Flashbacks to a Little Kid

As I came home this weekend to hang out with friends, we planned to see a movie. We quickly decided on Toy Story 3. When I went to the theater (much emptier than I expected), the few seats that had people were either filled with young ones and grandparents. Immediately, I thought what will this movie be like for them? I guess the best comparison I can think of immediately is the current Star Trek movie. Those who've watched the old movies receive a nice nod, but those who have never watched Toy Story still enjoy a good movie. Anyway back to the movie, I really enjoyed it.


Firstly, the Pixar short in the beginning (Day and Night or something like that) was really good. I got a good chuckle in there. Without ruining the short, it was a very classical Pixar short. I think it's actually one of the best ones I remember.


For Toy Story, I think the movie was a hit, at least for me. It touched on some good themes (a few similar to previous movies). Loyalty, moving out of childhood; these are all things that we as people face, have faced or will face. What makes any relationship, whether friendship, dating, family even colleagues, work is a reliance on loyalty and selflessness. When I think about all the bridges that I have burnt, these were the things that were missing. When I think about the close friends that I have now, at school or those from my past, we're close because we still have those elements. So for those friends, thank you!


Saturday in its infinite greatness, luckily did not end there. That night after dinner with my dad, I went over to Megan's house for fireworks. It was good to see some of my old high school friends again, but I also really need to practice playing basketball before I get called to play next time. Not only am I really out of shape right now (soon to change, hopefully), but I also have lost a lot of my "touch" (whatever little I had). Watching the fireworks were a lot of fun though. This year the city added a new kind. Of course, no one will get to see it because my iPod was at home charging and I forgot my camera. After the fireworks, I did get to do one of my favorite things in the world, which is laying out on a trampoline with a nice breeze and talking to friends, all while staring at the stars.


So here's to a very fun and memorable July 4th weekend. Hopefully next year will be just as great!


Also new videos up so check out the new channel.

A Fast Couple of Days

Hey Everyone!
As today comes to a close, I think about the last couple of days. While I am definitely capable of being independent, the issue of food seems to be constantly eluding me. Not so much cooking, but figuring out what to eat. I know I'm suppose to eat X amount of vegetables and grains, etc., but planning out what foods to buy for a week's worth of meals is going to take some getting use to. However, I am feeling quite adult-ish and fully responsible for myself now.

Research lab is going well. Today was my first day back, so I guess I can't really judge, but it seems like exciting things are coming up? I did a lot of staining today, which turned out well (I think). The GFP fluorescent stains turned out really well, so Friday we can test it on the real tissue. Now I just have to figure out what I'm going to do tomorrow in lab. Hm... a common trend seems to be arising (planning things out). I never knew I was that bad at this.

Finally, it seems like I've been really lazy on the vlogging side of life. I haven't really vlogged this week for a variety of reasons, some of which I hope to address soon. Also I promise that the China vlog is going to come out soon (this weekend?). I've finished putting the video clips together. Now, I just have to finish translating the audio, which I guess shouldn't take too long as long as I don't get distracted like last night. So checked out my youtube channel this weekend to see some cool footage!

I'm Back!

Hi everyone,

So a quick update! I'm now back from my really fun 2 week vacation in China. I'll be posting a vlog (usual spot) very soon hopefully and pictures here (also hopefully). Also I wanted everyone to know that I'm now registered for Pelotonia so if you click on the link you can see my profile (and help me raise $500!). It's nice to be back!

And now back to slowly cleaning my suitcase out and washing all of my clothes.

Ends and Beginnings

As yesterday was the official day of Spring quarter of 2010, I'm now done with half of my undergrad education. Now that I've gotten through two years, I can finally see where I am. Surrounded by friends and drive, I see where I am and where I want to be. But for now, I'm just going to focus on getting away on a highly anticipated vacation! I'll fill you guys in when I get back! Until then, though, I hope everyone has a great and productive summer!


P.S. If I do Pelotonia, can I count on you guys to help me fundraise, if necessary?

