Free Post: Temptations and Guilt

After being consistent and faithful to something for a long period of time, whether it be a workout regime or practicing the violin everyday, and then having a lapse, can cause you to submit to feelings of guilt. Although there are many adroit dieters who are able to crusade with having salad every day for dinner, they might occasionally succumb to that mouthwatering, warm, and rich oatmeal creme pie in front of them. 

Not to affront anybody, but I do not know how it is possible to not have temptations. It might be easy to resist urges to those temptations, however, with me, it is an entirely different story. An advantage for me is that  I absolutely hate the feeling of guilt after doing something I know that I shouldn't have done. So the feeling of guilt holds me back from inducting in a naughty demeanor or action. Even though I can't provide erudite information about this topic as much as I want to, I just want to remind everyone that some pleasures in life are only temporary, while the feelings of shame and guilt lag behind you endlessly...

Update on Research + Reading Details

Getting back to the gist of school is overwhelming me right now, but topping it off with this research project isn't really motivating me to keep myself concentrated in my work. The good thing about the project is that I can actually relate to my topic. As I already have some knowledge about it, supplying my paper with support from actual sources and references will be the only challenging part. My project is slowly moving forward - I have found some really helpful sources that give me valuable information. However, most of it is stuff that I already know, like the story about the immigrants coming over to America on boats (as my father had also been a boat person who traveled on the Pacific Ocean to America), and their lifestyles in America in comparison to Vietnam. I always hear stories from my family about how the Vietnamese culture has been shaped and molded, having more Western elements as Westerners have a big impact on Vietnamese people. 

The one surprising thing that I found this week from research was an article about Vietnamese teenagers forming street gangs in California. I knew before that Vietnamese kids were involved in gangs, but not subject to Vietnamese gang members alone - there were different races in the gangs as well. However, this article talks about how gangs with only Vietnamese youths are influenced from their cultural rejection. This is really eye-opening for me, as I did not know about this. This article did not mention anything about what the gangs have done, no crimes or actions. I'm really curious to know more about this, but it doesn't say whether the gangs have actually been violent or are in gangs just because they have similar outlooks about their culture.

Reading details: 

Brian Wansink, Mindless Eating

1/14/13: 10 min., 1/16/13: 10 min., 1/17/13: 10 min. pp. 126-173

1/16/13: found, read, annotated 3 sources: 180 min.

1/17/13: found, read, annotated 2 sources: 120 min.

Total time: 310 min.

2013 Resolutions: Free Post

I am not very keen about resolutions due to my knowledge of people unable to stay consistent with them. I'm not the type to have specific resolutions (or resolutions at all.) However, I think having resolutions this year for myself is very, very necessary. 2012 was truly a bummy year. I developed some bad habits that I need to steer myself away from, like constantly grazing on junk food and not sleeping enough. Those are my biggest offenses that I will hopefully change this year.

My resolutions include eating healthy, sleeping early (which is impossible due to the amount of homework I have!!!), having a stronger concentration on my schoolwork, building a closer relationship with God, and most importantly, spending more time with my family. I find myself drifting away from my family because I am always worrying about school. Therefore, I don't usually find time to spend with them besides dinner and church on Sundays. This saddens me a bit because my family is the upmost importance in my life, next to school. I'm hoping to find more time with them this year. All of these goals I've created for myself won't be limited to just this one year. I'm hoping to always remain consistent with them year after year.

Why We Eat More Than What We Think: Mindless Eating (Reading response + details)

Brian Wansink, Why We Eat More Than We Think: Mindless Eating

1/7: 10 min., 1/8: 10 min., 1/9: 60 min., 1/10: 70 min. (pg. 1-126)

The Norton Field Guide to Writing:

1/8: 10 min.  (pg. 389-395)

Total time: 160 min.

I don’t really know why I chose to read this book. It was just due to the fact that I didn’t have an idea of what type of book I wanted to dip into. Plus, I wanted to know the effects of the Americans’ mindless eating habits (which include myself as well.) One of my resolutions for this year is to abstain from constantly grazing on junk food, but I also will leave an occasional cheat day just for my sanity. It is so extremely challenging to leave behind the warm chocolate molten lava cake with caramel glazed over topped with pecans and vanilla ice cream.  Try to admit how difficult that is! Sigh… that’s what I had last night… and I finished the whole thing.

