I cried during Beauty and the Beast.

Yes, instead of hanging out with friends on a Saturday night, I settled myself in my living room and watched the timeless Disney classic. It's been 10 years since my last viewing of the movie, and well... yeah. It's still a good, good movie. I cried (had tears) when the Beast said he had to let Belle go because he loved her and at the end when he "dies" and Belle starts to cry... wow, I didn't think I still got this emotional at Disney movies, but nothing's changed. ^_^' Gah, I'm such a social loser.

Aaaaand...
1) I need a new layout
2) I need to convert to wordpress XD
3) I need a new cam picture
4) I need to study...

Much love.

You know what? Life sucks.

Well, well. Where's the motivation? Come every Sunday, when all these tests, quizzes, assignments, and projects are around the corner, I never, ever feel like doing anything productive anymore.

That's my problem - everytime I embark on a journey (be it school, flute, learning a new language, whatever), I always become lackadaisical and lose my motivation about 2/3s of the way there, if I'm lucky. I'm a great starter-upper, but a lot of times, I don't finish. Now, I think, WOW, only one and half more year, but I'm already losing steam ... =\ and of course, there's a direct correlation of how much I study/work/practice to how well I turn out. Put in little to no work, and the results are... crap.

Okay, I need to shut up and get back to studying. ^_^

Oh, Adam - if you're Oriental (heck, Asian) ... if you even think of becoming an English professor, forget having your name on the will ... (aka disinherited) :) They just have this mentality that anything but business, law, enginnering, and med. = failure in the eyes of the Oriental society =D well, I sometimes disagree, but ... we'll see.

I visited GA Tech today. :)

Dani an engineer...if not business or a doctor, that's what I'll be. Good, but kind of sad that our choice of careers are limited to those three, if you're an Oriental.

I'll blog more later - just letting you guys know I'm still alive. :)

The Dante's Inferno Test has sent you to the First Level of Hell - Limbo!
Here is how you matched up against all the levels:

Level	Score
Purgatory (Repenting Believers)	High
Level 1 - Limbo (Virtuous Non-Believers)	Very High
Level 2 (Lustful)	Very Low
Level 3 (Gluttonous)	Low
Level 4 (Prodigal and Avaricious)	Low
Level 5 (Wrathful and Gloomy)	Low
Level 6 - The City of Dis (Heretics)	Very Low
Level 7 (Violent)	Low
Level 8- the Malebolge (Fraudulent, Malicious, Panderers)	Moderate
Level 9 - Cocytus (Treacherous)	Very Low

Take the Dante's Inferno Test

I need to read Dante. I remember one time, I had to buy a copy of it for Mike F... haha Mike, do you remember?

Lately, I've been contemplating a lot about people, relationships, what I want in life, what's important in life, religion, school, growing up, etc. I don't think I've come to a conclusion, and I probably don't expect to have some until I grow older. I mean, I'm only 17, and I'm still "learning" (theoretically) everyday with life's lessons. You know, the times when Life itself smacks in you in the face and leaves you smarting in the face for days :\ I don't really know what it takes for me to be happy. I hope I don't turn out to be some selfish b***** in my growing experience, and I definitely hope I don't turn out to be an Edna Pontellier. Maybe I need to stop dwelling in the past. Some of these doors were left open, and I just can't seem to close them. No matter how hard I try, I often find myself gravitating toward what could have been and not focusing on what is. Dangerous to be living in the past.

Peanut butter is good.

All right, it's about 9:20 pm Saturday night, and what is Dani doing?

Obviously not partying because she's online...writing a blog entry. Great, I need a life, right? :)

These past couple of days have been busy with band. Thursday night - Saturday afternoon, my hours were dedicated to flute. District honor band took place, and stroke of luck (or two), I ended up second chair (again) ... next to Sara N. (which was expected) Anyway, I say it was luck because I was originally 4th, but due to people not being in the band for certain reasons, I got moved up :D (happy) We had UGA's band director as our conductor, whoohoo... what a crazy man.

We played three pieces:

1. Noisy Wheels of Joy by Eric Whitacre (I HATE most contemporary music ... :O they make no sense!!)
2. La Procession Du Rocio (a looong two movement piece) by Joaquin Turina
3. Foshay Tower Washington Memorial March by John Phillip Sousa (I played this at Janfest last year!!)

With the exception of the first piece (who would have thought I could despise a piece so much? IT was so dumb, elementary, and just plain annoying), I liked our music, and I even got to play piccolo on the second piece :D :D :D yay, although I suck at tuning that thing ... so yea, it was an eventful three days, and to make a long story short. I saw all of my old middle school friends (tear tear tear ... I wonder how life would have turned out if I actually went to the same high school as them. That wondering is still there, lurking in the back of my mind, somehow.) and some old adult friends/teachers (my middle school teacher who still remembers his first awesome 8th grade flute section at RMS ;D ahh, don't you miss 8th grade) ... :D

Content.

