Makeover, in more ways than one and secrets revealed about make-up

This is a kinda long post, but it's really important that you get all the way to the bottom... cause that's where the best part is.

Today I had the opportunity to go to the MAC store here in Washington and get a make-over. The actual make-over part was pretty fun, the lady was nice and taught me some techniques. As I looked at myself during the transformation I was in shock for two reasons:
a) It didn't look like me anymore- I mean it was, but it was starting to look more and more NOT like me and
b) I didn't realize that amount of stuff can go on one person's face.
We left the store a whole lot poorer, and with plenty of supplies to have a top class face. Here's what it looked like:

I spent the rest of the morning feeling like a rockstar but as I'd catch myself in the reflection of a mirror or something I still wouldn't recognize myself. As the day went on I felt less and less sure about my 'new look'. People said they liked it, and by the the all-knowing media's standards it looked 'great' but I just couldn't quite get past the fact that I had a bunch of stuff on my face. Now here comes the more personal part, which nonetheless I'm going to share cause it's pivotal to the story: An accidental comment from my mom later in the day pushed me over the edge. I was skyping with my sister and mother who are currently a few states away and as I was showing them what I'd bought, Kierstyn leaned over to her fiance and said "Don't worry, I won't ever drop a ton of money on make-up when we're married" and my mom said "Yeah, that's because Kierstyn looks pretty without it".

 Now by no means was that meant to insinuate anything- sometimes we just take phrases when we are feeling vulnerable and it 'speaks to us' or something. But here's the deal- it hit hard. I felt like I wasn't pretty without it, or had no hopes of being so. The 'likes' on facebook that were wracking up on the picture above weren't really helping to diminish that belief either. So, with the tears somewhat welling up in my eye-lined lids, and being the teenage girl that I am, I turned to one of my best friends. He's pretty much a no-nonsense guy when it comes to girl drama and made me come to the following realization:

Make-up, while it can enhance your look, should not be your look.

And with that I want to reveal how much work goes into looking like the me that is pictured above. They say a magician should not reveal their secrets but I think it's important to know that people don't just naturally look like magazine covers and photoshoped images (not that I'm saying I did, but, you get the point). My grandma took these originally so that I'd be able to remember what she did on how to get the look, but since I'm never going to use this much stuff on my face again, it's time to expose. He we go.. first, she started on the eyes.

For the eye shadow alone, she used about 5 different colors, paint pots, and highlighters. Then 2 liners, and mascara so we are at a total of 8 PRODUCTS.

Then she did the brow and she used a highlight and a darker color so now we are at a total of 10 PRODUCTS. 

Then she did the face. This is the most embarassing part to post, but people need to see it so... here we go. She used a primer base, then the cover up, then a mineral sheer, then a light rouge. Then she sprayed a set spray thing on... so that 4 products more. Now we are at- 14 PRODUCTS. You starting to see where I'm going? 

So after she started spreading it around I looked slightly more human, but only a bit. She added a contour line of blush and finished off with a face spray that evens out powders and whatnot so now 16 PRODUCTS.

She added a final lip color of 'Viva glam' lipstick and I was finished. With the use of about 6 different brushes and 3 baby wipes I was at a grand total of 25 VARIOUS THINGS used on my face to create the look you saw above. So after pouring over that comment from my mom a few times and talking to my ever amazing friends, I realized I shouldn't have gotten so caught up in all of this stuff. The facebook 'likes', 'comments' and messages I got about how I looked "so pretty" seemed ever so slightly superficial. I'll keep the profile picture up as a reminder but here's the bottom line.

Don't let make-up define you. I'll still use a bit of it, I still love what I got today, but never let someone put so much on you that it changes how you feel and look to such an extent that you have a major breakdown. As I scrubbed of the make-up today, and my tears mixed with my face wash I'm so grateful I had this huge realization. So, to anyone still reading this- love yourself for who you are. You can use make-up, but don't be afraid to love your face in it's naked and natural state, blemishes, glasses and all. 

Just do it.

