The Road Less Travelled

So I formally graduated this October, but academically, last May. I worked for an animal rights organization last summer, and part-time for the university English dept. after that 'til September. Anyway, I've been sitting in in three Lit. Cultural Studies classes, and I noticed that I (1)disliked research and (2)liked fiction, and reading...and writing creatively. A professor and I were discussing if I should try another university's MFA-CW program instead (as my university doesn't have it), and for a while, I junked the idea, but as my friend Nikki pointed out, I am a lit person through and through. Ack. I would also like to be either a certified Bikram yogini (to teach), or a holistic nutritionist afterwards, but to be an RD (registered dietician), I have to study AGAIN--Chemistry, the whole shebang, which aside from years gone, also means more $$$! The yoga course costs several thousand dollars, as well(!!!). So must start saving. However, Mom seemed OK with my applying to the Bikram Yoga course certification which is a good sign. So I'm still doing some soul-searching now. I've been job-hunting, but it's slow season. I’d been interviewed by a magazine company, but they said they’ll “call me if ever,” which is usually not a good sign. I was also interviewed for a web writer position, but when my Mom learned of the hours, she vetoed it. I have yet to go to a flight crew interview, as well. (Hey, if it pays the bills...) I'm grasping at straws, so I also sent my curriculum vitae to the Ayala Foundation, as well as applied to some companies from JobStreet.com. 'Coz when it boils down to it, I really am griping about $$$$$: if my decisions now will pay off later, stemming from the fact that my folks have so far been paying for EVERYTHING! And I feel guilty/indebted to them for that. So a lot of what's scaring me is really the risk and potential monetary consequences involved :( Basically, I just felt like running away, travelling and hibernating for a while. But that sounds like a cop-out, and again, $$$$, thus proving to my folks I can't fend for myself and am still a kid, hence should be treated as such. Besides, I can't do that forever. So I feel pretty numb right now: a contradiction right there.

On an added note, I also got to thinking about my veganism, how I'd like to grow in a very vegan-friendly environment. That, to me is Portland. So I looked at creative writing offerings there and I found two: The University of Oregon (though this is in Eugene) and Portland State University. BOTH do not need GRE's! :D

Thing is, as I heard of high unemployment and homeless rates in Portland, I need to know about stable housing and employment, or I'm done for. :( However, I have relatives in Toronto, the DC area and San Diego, meaning I can stay with them. So I wonder if I should try those first. But dang, I like how Portland sounds!!!!!

If ever, I should of course also look into scholarships, but there appear to be none at the moment. Ack. What to do, what to do?

Maybe make vegan shirts:
Silkscreen shirts, a potential hobby! Hmm. Maybe not now, though.

I've been told that I'm young and can still afford to make mistakes, but I don't want to =( I don't like risks, actually: they scare me.

A bright spot in my day, though, is that I got mentioned (the first in the voicemail segment!) on the VF Podcast #50! Eeeek!

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I love to bake. I feel it's like make magic every time. It's a journey, indeed. Call me weird, but that's how I feel ;) And the first thing I ever baked was with my Mom, which was banana bread. However, that had eggs and butter and milk--VERY *NOT VEGAN.* But Dino Sarma comes to each veganfreak's rescue, and in my case, he dishes out a recipe of banana bread, ganked from VegWeb. I altered it a bit. I hope this easy recipe helps ease the vegan sweet tooth, and the depressive bouts: Banana has tryptophan, so there you go :)

Banana Bread, non-omnisub style...almost! (Easy-peasy!)
3-4 overripe medium-large bananas OR 6-8 small bananas (1 pound's worth)
2 Tbsp. oil (I used Rapeseed)
2 cups flour, sifted!
1/2 tsp table salt
1 tsp baking soda
3/4 cup sugar (I used muscovado)
1 cup oatmeal (the quick-cooking variety)
1 cup soymilk (as mixture was getting too dry)
1 tsp. lemon juice
1 tsp. vanilla essence

1. Mash bananas with wooden spoon or potato masher, until it gets really smooshy. (I used the latter)
2. Mix into the bananas the rest of the ingredients
2. Preheat oven to 350 F
3. Bake mixture in loaf pan or casserole dish for 1 hour, coated in about 2 Tbsp’s of oil (mine took 1 hour 15 minutes!)

Product should be crusty on the outside and moist on the inside. At least this is how mine turned out. Happy baking!
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Banana bread. This brings fond memories: it was the first "baking experiment" Mom and I did. It also used to be my Lolo Billy's favorite, whose mind is no longer with us. It is a food of my childhood, which is probably why I love it so.

And with the abundance of bananas we have now, I think this recipe is perfect. =)