Oh, I might be on my way to be a model... IF this whole thing isn't a scam (I need to do my research on this). The other day, my mom took my sister and I to this casting call with an evaluation... well, it was free, and hey, I had some time on Tuesday night. I stood in front of a camera for about 30 seconds and said my name, my age, and what I wanted to do after high school. I didn't think this would happen because my sister is a lot more of the model-type than I am, but I heard back from them today via letter, and they want my parents to come back for me next next Sunday ... wow, was I amazed (actually, I was amazed that they didn't ask for my sister - now if you don't know my sister, she's the beauty of the family). I don't know how big the chances of me going to Hollywood (or whatever ... I'm guessing the small things like those commercials on TV) are, but if I did ... I, Dani, the super nerd, model for something (even a 30 second commercial) - now who would have thought. But, this could be a scam (you know how America is), and I think I'd want to finish my education...

Valentine's Day is on Monday. <3

Hey guys and gals,

I'm stressed out at the moment ... just when I thought I could relax, noooo, more work is dumped onto my shoulders, and I can't carry it much longer. I hope I don't die early due to some stress-related disease/cancer.

Thanks for your notes, guys ... LOL, my birthday is December 13 (hence the "wait awhile"), but I appreciate the notes. :) Come back to me in 10 months.

Being in love is a totally new experience worth checking out... but I just wish that I had more time for love.

Happy Chinese New Year (tomorrow) !! Year of the Rooster!! Jing ji bao shi! Wear red.

Whoohoo, Valentine's Day on the Fourteenth. I know this is cliché, but ... how time flies. It's already the second month of the year 2005, and what have I accomplished this January? Not a lot. Oh well. There are 11 months to go ...

Eyeopener: I will ... be ... 18 ... this year ... :O :O :O (but not for a good while). When the time is near, I'll be sure to remind you guys. ;) It's so weird because I'm still thinking that I'm 15, and all of my friends are 16-18 (or so) , but now, I have painfully realized that they're hittin' the early twenties already. :\ Sooner or later, I'll be 20 myself. That year has always seem oceans away, but now, I'm already seeing the shoreline inching up (if that makes sense).

Anyway. Back to Valentine's Day. For the most part, I was apathetic about the special loving holiday, but surprisingly, this year, I actually have a reason to care about this rose-and-chocolate-celebrating holiday.

I'm cold. It's about 40 degrees outside ... and considering how ghetto my house is, it's about 40 degrees in this house, too. XD

Word from dictionary.com: perfunctory \pur-FUNGK-tuh-ree\, adjective: 1. Done merely to carry out a duty; performed mechanically or
routinely. 2. Lacking interest, care, or enthusiasm; indifferent.

These past couple of weeks have been yet another bump or two on the road of life. I feel like some mad scientist in an AP Chem. lab threw my little self into a giant centrifuge, shook me around until I was totally discombobulated, and thrown back onto the petri dish. My head still hurts, and I need to gather myself together.

In AP Lit, we are studying Kate Chopin's The Awakening. As much as we (my friend and I) dislike that selfish "whore," Edna Pontellier, I can see why she loves to delve in the dream world. Not living up to life's expectations and not facing the dreariness, often perfunctory actions of everyday life are appealing and fun, but escapes from reality are only temporarily. That's the message I need to tell myself. I need to stop wandering around (both physically and mentally) and get to work. Sorry, Edna.

The other day, I watched Napoleon Dynamite ... the movie only got big after it was released on DVD, did anyone notice that? Well, anyway. I hear mixed reviews about this ... gem of a movie. Hmm. Well, the producers purposely made it so there was no plot, and although in the scope of things, it was hilariously stupid (or stupidly hilarious), but during the actual watching of the movie, the no-plot deal annoyed me. For some reason, I didn't appreciate the movie until after I saw it. Maybe it was because I escaped from the suffocating stupidity of the movie. But that is what makes the movie so loved, right? Hmm. "GOSH!" and "YESSSS!"

Okay, take care. God bless you.

I'm so tired.

Tired, tired, tired.

I went to a math tournament today. I was placed on Varsity team 2 with... another guy and two freshmen (that's right) - poor kids, they must have been frightened! Anyway, considering how "incompetent" we were... I ended up placing 14th (woot, which is not too bad) and my team ended up 5th overall. (Maybe the other people were just as bad, but I don't know. This is varsity...) So yes, that's how my Saturday went. :) Congrats to Peter, the smart Chinese kid who's a whiz at math... :D

Grrr. I'm so fed up with life.