Today I was feeling pretty good. I walked into my office and got a warm hello from the security guards as always and had the thought to do something for them. During my lunch hour I ran down to the convenience store 5 seconds from my building and bought them all oreos and milk. I ended up forgetting my wallet and had to go all the way back up, but that's not the point. Anywho- it was literally the equivalent of about $2 for all of the goods. It was slightly awkward giving it to them- we've never spoken. There is obviously a pretty large language barrier but the seemed shocked when I just randomly handed them cookies and milk cartons. I just wanted to show that the workers here actually do notice them. One guard said "Thank you very much for your kindness" and I walked to my little cubicle. I'll admit I was pushing myself a bit out of my comfort zone to do this but in the end, my advice is to just do it- just get out there and recognize the people you see everyday but end up just passing by. Anyways- that's my little 2 bits for the day.

Some confessions and a MAJOR!

This post is dedicated to my obsession for the past 3 days and an interest I've had since around the age of 11 or 12. I was a rather chubby kid.... like really.  It was a dark time.... thus now it is secretive, locked in terrible photo albums of the past. Not really, but I'm not uber quick to pull out pictures of my chub rolls when friends come over. Nevertheless, being chubby isn't the best feeling for the self-confidence radar when you're 13. I remember countless summers where I would say 'I'm going to lose the weight, and come back to school and shock everyone'.... obviously it didn't happen for a while. Finally when I was 14 though, my freshman year in Miami, I sat in my counselor's office to sign some form and noticed a pamphlet on her desk for the 'Teen's get Fit for Life' program at our local community center. I wasn't too incredibly chubby at that time but still the self-confidence thing is a big motivator for a teen. I joined and let me tell you, it's the best thing that has ever happened to me.

It's because of that program that I lost 15 pounds and then have continued to stay active in highschool through cross country, swimming, and triathlons. I'm not exactly a stick-thin chica but let me tell you something... I can probably kick your butt in push-ups, p90x, or the mile. I'm really strong for a 17 year old and I'm healthy: I work out a lot and I eat pretty well for a teenager too.  Don't get me wrong- I still struggle at times in the body I was given. Legs of steel, although strong, are not the most slender looking in the world of the media at the moment.  But just because I have the running calves of a buffalo and the broad shoulders of our dearly beloved Michael Phelps doesn't mean that I have to feel any less attractive so I try not to let it bother me too much. If nothing else, I'll probably live longer than the skinny minnies who never exercise but eat crap... that'll be my revenge.

What is all of this talk of nutrition, exercise, and a lifelong goal for fitness about? Well I decided on my major at BYU- Exercise and Wellness. Basically, from there I can become a nutritionist, personal trainer, sports trainer etc. I'm excited!!

Working and Independence- Refreshing

I've had a few thoughts on my mind this week so I thought I might just get them out through writing:

Some of you may know that I'm working this summer as an intern with USAID in Bangkok for the Embassy. I've spent the last week doing quite a few things on my own: finding my way around downtown, taking the various transportation systems places I've never been, cooking and buying my own lunches and foods, and basically just being highly independent. At work I've been compiling news sources, attending conference calls, and delivering mail. I also started another blog- fitness as my witness- which is a nutrition and exercise blog. I've been making my own fitness plans and workouts to lose a few pounds before college as well. For the first time in a while I feel like I am doing things that actually matter- The things I'm doing at work actually make a difference in the big scheme of things

I don't quite know how to explain it. I tried expressing it to Katie today as we were successfully navigating the BTS system here in Bangkok during one of the busiest times of the day. She seemed to understand it fair enough- there is just something invigorating about being able to do things on your own. It's refreshing knowing that you can survive independently if you had to.

Although I love my friends and family I admit that I don't often like relying on them for everything all the time. It's also tough for me right now when all my friends are leaving Thailand because I don't like getting sad about them leaving. I don't like how having them leave makes me miss them- as stupid and ridiculous as that sounds, I don't like 'missing' people because I can't control it. I can't do anything about them being gone and yet I find myself getting emotional about it. I don't like feeling vulnerable about it.

That being said, I'm growing up. I guess that's what this post is about.  I'm learning more and more about what I like, what I'm capable of, and what I can handle. I'm doing more and more things completely on my own and I find it to be empowering.

YAY GRADUATION!.... wait.... what?

