Through the tangled thread the needle finds a way

Saturday is my second favorite day of the week. Mainly because I love sitting in the caf watching infomercials while I eat a salad/ PB&J because they don't like to cook real foods on Saturdays. But also because my parents instilled the Saturday-is-the-day-we-get-ready-for-Sunday habits in me. Saturday is the only day of the week when my room is clean, organized, vacuumed, etc. And it is a peaceful feeling. Granted, come tomorrow morning (as I try to find an outfit for church) the room will resume it's normal state--looking like a hurricane hit, almost literally. So I enjoy it while I can. I also like pretending that I have errands to run. It is like playing house, except less fun. I went to the library...I...well okay that was the only 'errand' I had today. But you better believe I got it done. And I did a good job of it, too.

Lakoi and I went to Ala Moana today. Ala Moana is shopping on steroids. I think the stores there are more expensive then those on Champs-Élysées. I honestly never really was aware of so many Asians, but they certainly flock there, spending all their U.S. dollars [play money] on Miu Miu, Hermès, Prada, Kate Spade, and other stores that I've only read about in books. Lakoi and I decided it'd be fun to just walk through some of them, with our obviously dirt cheap clothes and lowly Pac Sun bags. Don't worry, we were literally followed by security guards in every store. Some were more discreet than others, but it happened. I almost wished that I were ridiculously rich and had hundreds to spend on something, just to prove a point. Remember when I thought $30 was a lot to spend on a shirt? Welcome to a land where semi-unattractive dresses like this one cost over $400. Really? I just don't understand. And I probably will never understand. I am genuinely proud when I find a $3 shirt on the sale rack at Forever 21. I hope I will stay that way.


I miss my momma. She has the flu. Since I can't bring her breakfast in bed, I just mail her Mauna Loa chocolates, which probably do not help.


Last night we threw a surprise party for Hailey. First, a bit about Hailey. She's the oldest member of the Gardiner Sisters. I'd never heard of them, but they have met the Jonas Brothers and are producing with a real company that also produced songs for someone famous [that I cannot name, which further proves my point] and are therefore legit. Check them out before they get really really famous!

Anyway. It was Hailey's birthday yesterday so we threw a surprise party, complete with lame attempts at distracting ["Come help me take this stuff to the dumpster"] and pathetic excuses for getting her there ["I have to go give something to my friend...I can't remember her name"].




This is Hailey, after she got a cupcake shoved in her face.


victim//attacker



We even had a Hannah Montana piñata. How much more official can a party be?



Me and ol' Double D. And Trinity. Goodness...



Lastly, but most certainly not least, this is Tom. He is from Vietnam. He speaks Vietnamese, Finnish (FINNISH!!!), and English. He served his mission in Georgia, so no, he didn't learn mission Finnish. He just learned it. One of the hardest languages in the world. He's one of those people that I genuinely enjoy talking to. He's so intelligent. He listens to books on his iPod. Like, how to be more effective in getting things done and the dichotomy of English literature. Things that a lot of native English speakers and most Americans can't even understand. And this is his third language. He knows lots about chemistry, biology, how things work, and about the gospel. He devotes lots of time to learning and knowledge. I think that is so cool! I honestly can't say that I spend free time researching things that interest me. But after spending hours talking to him and reading this I feel eager to peruse knowledge and use that knowledge to develop wisdom.

[Title from I'm Asking Her to Stay by Sherwood]

You can't deny so just tell me why

This is Double D. (uhh..yeah, I know.) He is from Vietnam. His claim to fame is being yellow and being a good singer, and repeatedly using the catchphrase "crazy or what?"



This is Brad. He is from California. He's really good at pretending to be gay and singing N'SYNC.





This is Ben. He is from England and therefore has an accent. It's hard to understand him when he mumbles. This coat is popular in England, and this is what a typical English man would look like while watching a proper football match (translation: legit soccer game).

The four of us spend time driving around singing boy band songs (mostly from the 90's) and wreaking general havoc around the island.


This is from when I got to go shopping with them. Which equated to me telling them what would look good on them and convincing them not to buy ugly things. Boys really aren't good at that.





Then Brad decided that he had to ruin the fun by going home for two weeks. We were lucky enough to be allowed to drive him to the airport.




I really don't understand what they were all torn up about. None of us like each other that much anyway.

[Title from It's Gonna Be Me by N'SYNC]

dear men,

if you are married, keep a ring on your finger and do not flirt with eighteen year olds.


especially if you have a child.

even if they live in another country.

there are so many of you in my life.

please stop.


thanks.

sincerly,
bridian

We can dance until we die

I rearranged my furniture again today. That makes the third time since I moved into this dorm...which was four weeks ago. I don't know why I've done it so often, it just has become a regular activity. I've also gotten to know my room mate a little bit better. I really really like her. She reminds me of a Disney character, but I'm not quite sure which one.

I think there's a lot of Yzma in her--


Don't get me wrong; she is neither evil nor old and wrinkly. She just is very animated. She talks very lively with lots of interjections, and the face in above picture is a face she has mastered. Maybe one day I will get it on camera. I don't know if that will ever be possible, but I would probably print it out and hang it up. It is a very endearing face. And for the record, she's also gotten down these two faces:





(the one on the left).

