Dogs VS. Cats

Do you own any pets? I do. I own a Shih tzu (dog) that is nearly two years old and a Siamese (cat) that is four years old. Majority of people in our country own some sort of pet, and the most popular pets to own are dogs and cats. My mother being a pet groomer, I had many experiences with cats and dogs. Have you ever wanted to own a cat or dog? Hopefully this blog can help you choose.

If you don't even have a lot of free time for yourself I wouldn't recommend you owning a dog. Dogs need to be brushed, walked, and cared for on a regular schedule. Cats, on the other hand are very dependable and don't need much attention. Also, cats take care of their personal hygiene themselves. So for a busy person, having a cat can save time.

For affectionate, loyalty, and protection, a dog is the choice. After dogs have their training, they do exactly what they are told to do. On the other hand, cats can be very stubborn. Cats will not question authority. It seems like they do whatever they want. Well, atleast my cat does. Whenever I come home from a long day at work or school, my dog greets me by wagging his tail along with jumping. My cat on the otherhand, is usually lying on the floor, glaring at me.

All in all, choosing either a car or dog, the pet owner must decide how much effort he or she wants to put forth. If a loyal, loving, and trustworthy companion is desired, the dog is a good choice. If, quiet and low maintenance pet is more important, a cat is a better choice.

How I Deal With Stress

Being a student can give you high levels of stress. With all of the activities and responsibilities that fill a student’s schedule, it may be difficult to find the time to try new stress relievers to help relieve that stress. I'm a student myself and it's hard to be optimistic and cheerful everyday. But don't fear! There are three easy tips that can help you along the way. First, you have to eat right. Depending on how and what you eat deals alot on how you do your daily activities. So, it'll be easier if you plan ahead. Go grocery shopping once a week, and plan the week’s meals when you do it. That way, it can save time and you'll already know what you'll have to eat! Second, a convenient way to dissipate stess is listening to music. For me, music calms me down. Listening to classical music can help me while studying. When I'm sleepy, I play upbeat music to ‘wake up’ mentally. There are some "researchers" that claim that classical music helps you to compartmentalize information. Third, daily exercise is one of the healthiest ways to blow off steam . From my experience, exercise has surely made me think more positive and focused. About.com claims,"Exercise can decrease ‘stress hormones' like cortisol, and increase endorphins, your body's ‘feel-good’ chemicals, giving your mood a natural boost. " Overall, making a daily plan that includes these three can do a lot to improve a student that is dealing with stress. I hope you can squeeze these three tips into your life for a everyday better, stress free life. It sure has helped me and I guarantee that it'll do the same for you!

Rest In Peace

Today, one of my favorite korean celebrities commited suicide. His name is Park Yong Ha. He was an exeptional actor and singer. It is a shame to see him leave this world at a young age of 32. Celebrity suicide rates in Korea has risen over the years. Not just him, but 4 celebrities commited suicide last least year, alone. From this, you can configure that fame and fortune can't buy happiness. Chinadaily says,"South Korea's suicide rate has more than doubled in the past decade, from 11.8 per 100,000 people in 1995 to 26.1 per 100,000 in 2005, and on average 38 people a day take their own lives, official records show." I think a lot of the reason why people end up committing suicide in Korea is because depression, eating disorders, and things like that, aren't broadly categorized among the public as issues requiring specialized attention. As a result, there isn't much public sympathy or support to be expected in such situations. Also, "face" is a big thing, so when you have people saying vile things about you on the internet and you have no way of fighting back, I'm sure it begins to take its toll. There are a lot of things about fame that American celebrities just assume they'll have to put up with, but which Korean celebrities find unendurable for a variety of cultural reasons. I hope one day that Korea will build a better system that will help the people who are seeking help. For Yong Ha, he thought death would bring happiness and no matter if this was a right or wrong decision may he rest in peace. And may the legend of Park Yong Ha stay in our hearts forever.

Diets. Do they really work?

Diets are only a temporary solution to losing weight. I confess. I am one of those people who tried a variety of diets. I've tried no carbs diet, starving, diet pills, and much more. But in the end, they never work out. In order for us to lose weight, we have to eat healthier. By eating healthier, I lost a total of 20 pounds in 2 years. Healthy eating is the key to a healthy body. Anyone can start seeing a difference in their body when they are eating healthier. Before, I ate fastfood meals twice a week, had midnight snacks, and drank highly sugared beverages. Now, I eat a lot of whole foods. When I go out to eat, I would replace the french fries with a baked potato. I also started to drink only water and green tea. The addictives, perservatives, and coloring in food that are put in processed foods can make you sick and gain a whole lot of weight. My health teacher told me, "The digestive system rejects unnatural foods because they are toxic to the body. These toxins show up as fat in the body. And these toxins will keep building up, unless you do something about it." Remember, you are what you eat. Would you rather be the banana or the muffin?