Yes indeed, it has been exactly a week and a day since I have graduated from High School here in Thailand. To be perfectly honest with myself and any lone readers, my first week out plain and simply sucked. I said farewell to my two very best friends a week ago and all my other friends went on a Senior Trip to the beach here in Thailand. I did not attend because once again- to be blatantly honest, the fun consisted of alcoholic beverages and other things that are not quite my style. However this entire week I sat wishing for some sort of distraction or even just something to do. I watched more TV than should be humanly allowed, slept a heck-ton, and ate a bunch just cause I was bored.... The boredom food thing will be talked about in another post but anywho- onward to my thoughts on leaving the proverbial "nest".

I think I'm 99% ready to be living independently, but this week showed me that I'm not entirely 100% ready to leave Thailand. I'm a pretty good cook. I know how to clean. I'm perfectly aware of labels on clothing and how to do laundry (will I follow them.... hmm probably not so much!). Drawback include that I will sorely miss the ISB campus. The feeling of community and friendliness amongst both teachers and students, not to mention the insane list of activities that were offered here. But the hardest truth is I really and truly loved my friends here in Bangkok. Just thinking about the probability of never seeing any of them again makes me cringe. I've been so emotional thinking about it.

But hey, life goes on!! So my coping method this week was to storm the BYU website and find out about activities, gyms, classes, restaurants and all other things that it has to offer. The other thing I've been doing is tons of research on health foods and whatnot- but that's in the later post with the boredom food thing as mentioned before. Focusing on future BYU life has been a tremendous help this week. I've made lists of things to buy pre-college, things to do once I get there, and have been looking at meals I can make and places to buy food etc. For any seniors going through post High-school blues, I recommend the same thing. Maybe you don't have to go so OCD on the lists but just looking at prospective fun helps. So with that, I leave you with the three things I've learned this week.

1. Leaving friends (especially when there is a really big chance you'll never see them again) is just plain painful. Cry some, if you want... I  certainly did. Allow yourself to be sad for a few days (or a week).

2. TV and taking naps doesn't really make the problems go away. If anything you just end up feeling like a fat-lard.... I do admit that the cheesy Bachelorette show on ABC assists with a good laugh though.

3. At the end of the day (or week) you just have to get over it! It's odd how even when I'm sad or feeling like so many good things are coming to an end, I know that I should allow myself to be unhappy. I forced myself out of the lame 'meh' feelings through the BYU stuff I did online.

Graduation can be invigorating, or painful, depending on the experience. Either way, though, college is just around the corner!! :D

Got to sing with the choir at grad- "In My Life".  I had a solo at the end as well... nerves.. heckyes

                                Right before we threw our hats- I'm fifth from the  center on the right top row.

                                                                              HATS!

Mr. Duffy- will always love this Jolly English teacher

Mr. Giles- The choir teacher of all choir teachers... 2 great years singing- hopefully more to come

Colgate Tri- 2012 Sometimes you just gotta run with it....literally.

Some of you may know that I've been training for my school sponsored Colgate Triathlon for a couple months now. I've spent hours and hours swimming, biking, and running. My goal was to smash my time from the previous year and I was certainly on par to do that.

A little background knowledge- Emmanuel is one of my buds here at school and he decided that he was going to sign up for it too. It was looking like I should come out on top for both the swimming and biking parts. Before race day, I had chugged the water, ate the carbs and was pretty set for smashing my times and possibly beating E-man.
Race Morning- Woke up at 6 the day of the race, ate my eggs bacon and peanut butter- I was prepared to kick butt. Off to the pool I went to get situated.


