What I Look for in a Guy

Well, obviously most things girls look for in a man doesn't come in one package (this is not me telling you that you should support polygamy! NO!). What I'm saying is that romanticism is making girls want everything in a guy, the looks, the brains, the muscle, the talent, and everything else you can think of that a guy would need. It's becoming hard to see the guys we see in our everyday lives as someone datable, unless of course we have a crush on someone or if you're already in a happy relationship. Although you have to admit, because of movies, our standards in guys have gone way up... or is it thanks to movies we realize that we have high standards?

I guess I have high standards for guys? I means after all the books I've read, average Joe's sound so... well average, although sometimes boring is a whole kind of fun on it's own. So here is what I do/potentially look for in guys:

1. Eyes! Nice eyes, mostly light eyes. I guess cause my eyes are so blah, I like to see color is people's eyes (I especially have a thing for blue eyes). But I've also like brown eyes, I guess I would say warm eyes, like when you look into the person's eyes you don't feel like they are trying to burn your soul, but that they care and they are approachable (I hope that's how my eyes seem to people). So generally blue eyes come with light hair, and I'm more for dark hair actually (although I keep falling for blonds... so is my heart and mind contradicting each other? Maybe). The one condition with hair is that the guy should know how to style his hair.
   
2. Height, I look for guys who are taller than me, cause I like the whole resting my head on your shoulder thing, it's really cute to see, and yes it is super comfy too :D Although it's kinda of hard to put your head on a giant... Ideally I would want someone to be about a head (yes it is now a unit of measurement) taller than me. And yes, by this it means that they can put their head on my head (so adorable)
    
3.  Someone who knows how to cook. I like to cook and bake and I think it would be cute to have little stay at home and cook dates, and it would be cool to learn how to cook new things from different cultures, or even from my own (since I don't know how to make that many traditional Chinese dishes).
   
4. I also look for smart guys, cause I would like to have a conversation with the guy. Even if we don't always share the same opinions, it's nice to have someone you could discuss things with, and of course help you study when you need help (like friends!). But even if he is smart, I don't want to feel like an idiot around him. So this is a good time to say that I also look for guys who are
   
5. Humble. I find it really cute when guys are humble, and not fake humble to get attention, but someone who genuinely thinks that he isn't better than everyone else on Earth, cause a cocky guy is never attractive. Although sometimes a little cockiness is cute :) Although shy guys are also really cute at times... Haha, this sounds like I look for guys that have multiple personalities :P. A guy with personality would be a way to put it I guess
   
6. I also look for someone who understands responsibility, so play is play but work is work. I know a lot of people who spend a lot of time in their relationships, but they forget about school and work. I want someone who knows how to balance relationship, works, school and a social life. and maybe help be organize my life a little too :P
   
7. I also look for guys that are patient, cause I'm not :P I'm pretty short tempered, so I would be super nice to have someone who is able to keep me grounded
   
8. I would also want a cuddler :) I like to hug, it relaxes me and it gives me that little tingle of joy on the inside. Although any guy I date would have to be adverse to major PDA, cause it's not comfortable to me, or for anyone around us.
   
9. A friend, I want to feel comfortable around the guy I would date. I want to feel like I could tell him anything and he could do the same in return. I don't have to list trust on the list cause we're supposed to trust our friends (if you don't, you should probably be looking for new friends). I don't want the relationship to be just about being in a relationship, I want it to have content and fun and just times where you're with the person and time seems to fly and before you realize it the day is gone.

So it sounds like I'm writing a profile on a date site... that is now what I was going for :P  This idea actually came about when I was doing a social interactions study and this was one of the questions I had to answer, and since I was on the spot, my answer was pretty lame, so I kept thinking about it, and this is the list I cam up with... Is it a little too much to ask for? Maybe. Is it possible to find a guy with all these traits? Maybe, a little more on the probably not side, but hey, it's possible :P Or a girl can always wish

-J

Who Should Make the First Move?

