The Simple Things

"brittainy, I know my face is blank and emotionless from my job, but inside I am like a warm mug of hot chocolate with pumpkin pie on the side with plenty of whipped cream." -Ben Thompson

I spend 20 hours a week working a job on campus that forces me to work on a computer. While I am grateful for the job, it at many moments becomes extremely redundant and let's face it- boring. I listen to music, books, and youtube videos to help the time pass. 

If that doesn't keep me entertained then there is gchatting with Ben. Ben could possibly be one of the coolest kids around. 

Thanks gmail for creating an easy way to instant message. You make my on campus job easier to get through. And Ben. Ben makes it easier too. 

Yes. Yes. Yes. Ok. Come here.

"Do not dwell in the past, do not dream of the future, concentrate the mind on the present moment."

-Buddha

Thailand was nothing like I expected but everything I could have asked for. From the people I got to know to the new experiences that I had. I left a different person than when I went. Words can tell how grateful I am that I got to have this experience. On a much lighter note, here are the top 50 things I learned during my adventure 

50. White rice tastes better with soy sauce if being consumed three times a day.
49. Always ask to turn the meter on in Bangkok taxis. (Quickly leave if driver is non-compliant)
48. Same same can always mean different.
47. Squatter toilets are difficult to use.
46. Toilet paper is not typically used in Thailand.
45. Koy Soy is alloy mak.
44. If a Thai claims it is not spicy then it is.

43. Who John Denver is.
42. Just because someone speaks English, doesn't mean they are speaking the same language.
41. Never pet a wild monkey.
40. Don't cliff dive in low tide.
39. The meaning of "cheeky"
38. 15 people fit into the back of any truck

37. How to count to 10 in Thai
36. Don't point your feet at Buddha
35. The King's color is yellow.
34. There is a man in the Chaing Rai LDS church who has a broken brain.
33. Never take the night bus from Bangkok to Krabi.
32. There is a bathroom on the bus thought by the way.

31. Ostriches are stronger than they look.
30. Crickets taste like popcorn- with legs
29. The people movers in BKK don't take lightly to being used in the wrong direction.
28. "Wheely" bags are not backpacker friendly.
27. How to find the best hostels in Northern Thailand.
26. You can't touch monks
25. I love Koy Soy
24. How to dehead a fish
23. I love iMessaging
22. You can be a Mormon in Thailand
21. I'm not the best at balancing motorbikes. (Sorry Sarah)
20. Thai is a tonal language therefore "Ba" has multiple meanings. (throw, forest, uncle, dad, & creepy old man.)
19. How to dance in the night market in Chiang Rai
18. I became a better bargainer.
17. If a Thai won't do it, you shouldn't either
16. Sleeping wrapped in mosquito nets defeats their purpose
15. I will never enjoy having to use a squatter.
14. How to say "I love to walk my dog" in French.
13. Sunya is a sweetheart that loves him some white girls.
12. 18:35 in military time is actually 6:35 pm.
11. Market fruit smoothies are the best
10. There is a distinct difference between a local market and a tourist market.

 9. Jet lag is my worst enemy
 8. Bangkok is sketchy
 7. Never trust Kris to hold a Thai man's hand.
 6. Teenage boys are teenage boys, monks or no monks
 5. Things can the same same, but different
 4. I love my family
 3. The world is a big place
 2. I'm extremely grateful for the gospel
 1. I can do hard things.

Apple

I'll admit it. I'm all about a good apple product. I've had an iphone since the orginally. I've always upgraded with no hesitation. So what about the new Iphone?

It's as the Thais would say "Same same but different." To be honest I haven't even heard a ton about it. I'm focusing more on Adolescent Development now-a-days than I am retina displays.

I guess what I've been thinking about is what is wrong with the Iphone 4s? We always want new, better, and the best. Faster processing, more megapixels, and fascinating apps. Apple has turned me into a technology junkie.

Will I get the newer one? Probably one. One day. When my phone dies, I lose it, or I actually can afford to upgrade. Until now I'll have to deal with my outdated, but still amazing, Iphone 4.

23

When I woke up this morning I had 23 emails.

That is about 18 more than what I would have liked. The worse part is that the majority of those emails were junk emails from Groupon to Urban Outfitters they all had amazing deals to offer me.

Luckily I am able to separate my junk mail pretty well using two different email addresses. Anytime I sign up for something I use a junky one I've had since I was 12 years old. I have my "good" email address for thinsg I actually might possibly need to read.

So this reminds me of my canary post. What the heck is all this junk doing bombarding me daily? Think of all the things deleting those extra 18 emails keeps me from doing in the mornings. Little things like scripture study, prayers, and even actually blow drying my hair could all happen if only I wasn't trying to free up my inbox.

My goal for the week is to fix my inbox to be less cluttered. Thanks media blog. You are keeping me on my feet. :)

The Canary Theory

For one of my classes that I am taking I'm reading a book entitled Raising Children in a Socially Toxic Environment. While the book is a pretty big downer, it gave an analogy that I found amazingily insightful.

During the 1950's coal miners would take Canaries in a cage with them down into the mine. These canaries would sing but canaries are particularly vulnerable to toxins such as methane. If toxin levels in the mine grew to a dangerous level, the canaries would die and the miners would then know to it was no longer safe.

Besides the point that this is brilliant on the miner's part I couldn't help but understand the beauty of the analogy.

What is your canary and has it stopped singing? 

FaceTime

Post #2

I remember watching some teenage show about a girl living in the future that lived in a space station. On her space station they could video call people. I thought that was the CRAZIEST concept I had ever heard of. Mind you at the time a cell phone was as big as a brick and you were super cool if you had more than one phone line in your house.

Now I can literally use my phone to video call my parents in Arkansas or even friends in England. It is so cool that I can see the new improvements my dad made to our kitchen or my mom's latest craft project. It helps me feel more connected to those I love who are so far away. I had an assignment in which I had to interview my family and the media made it so much easy. Think about the planning I would have to use if I were to have had the same assignment 20 years ago. My procrastination problem would have made it almost impossible.

Moral of the story? Technology rocks. 

Cable TV

(Disclaimer- for those of you who read my blog regularly ((AKA- my mom & Devaun)) for one of my classes this semester I am required to blog twice a week about the media. So here it goes.)

Last year our house decided against purchasing cable because we didn't want to spend the extra cash on it. This year Devaun got a sweet deal and signed us up so watch now we can stay connected to our favorite shows. It is funny to think about how excited we are that we can watch fake people's lives unfold every Tuesday at 7:00pm but for whatever reason, the media helps us relate to different people in many ways.

So far the only time I've spent watching it was the day I moved in. We took a break from unpacking boxes to eat Slab pizza and watch Bring it On on HBO. Can you say typical single college girls or what?