RACE TIME-   The start went off and swimming I went. I finished the pool section full of adrenaline for the next parts. I had stayed on par with Becca (my sole competitor in the girls group) and finished about 30 seconds before E-man. Next came the biking. I sprinted out to the bikes and began pedaling faster. I passed by Melanie who was with Libby ready to cheer me on. E-man was only a couple feet behind me. I was gonna have to push it to beat him. I finished the second lap only 18 minutes into the race- I was looking GREAT. All of a sudden pedaling felt harder... E-man passed me. I was not gonna let that happen. I passed by my dad who was waiting to take pictures. He said "Come on! E-man just passed you!!" No less than 20 meters after that  I looked down......my back tire had gone completely flat. I silently hoped it would somehow fill back up. I wasn't sure what I could do- find another bike? Go back to my dad? So for the time being, I just hopped off and started running. All I could do was laugh because I found it hilarious that I had put in so much work and yet reality was sinking in that I was certainly going to lose.
        The song by "Stronger" by Kelly Clarkson came on my iPod and I chuckled as I shuffled around the lake to lyircs "what doesn't kill you makes you stronger!" Becca showed up behind me after a minute or two. She asked what she could do to help. She stayed with me for a couple seconds until I said to just go tell Melanie or my dad to find me another bike. She sped on to let them know. Well, I kept running. Little kids began passing me- and by little I mean seriously little- like 7 and 8 year olds. I turned my music up and kept shuffling. I got about a kilometer in and I see my Dad peddling down the hill on a small bike. When I say small, I mean pretty small.... His legs were flailing trying to keep up with the tiny peddles. He's yelling at me- CHANGE BIKES CHANGE ME!! So I give him the bike and hop on. the little thing. I chuckle as I notice the basket and bell attached to the front. I was going to finish that race is style! So I kept peddling, and finished the bike portion of the race on what shall forever be referred to as the midget bike.
      The run portion began and I had tons of energy. Not sure whether it was from the laughter or magical powers from the midget bike, but I was feeling fantastic. I knew I was way too far behind to beat either E-man or Becca but I was sure as heck going to finish this thing. A few little kids who had started long after us and did shorter distances appeared in front of me so I ran up to them and encouraged them to pull through. They really were so close to the finish line... I had two more laps of the path to go. The volunteers were great though. I high-fived them as I passed, told them I'd see them again soon for my other laps. I finished the race in 52:53 and was never more proud of such a bad time.
       Flat tire and all, I had finished 3 seconds before my time from 2 years ago. As I checked my splits I realized that I had cut 6 minutes off my running times from previous years. I calculated that I had lost about 8 minutes with the flat and switching to the maid bike. That would put me coming in around 45 minutes or faster which I would have been way happy with. I guess what that means is that, well folks, I'm going to have to do another one.
So, as Aaron's mother so eloquently put it- "That's life. Sometimes you can train for months and still end up riding a midget bike"
All in all, that was the best 2nd place medal I've ever received.

Helping E-man put on his cap. 

The three of us, tied at the start.

You can't quite tell from the angle, but this is the replacement bike. Basket, bell, the works. 

Coming up to the finish line!! 

Woot woot. 

                                                        Sweaty and Smiling!

                            Love you Becca!! Thanks for your help, and letting me stand on the podium with you!

14 Things I LOVE

Our Quick Write in English- We were told to write down the first 14 things that came to mind:

1.       Rainy Mondays or Fridays.
2.      Being a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints
3.       Being with Melanie when she is hyper
4.        Exercise
5.      Changing to become better over time
6.       The opportunity to live in Thailand
7.        Being friendly to others
8.       Giving/ getting compliments
9.      Michael Pollock’s humor
10.   Talking with my parents. 
11.      Laughing with my brother and sister
12.    Technology
13.    Surprises
14.     A full Night’s Sleep 

To assist with both 1 and 14: http://www.rainymood.com/

Burning Theatre... 2 Years Worth

Today two fellow classmates of mine, Alex and Ben had a burning party where we ashed 2 years worth of notes from our IB HL Theatre course. We exchanged horror stories from the class and burning our major assessments and never ending piles of packets. We had no gasoline so we used trust Axe body spray which tends to make me gag, but it was worth it to torch the pains that class has brought! I can say that I wouldn't have rather spent it with anyone other than Ben & Alex though. Those two boys kept me sane. Here are some pictures of our burning party and then there is a short video of the remains at the end.

                                              Getting the fire started with a guide to theatre!!

                                                            Using AXE as a blowtorch.

Burning now.                                                              Irony? Yes indeed.

                                   

The remains..... Farewell Theatre. 

Triathlon- The goal starts now.

In my sophomore year of high school I signed up for my first mini-triathlon. It was short and took me less than an hour, but it spurred something within me to start pushing myself and do it again next year. My best friend Michael proved to be tough competition the following year in my junior year as we both did the triathlon together. I cut 3 minutes off my time and am looking to shave off a bit more this year as I have more competition with my friend E-man and possibly even Alex too. I have 2 weeks before my third triathlon and plan on doing rather well but this post is about something ever so slightly bigger than a teen triathlon hosted by my school. This past weekend a family friend of ours ran the Boston Marathon. That in and of itself is quite impressive if you ask me... but on top of that, Rebecca Hirschi ran it while she has been going through Chemotherapy for breast cancer. She's fighting off cancer and yet still trained for months and ran the Boston marathon in record heat.... what's your excuse? In honor of her, and for myself I set a goal today as well.