Hey guys!

So I've noticed this popping up a lot lately, but a lot of my friends think that guys should make the first move. And I've also noticed that we put a lot of importance into gender roles, but all we ever really study when it comes to that is how females were treated unfairly. And yes, I know we have been and we continue to be treated unfairly, but that doesn't mean that men have to be the bad guys or that they have to be a certain way. I mean isn't the point of gender equality to be that both sexes are treated the same way and that there shouldn't be role the guy or girl has to do? And I'll admit, I think some things are more male orientated, and I wouldn't a gentleman, but just cause the guy is a guy doesn't mean he has to be a certain way.

So we all live in a world where ideally the guy will ask the girl out, but we are in a world where females are strong and independent. Do we really need the guy to make the first move? Yes, rejection can hurt and it's hard cause we need a lot of confidence to do it, but come on, guys go through the same things we do. Just because they are guys doesn't mean that they have all the confidence in the world. They are as afraid of rejection as we are, when it comes down to it, we are all human, which means that we are subject to the same emotions and a lot of the same personal and mental problems we face from day to day. A guy can be shy or confident just like any girl can be and vice versa. The guy also gos through questions like "what if she's no into me?" "what if I look like an idiot?" and a lot of other questions that we ask ourselves too. And you might think that guys don't care as much as we do when it comes to crushing on girls, but they do, and they also talk to their friends about it like we do. Just because they are guys doesn't make them any different, other than the fact that they think they have to at cool about it.

At the end of the day we all have our set of insecurities and being of one gender or another really doesn't mean you have to be a certain way. We should be looked at in equal ways in a lot of regards and that is no different with things when it comes to liking someone. Everything we girls go through, guys go through it too, we express it in different ways, but it doesn't mean it's not happening.

Sorry guys, I just had to get that off my chest because it's been bugging me a little that people think that being a guy means that they have to "grow a pair" and do certain things, cause at the end of the day we can also grow a pair and get something done if we really wanted to.

-J

Healthy Body Image

Hey Guys,

I actually have a few things I want to rant about today, but out of all the things, I think I want to talk about body image. Now I think I've already posted about this before... I'm not 100% sure, but I find it's something that we all have to be aware of.

Looking healthy and being skinny are two different things, but I've realized that a lot of people think that the two things are the same. In no way are they the same. Yes, looking healthy means that you would not be a puff ball walking around the street (no one is a puff ball walking around the street). But it doesn't mean that we all have to fit into size 0 pants and wear XS tops. Looking healthy means to look human, not to look like something that would snap as soon as the wind blows, leave that to branches. To look healthy means to have meat on you and to have some muscle tone. The average pant size in Canada is an 8, and ironically that is the size that I would want to cut down to at the moment (I just Googled the size, I actually though the average was a 6 or something) and it is 34 for men (I don't know what the equivalent is for women).

To be healthy, you don't have to look like the girls/guys on thinspiration memes or the people in advertisements. Now notice I put girl/guy, because yes, boys have this problem too. We have to stop thinking about people being obsessed with weight and looks as just a problem that females have. But yes, we have to learn how to differentiate healthy and thin.

I remember that when I was in high school, all the girls wanted to be a size 0, and of course most of the popular girls were super thin. But a lot of them were unhealthy, a lot of them wouldn't eat at all during the day. But not eating is not what I would call healthy, in fact it is the complete opposite. To be healthy means to lead a balanced lifestyle. You don't starve yourself over eat and then vomit it all out, you just have to learn portion control and have some will power and now binge eat. Starvation of bulimia is never the answer, and it should never be.