I have developed (or aggravated) my insanely bad habit of logging on every thirty (or five...) minutes or so and checking out my blog, other people's blogs, my Xanga, and/or other people's Xangas. I NEED TO STOP CHECKING UP ON PEOPLE EVERY 5 MINUTES. Those minutes add up... like, as of right now, I should be studying, but no, that's not happening. Am I developing ADD? It's getting harder and harder for me to sit down for extended periods of time and concentrate. That "inner free spirit" is calling out to me. I've been so restless for the past couple of weeks, and I don't know how to ameliorate it.

I want to see you again.

Exercising really does wonders for the soul, body, and mind. :D I just finished jogging and jumping around for thirty minutes. Although I look awful now, with my sweat-soaked hair, I feel ... great! :D I feel stronger already, and it's a relief that I think I burned off most, if not all, of that apple pie (my latest attachment) ... Mmm ... I want one of those machines (to be invented? If there isn't such thing already) that tell you how many calories you put in your mouth and how many calories you burn via walking/breathing/exercising, whatever. :D I haven't truly exercised in awhile, and my body loves to collect fat (it won't let go!!), so I'm trying my best to curb it. Don't get me wrong; I'm not some skinny girl who complains about how fat she is. I just want to look better, feel better, lose some stubborn fat (thighs, anyone?) and be able to fit into my jeans more. :D I have a naturally curvaceous figure, so uh, there's no way I can be a stick ;)

This week has been really slow. I'm not kidding. Usually, I say to myself, "Wow, it's already Friday?" This week? I thought it was Friday two days ago. Yech.

One month until Valentine's Day... *insert heart here* This year, I actually have something to look forward to, eh? More chocolate, hooray.

I miss hanging out with certain friends, certain people. Sometimes, I/we drift apart, but the friendship never really dies ... I wish I was better at this. Friendship should be a class in itself. Hmmm... Guess how many people would fail it?

I'm going to go shower. Love you all.

Okay, I need to be better about updating.

I tried out for All-State on Saturday. Thought everything was going beautifully... until the actual audition, of course. I don't know, do I sound conceited about this? I mean, ever since 7th grade (that's about 5 years ago...) all I've ever wanted to do was make it at least once before I leave high school. Is that so much to ask? Hmm. People say I set my expectations wayyyyy too high and I need to stop beating myself up. Well, how would you like it if you put in hours and hours of practice into whatever you were doing only to mess up at the last second... when after reflecting and giving it much thought, you realize that the outcome really could have been so much different if you had done X instead of Y ... *sigh* Okay, Dani, it's not the end of the world, I know, I know. It just PAINS me so much to see my efforts go down the drain when I know I could have done a lot better.

In other news...ever have someone you really, truly care about but ... unfortunately, you never see him/her regularly? Ahhhh.

This month has been REALLY slow in passing. I could have sworn I was in school for three weeks already, but nooo... it's only been one. I need to be more patient, but somehow, there's this freedom-craving, feral spirit that has been set loose within myself, and I don't know how to tame it. I'm waiting for something (good!!!!) to happen... but what? Ach, I think I'm just sick of school. The same ol', same ol' gets a little, well, old. Or maybe I'm just a spontaneous person.

Off to do some homework. I need to visit some blogs! ... ^_^

I'm still alive... :) Don't worry.

Happy 2005! I hope everyone had a good Christmas break and a happy New Year. I know I did... :) This has been one of the best, if not the best, holidays breaks I've ever had. I want to thank that one special person who made it so.

Sigh, back to school is never a fun time. I'm so overwhelmed once again. Too many lessons, quizzes, and tests! My eyes are always so bleary in the morning - blah.

Take care :)

It's funny how life can change so much in as little as one year. As I say goodbye to 2004 today, all these memories, good and bad, play like a slideshow in the inner crevices of my mind. I've done and said a lot of stupid things, but there are moments when I have shined... always take the time to reflect what you have done this past year (or day, or week, or even hour), and see if you've learned anything. Like me, I'm sure you have.

Happy 2005.

...I have a secret...I've grown so fond of you....

Hi everyone... :)

Ugh, today I got home, and I was so ravenous! Mmm, ice cream cake is good... so are Honey Nut Cheerios XD Gah, I'm so retarded.

Hi all! I hope everyone had a merry Christmas... and next up: Happy New Year 2005 =)

I spent the past week in Orlando, FL. Tiff (my cool sister) and I rode all these cool roller coasters at Universal... I think I must have screamed enough to last a lifetime (and felt my stomach flip about 10x) ... what an experience! We rode Dueling Dragons, this ride where your feet dangle and you go all over the place, three times... and of course, we braved the Hulk ride. "AHHHHH I'M SCARED." We pigged out on cinnamon churros (yum! but expensive), and we discovered the wonders of the restaurant known as Steak and Shake (yum...I had a huge white chocolate milkshake) ... yes, holidays are the time for good eating :) I hope I didn't gain any weight ._. I don't need it...

