Well folks, the title basically says it all! I have not had and will continue to not have internet for the next week or so.
I'm out in the countryside of Sichuan province getting married! I will post about that one surely, but please be patient.
I really enjoyed viewing the comments although I haven't had time to reply.
Also, I saw a few comments that seemed unsure about whether this blog was private or public. It is a very public blog and the more eyes that find themselves here the better. I'm flattered if you enjoy my posts! Really, my cheeks are kind of red right now (although that could be the cold). But my hope is to share some fresh ideas with anyone who is open for them. =)
All my best to you all!
Ou.yang.
PS> For those of you wondering how I got net now it was more or less a fluke!
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
Out In The Country Without Any Net
Sunday, October 18, 2009
Please Return My Shorts
Dearest Neighbour of Apartment 602,
Today while shaking the fuzzies from a pair of shorts on my balcony the wind suddenly wrestled the shorts away from my grip and they plummeted down to your 6th floor balcony. Included is a picture of the very fashionable garment:
Can you imagine how scared they must be there? They are my favourite pair. Please don't turn them into a mop. I suspect last time's green shirt was turned into a household mop.
Thank you very much in advance for returning my shorts!
Your neighbour and friend,
Ou.yang. Leia Mais…
Saturday, October 17, 2009
Guitar Gurus For You
Do you play the guitar? Would you like to? Do you own a guitar that's seen more dust than TLC? Do you dream of playing that song? No time or money to hire a teacher? Have no friends who play the guitar to teach you? Do you like reading blogs? Are you tired of reading these endless questions? If you answered YES to any of the prior questions than this post is for YOU.
This post is about finding free guitar gurus (guitar teachers) on the Internet. Firstly, I claim not to be a guitar guru. I do however claim to know a lot about where to find guitar gurus. I have owned a guitar that has seen love, dust and several Seinfeld episodes for around four years now. But enough about me, lets dive into the meat of this post shall we.
Connecting With Music
It is said that everybody needs a creative outlet. For some it can be painting, singing or making animals out of balloons, but for me it is the guitar.It was after being thrown out of the Balloon Animal Academy that I picked up the guitar for the first time. If you are looking for a (or another) creative outlet than the guitar is a superb choice.
If you have never played an instrument period (grade 3 and 4 recorder class doesn't count) then connecting with music can be a wonderful new experience. Playing the guitar is a connection with the rhythm of music and also the rhythm of life. It can be a form of meditation, anger management,or sweet serenade to the ears of others.
Where The Guitar Gurus Reside
Guitar gurus come in all shapes and sizes. Some big, some hairy, some lonely, with twangy accents or funny mustaches. They are from all over. Your neighbour could be one and you don't know it! The following are some of the best websites that I have used over the years. They are free to use and their lessons range from beginner to advanced. The lessons I use are all in video format. I love that I can pause, rewind and fast forward if I don't quite catch something. It's like having a teacher right in front of you (kind of).
Site one. My favourite site and teacher can be found at http://justinguitar.com/. He is this extremely charming fellow from Tasmania.I admittedly have a major man crush on him. His lessons are fun, inspiring and straight forward. He covers many different genres and styles of guitar playing. The beginner guitar program I would especially recommend.
Site two. Another site of song tutorials can be found at http://freeandeasyguitar.com/.This site has a comprehensive listing of tutorials to learn to play just about any song. The fellow giving the lessons is called Aaron. His forte is no matter how tired he is, how many dogs are barking in the background or how many people are giving him calls on his cellphone while taping his lessons - he still delivers on a consistent basis.
Site three. This teacher's vids are found on YouTube, although he may have his own private website as well. The link to his YouTube site can be found here: Lazy Fret. He is a jolly British man with a nice soft teaching style. His lessons are particularly good for beginner students.
Schedule For Playing
Most guitar gurus (see above) would recommend playing on a daily basis. I generally try to play everyday for at least 30 minutes. At this rate to get the basics down and to feel comfortable with the guitar it may take 2 weeks or so. Or it could be faster, depending on your focus and natural ability.
Benefits Of Playing The Guitar
- 1. Playing your favourite songs.