Now why bring this random topic up? Well one of my friends thinks that she should be thin to be able to look healthy and to be pretty. And it is so wrong, she looks at pictures of thin girls all day and then memes that have a really skinny girl with the caption "Still want that bag of chips?" I'm sorry, but that is now how you inspire yourself to be healthy, that is how you get yourself to think that you should be anorexic or bulimic. My friend is not fat, she is healthy body weight and she has a lot of strength. she doesn't eat healthy, but that's another story. To her, she has to look like the girls we see in the thinspiration adds before she is happy with the way she looks. And in her past, she has had symptoms that are related to anorexia and bulimia, she would either starve herself or she would eat and then vomit it all out, and yes she lost weight, but once she stopped, she gained weight again. She knows that that is not what she should be doing to loose the weight, and she is going to the gym instead (which is a good thing). I'm not discouraging her whole get healthy plan, but her reasons are not the right reasons.

She wants to look "healthy" because she wants guys to notice her, she wants her boyfriends to not feel ashamed of her (but they don't! and if they do, she shouldn't be with them in the first place!). Basically she is doing it so that she will look good. And I don't think that is the reason why any one should be trying to lose weight. If you want to lose weight, it should be for yourself, not for a guy or cause someone thinks you're fat. We should all be comfortable in our own skin (even though we aren't all comfortable).

I'm not thin, I'm nowhere near it actually, and I'm not what people would consider a healthy size either. I'm fat, and I know it, and I used to be very uncomfortable with it. It would bug me because a lot of my family members would point it out, and not so nicely either. But I've learned to deal with it. Yes I still wish I was skinny and looked amazing in everything I wear, but genetics play a factor in the way we look too, we can't all achieve the same muscle tone, and we don't all have an amazing metabolism. I've learned to be comfortable in my skin (well, more comfortable than before) and to make healthy lifestyle decisions, like taking the stairs when ever I can or choosing a healthier food over something unhealthy.

And calories are not the only thing we should be looking out for! I know they are a big part of weight gain and loss, but we also have to look out for carbs, proteins, trans/saturated/unsaturated fats and everything else, because something high in protein and complex carbs is better than something with with little calories, but with a lot of simple carbs. Learn how to look at the daily nutrition guide on food packages and learn how many calories you should be in taking for your age/gender/height, not everyone is the same and we all have different demands.

Finally, here are a few tips on how to have healthier lifestyle:

• Drink more water, don't go for carbonated drinks because they are high in calories and sugars. If you don't like water, try lemon water or 100% organic juices (I don't suggest flavored water because it is artificial flavor).
  
• "Eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince and supper like a beggar." I agree with this because all the food you eat at breakfast will be used during the day to perform your daily functions. in fact, if you don't eat breakfast, you are more likely to intake more food during the day.
  
• Eat nuts and fruits as snacks. Nuts are supposed to keep you full and plus, they are packed with energy, proteins, vitamins and minerals. Fruits are also packed with vitamins and energy, they also have sugars to give you a boost in energy. Or if you can always go for a small salad.
  
• Try to get exercise into your schedule whenever you can. If you have time to go to the gym, go at least 3 times a week. If you don't have time, take the stairs whenever you can (if you got o McGill climb the hill everyday!), when you're studying stand and do some simple stretches while you're studying. During your study break, do some jumping jacks, or jog in place for a little bit. Just don't sit around all day.
  
• Don't eat at least 2 hours prior to going to bed, we don't do much in terms of calorie burning while we sleep (although fun fact: we burn more calories sleeping than we do watching TV). If you're hungry at night, drink a glass of milk, it will keep you full because it takes time to digest, and it's packed full of protein!

Now I'm not a pro at being healthy, but those are my suggestions. If you guys have any suggestions, let me know :)

Good luck on trying to lead a healthier lifestyle!

-J

New York Trip 2013

Hey guys!

