"Selma" - The Civil Rights Movement for Modern Audiences

***There is no spoiler alert because this was REAL HISTORY! Ha

Note: When I write Black(s), I'm referring to African American(s), not every group of the African Diaspora or modern African immigrants. 

It's so awesome to watch another movie that inspires me enough to want to, need to write about it. I would put it on the same level as other historic epics like Gandhi and Schindler's List that everyone needs to watch at least once in their lives to be more informed and empathetic about the scope and depth of human history, injustice, cruelty, mercy, hope, vision, violence, pride, greed, courage, and kindness. 

You should know by now (see previous posts) that I am obsessed with Black History & Culture. The peculiarity of the fact that I'm 100% Chinese and am not nearly as interested in Asian American History & Culture is not lost on me.

I have...

• read articles, historical books, and slave narratives;
• watched documentaries and biopics; 
• taken classes;
• written papers and blog posts;
• given presentations;
• listened to podcasts; 
• visited museums & monuments; and
• attended concerts and attend events

...to fuel my love of the subject, including this proud moment of marching with thousands in Washington, D.C. at the 50th anniversary of the March on Washington (see blog post) for jobs and freedom where Dr. King gave his "I Have a Dream" speech in 1963.

I love this stuff. Still, there is so much I don't know and would probably fail a test about the details. But it is extremely gratifying to see a mainstream movie backed by big name producers (thank you Brad Pitt & Oprah) and a big budget that is so well done. And I think the movie Selma was spot on in many ways in bringing more awareness to the Civil Rights Movement for modern audiences:

- It was impeccably well-timed - released 1 week before Martin Luther King Jr. Day, 1 month before Black History Month, and 50 years after the actual event. 

- It starts with an intimate scene between Dr. King and his wife. Then it suddenly switches to the utterly shocking, senseless, and cruel events of the Birmingham Church Bombing that killed 4 little black girls and murder of Jimmie Lee Jackson after the 1st attempted march at Selma. It is crucial to remember that these single shattering tragedies represent numerous untold stories of black suffering, many that are much worse and gruesome. Don't even get me started on lynchings...

- It portrays Dr. King as the articulate, courageous, visionary leader he was...but also a morally imperfect human being who had extramarital affairs and people within his group who criticized him. It shows him strong, charismatic, and vocal at the podium, but also exhausted, disheartened, and overwhelmed at night alone, as well as the constant threat of death and heavy guilt he carried. 

- It reminds us that there were many white sympathizers who believed strongly in the Movement and sacrificed much, including their lives at the hands of other whites who despised blacks, Dr. King, and the whole Movement. They broke the mindset of race solidarity that had been instilled in whites since the days of slavery to prevent sympathizing whites from supporting blacks. 

- It points out that there were many ways blacks wanted to obtain equality and there was dissension within the Movement, namely between SCLC (Southern Christian Leadership Conference, led by Dr. King) and SNCC (Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee), and between Dr. King and Malcolm X.  

- It revealed the tense period of the controversial Vietnam War that many alive today remember well - and the hypocrisy Dr. King saw in the federal government spending millions of dollars to send Americans to fight for people in a faraway country while leaving its own people helpless in America. I admit I don't know much about the Vietnam War but his indignation is completely understandable. 

- It highlights the fact that without mass media (newspapers, radio, and especially TV), Dr. King's nonviolent tactics would not be nearly as effective, and most likely not even worth doing. The main reason he risked blacks getting injured, jailed, and killed was because he expected journalists and news broadcasters to expose the injustice and violence of white supremacy and police brutality in order to prevent more suffering.

I definitely shed tears during the film. It hurts my soul to see such injustice and cruelty heaped upon a whole race of people just because of their skin color. It infuriates me whenever I think that the descendants of slave masters continue to treat the descendants of slaves with contempt, discrimination, and barbarity.

Truly, the only way I can bear to learn about this harsh history and reality is by constantly remembering that Jesus Christ paid for every single person's sins (if they are willing to repent) and will make up for every unfair thing ever suffered in human history. Scriptures such as these are a spiritual balm to me:

"Let all the saints rejoice, therefore, and be exceedingly glad; for Israel’s God is their God, and he will mete out a just recompense of reward upon the heads of all their oppressors." (D&C 127:3) 

“ye need not suppose that the righteous are lost because they are slain; but behold, they do enter into the rest of the Lord their God.” (Alma 60:13)

As we know from the recent events surrounding Trayvon Martin, Eric Garner, and others (#blacklivesmatter), racism and police brutality are unfortunately still with us. Slavery left a long ugly legacy. The struggle is real and it continues.