When I'm not analyzing my room mate/comparing her to Disney characters I'm usually at work. Work has been interesting lately. A few days I was waiting on a really friendly table. They got up and returned a few minutes with a baby kitten that they graciously placed in my care. I'm assuming (or maybe hoping) that they found it at the PCC and were just trying to find a home for it. I do not know. Anyway. I brought the cat home and gave it to Keri who found an anonymous home for it (since we've all gotten called into the housing office for illegally hosting animals, some of them unbeknown to us...)

I also got another tip the other day. Yes, tipping is generally a common thing among waitressing, but I am not technically a waitress and therefore I am not allowed to keep tips. Anyway. It's really sweet of people to do so. Especially since they know we're all college kids. I had two ladies give me a twenty once. They remembered what it was like to be in college and they were really generous. It's not really about the money for me. It's just nice to have people be thoughtful and thankful and it really does make my day.

Today there was a couple that came in long after the show had ended to get some food (a really rare occurrence). They were seated at a table near my area. Well, the wife was sitting. The husband was standing, holding a baby. After about twenty minutes of cleaning and discreetly observing, I decided that I would go offer my help. I asked him if he wanted help, thinking that maybe I could get him a plate of food or something. He brightened, and said "Oh, you want to hold her?", offering the small child to me. I shrugged and said sure. Then the wife jumped in. She looked down and in a soft, firm voice, said "You already ate." The guy literally paled. He muttered that he was still hungry. The wife gave him a death glare and then said that she would take the baby while he got food. He went up to where the food was and took a dessert plate and went over to the huge table of Polynesian food. I offered him a normal sized dinner plate. He sort of gave me a sheepish look and told me he only wanted one piece of chicken. It was really odd. I left them alone for the rest of the time they were there, but heard some heated conversation. Yikes.

On a lighter note, my friend got in trouble today for turning on the fire hydrant to retaliate in the ongoing water battle. Yes. The fire hydrant. I mean yes, that's weird that he would think to turn on the fire hydrant. But the fact that it's there, accessible, and the fact that he with his bare hands could turn it off and on...I dunno. The whole situation made me cry laughing. Remembering it makes me laugh.

Some other things I've been laughing at lately? Judy Grimes. My goal in life is to be able to keep a straight face the way she does. (Also Seth Meyers is in this clip, and I think he and I would be good friends.) Kristen Wig is pretty great. She does the so excited skits that Lys and I used to die laughing at. Oh how I miss alyssa.

Anyway. Catalog Living is also pretty funny. I think so anyway. But then again, I suppose I'm just a bored college kid.

Keri and I went to Chinaman's Hat a few days ago. We got picked up by a creeper. We actually knew this creeper, but he was driving a kidnapper van. He was our friend, but anyone can be a creeper if they grow a beard.








[Title from Teenage Dream by Katy Perry]

Sweet dream or a beautiful nightmare

"Hope is what we cling to when reality has left us nothing else"
-Malkovich

I hate hoping. Hope makes you vulnerable.

Either this will work out, or it won't.

I will know by tomorrow.

[Title from Sweet Dreams by Beyoncé.]

Keep it so cool like me

Here are some other things:

These are my babies. And they are currently in the Ukraine. I miss them. And I am envious.








My mum took this picture while we were waiting for the rental car. Looking at this picture makes me think that I didn't really bring a lot of stuff to college. But looking around my little room overflowing with 'stuff' makes me think otherwise.

Speaking of my mum...





This is one of my favorite pictures of us. This one's a close second:



Which brings me to another few favorites:



I don't think I've ever been so excited to be Trick-or-Treating in my life. Here's why:



Just a shout out to another one of my very favorite people in life. Her name is so appropriately Joy, which is always what I feel around her.



This chick is another one of my idols:


And here is a little boy that I LOVE (okay that did sound really pedophile-ish, I will admit). You may know him...his name is Micheal Jackson.



I also miss this one quite a bit:


And I dearly miss having this one be a phone call/text message away:



[Title from Zero by Varsity Fanclub]

Living in the kingdom of the good and true

It’s been raining off and on all day but I decided to risk it and go to the beach with a friend. As we were laying there talking it started raining. Normally I would have freaked out and ran for shelter, but he wasn’t moving so neither was I. We just sat there and let it rain on us. It was a nice thing. Hawaii is teaching me to be less particular; less uptight.

 

Today I wanted to get a picture of something and all I had was my phone. I went to transfer the picture from my phone to my computer and I found all sorts of precious gems, which led me to compile a list of “You Know You’re at BYU-Hawaii When…”, complete with pictures. Enjoy :)

                                                                            

You know you’re at BYU-H when the devotional musical number is a boy playing Come Thou Fount on the steel drums. It was a confusing combination of churchy and beachy.

 

 

When they have so much confusion about the Fourth of July that they have to create workshops explaining what the holiday even is. I do not mean this in a condescending way at all—I think it’s so cool that we have people that aren’t obsessed with America!