I plan on doing an Olympic Length Triathlon at least once in my life. That consists of  swimming 1500 meters, biking 25 miles and running 6.2 miles. The distance for the teen Triathlons I've been doing is only 350 meters swim, 5.65 mile bike and only a 2 mile run... Obviously my goal is over triple what I've been doing but that's okay! Yes it might seem slightly crazy... but I have to do it. It's something I'm setting a goal for now, because I know once I get older I might become a fat lard and never want to get off my butt again. Therefore, while I'm still active, the goal has been set. Utah has tons of Triathlon opportunities and there are many for next year and the years to come so I think 2013 might be a good time for my first Triathlon. I'll probably start with a sprint distance first which is about half of the Olympic distance. But then from there, who knows... maybe an iron man is possible? 

Here are some pics from my past triathlons. Obviously, they aren't the most flattering things ever, but hey.... it's flipping hot in Thailand!

                                                               First year- bronze :] 

             

             Last year- Gold :]   We shall see what this year brings. 

Songkran Action: Day 2 (video included)

Update: Day 2 of Songkran- Went with Pammy and Grant to the same road and had an eventful day of entertaining Thais boarding the Golf Cart.. And Grant got a bit more than he asked for from one lady but that's not quite appropriate for all those reading this blog. I got smart though and put my camera in a plastic bag to take some pictures today. Obviously they are not really high quality.. considering its in a plastic bag! Here are some of my valiant efforts none the less. 

                     People wear all sorts of masks- just to be silly. We saw someone wearing an Osamba Bin
                                Laden mask as well. Not entirely sure they know what that means.

                          Face is pretty full of powder! Still smiling. It started getting in my eyes and mouth though... -.-

                                         A truck passing by who had frigid cold water!

                   See that huge ice block? They put those in buckets of water to make the water uber cold...
                                       It makes it fun to hear the people who get splashed with it squeal.

                                           Check out that water.... Such a great festival!!

                                         Taking a break in 7-11 (Grant Pammy and I) 

Yay for water fights!!! Her hands are covered in the clay powder. 

This is what happens- face covered and this lady then tried to kiss Grant. That wasn't the worst thing that happened to him today though... hehe :] 

Here's a video of me getting attacked. You can see how they just make the golf cart stop and then cover us in water and powder... Enjoy! Sorry for the quality btw, it's tough to film when you can't see.

Songkran... Only in Thailand

There is one holiday which is so completely outrageous, so entirely outlandish, and so incredibly AMAZING that only one country could harbor such epicness... Thailand- home to the best holiday on the face of the planet: Songkran. A little history first: Songkran is the Thai New Year and is held in April of each year when the weather begins feeling the hottest. The whole country stops for 3 days and an all our water war rages. From trucks filled with ice water to people plastering you with white powder which is a mark to ward off evil spirits, this festival is unlike anything you will ever experience. This year, the holiday spans a 3 day weekend Friday-Sunday and its craziness is in full force. Here's a few experiences I had yesterday whilst driving down the streets of Samakii Road in a golf cart with Alex, Katie, and Tom (The golf cart is Nichada's preferred method of transport).

1. The Gas station... within a few moments of being out of Nichada, we were drenched. We drove past a gas station only to have a few unwanted visitors board the golf cart while we were stuck in traffic and cover our faces with powder. They doused us with frigid water too. I'm telling you, the Thais might seem loving, but they are pretty sneaky on these 3 days as they might add special ingredients to the powder such as Tiger Balm which certainly stings your eyes which is precisely what these gas stationers did. They also added huge blocks of ice to their water source to make it ever colder. It's all in good fun though!!  The same situation happened a bit later as a truck full of guys jumped off in a moment of traffic and proceeded to rock the golf cart while soaking us with water. so. much. fun.

