Memories

I remember when I was little, I absolutely looooved RCPs (random chinese parties). Every time my parents had one of those, I would rush to finish my homework so I could tag along, and my parents would try to get me to stay home. Sometime a few years ago though, RCPs suddenly lost their magic. I stopped going even if my parents really wanted me to go. If I did, I went for the food only. I heard my parents complain a few times that since I got older, I stopped wanting to spend time with them. At the time, I thought they were being silly because I didn’t even hang around them at RCPs, just with the kids. Now that I think about it though, there’s still the car ride, and they probably like making appearances at peoples’ houses as a whole family. Last Saturday my parents asked me if I wanted to go to an RCP, and I said sure. I guess I would have been bored at home anyways. This summer I’ve been people-starved. Haven’t seen many faces….to the point that seeing even one familiar face makes me incredibly happy. =)

So what happened…I spent some time playing around with Corey. I really love that kid. So I was sitting there last Saturday telling him this story about how he was scared of vacuum cleaner when he was two and he’d run to me and go "狗狗来了!" and literally climb up me. I’d hold him normally and he’d keep climbing too. I guess he was afraid that his legs were dangling still. So the now almost-nine-year-old Corey hears this story and goes, "Yea I remember that. If I was smarter, I would have pulled out the cord." bahahahaa! So cute!

Later we were all eating dinner and Corey was sprawled on this little bench so I went over and sat on him. He was a perfect whoopie cushion. So I acted all shocked and indignant and asked him why he farted on me and he goes, "I only farted cause you sat on me." roflll.

Then after dinner, we were all bumming around and Corey says to Victoria, "Are you ticklish Victoria?" and of course Vic says no. Corey decides to test her out by scratching her leg so I told him "Hey Corey, she’s not ticklish there. She’s ticklish under her armpits." Corey looks at Vic and she immediately goes, "uhh no Corey. You do NOT want to touch my armpits, they’re really nasty." So later, I tickled Corey (I know, I torture him too much =/) and he goes "Ok stop. heheehe. I’ll do anything hehehehe." I stop and he gets up and says "Well there’s one thing I will not do." Me: "yea?" Corey: "I will not tickle Victoria’s armpits. She says they’re nasty." ROFL.

How can you not love little kids? Seriously.

Reminds me of Alex. Yesterday I was on the phone with Leo at H-mart and I saw my parents walking back so I was like "Hey Leo, I gotta go. Talk to you later." (They weren’t too happy that I used 2000 minutes in the last calling period…I still don’t believe I did…) So my parents get in the car and two seconds later, I get a call from Leo’s cell. So I’m kind of confused cause I just told him I had to go. I picked up the phone and it was Alex’s cute little voice. Me: "Hey Alex. What’s up?" Alex: "umm, did you still want to talk to Leo?" Me: "haha, did Leo tell you to call me?" Alex: "Yea. He said something like he has to give the phone to his mom cause her friend called and blahblahblah" Me: "ok, sure." Alex: "Ok let me get Leo." Leo comes back and I asked him "hey, why did you tell Alex to call me?" Leo: "uhhhh, I didn’t tell him to do anyhting…I didn’t talk to him at all. I didn’t even look at him." Then I hear Alex yelling in the background really indignantly "Yea you did! Yea you did! You did Leooo, You didddddd!!! You told me to call her!" …….and I died laughing. We still can’t figure out if Alex was hearing things or if he was just wanted to call me but was embarrassed. XD.

Anyhow, I need to go help my mom cook now. I’ll write more later.

Dear Friends,

It is the summer before we all go to college and strangely, the summer I’ve been least excited about. I remember planning ages ago for this summer–traveling in Europe, shopping in China, vacations to the beach with just friends/no parents, finding a fun internship that pays, getting ready for college life–but none of this seems to be in sight. For the past month (since graduation), I have wasted away at the office and at home into an irritable and resigned old lady. I have not seen a single one of you =(…I miss seeing people in general, actually. But it is not my place to complain, and I don’t want my first post here to be complaining either. I know I am lucky, luckier than many. I am aware that everything I am doing, all the office work, cooking, cleaning, housework, taking care of my mom (for those of you who don’t know, she just had a small surgery), etc, I should be proud of doing for my parents. Because they have put up with so much over the years (Believe me, I was not the easiest kid to bring up…hard to believe, huh? =P) Still, I can’t help but feel a tad stifled and cooped up…this summer has been let down after letdown. Actually, some of this disappointment is self-inflicted self-disappointment, but we don’t have to get into that.

So, in the meantime, I’m going to start keeping up with this blog. My old xanga is still going to be there with the childhood part of my life (until xanga completely dies out of existence) though. I have some pretty embarrassing posts on that thing but I’m going to keep it regardless because as much as I want to deny some things, I really can’t. My past is my past. Can you believe I used to type "iz" for "is"?? Anyhow, I think it’d be interesting reading everything in another 5 or 10 years and seeing how much I’ve changed over the years. This blog is like a fresh start. I’m writing it for my own sentimental purposes, but I guess I can try to keep it somewhat interesting for the sake of you readers, if you even exist. My apologies if I fail.

Continuing…

In these times where I find myself a little less happy than usual, the thing that always cheers me up is a picture. Old pictures in particular. Looking back and reliving happy times almost always makes me smile. I know, I know, I actually sound like an old lady now. But anyways, I’ll share a few in particular that caught my eye tonight. Actually…more than a few. In case I haven’t made it clear already, I really love pictures. For their ability to preserve memories and capture time. Lets start from a long long time ago…..

5 months old–Dad always knew how to make me smile =)

7 years old– I miss my grandpa’s toothless grin. I miss that garden we used to have too.

My grandma and baby Corey. Does anyone else remember how cute Corey was as a baby? Vic?

Lilburn Daze. Such happy times.

My grandma in her wheelchair. At the time, I remember laughing at how comic she was, making surprised noises, being pushed up that hill full speed by my uncle, legs danging. When I look back at this picture though, she looks so frail, so old. I love her and miss her too.

My parents. I love seeing them like this. It’s rare to see them so relaxed and goofy because our lives are always so stressful.

NSLC. Beautiful 10 days of my life.

How can I pass up and opportunity to show off my extreme ownage skills while humiliating David Zhang at the same time?

And again. Although you look helpless and defenseless here, Amanda, you don’t have me fooled. You throw snowballs like a man and the ones you pegged me in the face with really hurt. 我记仇. Haha, jp. I love you.

Victoria, do you remember this? Washing your feet in some random room in the Cafeteria during homecoming and having the teacher walk in on you………hahahaha, priceless.

Kristy, I love you. That’s all I have to say.

Hey, why are my friends so weird?

Mary, thanks for taking this awesome pic of me. I look thoroughly Korean and retarded.

My mom cracks me up. Here she is in the 15 degree weather sleeping bag she got for our hiking in the mountains in China trip that we never went on….

Hey, senior prom was fun. Best prom I could have wished for.

My two favorite boys. They always know how to make me smile. =)

Revisiting memories brings me back to graduation. Here’s me and Kristy’s last reunion at the big orange jungle…I know…touching, isn’t it? We were supposed to have an empty stadium for a backdrop but (that looks like little Andrew McDowell) that kid got in the way. =(

Regardless of how sad I am about the past slipping away though, there is always the future to look forward to.

<3Maylene

p.s. Many thanks to David Zhang for helping me set up this blog. Despite how much I hate him, he’s still a good person after all. =P