- 3. Getting calluses on your hands that you can brag about.
- 4. Having a new wooden BFF.
- 5. Connecting with music.
- 6. Relaxing.
- 7. Expressing yourself.
- 8. Picking up chicks.
Other Questions
This post was intended mostly for beginners or those who have never picked up a guitar before. It was also intended to show you that you can learn anything on the net for free.
The magical equation is:
Free materials + passion + practice = :)
Other questions may be:
- What kind of guitar should I buy?
- What style of music should I start out on?
- If I played the recorder in grade 3 will playing the guitar be easier?
To finish here is a quote from Johnny Depp:
As always any questions, comments or suggestions please leave below! Please note my Facebook has been cranky lately and is refusing to open windows - so if you wish to comment please comment below! =)“Puberty was very vague. I literally locked myself in a room and played guitar”
Ou.yang.
PS: For those of you curious what my guitar looks like:
Friday, October 16, 2009
Entertainment YouTube Style
Happy Friday everybody! I'm off to Chongqing this Sunday to process some papers at the Canadian consulate. From Chongqing we will be flying to Chengdu to do some wedding preparations and finally onto Dujiangyan (Xiao Feng's hometown) for our wedding. I will try to get in as many posts before then.
Phew, I just broke a sweat from putting so many links in the previous paragraph. Have a look at the different cities through the links, they are some really groovy places. And for those of you that haven't heard - Yes, I'm getting married!
But, I don't have enough time to post about marriage. This post will be short, but terribly sweet, kinda like:
Thursday, October 15, 2009
Waking Up To A Marathon
That was last night, my first long training run - at around 10k.
It all started 36 days ago after a culmination of research on sleep, with especially this article by Steve Pavlina proving to be helpful: How to Get Up Right Away When Your Alarm Goes Off. As one of my previous posts mentions I had terrible habits of laziness or slothness. I would often not wake up unless it was absolutely necessary, if I had a pressing engagement to get to. Usually even early morning classes my sleepy self could talk myself out of with such arguments like:
- Just five more minutes. Five more minutes is the time you need to shave, so just don't shave today!
- Ah, this class isn't important and the teacher's lecturing is dryer than a sand gecko's nose on a July evening in India.
- I could just go late, the teacher normally doesn't mind.
- Ahh blarh bo no skohl agh. Snore. (That's a more accurate rendition of my early morning talk)
- Setting multiple alarms.
- Trying different alarm sounds.
- Asking others to wake me. Sometimes to call me to wake me.
- Drinking tons of water before bed.
- Telling myself, tomorrow you will wake up early!
- Leaving the blinds open to allow the morning sun to shine onto my eyes.
- Only using a thin blanket to freeze myself into waking.
My alarm would start blaring and I'd spring out of bed, stretch, stand on the balcony and look out onto the world. That is how I viewed my perfect morning.
36 days and 36 viewings of my perfect morning later I am a new person. I get up every morning at 6AM (as opposed to 8,9,10 or sometimes 12) and go for a run by the ocean. I arrive home at around 7AM and make a healthy breakfast (also something new for me). I check my emails, play guitar, do my memory exercises, language study and blog posts. I have between 3-6 more hours of time everyday to do what I am passionate about. I used to complain I had no time to do what I wanted, I was stuck in the cycle of school or work - well this has been a major solution.
I also made and wrote down a specific goal to run for 30 days as 30 days is less daunting than saying "I will wake up and run at 6AM," where the unsaid but understood meaning is "I will wake up and run at 6AM for forever." There is something scary about the word forever. If you run for 30 days and you feel that this new habit doesn't work for you then you can scrap it. If it does then make another goal - 50 days.
Some FAQs:
1. When do you go to bed?
Whenever I feel tired. If I don't feel tired I don't go to sleep. If I sleep less one day I naturally want to go to bed earlier the next day. However, usually it works out that I get to bed between 11 and 12 at night.
2. But I like to party! What if I get home half in the bag and my alarm goes off at 6AM and I'm covered in puke and feeling awful. What then?
