want to work with troubled teens. That is, after all, the main reason I went into Special Education in the first place. Other than that, nooo clue what's going to happen. No clue where I'll go. No clue if I want to "settle down" or just roam this beautiful Earth with a special someone... Life is crazy. We can't predict it. Although I wish I could, so much.

So I'm graduating. But honestly, I just feel like I haven't accomplished anything. What do I have to show for my 5 years of being here? A BA in Prof. Studies... Woo. I mean I know I should be more positive because many people don't get to graduate college. (You know a lot of people go to college for seven years. I know, they're called doctors. -- haha, I love Tommy Boy) But now all I have is entirely too much debt, and no idea as to how I'll pay it off before I'm dead. I wish I had gone to school part time all 5 years so I wouldn't have had to take out so many loans. It's just ridiculous how expensive college is! That's not okay! But that's a whole other tangent...

Anyway. That's my life. I don't know what's going to happen. And planning the future, as I've learned, just doesn't work out. So I gotta hang on and enjoy the rest of the ride...also known us undergraduate school. ;)

“Throw your dreams into space like a kite, and you do not know what it will bring back, a new life, a new friend, a new love, a new country.” -- Anaïs Nin

~

“All journeys have secret destinations of which the traveler is unaware.” – Martin Buber    

If only I could understand the words

Ho-kay so, I know my last post was about cultural things, but I am just obsessed with Hindi, Tamil, Asian songs (and everything) in general lately... There are a couple songs that my friend(s) introduced me to, and one of them even came on my Pandora station as well, and all I want is to be able to sing along to it!!! Unfortunately, I don't speak Hindi. Dang it. Although even though I can't understand the words, just listening to their voices and watching the music videos, I can feel what the song is about! And it doesn't hurt to have my friends translate them either ;)

I always admire how the majority of people from other countries around the world can speak multiple languages. Yet here in the United States, we're taught English and that's about it. How boring is that?! Ok, some schools teach Spanish too- which is an improvement. All of my friends from other countries, whether they're from Nepal, Sri Lanka, Germany, Spain...wherever it is, speak at least three languages. AT LEAST. Since there are people of so many different cultures and from neighboring countries, it's just a given that you learn many languages. I am always so fascinated by all my friends' abilities to speak so many languages... And I wish I had learned more than just Spanish growing up!

It's easier to learn, and become fluent, in a language when you start at a young age. I just don't get how after taking Spanish from kindergarten through college, I'm still not fluent. I was totally fluent when I was in Spain! Then I came back to the US... *sigh* and now it's gone. Probably doesn't help that I never practice... :/ oops.

Anyway, maybe someday I can become re-fluent in Spanish. And hopefully ASL too. And maybe Hindi. Or Nepali. ;) We'll see.

Until next time, I leave you with these two amazzzzzing songs. The first one is Hindi, the second is Arabic. I've literally been listening to them on repeat. My roomie Veranja says I'm turning Asian. ;) Thank you, V!

Zara Zara -- Bombay Jayshree


Enta Eih -- Nancy Ajram نانسى عجرم - إنت إيه


PS-- It's Frozen River week! Aaah!!! Freaking out. If you're in the Winona area, or up for a trip, you should come check it out! It's gonna be grand :)

Frozen River Film Festival site

Multicultural things make me happy :)

I work on campus in food service and due to my class schedule and such, I work on weekends only. All of my coworkers that work on weekends with me are from Southeast Asia. I love it. So much. I absolutely would not have it any other way. They are seriously some of the best people I have ever met. I can't even imagine my life without them! I already realized all this; but tonight on our walk back home, I just kind of looked at all of us... and smiled. We all had handmade hats from Nepal on, all bundled up, snow crunching underneath our feet.

Throughout the entire night, there are always many different conversations going on... Some between Sri Lankans, Chinese, Nepali, a mixture of the three... It's so great. Then of course, there is the large group of guys from the Middle East that usually hangs out where we work too! Actually, a majority of the time I don't understand any of the conversations going on! Surprisingly, I enjoy it. In fact, I love it. It fascinates me how we can all come together and bond, even coming from such different backgrounds.

Here are our Nepali loves... (My friends Amanda and Katie as well!)

So many Americans avoid new things, new cultures, new people. Or they want to stay to themselves; stick to "their own kind". When a lot of international students came here at first, they said they didn't feel welcomed by the American students. They said it was quite the opposite of being welcomed, and many people simply ignored them or looked down upon them. This saddens me deeply. I'm glad I'm not like the "norm" of these unwelcoming people. I LOVE hearing about their religions, their homes, schools, weather, land, friends, families, food (ooo especially food!! ;) hehe!!), and recently-- MUSIC.

I'm addicted to it. After the song Why This Kolaveri Di was introduced to me, I totally fell in love. I searched Pandora and found Bollywood and Tamil radio stations...and let me tell you, it was the best thing I've done in a long time! No joke. This is all I listen to now. It makes me dance happily, even though I don't understand anything they're saying! The dancing done to most of this music is just as beautiful as the songs! English music is so boring now ;P

Anyway, these people I've met and grown very close to have opened my eyes to so many things. They inspire me! I love them all so much...and I tell them often ;)

One of my friends is selling some handmade items from Nepal on campus... I currently have a hat, mittens, coin purse, and over the shoulder purse from there. They're sooo wonderful, and original. Plus, it's from Nepal and handmade. How could it not be perfect?!

Now for your listening pleasure, here are a couple songs you should listen to. Just imagine me dancing around my kitchen and my room to music like THIS. You'll want to join, I'm sure! :D

Why This Kolaveri Di -- Anirudh,Dhanush,Shruti Hassan, Aishwarya and Sound Engineer Sivakumar



Autograph Tamil songs -- Ovvoru pookalume



"Maiya Yashoda" from Hum Saath Saath Hain



PS-- Notice the nose piercing in the third video... This is a very common thing for women as it symbolizes womanhood and fertility. Which is awesome, because that's why I love mine even more! Especially since it's on the left side! :)