#128: Participate in medical research

I like it when I don't plan things on my list but they end up happening somehow. In this case, something good came out of something bad. When I put this item on my list, I didn't specify whether the participation was as a researcher or as a subject. There's a reason for that; the researchers would have no study without the subjects. Both parties are equally important. So, I put this item on my list with the intention of helping to contribute to medical advancements in some way and as a subject, that's what I'm now doing.

If this sounds vague, it's only because the study is confidential so I can't say much.

#59: Get Bachelor's or Honour's Degree from University

My graduation was a while ago but I didn't do a post. Anyway, I've obtained my Honour's Bachelor of Science Degree with a major in Biology and minor in Psychology.  I'm pretty proud of myself for it but I'm far from being done school. Four years of university sounds like a long time but it honestly flew by. I guess I love it otherwise I wouldn't keep going back!

I learned a lot and met some brilliant people. My favourite classes (in terms of interest) were psychology and cell biology. The cell never ceases to amaze me. Just when you think you've learned everything about that microscopic unit, a new discovery is made. I suppose the same can be said of the mind and brain.

I discovered new interests and developed new skills. One thing university changed about me was my organizational skills. I was one of the messiest people my friends knew. Now, I hate seeing things out of place. I also learned to manage my time a lot better. That's something that's needed when you have to juggle 5 demanding classes at once.

It was an interesting 4 years, only 3 more (at least) to go.

Goals for 2014 and 2015

My life list goals for the next two years are:

• Obtain my H. BSc degree 
• Go ziplining
• Go indoor skydiving 
• Adopt an animal
• Write a book (as of August 2014, I'm halfway there!)
• Learn French
• Go to a live comedy show
• Visit China or Greece
• Apply for medical and/or dental school

Hope you all have a fantastic year!

Update

Sorry I haven't been posting as much lately. Been busy finishing up my last year of undergrad, which is pretty much consuming my life and hasn't left much space for checking things off my life list. However, I do have a new website (includes a blog, travel, photography and more) so feel free to check it out. Thank you and take care!

Here's the link: http://selenasingh-com.webnode.com/  (or just google "selenasingh.com")

#111. Get a book or story published

I'm so excited! Today, I received a long-awaited letter from the publishing company to which I submitted an entry for a contest they hold annually. The letter states that I've made it to the next round in a contest I entered and will be published. I've been dreaming of the day I'd be published and it's finally here. It was only a short story but it's one that really came from a place deep within. The story, "Drowning," will be published in the anthology "The Sun Shall Rise" in December. Hopefully my next publication will be a novel!

#3: Visit Florida (Disneyworld)

Florida is a beautiful place; it's filled with palm trees, beaches, and a great entertainment district. Disneyworld was fun,  as was Universal Studios. I visited the 4 Disney parks:

Animal Kingdom, where there was an interesting bird show, The Lion King musical (which was filled with cool acrobatics) , a colorful Finding Nemo musical, lots of animals to see, rides and a parade with Disney characters.

Epcot, one of my favourite parks (along with magic kingdom), where there were very futuristic rides, a character meet spot, an aquarium with dolphins (love them), replicas of countries from around the world and a very beautiful firework/light show called Illuminations.

Hollywood Studios, where we watched the Indiana Jones stunt show (which was awesome) and Beauty and the Beast Musical  as well as went on a few rides.

Magic Kingdom, of course, where we saw Mickey Mouse and the princesses in a parade and show, as well as went on many classic rides such as Dumbo and the teacups and a few bigger  ones such as Space Mountain.

If you are a Harry Potter fan, you must visit the Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal Orlando. I can't put into words how amazing the Forbidden Journey ride was or the butterbeer.

#124: Help Someone Abroad in Any Way I Can

I've always wanted to help in a way that lasts a while. During December, a club that I'm a member of at school decided to donate gifts to children in Haiti and also raise money to build a well for those still recovering from the hurricane in Haiti so that they can have clean water (something that most of us take for granted). Some members of the club and the leaders will actually be going to Haiti to build the well in the summer.

I thought it was a great idea and decided to donate and help fundraise. Here's the link to our website below where you can read more about our project, and if you would like to donate, you can by following the link on the bottom right-hand corner of the page. For the "fund/designation" section, you may choose"Water4Life." We, and the community that benefits from the well, greatly appreciate it!

http://life180.wix.com/buildawell 

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year everyone! I hope you all have a wonderful year filled with happiness. Make the most of it! 