Good question. Get up, clean off the puke and splash some water on your face. The way I see it is that it's all or nothing on this one. You may get different answers for this question depending whom you ask. What has worked for me has been consistency. So I guess it means changing some other habits as well. It's like if you want to quit smoking but take a day off and smoke a pack. The next day you are back at day #1.
3. Do I have to "run" every morning?
Of course not, but I'd recommend an activity that could draw you a fair distance from your bed. Maybe writing in the kitchen, taking a shower or going for a walk around your neighbourhood. Whatever makes you happy and works for you.
4. Do you spring out of bed every morning now with a spring in your step and feeling fresh?
Not really. I still feel rather groggy. I however naturally get up, like I consciously don't have to think about it. Sort of like I'm being pulled by strings from above. After returning from the run I feel fresh. It's made a major difference waking up early, I feel more passionate about everyday as I get everything I want to get done early. I don't feel rushed anymore. There is something to the saying "Getting up on the wrong side of the bed." Before, I'd wake up late, in a rush and in a terrible mood because I didn't have time to do anything that I had originally wanted to do.
5. Your questions here.
Once I hit 30 days I felt ecstatic. This feat stood as testament for a HUGE change I had made in my life. I had single handily given myself renewed passion and vigor, 120 more hours a month to do what I wanted and I was part of the "elite" morning crowd.
Simultaneously I had been hearing about the Xiamen International Marathon, held every year in January. I thought to myself, well I could do a 10k race, after all I did a few of those before in Canada. But, somehow 10K didn't feel right, so I bumped the idea up to a half-marathon. Yep, I thought, a half-marathon - just the right distance. That is realistic. But, my inner voice starting screaming "Do the marathon!" "Do the marathon!"
I fought for days with that voice, trying to reason with logic:
- Lets build up, we can do the marathon next time.
- A marathon is 42 kilometres!
- Haven't you seen those videos of marathon runners collapsing at the finish line?
- I'll give you a cookie.
Please drop me some questions or comments. What this post helpful? Interesting? Missing something? Filled with grammatical mistakes?
Have you experimented with changing your waking habits before?
Ou.yang. Leia Mais…
Wednesday, October 14, 2009
Free Hugs?
Just a quick post before class! If you haven't come across the Free Hugs Campaign yet have a look at the following Youtube video.
There are 51 million views on the video for a good reason. It makes you feel good. It makes me feel like I want to throw down all my fears and run out and hug the world. Has anyone tried giving out free hugs to strangers? Is this something you'd be interested in?
Please comment!
Ou.yang.
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
Are You A Sloth?
I saw all the seniors this morning as I usually do, but this time I saw something different in them. I saw that they were all once children with mothers and fathers. They looked much younger in that light. I pictured a hunched 80 some year man frolicking about pestering his mother. A 90 odd year lady with a huge crush on her desk mate. A 60 something sitting doodling and never thinking about working himself to old age in order to buy satisfaction.
Yesterday in my Chinese reading class we read an article about how seniors are often younger at heart than the youth in China. It talked about that 70% of Chinese youth having issues with "sloth like states."
It is often popular to brag about one's laziness. Lets have a look:
A. Hey Mary, I just slept (insert a doubt digit) hours straight after watching reruns of (insert mind numbing program). I was such a big old lazy bag. I swear I'm turning into a sloth.
B. No way, I'm way more lazy than you are. I have this big (insert thing to do) tomorrow and I haven't even started.
Now for a translation:
A. Hey Mary, I slept my entire day away and I'm so bloody depressed. I hate myself. I wasted an entire night watching TV to avoid reality. I have a negative self-image.
B. No way, I'm much more depressed than you are. I completely and knowingly neglected what I should have done and I hate myself for it.
Sound like somebody you know?
The fog of youth? A lack of awareness? An evasion of reality?
I know my lazy habits started early on in my teens. I would sleep endless hours and do whatever took the least amount of energy. When I was called to walk the dog I would burst into a fit of rage. When it came time for school I'd lay comatose in bed wishing for just five more minutes. I never thought twice about it. This continued for about 10 years. Doing the minimal amount that I had to do. Moments of passion and perseverance would occasionally come over me and I'd get a few things done. In those fleeting moments the accomplishments would be HUGE. It was those moments that have put me where I am today.