I just came back from my NYC trip last night, and let me tell you that OMFG, it was the best new York trip I remember ever having. We went with my schools Chinese society and let me just say that it was an amazing event planned by students. I'm super happy about the trip because we got to do everything we planned to do and more! I went on this trip with ST, Y, a friend that I will call LN, another ML and two of LN's friends. Yes, seven girls in New york city hoping to make their dreams (a nice stress free weekend) come true. Here's a break down of what we did each day:

Day 1
Well actually this vacation could have started out a little more smooth, since ST and I got up about an hour late. But we got there in time and we did board the bus! The trip there was boring, basically, everyone on the bus could fall asleep but me :( But when we got to NYC, the fun started, we got dropped off at Times Square and then we started out walk downtown, we walked to Strand (a new, used and rare bookstore), then headed down to SOHO for a bit of shopping and then we headed to Chinatown where we got little nicknacks, jewelry and some pastries. We then headed over to little Italy where we ate at an Italian restaurant with live music and then went across the street to have cannolies and we took the subway back to Times Square and took a shuttle bus back to our hotel.

Day 2
We started the day my taking the bus into NY and got dropped off at Grand Central station, from there we took the subway to Union Square and walked to IHOP where we all stuffed our faces with food and then we took the subway back to Times Square. We then split up, LN's two friends went to the MoMA and the rest of us went to Madame Tussauds. Then we met up again and we lined up at tkts to get Broadway tickets. We were having trouble deciding what show to go watch when the guy working there announced that they had tickets to the opening night of Cinderella, and the tickets were half price! so we all obviously got tickets to that. After getting the tickets, we split up again, and we went to different places around Times, then we all met up at the Theater where the show was going to be at. There was a "red carpet" in front where there were celebrities coming in to watch the show. We saw Anna Sophia form the Carrie Diaries and then some of us went to the washroom before the show, the ones that stayed behind saw Laurie Metcalf (Sheldon Cooper's mom on The Big Bang Theory). The show was amazing, it was a somewhat modern version of Cinderella where she is a strong independent woman who is doing what she believes in. The show itself was amazing, the performers were incredibly talented and the costume changed in the show were amazing! It was done right before your eyes in the blink of an eye. Nothing covering the performer. The costume legit changed in front of your eyes, from her normal beat up clothes to an amazing white and later on gold dress. It was an amazing experience and on top of it all, it was something that we could all experience in a school trip. We were in the same theater as Anna Sophia (Carrie Diaries), Regis Philbin, Megan Hilty (Smash) and a bunch of other celebs while watching the show!
After the show we went to go wait by the stage door hoping to get autographs from the members of the cast and we waited outside for an hour and got a few autographs, but then we got to go inside! We got to go on stage where the magic happened, it was truly something amazing, we got to stand on a Broadway stage! How many times does that ever happen? Well unless you are crazy talented, NEVER!! It was truly a night to remember and isn't it ironic that the unforgettable, magical night happened while we watched Cinderella? And all before the stroke of midnight :P

Day 3
On the last day we went to Woodbury Premium Outlets and we did a lot of shopping. Some stores had amazing deals, like Coach, who had 50% off all handbags and clearance items. How do you say no to that?! After 6 hours of shopping, we headed back to MTL on a long bus ride home.



Now I'm not going to pretend that this trip didn't have it's ups and downs, but it was an overall amazing trip with friends in the big apple. It was also an amazing time to get away from everything and turn off my phone and just have a good time. I would definitely do this again next year if the trip is offered again.

I spent a lot of money on this trip, but I actually didn't come home with a lot of stuff for myself like the last time I went. Here's list of my hull:

For me:

• white chocolate Reese's
• Kinder maxi bars
• a trench coat from Kelvin Clein
• Little woman, Wuthering Heights and Warm bodies
• Nars blush in Orgasm
• Coach wallet

For family and friends:

• Nike tshirts
• One Piece tshirt
• plain solid colored tshirts
• men's wallet
• Adidas jacket
• giant Reese's bad
• white chocolate Reece's
• Kinder mixed chocolate bag
• Coach Purse
• pastries
• bracelet

And of course, money was spend on food, the Broadway show and Madame Tussaud's. Hopefully this spring break continues to be an good one :)

-J