a follow up

re: the holidays...

probably we are, or at least I am, thinking about relationships because I have been asked about it several times over the course of parties and get-togethers during the holiday. Like today, the woman cutting my hair asked if I had a boyfriend.

No wonder we're all crazy at the end of the year!

The Holidays

I don't know what it is but lately most of my conversations with friends have revolved around relationships, youth/aging, and the ultimate fear of dying alone. Which is probably a fear shared with all of humanity, so why now - the holidays?? Being reminded of everything that we have, what we see around us, and what we ultimately yearn for? I do not watch many commercials at my apt in Philadelphia but since being home I have been inundated with ads reminding me that "There are only two things that stand the test of time - Love and Diamonds".

So blame it on the holiday ads? Or maybe it is the beginning of the new year and reflecting on a year past, one year older....and wondering how different are we really from our 2007-selves??

Something that I wrote to a dear friend regarding relationships - is it really true that a love lost is better than a love never found?

"You have to LIVE LIFE to its fullest and part of that, to me, means trusting in yourself and in LOVE. you can't be afraid to fall in love or fall head over heels because then it won't happen. and so many songs, poems, stories have been written about love so clearly it is a human experience, to lose and to gain. because like many things in life, you cannot protect yourself from everything and that includes matters of the heart. but still you drive cars and fly in planes and cross the street, and so you must venture into these relationships and be a bit fearful, a bit aware, a bit honest, a bit curious and it's ALL WORTH IT. I KNOW IT WILL BE."

Soon I will turn 25. The quarter-life crisis will hit and hopefully I will remember that as many friends in my past gets engaged and has babies, my future is free to be determined by me.

And so I look forward to 2009!

slumdog millionaire

awesome soundtrack to a great movie - everyone should see this!!!
i think it's the best movie of 2008!

Slumdog Millionaire

uh oh

Las Vegas gets record Dec. snowfall, 3.6 inches

By KEN RITTER, Associated Press Writer Ken Ritter, Associated Press Writer – Thu Dec 18, 6:14 pm ET

LAS VEGAS – Flights resumed in and out of Las Vegas, but schools and highways were closed Thursday after a record-setting snowfall coated marquees on the Strip, weighed down palm trees and blanketed surrounding mountain areas. The city awoke to clear weather after a storm that left 3.6 inches at McCarran International Airport. It was biggest December snowfall on record there, and the worst for any month since a 7 1/2-inch accumulation in January 1979, forecasters said.

***
Boo, it's not even snowing here in DC! Maybe I need to consider a Caribbean school??

gossip girl here: a report

As I watched the last Gossip Girl episode for 2008, tears streaming down my face because of the raw emotion between the characters, I couldn't help but think why this show is so addicting, so damn good.

Gossip Girl is a close-up view of the fabulous lives of Manhattan's elite: they are wealthy, great-looking, and have absolutely no adults controlling their lives. Being in high school, of course there's mad drama but I think what is so attractive is that these kids are beautiful, wealthy, and witty - and also have crazy messed up lives. And so we watch because we pity them but also because we are so attracted to their lifestyles.

Take Charles Bass, for example (surprise!). The only child of the late Bart Bass, Chuck is now the richest kid in Manhattan and lives his life as such: he flies in women from all over the world for back massages and "other services", drinks at his father's hotel bar, takes his limo everywhere, and shows public disdain for anything not of his “world” (i.e. Dan from Brooklyn). But he is also loyal to a fault with his friends, pines after Blair, and he is always pining for his dad's attention and approval. Add on his affinity for manipulation, blackmail, pastel pants, and shark sweaters and you've got a deep, intense character worth following.

So you've got this fabulous combination of drama, relationships, fashion, high-end mannerisms and life-styles, witty one-liners and comebacks - what person wouldn't be addicted to this? And the producers know it too: in a recent advertising campaign, they used the negative comments about the show TO SELL THE SHOW.

Comments like “mind-blowingly inappropriate” etc are exactly the thing that teens want to hear! These marketing people deserve a prize! I stare at mine every day (haha thanks J)!!!

And the latest sign that Gossip Girl is genius? The latest songs by Britney and Xtina have been used for specific character promos. “Womanizer” for Chuck and “Keeps Getting Better” – which has the line “sometimes I’m a super bitch” – for Blair Waldorff. This stuff doesn’t just write itself, these people are brilliant! Genius!!



Damn that mother Chucker!! He has me hooked!





"Brown doesn't offer degress in SLUT!"
Ha, Blair has the best lines out of any character in any show!

xoxo

Phelps on Colbert

In between studying, I was able to sneak in the new Colbert Report: special guest MICHAEL PHELPS!!!!!

The Colbert ReportMon - Thurs 11:30pm / 10:30c

Michael Phelps

Colbert at Christmas
Colbert Christmas DVD

Green Screen
Bill O'Reilly Interview

(clip of interview only)

Best part of the interview is Colbert asking if swimming takes over his life when he is not in the pool, including combing his hair and making love. Ohhhh the imagery.

okay, I must admit that while I have some sort of warped obsession/admiration for the guy for his incredible talent, work ethic, and physical capabilities, I do see how awkward and weird he is in front of the camera.