I recently learned that there was another option...
(More to follow in the next post).
Ou.yang.
Monday, October 12, 2009
Ideas
I'm addicted and helplessly so.
New ideas are my drug of choice. Ideas that sizzle my brain. Ones that make me nod internally and say Mhmmm. But those ideas that I disagree with are the ones I like the most.
I put the ideas into my MP3 player in the form of audio books and get my fix. Currently I'm reading (listening) to "Blink: The Power of Thinking Without Thinking." It's a book about understanding, tuning in and using our subconsciousness or "second" brain and it's role in rapid cognition or about the kind of thinking that happens in the "blink" of an eye. It talks about how this kind of thinking can be much more accurate in decision making, than to take a decision and to logically break it down for thorough analysis.
What I also like is that the book is written (spoken) in a down to earth manner manner without all the professional mumbo jumbo that can exclude many readers. If you have read this book what are some thoughts that you particularly found interesting? Have you tried the Implicit Association Test?
I'm still quite fresh into the book and rearing to read on! I'll update with some other thoughts about it at another time.
In other news I was excited to learn recently that I can really capitalize my titles anyway I want according to an article on about.com. You can find the article here.
And now off to enjoy the evening breeze on the boardwalk.
Ou.yang.
Saturday, October 10, 2009
Coming Alive
Writers can get so into their characters when writing a book that the characters "come alive" and provide them with insight, dialogue and attitude.
Ah, the imagination.
In reading one of the final chapters of Napoleon Hill's "Think and Grow Rich" he explains too that he before created an imaginary round table of all his heroes of the present and past. Nightly he would call them to the round table and head meetings where he'd ask for them to give him insight and direction. After not long it got to the point where they started developing personality quirks, like showing up late or being excessively cheeky. He got spooked and stopped doing it.
It makes me think, who would I have at my imaginary round table? Would I have an imaginary round table? Why not? How would I deal with the cheeky participants?
The question of the day for you is "Who would you have at your round table?"
So today is pay day which means we can actually buy things again after having been scraping by. It got to the point where I was tempted to take the $4 USD I had and exchange it at the bank. I thought that it'd be fun to do regardless, slapping down four disheveled notes in front of the already uber cranky bank clerk (I've never met one who wasn't a cranky pants) and smiling.
Anyhow money arrives today and I plan to buy a few things:
- XF's bday present.
- Misc. wedding stuff
- Tickets to the Philippines
- Soy Milk
- Satisfaction
All for now! Give me some comments, I really am curious who you'd have at your round tables!
Ou.yang. Leia Mais…
Friday, October 9, 2009
What Do You Want To See Here?
Hi Readers! So the question is what kind of posts would you like to see?
I am able to cover a number of areas:
- Learning Chinese
- General life in China
- Teaching English
- Everyday jibber jabber and goings on
- Chinese culture & traditions
- Social experiments (Striking up conversations with random strangers, having lengthy staring competitions with locals, saying illogical things to people that are only used to their logic, etc.)
- Running
- Personal development experiments
Drop me some suggestions, comments, hints on HTML ;), ideas, insults, jokes, doodles or whatever else you please into the comments section below !
Thanks and happy reading. ^_^
Ou.yang. Leia Mais…
Trials, Birthdays and Independence
Well it's back to class today folks. After eight days off for China's National Day and Mid Autumn Festival China has no more festivals, or excuses to take anymore days off for the time being.
Today marks a few occasions:
- The final day of my 30 day trial "Get up at 6AM and run" project.
- Xiao Feng's calendar birthday
- National Independence Day in Uganda (Googled)
I do a lot of tutorials on Youtube, for my guitar learning, singing and lately html. While perusing Youtube, I've found a lot of really talented musicians. This next video I particularly enjoyed:
These artists vids are fresh, perky and often times funky. I'd stop watching about halfway through as the video ends and some type of commentary starts from the muppet.
Enjoy!
Ou.yang. Leia Mais…
Thursday, October 8, 2009
Sudoku Anyone?
Has your brain gone stale? Are your brain cells in hibernation? Do you like the colour blue?