 

 

 

 

When you see rainbows every day, and on good days you see double rainbows! (look closely) When Beatrice Foong’s boyfriend tapes paper flowers to the wall outside our hale. That is one lucky girl. Seriously.

                                                                               

When you can’t get out of your room because the maintenance men have trapped you in. I guess along with this I could tell the multiple stories of times when they forget to announce their presence in the hale and have walked in on friends in their underwear, towels, and other revealing attire.

When this getup is not only acceptable, but popular. 70’s? Are these my legs or my father’s? I’m pretty sure with some effort I could find an identical from my dad’s Hawaiian days…

 

 

 

When bus rides aren’t boring because they’re scenic and you meet interesting people.

 

 

 

[Title from Is It Any Wonder by Keane]

It takes more than a wink and more than a drink and more than you think

Well it's official. I have my first boyfriend. He is five years old, and no I am not a pedophile. He is from England and we met at the PCC. He gave me this flower as a token of his affection.



Of course, every time I came to his table he put his head down and got shy and quiet. And of course his seven year old brother mocked him and yelled "HE FANCIES YOU" and "HE WANTS A KISS" every time he saw me. I'm pretty sure I was blushing. It was probably one of the best nights I've had at work yet.

[Title from If You Can Afford Me by Katy Perry]

Content like a panda bear

Yesterday was an adventure. It started off as a good day. Actually the whole day was good, so I suppose I should say it started off as productive. I got up early and went to the gym completely on my own will, which is something I do often. I wish that were true. The Asian called me 14 times until I woke up and forced me to go with him to the gym. I was up early enough for breakfast (also a rare occasion...breakfast ends at ten, mind you) where I ran into my roommate. It was the first time I've ever seen her outside the room, EVER. It was odd. We had our first actual conversation, and it was just the general get-to-know-you stuff. Yes, we have been living together for almost two months now and no, we did not find this necessary before now.
I checked my mail (2 new packages! Yes!) and then went back to my room and finished watching a scary movie that I was too chicken to finish the night before. Then this freak called me



and asked if I wanted to go to Kaneohe with her and shop for her friend's birthday present. Of course I did. And of course, we took thousands of myspace-style pictures.



We're pretty pro at getting creepers to look and pretend they're part of the picture. We're so good at it that we don't even have to ask them. They just do it on their own.



This one is for my parents, who undoubtedly love and miss my muppet face.



Apparently this is how people "smile" in the Cook Islands where she's from.

On the bus ride home we met a precious gem named Bryson, Mason, or Tom. He proudly announced that he'd drunk a bottle of vodka before getting on the bus and kissed each of us on the cheek. He then proceeded to explain that the cast on his arm was because he'd whacked somebody. He wanted to share Lauran's iPod and of course she obliged, because she is a kind soul. She was also nice enough to share her phone number with him and throughout the remainder of the day and well into the night she received an abundance of thoughtful, drunk calls and texts.

Last night there was a Summer Bash at The Club. Oh how I wish that meant there was something going on that was exciting. It means that the caf decided to hire a three person band of forty year old men with British accents and have a watermelon eating contest. Lakoi and I decided to spice it up by accidentally dousing each other/people around us with water, then sprite, then pink lemonade (pink lemonade DOES sting when it gets in your eyes, for the record). I promise, it started as an accident.



[Title from Panda Bear by Owl City]

I'll swim the ocean for you

The dorms here are really, really, really small. As in my-bedroom-was-bigger-and-it-wasn't-shared-with-a-roommate small. Therefore, we have to get pretty creative with the way the furniture is arranged. I think Keri succeeded at arranging her room most creatively.



We put one bed on top of the closets and the other bed on top of the night stands. It made some really cool imitation bunk beds, but it also brought hatred/anger from the RA's who always try to punish us for having fun.



When we're not tormenting the RA's, Keri and I like to make music videos and ride our bikes/longboards to the beach in formal attire.




Getting mail/packages is always fun, especially when you have a nice guy friend who likes to take creative liberties with your name, like Bridian "Crazy" Mortensen, or Bridian Dorkensen.





In other news, Netflix has become my new best friend.


[Title from Kelsey by Metrostation]

All the feelings that our hearts find will be just what we expect

I'm learning things about people. Good things, bad things, and things that my mom has been telling me all along. I'm learning things I'm doing wrong, things I'm doing right, and things I'm not doing at all. I think I may be growing up a little bit. I am not sure how I feel about it. Sometimes I want to just stay young and immature. But sometimes being mature and responsible is cool...mostly only when it's easy.




This is Luisa. She is really, really cool. I enjoy being around her and listening to her accent and trying to copy her mannerisms and confidence. She makes me want to be a better person. I like that. When I am around her, I am content with myself. That is a good thing.

I am worried. And excited. And very very nervous. I hope things turn out the way I want. But they probably will not. So I hope that I will be happy with whatever happens. Ahhhh.



I could use a good sunburn.

[Title from Savannah by Relient K]