In 2013, I plan on accomplishing the following life list items: 

• visit Florida (Disneyworld)
• get driver’s license 
• participate in a medical research 
• adopt an animal 
• help someone abroad in any way I can (already did something small but wanted to do something bigger) and whatever else I get the opportunity to do. 

What are your plans for the new year?

If you find yourself having trouble trying out new things or sticking with your goals, I recommend you read this book, "The Flinch" by Julien Smith.

http://raouldify.files.wordpress.com/2011/12/2011_1203-the-flinch.pdf

It's a simple yet effective book and can be read in less than an hour (however his exercises may take some more time). It's kinda like a like a little voice in your head telling you stuff you already kinda know but there's something about reading things and doing things (even writing them down) that makes you want to change.

Some more photos

Here are some photos from this summer. Click the image for a better view.

Niagara Falls, Canada

                                   

Bald Eagle at African Lion Safari, Canada

Fireworks on Victoria Day

A Swan at Safari Niagara, Canada

Divers at Canada's Wonderland

Porcupine at Safari Niagara

138: Attempt the "Behemoth" at Wonderland for a second time

A view of Behemoth's tallest drop

On Tuesday August 21st, at approximately 6pm, I thought I was gonna get a heart attack. Seriously, this is the scariest thing I've ever done. I can't believe I did it though! I, along with my friends, went on the now second tallest and fastest steel roller coaster in Canada, the Behemoth. I felt like backing out many times but we told funny stories in line to keep ourselves distracted from what we were about to experience. Then, we reached the front of the line, went into the terrifying seats that look like they provide no protection at all and by then, it was too late to back out. So I closed my eyes, while saying "oh my gosh" non-stop and telling my friend that I hate her for making me do this (even though I actually wanted to do it too). However, before the ride went full-blown I told her I loved her, in case I die on the ride and it's my last words to her (by now you can probably tell that I overexaggerate most things). But honestly, it was so scary but fun at the same time. I screamed the entire 3 minutes. The ride's highest point is 230 feet and it goes at 124km/hr. Would I recommend this to anyone? Sure, if you like danger, thrills, and have a really good heart. 

Me in front of the Behemoth after surviving it 

#76: Watch all the ‘best picture’ Academy Award winners from 1980-2005

I've noticed a common theme among academy award winning movies. They all have at least one really sad scene, most of them involve someone dying and there's usually a narrator who attempts to sound profound. Some of these movies were amazing and a select few were ok but not my taste. My top 5 would be "Rainman," "A Beautiful Mind," "Amadeus," "Forrest Gump," and "Ordinary People" though I must mention that there is scene in "Terms of Endearment" that is probably one of the best scenes I've ever seen that contains some very brilliant acting (if you watch it, you'll know what I'm talking about when you start tearing up). All in all, I'm glad I watched them.

# 101: Go to a legit concert

Juno Award winning Canadian RnB singer Jully Black had a free concert in my city for the Canada Day weekend and it was great! She performed "Until I Stay" (my favourite song by her), Sweat of the Brow, 7 Day Fool, Running and a whole bunch of other songs. It was a lot of fun; there were old men dancing and lots of fist pumping going on. She has a very strong, soulful voice and seems like a nice person :). Free concerts are a great way to have fun this summer; I think I'll be going to a few more! What was your first concert?

Update: I also went to see Lights, who performed "Drive my Soul," "Toes," "Banner" and some songs from her latest album. She was great!

Lights

P.S. The blog will be up and running now since summer has officially begun! Hope you all enjoy your summer!

"Life is not a mystery to be solved, it is a reality to be experienced"---Van Der Leeuw

Here are the 10 most important things I’ve learned in life so far, based on both experience and observance (in no particular order):

-If you don’t have anything good (as in positive, uplifting etc.) or useful to say, don’t say anything.
-Life is simple and if you don’t take it too seriously, you’ll see that everything will be fine in the end.  Things may happen that don’t make sense or that are upsetting now but in the future, their purpose (whether direct or indirect) will be made clear. Nothing (good or bad) lasts forever.

 -Our lives are relatively short (compared to the vastness of time), so it should be cherished and enjoyed. The time we waste won’t ever be given back to us so we really should make the most of every moment we’re here.

