Military service

Today I received an email from an old friend of mine regarding his return to the U.S. from being stationed in Afghanistan. I'm so relieved that he made it home safely and that he's out of harm's way. He's serving in the Army, but his obligation ends this year. He has no intention of re-enlisting. Though military service is important to national security, it certainly is not for everyone. It's a tough lifestyle. I can't believe that I was able to do it for 4 years. I suppose it was all mind over matter.

I am certainly elated that I'm a civilian again. I never should have signed up for the Navy in the 1st place. Every day, I am grateful for all the little things in life that people may take for granted. Being able to choose what to wear, hairstyles, and sleeping on one's own bed are things that I fully enjoy. As Martha Stewart would say, "Freedom is a good thing." The military is a highly regulated institution where there's no tolerance for differences and independent thinking. Every aspect of one's life revolves around the mission and individual sacrifices are expected to be made. Service members are subjected to uncomfortable living conditions and the Uniform Code of Military Justice rather than the U.S. constitution. Rights that Americans are entitled to in every day life such as freedom of speech and privacy are nonexistent in the military. So is the notion that all men are created equal.

This is who I am.

Welcome to my Blog site. I'm Vietnamese-American and in my 20s. I'm a post-baccalaureate student at UCLA. I'm trying to get into medical school. I'm interested in a wide array of things as I am open-minded. I like to have an opinion about everything. The classes that I have enjoyed most in school have been French, math, physics, and organic chemistry. I don't care much for classes such as philosophy, history, psychology, sociology, cultural anthropology, or English. My favourite cities so far are Paris, London, Roma, Athens, and Washington, D.C. Feel free to contact me for travel advice. Right now, I'm most interested in travelling to Canada (esp. British Columbia and Quebec) and Australia. I like bright, cheerful colours such as yellow, royal blue, turquoise, red, and green. I can't stand purple, orange, or pale pink. I like magenta though I wouldn't wear it. It's a girl's colour! My favourite movies include October Sky, La vita e bella, and Gone with the Wind. My favourite musical artists include Madonna, Michael Buble, Kylie Minogue, Shakira, and Chris Isaak. Though I watch TV very infrequently, I love to watch CSI (except for the Miami one). My favourite foods are Vietnamese, French, and Greek. For leisure, I like to tend my fancy goldfish, houseplants (African violets and orchids), and read novels. My favourite works of literature include Great Expectations, A Tale of Two Cities, Les Miserables, The Da Vinci Code, and A Streetcar Named Desire. I will try and update this periodically as my busy schedule dictates.