Either he is really shy/nervous in front of Colbert or he really is a personality DUD. Oh well, he's staying up on my wall for now...

finals

finals are no fun. ever. well, maybe in that it represents the end of the term and the culmination of everything you've learned. so it's only fun in theory.

i worry that i will lose touch with people when i am really in medical school, because of the lifestyle and schedule that many med students lead. i will have to work doubly hard, i suppose, to manage a balance, something that i think i failed at in undergrad and am still trying to master here in philly.

going to be home in a few days hooray! in order to get to that point, i have to learn about lipids and clotting, and spend more time sitting quietly in the library - eye on the prize, vantoai!!

i love white socks

how much did this ad cost? these guys are worth millions collectively!!! love tony hawk entering on a skateboard and wearing a helmet. and phelps?? clearly the reason why this ad makes me smile, but also clearly very awkward in front of the camera.

teehee!!!

six letters changed my life.

One month ago:

It was a really bad week, the last week of October 2008. I'd bombed a quiz, gotten two post-secondary rejections, one post-interview rejection (The chances of this happening are slim so it is really personal and so you worry - they must have really not liked me?? What did I say? Where I did go wrong?), and generally felt crappy.

So I prayed for a great next week, the first week of November. I prayed for awesome election results for the presidential campaigns, as well as some congressional campaigns and ballot issues. I prayed for a medical school acceptance - and then I talked about it, visualized it, wrote it out, gave thanks, did everything as if it were coming true.

And two days after the election of Barack Hussein Obama as the 44th President, I received this glorious email from Roger, the Dean of Admissions at Touro-NV:

Anna – The decision of the DO Admissions Committee on your application is: ACCEPT! Congratulations! I will mail your letter today. Thank you and have a nice day.

There it was. Instead of saying "Waitlist" like the previous emails from other schools, this one said "ACCEPT" - Six letters that changed my life. My heart skipped a beat, tears came to my eyes, and I knew I had to call everyone, send out emails, and give thanks again.

I'm going to be a doctor! AIAIAIAI!!!!

And suddenly will.i.am's song about Obama's election became very meaningful to me:

Yea I woke up this morning
Feeling brand new
'Cause the dreams that I've been dreaming
Has finally came true...
It's a New Day!!!

this morning

I live at the edge of Chinatown and right next to the Philadelphia Convention Center. So everyday I see a different "snapshot" of American society. One weekend it'll be an auto show, the next a home or flower show. The big shows bring huge crowds, and lots of charter buses.

Sometimes there are smaller shows and it's fun to watch a group of people and then discover who they represent. Faerie Con - people dressed up. American Chemical Society - stereotypically, a lot of Asians. People in business suits - anything from insurance sales to pharmaceuticals.

And today?? Definitely cheerleaders.

Me versus medical billing:

yayayayayayayay - IT"S A NEW DAY - HALLELUJAH!!!!!!!

anna verses drexel med, women's center

round one: they charge me $352 + $50 injection fee PER HPV SHOT! (it's 3 shots total)
are you effing kidding me???
- i pay off first bill.

beginning in may, i start to call and complain, because it should really be only like $350 TOTAL, about $150 a shot. and so i wait and play the calling game.

round two: susan from billing (we are first name basis now) starts to tell me that the billing office is in talks with the med center. i keep calling every few weeks. she tells me that they are still trying to get in touch with the office manager and supervisors
- get bill for other two shots - now have balance of over $900.

round three: susan tells me that they have been unable to get a response from the women's center supervisor. after thanksgiving, i call and leave a message for the supervisor

today susan leaves me a message telling me good news: i only have to pay $78 more and it's DONE! I"M HOME FREEEEEEE

TAKE THAT DREXEL BITCHES and INSURANCE CO ASSWIPES, you ain't gettin anymore of my monay lalalalalalalalala anna versus drexel and ANNA WON!!!!!!!!!!!!! aiaiaiaiaiai

for the love of everything holy, who charges $50 per injection site?

omg am totally riding high now that i won't have to pay that crazy ass bill. months later, it's done.

**
in reality though, i am grateful for all of my healthcare coverage, past and future. not presently, because under drexel's lame ass plan, i get no coverage for preventative health measures, yearly checkups, or any kind of general work. it's basically catasrophic coverage - gee thanks! so i paid out of pocket of all bloodwork, urine tests, office visits, etc and BELIEEEEVE me that is all quite expensive. it's crazy how much testing they do with your blood and how much it actually costs.

but underlying it all i suppose i can be grateful for this experience now, as it has taught me a lot about the healthcare/insurance system and what many people in this country are going through...urgh it sucks and hopefully we can do something about it soon!

The funniest show ever

I love Jon Stewart, really he is one of my few news sources (others being Colbert Report, Newsweek, and Yahoo).

This is a great segment on the Plaxico Burress Drama that unfolded over the Thanksgiving holiday.

Really, Plax, the band of your sweatpants?? You're worth how many millions and you can't afford to wear a decent pair of pants out to a nightclub to holster your gun in?? Urgh, it so frustrating to be a fan sometimes...

Spaghetti Dinner

AKA...$8 for all-you-can-eat food that you can probably make at home...but it's for charity, so eat up!

There was also music and an auction, all to raise money for another dinner show, whose purpose is to raise money for charity...anyways we (the girls) wanted to bid on pole dancing classes but lost after bidding went over $80.

How much fun would that have been! Haha, though I wasn't sure where the pole was, or where these classes would be...anyways I went to a "cardio belly dance" class tonight at the gym and that was kinda fun. As much fun as a gym class can be. She made us work out our necks though, and so now I'm worried I'm going to have a big neck...like Rachel Maddow on MSNBC.

I do like her show, and what she has to say. I just find myself staring at her neck sometimes.

Anyways, I'm a quiz and two finals away from winter break, hooray!!