A New Beginning

Hello everyone! So I know I said that I was going to stop updating this blog, but guess what? Looks like I changed my mind. A lot has happened since last summer (almost a year now!). So I guess while I take a quick break from studying for finals, I think I'm going to summarize the projects (internet2.0/social networking stuff) that I'm working on.

First, I made this blog when I started college. It started out as a place where I blogged about what was going on with my life. It was fairly simple and straight to the point. In light of recent projects (my youtube channel), I think that I will return to this blog. I plan for this blog to have shorter, more frequent entries. These entries will be like what I started out with, recounts of what I've been up to. However, now, I plan this time around to include more of what is not in my vlogs (found on my youtube channel). Furthermore, I have changed the name and address of this blog to better represent the new(/retro/original?) direction.

Second, last summer realizing that my blog entries in the first blog were changing directions, I started a new blog (Interior Dialogues). In this blog, I focused a lot on how my life and all that it entailed was changing the way I viewed myself and the world. These blogs turned into very long posts that took time to write, which I didn't have much of this past Winter quarter. However, I truly enjoyed writing those entries, because while I have learned that they are not very reliable (social psychology), they allowed me to publicly address my current thoughts and mood, when I either didn't have an audience or didn't really want one. Viewing this project as a huge time black hole lead me to transition to a new medium of internet-ness. Despite being what it is, I plan to periodically update this blog especially after big things happen. I am pretty sure this blog will stay in the same direction.

Third, in February I was introduced to a new way of blogging. Vlogging (Video blogging) had somehow escaped my Internet/computer age/electronic experience. After watching some "episodes" I became hooked at this new medium of exchange. Not only did it seem fun, I loved editing videos in high school for projects. Most importantly though, besides the awkwardness factor (especially initially, but even now), it didn't seem to take much time. With iMovie being so powerful and quick at the same time, editing and posting videos onto youtube was so easy. With a lot of free time during my one snow day winter quarter, I seized the opportunity and made my first, very very short entry. Now 12 entries later, I have kind of figured out a system. At first it seems like people were watching my videos, but now it seems like not so much. Perhaps a rebranding is in order, or upgrading to better equipment? Regardless, as this quarter ends and I start my brief hiatus from almost all aspects of the Internet, I will rethink my youtube strategy. Despite the recent lackluster performance of my videos, I think I will still continue after I return from my vacation. For the most part, I view this project as very much for fun (though more views would be very cool too, just saying).

So these three projects are how I am choosing to embrace social networking/Internet2.0 (besides Facebook and Twitter).

Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/silisjiang
A Forked Path Through Life: http://forkedpathlife.blogspot.com
Interior Dialogue: http://interiordialogue.blogspot.com
Youtube Channel: http://www.youtube.com/silisjiang

Weekly Update or The Beginning of Something Relaxing

Ah... summer. The joyous time of no worries. A time when all of the last nine months simplifies. Freedom from the tyranny of knowledge fills us with excitement, happiness and the desire to satisfy all whims. On the first day of such seasonal experience, I find myself sitting in front of my desk with my favorite electronic (my wonderful Macbook) that got me through year one opened to Blogger and my mp3 player (a little silver player on it's last lap) hooked up to its speakers playing Red Hot Chili Peppers.

As I went graduation party shopping, I began to reflect about college, mostly of what I wanted the most. I thought that giving incoming freshman what I didn't have would be the best gift. When this proved to be a hard task, I started to scramble, accepting mediocre ideas. Besides a car and perfect grades, I must contend that my freshman year of college went relatively well.

Now I writing this blog, I begin to wonder what write to my two closest graduating senior friends. One bound to join the ranks of the great young minds of America; the other preparing to give others all that she has for herself. While we all have different goals in life, different goals for goals, different ideals--differences in short, college is a unique binding experience. I have no idea who my friends will be next year, the year after, or after my own graduation from college. This year presented itself in a variety of ways through a variety of people. As I think about each quarter, I see my own transformation flash before me.