Frozen Yogurt VS. Ice Cream

"We scream for ice cream!" That's what everyone used to say on a hot sizzling day. It has been sunny these days and that can make a person easily irritated. But I know where I can count on to make my frown into a smile. "Yogur-lee-hee," is a frozen yogurt shop. Not only do they sell frozen yogurt, but they also sell delicious bubble tea and smoothies. “Coldstone,” which is an ice cream shop is their next door neighbor. These two can be competition but lately I have seen more and more customers lined up in Yogur-lee-hee. Here are some examples why I believe that is so. According to wise geek, "yogurt contains enzymes that assist in breaking down dairy, allowing many people with lactose intolerance to ingest yogurt and frozen yogurt with little or no ill effects. Yogurt also tends to have high levels of protein and many important minerals." To be honest, I don't have my required amount of Vitamin D every day. But I found that frozen yogurt has a excellent source of calcium! For adult women and the elderly, an 8 oz. serving of low calorie non-fat yogurt provides nearly half the daily calcium needed. All this for as little as 160 calories! Coldstone's 8 oz. Amaretto ice cream has 530 calories! Now, which would you prefer? Moreover, the amount of lactose present in frozen yogurt is more digestible as compared to the lactose present in ice creams. I have a lactose and tolerant friend who couldn't enjoy frozen dairy products, like ice cream. But after I told took her to Yogur-lee-hee, she can enjoy her treat with a happy stomach.

Speeding

Ever had the urge to drive over the speed limit? Even by a little or maybe a bit too much? Come on, we all done it before. But have you ever thought about the consequences? In my case, I did. I already knew when to slow down when I see a cop behind or beside me. I knew that I will get a speeding ticket if I ever got caught. Unfortunately, I got one three months ago. It was a sunny day and I was in the mood for some frozen yogurt. The closest frozen yogurt shop was 25 minutes away from my house. As I was driving on the quiet suburban road, I was losing my patience. The speed limit was posted as 45 mph but I decided to go 60 mph. There were barely cars out, so I didn't expect cops to be out there. Well, all fool me. There was a cop following behind me with his "blinking lights" on. As I parked, I remember feeling scared and nervous while I waited for the cop to hand me my ticket. My court date was a month after my incident. Since I was under 21 years old, it was mandatory for me to bring my parent. Unlike others who just came to pay the fine and leave. Court was three dreadful hours long. When It was my turn to be called up front, the judge told me that since it was my first time he would let me go. But I had to take a six hour Defensive Driving course. I also had to pay a fine that was $178.25. I had to come back to court a month later to show them proof that I completed my course and to pay the fine that day. As we drive, we become rebellious and we don't realize how fast we are going. From now on, I'm more alert than ever. Because I would never want to go to that awful process again. Drive safely!

Being the oldest

I'm the oldest out of four siblings. I have two younger brothers and one younger sister. Only one sibling is related to me and he is the second oldest. He attends high school with my step sister. Lastly, my step brother who is still in elemantary school. Having a big family has it's good sides, but being the oldest, there's always disadvantages. The advantages of being the oldest out of the bunch, is that you will never get "bored." There is always some kind of action going around the house. On a average day you can hear the television playing cartoons, annoyed teenagers yelling at each other from across the room, everyone crying out what they want for dinner time. ( And why can't they agree on one thing? ) But those are what makes my days interesting. I'm also a mentor. My younger sister asks me for advice. For instance, boyfriends, school, and shopping. Since I'm a step ahead of her in life, she can always trust me to give her help. Then there are some disadvantages. I'm thankful that my parents respect me but sometimes it can be a burden. Being the oldest, my parents give me a lot of chores. For example, driving my brother and sister to school, and the youngest to karate class while keeping up with my daily activities. It's hard to be isolated at home, where I can think for myself. Overall, being the oldest has many benefits. It's always nice having the bigger room, the better and newest car, and not having to worry about hand-me-downs. I don't think I'll take my position down as being the oldest anytime soon. :-p