2. The 'high' guy. Now I'm not entirely positive about this, but I'm pretty sure one of the guys I saw yesterday was tripped up on something. His red eyes were a pretty good sign (but that could have been from the powder). He stopped out golf cart and put some powder on our face and proceeded to dance around it. While this may seem strange it's actually an entirely common site during Songkran. People stop vehicals all the time to be able to have mini-fights with whomever is aboard. Trucks are certainly the most common mode of transport during this time as huge amounts of people can fit on them and huge tanks of water allow for the maximum amount of fun to be had.

3. The number one Songkraner!   As we drove, an older lady was yelling at us in Thai but the only audible thing we understood was "Number 1!!!!". Thus, we established that she must be saying she is the number one songkraner. Good times.

These are a few pics of this amazing holiday (They aren't mine, but I'm not quite willing to take out my camera during such a wet and hazardous time.)

                           An example of several guys crammed into a truck and ready for the fights.

                          This kid in a truck seems to be warding off the gun fighters. I'm telling you, it's impossible to escape the water during these three days- so if you come, be prepared to get soaked, and just enjoy it.

Some are well prepared. These backpack/waterguns are a commons item for little kids. 

As I posted my appreciation for Songkran on my Facebook status, a friend of mine said how jealous they are that America has no such holiday. How right they are. America would never be able to host such a crazy holiday- too many would get sued and too many uptight people would be outraged. If I tried drenching a buisiness man on his way to work, I'm pretty sure I wouldn't live to see another drop of water. Thus, to experience this amazingly fun three days, you gotta come where it happens, one of the best countries on this planet: Thailand. 

Lots of Paint

Today I was able to take part in a Habitat Build where I painted parts of a Thai school about 30 minutes from where I live that was destroyed by the floods in Northern Thailand from October to December of 2011. Can I just say how blessed I am? I had a blast. I met new friends from all grades at ISB. Things I learned today:

1. Paint fumes can make you feel rather high...... Yes I started to experience some of that. I'm not sure how high quality that paint was but it was pretty heavy duty stuff.At one point for a few moments it was so strong that I was feeling nauseous. The feeling past within a few minutes though and it was too fun to stop, so I kept going. Interestingly enough, however, I felt like writing a song about walruses or lucy in the sky with diamonds. Inspiration for a bit of songwriting about Rhapsody in a Bohemian style came to mind as well.
2. Freshmen and sophomores are so much funnier than people give them credit for..... I spent the whole day laughing at their terrible singing, ill-humored jokes, and fabulous skills in construction work. I'm so glad I was able to meet them. I also added them all on Facebook which is a CRAZY huge deal, if you know me, I only add people I actually talk to or think are uber cool to my facebook.
3. Make-up isn't really needed.. I woke up 5 minutes before the bus was scheduled to leave from the school and thus grabbed my water-bottle and backpack and sprinted for my motor bike. I didn't have time for the make-up. Sure maybe someone noticed but you know what? It actually felt pretty good to be the real me. For the first hour, I felt pretty self conscious but I realized that no one cared or at least no one cared enough to say anything. The only time my face was mentioned was when Michael repeatedly exclaimed that I had green paint splotches on me ranging from my forehead to my nose. Therefore- it's okay to go without.
4. Service is entirely and irrevocably one of the best ways to improve your life.. (And others). If you're lucky enough to be sitting on a laptop, desktop, imac, iPad, or any other internet device at this moment which you obviously are right now, you're in very top richest people in this world who can afford their basic needs and more. If we are lucky enough to have these wonderful things, we better do something about it. Get involved in your community, even if it is just a day painting bathrooms for a local school. They will appreciate it more than you know and you'll find yourself better off than you were before. However over used that statement is, it is a true one. You get more than you give in situations like this.
5. I love the Thai people... By far the sweetest nation I have ever lived in. Their smiles seem to gleam brighter than possible sometimes. For example at the end of the habitat build today, the teachers at the school sang us a very sweet song that said "We are Thank You so much". In broken English and with gratitude in their gestures, they made the sun and heat and yes, even the pouring rain SO worth it.


Another highlight of the day- Michael Max and Eva getting completely dumped on with water from a tarp 

The new friends I made during the Habitat Build (left circling around right) - Max, Ana, Meghan, Victoria, Me, Ciel, and  Michael.

Wonderful day, wonderful school, I love ISB <3