Fall quarter, I started college. My list of things to accomplish for the quarter was thumbtacked in front of me on my bulletin board. While I don't quite remember what those goals were, I still remember the emotions that I felt that quarter: nervousness, fear, anxiety, happiness. That quarter, I found my roommate (hopefully) for next year. I also found the twenty-four hour library. I remember the All-American Rejects concert with friends of old. I remember as pure emotion rushed through me after my first racquetball win. Then after it all, I remember the disappointment, the tiredness and the longing to return home.

Winter quarter, I learned college. The first memory of this quarter, besides the snow, was my fifteen credit hours away from science and normal life. More importantly I found rhythm during this quarter. As my life stabilized, I began to branch out and reach those who lived around me. Time with new friends, time on the phone, all times of joy and happiness. I began to accept what lied ahead of me and what I needed to do in order to succeed. If any quarter, this quarter made me understand what college was about. During orientation, I was told that in college, I wasn't competing against my classmates, instead I was competing against my teacher and the world. I had to learn how to balance my life: friends, school work, lab work, volunteering. While things have changed this quarter, what I do in college hasn't changed. To find things and do them passionately changed my perception of life.

Spring quarter, I met college. Parties, friends, hard work, lack of sleep and more, I met them all this quarter. During this time, my late night journeys sprouted three close friendships. Of all the many quarters to come, I am completely positive that this will be a defining one. This was the quarter that I lived college and succeeded (pending...). Finding friends, past passions, drive and previous success were all so important. This was the quarter that was defined not by just grades/school or just friends. This is the quarter where I found friends for life and moved forward with my own. These friends aren't those in passing, but those you fit your life around to see them again. While this quarter is the end of my first crooked journey through college, I am sure that I will see them again: in my suite, in my residence hall, at Ohio State. From this quarter, I carry the memories of 3 am walks for breakfast, watching a movie every single night, rediscovering an old passion and lots and lots of hard work. This quarter confirmed to me that I am ready for life.

As I will soon begin to write my friends' graduation cards, I find myself leaving them with only a few, but solid advice.

1. Find something that you love. Anything will work, as long as you have something. Something to save you from a bad day at school, a hard decision or a fight with your closest friend. For me, I find it in my friends. From taking a run with someone on the floor, playing piano in the lobby without a care who listens, or killing aliens with a insomniac like myself, experiencing life with others gives me so much joy.

2. Give everything your best shot. I say this because only then will you be satisfied with yourself. To push yourself to pure exhaustion and then see your idea, your efforts bloom into something great.

3. Trust yourself most always. Sometimes you only have the option to go with your gut. Even when all logic fails to support it, the decision is always yours in the end. The most important person that you have to answer to is yourself. If you can't answer to yourself, then it's not worth doing.

Weekly Update or Finals

As I sit in front of the TV, watching Master and Commander, talking to a dear friend, my mind begins to wonder from myself, the movie, my upcoming final. As school comes to an end, so much crosses my mind. What are the memories that will follow after this year? How have I changed this year? Am I really ready for what I want to do, what I want to be? Am I ready to move past the what I'm not, what I didn't become?

All these questions must wait for another time I guess. I guess what I wish for the most right now is some direction in my life. When is does it become ok to impose on someone? While I believe the answer is never, I know that there are probably plenty of times when people can say that I imposed. So what makes me so cautious about this time? Perhaps the want to make things right again, or the want to give us at least some hope in the future, or something else is driving me back to the ultra-conservative-usually-wrong perspective.

Giving advice seems something so easy to do. You listen to the story and you weigh your opinion. Walking the walk, then, becomes the test. When we listen to others give advice, are we really listening or are we just wanting to hear something. I know I have so many times, sought advice for pure confirmation of what I was doing. Now that I have no opinion, utterly lost in the stormy seas of personal confusion, I try so hard to figure out what I want to hear. I hope soon that clarity reaches me. Until then, I hope that my dear close friends come to me again, and keep coming until I find my personal calm.