Well then, try a Sudoku! No, not a strong Japanese alcohol - that's saki. Although perhaps they may go well together...
Sudoku, a game popularized in Japan is a number placement puzzle game. It is easy to learn and fun and challenging to play. It's like lifting weights - for your brain. Check out a few puzzles on this site: http://www.websudoku.com/
Ou.yang.
Tuesday, October 6, 2009
Recycling is 2009
I'm one for recycling things that can be used again and when I came across this gem it was screaming to be reposted. "Post me, post me!" How could I say no?
So here you are folks, a post from the long ago days of 2007, a time when children listened to their parents, iPhones were all but unheard of and poutine was considered a healthy alternative to brussel sprouts.
Lets call the post: "McDonald's Mahem:"
I'll take you back 4 days or so to January the 23rd. It was a hazy, heavy morning as I ambled groggily into McDonalds to grab a familiar and frustration free breakfast. As I stood in the queue I noticed behind me a middle aged man; there he stood in his wrinkled clothes, his hair astray, shifting his weight from left to right and as I slowly looked up I noticed that unmistakeable look in his eyes. He was a queue jumper. I readied myself - this one was not going to get away. I calculated in my mind the best approach, to politely ask him... nah that had never worked before, maybe I could... and before my sleepy mind could process another thought he sprang into action, trying to shove forward. Instinctively my right arm swung out, straight arming him and stopping him dead on my rippling well muscled bicep, sending him bouncing back like a rag toy. As if someone had pushed the red instant infuriate button he flew into his most colorful choice of Chinese swear words, swearing at everyone and anything, and then finally closing in on me with violent intent. I quickly changed my order to a hot coffee in the hopes of delivering a scalding shot of hour old coffee to his face should he attack. Five McDonalds employees viewing the scene timely leapt into action, subduing him like a wild elephant. I did the only thing you could do in such a situation - laughed hysterically. My laughter caught on and soon the packed restaurant joined me in laughing at such a spectacle, infuriating him to the breaking point. With every gufaw and haha his veins expanded, his eyes bulged and his volume increased. Maybe it wasn't a good idea to laugh. I decided I should leave and leave I did before he broke the staff's grips... I didn't want to have to waste a perfectly good coffee. As the main door closed behind the last swear word lingered and was cast off into the same wind that ruffled my movie star hairdo. So, one could say the moral of the story is not to jump the queue.
In retrospect:
I wouldn't have straightarmed him. I'm not as easily disturbed as I once was. My biceps still ripple at any twitch.
Ou.yang.
Monday, October 5, 2009
Fall Days
For me anyhow.
I drifted down the road, noticing nothing but the feeling of the cool fall breeze
nobody noticing me.
When the seasons change we change．
Reflection.
Now off to eat some Korean food with Xiao Feng =)
- Ou.yang. Leia Mais…
Saturday, October 3, 2009
Mooncake Audio
Happy Mid Autumn Festival. Have a mooncake or two. Don't just look in front where you're walking, look up, up, up at the moon.
Today is I think day 100 or so of having officially quit NEWS. I no longer, read, watch or listen to news. I feel wonderful. I have done this in order to detox myself. I see no need to know about the latest person to have been mauled by a German Shepherd. And I figure if something REALLY important happens I'll hear it from my classmates or coworkers. Quitting news has added years to my life!
Lately I've been listening to a lot of different, rather engaging audio books. I put them on my MP3 player and listen to them on the bus, walking to class, cooking, and while doing other tasks where I can listen comfortably. In this way I read about a book, sometimes two a week. Here are some recommendations for finding free audio books:
1. www.fenopy.com has a huge listing of books that has been converted to audio form. Just be on the look out for poor quality recordings, some of them sounding like they were recorded by an ancient 1960's device. I'm picturing a device with a big horn and spinning tapes, perhaps called a "Recordolator Deluxe 201." You can usually tell the quality of the recording by looking at the size of the files. If it is a large book and the file is only 40MB that is usually a sign of the Recordolator Deluxe 201's dirty work. Look for the bigger files, I downloaded "Think and Grow Rich" and it came to about 800Mb. A little excessive perhaps but the sound quality is brilliant.