I got a red sweater, a red shirt from Tommy Hilfiger, a Disney shirt, and a blue shirt (yes, my yearly purchase of clothing, lol... okay, fine, quarterly) :)

So she said what's the problem baby
What's the problem
I don't know
Well maybe I'm in love
Think about it every timeI think about it
Can't stop thinking 'bout it
How much longer will it take to cure this
Just to cure it cause I can't ignore it if it's love
Makes me wanna turn around and face me but I don't know nothing 'bout love
-Counting Crows "Accidentally in Love"

I went to McDonald's with my friend Zee today. Although we ate, we still had this strange craving for more food... so guess what, we purchased more food! Although if you look at the big picture, I didn't have THAT MUCH, but when I got home, I felt so sick... so I had to take a walk to walk off all that loving McDonald's food. I spent an hour contemplating the mysteries of life while my face became wizened and dry due to the cold. It doesn't feel like Christmas yet!

And I don't feel 17 yet.

(My birthday was Monday.)

Well, I'm trying to convert the pages on my site to PHP (because the popups get a little annoying, I think), so excuse the dust and shambles of my pages. But not like anyone comes here, right? ;D

However long I stay
I will always love you
Whatever words I say
I will always love you

-311 "Love Song"

Today, I went to try out for District Band, whoohoo. Unlike the past four years, I went out of the judge room rather confidently. I do believe that out of the last four years, I've stormed out of the room crying and/or complaining about what a horrible flute player I am. The two male judges (that's a first!) were very nice and complimentary of me albeit my cold (achoo!) and my random "blah" notes. Do re mi fa so la si *BLAH* :) I hope I got a decent chair...

We also toured around the Walmart, the place where life centers around in the city I went to audition. That's weird how if a Walmart sits in the middle of nowhere, a town builds around it! A rather scary monopoly... I wonder if Toys R Us and all those retail stores out there will eventually go bankrupt due to Walmart's low prices and its variety of merchandise. Yeesh. I'm not one of those people who can go to Walmart at 3AM for no reason... at least, I don't think. I'm not allowed to be outside of the house past 12AM anyway (city curfew) :)

I worked on Christmas presents and cards. Giving out stuff is so hard, especially with lack of time/money. I took precious time out of studying ... yes, shut up, I do need to study for stuff. I'm really worried about this AP Chem test on Monday because these last couple of days have been rather hazy for me. I've been so sleepy and annoyed with school! Haven't you?

Aww, I'm always missing someone...

Quick entry before I have to depart to the wonderful, exuberant world of studying. I'm a permanent denizen of that world now.

Saturday, I took the SAT - I don't think I did that well, so please don't inquire of my score when the scores come out December 15th... But to go to more happier subjects, I went to Shivani's sweet 16th birthday that evening. She invited the whole brown town (hehe) and of course, us Chinese people (in other words, everyone). Chinatown was reunited :) I miss Melissa so much (our fellow member who turned "traitor" but against her will) ... it was nice hanging out with close friends and getting to know some certain people better. Of course, the alternative to a hot, stuffy house with way too many people is hanging out in the bitter cold!

It's amazing what a dearth of nice, considerate people we have in this world. I recently discovered one of these endangered peoples on Saturday (or merely reinforced my idea of him, anyway). WOW, Dina and I are left impressed by the amazing decency of this one guy. He's the guy that opens doors, that offers his seat when there's nowhere else to sit, that offers the jacket, that follows us in the face of danger, and so on and so forth...not just in one instance, but repeatedly, too! I'm left impressed and with my eyebrow raised in a bemused manner.

I'm trying to read A Beautiful Mind by Sylvia Nasar again. I read it awhile back, but I don't have a great recollection of the book. A mesmerizing movie though. I think I cried when I watched it about 2-3 years ago?

I'm sitting here studying vocabulary now... great, great. Gotta love school. I like how if one goes to school until s/he is about 30 years old (graduate school, etc), that's about 1/3 of their life spent in education. The sacrifices we make to have a good life...I wonder if I can stick with school that long when even now, I'm so sick of it... All right, Danielle, hang in there.

IT'S THE FIRST OF DECEMBER! 12/01/04 and also, my birthday is coming up soon! Can you believe it? This year has gone by rather quickly, but with the exception of last month, I can't really say it was my best year... :( I've had better. What a tumultuous, crazy ride life is. Oh well, like the phrase goes, there's always next year, har har... 2005! I can't wait until 2006.

I love McDonald's yogurt parfaits. :)

And Publix = OVERPRICED >:O I bought three tomatoes for $5.03 today... I was wondering why my overall cost for all of my goods was so expensive. Geez.