 - Relationships should never be about gain. Being selfless without being taken advantage of is ideal. A romantic relationship should not be started unless you are happy with yourself and ready to share that happiness with someone else.
-Actually treat others the way you want to be treated no matter how they treat you, but know when to leave if you’re in any sort of danger (physical, emotional etc.). You can’t be surprised at the way things are in the world if you are only contributing to the negative/immoral aspects.

• Laughing keeps you young and healthy. So does refraining from smoking and doing harmful drugs, not drinking alcohol, drinking lots of water, exercising and constantly learning new things.
• Reading is great (so is Jeopardy!). It’s important to not believe everything you read though.
• Follow your own dreams and goals, or you’ll end up miserable and might have already wasted many years before you realize it. Also, don't be afraid of aiming too high; the human mind is amazing and can accomplish some great things. 
• It’s important to have at least one great friend and/or one real-life role model. They keep you humbled, sane and motivated. It’s also a good idea to try to be these things for others.
• There is no point trying to figure out the answers to those deep philosophical questions (meaning of life etc.). The only thing that matters is that you have some sort of idea or faith (your own personal answer) that you can live with and are satisfied with or you’ll find yourself going crazy searching for an objectively correct answer that will most likely never be known or doesn't even exist.  

What are the ten most important things that you've learned?

“When you’re young, your whole life is about the pursuit of fun. Then, you grow up and learn to be cautious.” Carrie Bradshaw

(This is an old post that I wrote and deleted but decided to post again because I really like it :))

Remember when we were children?  We could say anything we wanted, be as honest as we wanted, and no one would mind because they knew we were just kids. Or, they would be mad at us for five minutes.

Remember when we were children? All we wanted to do was explore the world and find treasure or things no one had discovered because it was fun and there were no worries in our lives.

Remember when we were children? We asked a hundred random questions in the span of a week because we were so curious about everything and everyone around us.

Remember when we were children?We would walk up to just about anyone and be their best friend within two minutes because we didn’t judge anyone, hold grudges and had an open mind.

Then we grew up.

We don’t say what we want anymore because we’re afraid of what others will think. They might think something far from reality.

We don’t look to explore the world anymore, just the back of the store we work in for a bit of money.  It’s where we spend most of our lives anyway.

We don’t ask random questions anymore because we’re afraid of sounding dumb or getting weird looks from others.

We don’t walk up to anyone anymore because we fear rejection and have been told not to trust strangers.

But why don’t we do these things anyway?

Why do we care what anyone else thinks of what we honestly say or think of them? It’s like a cyclical game that we trap ourselves in.

Half the people we know now, we won’t know in a few years. Most of the people we encounter in day, we won’t see tomorrow. And even if we do see them everyday for the next five years of your life, what difference does it make?  At the end of our lives, we don’t want to be regretting not saying, doing or asking things just because we were afraid of what someone would think. We should do what makes us happy and in the most honest way possible. As long as we know what we’re doing and the truth behind it, we’d be at peace with ourselves and that’s the most important thing. So long as we’re not trying to intentionally hurt anyone, we should do what we really feel like doing and say what we really feel like saying. It just makes you feel so much more alive and real. Even if some won’t understand you, some will. That in itself is a great feeling.   

I’d like to think that if there is some sort of judgment day, we would be judged based on our thoughts and intentions behind every action, not just the action itself. 

Why do we spend our lives caught up in a menial job? It’s like a meaningless other world that we get lost in.

What good would it do for you at the end of the day? Put some money in your leather Gucci wallet, of course. But is that a reason to lose yourself?  I don’t believe it is. No one should get so caught up in something so mundane and routine that they become living zombies.

The point I’m trying to make is that many people become boring and stop enjoying life when they become adults.  It’s really sad and disappointing. I don’t ever want to lose my “childish” mind. I already feel like it’s slipping away but I try my best to hold onto it. By that, I don’t mean that I’m afraid to become independent, go out into “the real world,” and be civil.  I mean that I don’t want to stop questioning, I don’t want to stop being real and honest, I don’t want to worry about every little thing that happens, I don’t want to give up on my desire for adventure just because it’s what the majority of society does.

Assuming that this is our only chance at life (that there is no other after), I want to make it the best that it could possibly be. To do so, I choose to remain “a child.”

 

"Everything has beauty, but not everyone sees it"-Confucius

Here's some of my photography from the past year. Click the image for a better view.