2. www.youtube.com has many videos. But you know that. However you can get all those lovely youtube vids into MP3 format to put on your MP3/4/10 player. Go to www.download.com and download the youtube to MP3 converter, slap that little rascal onto your computer and away you go! Another cool program from www.download.com is the youtube downloader, where you can download vids directly onto your computer for offline viewings.
3. Google for the torrent! This one seems like common sense as I'm sure you, like the rest of the developed world are a Google addict. Who actually uses Yahoo anyway? I've certainly never heard "Hey dude, just go and Yahoo it!" There are a few things to watch out for when googling for the torrent. Be specific with your search and only open up sites you're familiar with. A few I'd recommend would be www.isohunt.com, www.mininova.org and www.btjunkie.org. When I say be specific I find the best format for your search phrase to look like: book's name + author's name + audio book + torrent.
4. www.torrent-finder.com is a torrent search engine. If you can find where to search amongst the ads for getting ripped, playing virtual strip poker and vitamins you are doing well. When searches are returned to you scroll down to the bottom, as results at the top are rubbish that leads to further ads. Unless you have a thing for ads that is, than feel free to click away!
I hope that was helpful! I realize some of people may still not be familiar with the idea of torrenting so if you have any further questions or added suggestions leave a comment below!
That'll be all for today!
Ou.yang. ^_^
Friday, October 2, 2009
Creativity is like an orange.
Ah, the first blog post. I'm rather excited. Short sentences are fun.
This and my guitar shall serve as my two creative outputs. We all need creativity in our lives right? How do you express your creative self? How often do you do so?
Creativity is like an orange. What would you compare creativity to?
And silence on the questions. You may simply read for now, I shall not engage you for a few more paragraphs at least.
Something I have been trying to do is to enjoy eating. Not just enjoy eating but to ENJOY eating. To realize I'm eating and to eat the experience, not just the food. Now that is tasty stuff. But what does this all mean? Next time you are eating I invite you to take part in an experiment, one of focus and enjoyment. Instead of thinking what you have to do in 15 minutes, tomorrow or 10 years from now think and focus on your food: the flavours, the feel of the food in your mouth, chewing, the smells, the aftertastes, the feel of your hands (chopsticks, fork, spoon, etc.) on the food and where what you are consuming came from, etc.
That is a flavourful experience. It can make the experience of eating a plain white bowl of rice similar to that of eating a slice of rich chocolate cake.
So the other day Xiao Feng (XF) and I went out on a mission to find me alternative kinds of work. I had but two demands:
- To be able to speak Chinese on the job
- To make a higher salary than teaching English
Great start. We exchanged info, smiles and I went to buy a celebratory 1 yuan (15 cent) yogurt raisin ice cream. I didn't have time or focus to really eat the ice cream but it was still up to par as far as rushed celebratory ice creams go.
We jumped back on the same bus to return home. 10 stops and a ride by the ocean later we arrived home. It was hot. I was covered in sweat and couldn't wait for the elevator to hit the ninth floor so I could rip off my clothing and stamp around.
30 minutes later and with my clothing clothed on, stamps stamped out and a lunch lunched we were back out on the open road.
XF and I arrived at the next place called "Top Teen Models." Luckily I had just turned 16* and was still applicable. We opened the door and walked to the counter where we were greeted. Three young Chinese male models sitting on the couch behind us said tauntingly in Chinese "Hey, how tall are you?" and broke out laughing. I was too confused to be offended.
I had to walk on the catwalk to bouncy catwalk music and not crack a smile. That was successful.
I then pulled out my photos, gave an introduction of myself and my past experience and finally graced them with my contact info, including QQ** number.
And, at that XF and I had conquered the two largest agencies in Xiamen. Next we will do battle with the world of translating.
Mmm, ah... and now we are of sufficient length for a first post.
Ou.yang.
Notes:
*I am not 16, but 24. Top Teen Models isn't exclusive to only teens. As they say "As long as you are teen at heart!***"
** QQ is the MSN of China. Ask any Chinese and they'll tell you.
*** So they don't actually say that. Leia Mais…