Memories

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