Why We Eat More Than We Think: Mindless Eating informs its’ readers about the daily eating lifestyles of Americans. I never realized how much we eat in one day! I’ve taken from the book that it’s not necessary to eat when you are not hungry. That makes sense. Why should we eat if we’re not hungry? We sometimes just eat because we’re bored and have nothing better to do. This is one of the factors of the increasing obesity rates in America. When we are hungry, we have cravings for a certain food. That’s enables us to acknowledge that we’re hungry. When we crave a specific food, and not what you have in sight, this means that you just crave it or your body has too scarce of it and needs it, but you are not hungry. Also, I learned that the less sweets you eat, the less you crave it. I will attempt to try this out. Let’s hope it’s true! 

Symbolic Objects - Reading Focus Tracker

I'm very proud to say that I have been keeping up with my Reading Focus Tracker. Hopefully, I've included every symbolic object that I've come across so far. However, the significance of certain symbolic objects have changed throughout the first through eleven chapters. 


The first major symbolic object is the conch shell, of course. In the beginning, the conch held a great deal of power. “I’ll give the conch to the next person to speak. He can hold it when he’s speaking.” (32).  The conch shell holds the unity and order of the civilization on the island as well as Ralph's authority over everyone. But the importance of the conch shell is broken in chapter 11 when it is shattered: “The conch exploded into a thousand white fragments and ceased to exist." (181). 


Throughout the whole book, the significance of fire is deeply emphasized by Ralph because he is the only person who truly understands how vital in maintaining the fire is. It represents their hope of getting off the island and being rescued. When the fire burns down, it shows that their hope is also gone. But when the fire is burning, their hope is alive and they also will survive. “The fire is the most important thing on the island. How can we ever be rescued except by luck, if we don’t keep a fire going? Don’t you understand? Can’t you see we ought to die before we let the fire out?” (80).


The third major object is the Beast. The Beast has also been progressively developed throughout the book. The Beast continuously causes fear among the boys. “He says the beast comes out of the sea.” (88). The children are all scared of the Beast that they’ve been seeing in their nightmares. The Beast symbolizes the evil creature inside each individual. It interferes with everything that they do. Although the others visualize the Beast as an actual beast, Simon senses that the Beast may be inside of them: “However, Simon thought of the beast, there rose before his inward sight the picture of a human at once heroic and sick.” (103). We learn that Simon is accurate when we come across the Lord of the Flies who informs Simon of the truth. 

Book Log and Reading Details

The books I've read so far this semester: (from hardest to easiest)

1. In Defense of Food: an Eater's Manifesto

2. Nation

3. Crank, Ellen Hopkins

4. The Outsiders

5. Lord of the Flies

6. The Coldest Winter Ever, Sister Souljah

7. Purge Rehab Diaries, Nicole Johns

8. This is Our Faith, Michael Francis Pennock

Due to my hectic school schedule, I haven't been able to read as many books as I had aspired to. Even though every book I read was interesting, I wish I had more time to read on my own without feeling restricted because of my time limit. To be honest, I haven't learned anything about myself as a reader this semester. I do notice, though, that if I'm really fond of a book, I don't ever want to stop reading. However, my weaknesses include forgetting some characters that were introduced in the beginning, unexpectedly leave, and show up again. I don't really have a sharp memory, so that's one of my weak points. 

My main goal for the next semester is to read as much as I can, but also keep track of what types of books I read. I'll try to expand the types of books I read. I don't like reading nonfiction books at all, but I will try to find a nonfiction book that I will enjoy (even though that will be hard.) Also, I want to find some books that deal with other cultures and nationalities. I think other cultures are fascinating, but I can't find foreign books that seem interesting or makes sense to me.

Reading details: 

William Golding, Lord of the Flies

12/3: 120 min. (Chp. 6-7)

12/4: 60 min. (Chp. 8)

12/5: 120 min. (Chp. 9-10)

12/6: 60 min. (Chp. 11)

Reading Details

Kay West, 50 Things Every Young Lady Should Know
12/1: 60 min.
Pages: 1-101

William Golding, Lord of the Flies
12/3: 120 min.
Pages: 95-124 

Total time: 180 min.