2009 Booklist

1. Quantum, A Guide for the Perplexed
2. Wind Up Bird Chronicle
3. Teach Yourself Training Your Brain
4. The Secret
5. Harpo Speaks
6. Mansfield Park
7. Sense and Sensibility
8. A History of the People
9. Shock Doctrine
10. Hegemony or Survival
11. Reread: Cradle to Cradle, Remaking the Way We Make Things
12. Freakonomics
13. Increase Your Financial IQ
14. Last Exit to Brooklyn
15. God of Small Things
16. Looking At Philosophy
17. Inconvenient Truth
18. Dreams of My Father
19. A General Theory of Love
20. The Art of Possibilities
21. A New Earth, Awakening Your Life's Purpose
22. Hot, Flat, and Crowded: Why We Need a Green Revolution--and How It Can Renew America
23. The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat
24. Mist of Avalon
25. The Year of Yes
26. The Psychology of Environmental Problems
27. 10 Days to Faster Reading
28. On Becoming Fearless
29. The Millionaire Next Door
30. Reread: Lies My Teacher Told Me
31. Ask and It Is Given
32. Black Like Me
33. White Like Me
34. The Year of Rice and Salt
35. Outliers: The Story of Success
36. Animal Farm
37. Blessed Unrest: How the Largest Movement in the World Came into Being and Why No One Saw It Coming
38. The Sustainability Revolution: Portrait of a Paradigm Shift
39. Worldchanging: A User's Guide for the 21st Century
40. Biomimicry: Innovation Inspired by Nature
41. Teach Yourself Algebra
42. Natural Capitalism: Creating the Next Industrial Revolution

Resolution 2009

New Year Resolution:

1. Be a better listener.
*Why? I want to learn more about people I love. Seeing something from a different point of view enriches my life.

2. Expand my self expression (take up Bollywood dancing & hip hop).
*Why? I have been too inhibited for too long! While I love art and design, other aspects of my personality is undernourished...like dancing, rhythm and movement.

3. See a live performance (music and theater), hike a new trail, go to a museum or visit a gallery opening at least once a month.
*Why? I want to experience more out of life. I feel undernourished and would love to explore expressions, vistas, music, movies, books I don't normally see, read, watch or listen to. I thirst to expand my horizons.

4. Read more books and watch more movies by exercising my library card. Return books on time. Write notes to the next reader (ie. "You are beautiful." or "You kick butt everyday." "Don't stop reading, this book gets better." etc.)
*Why? Until I make a butt-load of money my book spending habits has got to be curbed. I will make and stick to a once-a-month book budget while at the same time keep my goal of reading more (and different kinds of books) this year.

5. Improve my brain agility
a.) Refresh math & algebra skill. Be at Pre-Calculus level by end of the year.
b.) Learn speed reading.
c.) Do analogies
*Why? I've been developing my right brain all this time, and my left brain wants exercise. (Note: Just played an elementary game of analogy and it makes both my brain and my heart so happy!)I know it's geeky, but I miss math.

6. Learn to play the piano. (At least 5 or more full length songs)
*Why? I've always wanted to do this since I was 5! It makes my fingers and my heart happy. I miss music and I miss the part of my soul who is a musician. My roommate and I finally got ourselves a nice digital piano. The piano is want of use and I have no more excuses not to learn! :)

7. Expand repertoire of dishes I can make while challenging my taste buds by making something from a new recipe at least twice a month. Consider taking a weekend cooking class once this year.
*Why? I'm SOOO bored! I've been cooking and eating the same menu every other week and craving for something new.

8. Write.
*Why? The idea I've been carrying around in my head for 6 years is a ghost I can't get rid off. Thank god! Because I want to write more than anything in the world!

9. Be more environmentally friendly
a.) Use kitchen and mop towels instead of paper towels. Have a small laundry basket for soiled ones to launder every other week or so
b.) Recycle kitchen grease and other household products which shouldn't go down the drain (ie. old shampoo, medicine, etc.)
c.) Keep a canvas bag in my backpack and refrain from using plastic bags
d.) Eat at the restaurant instead of getting take out if I know they don't use biodegradable packaging
e.) Only use recyclable batteries from now on
f.) Switch to using paper bags for kitchen trash
g.) Don't use bags at all for dry paper trash
h.) Try to buy stuff without or with less packaging

A New Year, A New Start

There's no better way to start the new year than to wake up in the morning and go for a bike ride up Mt.Diablo! Thanks to J and his family I got to immerse myself in the beauty of the Diablo hills. The play of fog, sunrise, oak tree silhouettes, and green foliage was awe inspiring...