Locked In - Diving Bell

The story of Jean-Dominique Bauby is truly an inspirational one. This man’s legend is clear proof that all of our worldly desires lie at our fingertips; those with only the mightiest grasp can attain anything. Incapacitation only measures our accomplishments as much as we will it to. A man who was paralyzed from head to toe still managed to set his insecurities and limitations aside and publish a novel. After watching the film, I felt a greater sense of appreciation for the things most of us take for granted like being able to touch, to feel, and to move. I simply can't imagine what it's like to be a prisoner trapped in my own body...

Jean-Dominique Bauby, a French Journalist was the editor of Elle magazine before he suffered a massive stroke in 1995. The stroke resulted in a rare condition called Locked-In syndrome. His muscular functions were paralyzed but his mental capacities were unaffected. His only way to communicate with the world was to blink his left eye which he used to dictate word for word his memoir. He died of pneumonia a few days after his book was published in 1997.

About Me Essays

Do you remember having to write about yourself for college admissions? Well with the scholarship process, it's the same ol shit...

I love to write but I hate to write essays for scholarship money. Every year I go through the same process of applying for financial aid on FASFA and renewing scholarship applications that always include stupid essay questions. My biggest scholarship comes from the local hospital and from work. State and Federal scholarship and grants/ loans cover for the rest of my college expenses. I never have to write an essay or be interviewed by a panel of judges when I apply for federal and state aid but when it comes to private funding, a long lengthy process usually ensues. My biggest peeve is when I am asked to describe myself. How does one sum up their entire being in 5 lines or in 5 minutes? I hate the "About Me" section of the essay. I hate having to sit in a large conference room under the bright lights and scrutinizing eyes of the people who will determine my fate...okay not my fate, I'm being dramatic here. But it seems I always struggle with having to tell someone about me without listing references and past experiences like a job resume. They don't want to hear that or read it. I know what they are asking...they want to know who is this girl with the strange long name. Will the real Charyvongmonyrath Chim please stand up?

I am...a little bundle of contradictions. I live my life between the one hand and the other, weighing up the odds and waiting for it to come out even. I am normally a happy person that's outgoing, loving and yes even lovable at times. On the other hand, I am sometimes very pessimistic, fearful, introverted, paranoid, disillusioned with the world as it is and wishing how it might be. I am a city girl at heart. I love the noise, the concrete mile high gravestones, strteching out into one large mausoleum, the hustle and bustle flow of city life and the never ending grime of Providence traffic. Well no, I actually hate the traffic. But it sounded good. I am a typical Cambodian person who loves her prahok and papaya salad and food on the stick. I try to be the obedient daughter, traditional and polite to elders. I am also that all-american girl. I love sports particularly baseball and I bleed Boston. Catholic schooled in my early years but brought up tolerant, free thinker, self assured, dogmatic, liberated but restrained. What my grades and scores can tell you is very little. But I find it difficult to sum up, "everything-about-you-we-don't-already-know-but-you-thi nk-is-interesting" in such a small space and short period of time. I don't think my personality is going to come across at this one-time luncheon. I'm just not good with first impressions. But I can tell you is that the real me, Charyvongmonyrath Chim loves her life, her job, her family + friends. She loves her inconsistencies, she loves to make people wonder what she will do next. She might be a flaming liberal with her politics, a teeny weeny bit hypocritical in her actions. But what she is really trying to do is change the world and trying to stop it from changing her too much...

A Night Out

I am truly a homebody at heart. I find so much comfort in staying home and enjoying the quiet atmosphere, while everyone else is out drinking or partying. I would choose an evening with close friends playing board games or watching a movie together over going out partying with strangers in a club or bar. Dinner parties are the best! I suppose this makes me sound like an intensely boring 20 something but eh *shrugs* I just enjoy life at a different pace. This Thursday night though I will be at a sport saloon (McFadden) for a V.I.P party I won. All V.I.P guests will get $3 drink specials and free food from 9-10. The more people I invite to the event, the higher my chances are of winning a $100 tab. The irony is that I don't drink. I'll make an exception though if King James loses. :-)

Foodies United

This past weekend I had the great pleasure of meeting up with several Kwitters/KCers who also happen to be Foodie fanatics like myself. We feasted like kings at dinner and got our fill of authentic Khmer food (courtesy of Apsara and Angkor) Spending the whole day eating was grreeat, although I may have gained like 5 pounds, it was all worth it for chicken romvong and fruit tart. I also met Sam and watched the Celtics win the series. What more could a foodie ask for? Well maybe more bubble tea...

Thank You Chanta, Theary and friends for all the wonderful moments in between.