Go watch Selma.

"Don't Play in the Sun" - My Own Ethnic Insecurities

Once upon a time, I wanted to be an African American Studies professor and wanted to write about colorism for my master's thesis. Long story short, I no longer want to be a professor, though I still want to work in higher education and am passionate about African American studies. So as an intro...

Colorism: a practice of discrimination by which those with lighter skin are treated more favorably than those with darker skin.

Not sure why, but I am absolutely fascinated by this topic. It might be because I am also fascinated by stories of the intertwining lives of people from different races/ethnicities/countries. Stories of love, colonialism, travel, and perhaps most of all, breaking family/cultural norms and expectations. 

Don't Play in the Sun is the short memoir by Marita Golden, a successful dark-skinned Black author/professor born in 1950 who pours out her insecurities and psychological scars from being raised in a society where she sees favoritism for light-skinned people (Blacks and Whites) and discrimination towards dark-skinned Blacks everywhere. I devoured this book in 2 days.

I have never experienced colorism as a Black person in America, but I have felt ugly, alienated, praised, and special because of my ethnic/racial features and background. After divorcing my Chinese father, my Chinese mother married a man from Guam (Pacific Islander) and changed our lives forever by moving us to America.

I admire the author's willingness to be vulnerable and her persistent advocacy to bring awareness and healing to those who are affected by colorism in America and globally. As stated in the book, colorism is not just about beauty, but also status, privilege, and influence - powerful stuff. More poignantly, she wrote of instances when she would catch herself perpetuating the same colorist mentalities she fell victim to. 

So mimicking Golden's style of loosely stringing together little stories based on topic, here is my own brutally honest, super-mini memoir on colorism.

Beauty Standards

• I became interested in makeup in junior high but the tips on applying eye makeup baffled me because I could never get my eyes to look like the pictures in the magazines.
• I highly desired and coveted narrow turned-up noses and facial profiles like white people's. I often pinched my nostrils in to try to make them narrower, frequently checking my profile in the mirror to see if my nose had grown higher to give me a more distinct profile.
• I was frustrated because I could not find the right shade of foundation for my yellow skin, or at least by a drugstore brand I could afford as a teenager without a job.
• I was distraught that my lashes were so short and straight and pointed down (this is before I learned how to use an eyelash curler and mascara) and not naturally long and curly like white people's. 
• My mom is relatively dark (she was born and raised on a rural tropical island) and she told me stories of how people would tell her she’s pretty because of her big eyes but her skin too dark, so they nicknamed her “Black Rose”.
• When I visited my Chinese father after years of not seeing each other, he kept looking at my facial profile and verbally admired that his daughter had a tall nose for a Chinese person. I was annoyed and wondered how he might comment if I had a flat nose. 
• Sometimes, I feel unattractive when I don't wear eye makeup because my eyes look smaller and I look more Chinese. 

Dating

• I’m Mormon and I want to marry a Mormon guy, but Utah (where I lived for 6 years during & after college) is super white and alot of the local guys grew up around white girls, so their mental image of their ideal girlfriend/wife is white (i.e. fair skin, blonde hair, blue eyes). I do not fit that at all and was always disappointed when my crushes (not necessarily white) dated or married white girls.
• I’m mostly attracted to white guys. I am not usually attracted to Asian guys, partly because I don’t want to marry an Asian guy and have Asian babies. I want my babies to be mixed because that’s how I feel - very multicultural and not exclusively, culturally Asian.
• Many people who grew up in white Utah have not had much experience interacting with Asians and initially didn’t know how to interact with me. I sensed that they weren’t sure I could speak English and were somewhat cautious talking to me, until they realized I am very American and don’t have an Asian accent.
• Many of the guys who were interested in dating me had served missions in Asian countries or with many Asians (Hong Kong, Taiwan, Australia, Mongolia, Japan) and became interested in me soon after returning from their missions. Some of them had “Yellow Fever” and I could never be sure whether they liked me for my personality/character or my Asianness (facial features, language, family ties).
• I still carry lingering insecurities that the guys I like will either never like me because of my Asian looks or only like me because of my Asian heritage. So sometime during college, I told my roommate that I have to develop a really great personality because no guy is gonna go for me based on my looks. 
• My Chinese grandparents asking why I was dating a guy who looks black (who was actually Afro-Caribbean) and having to defend my [ex]boyfriend’s good non-physical traits.

School

• I felt that I was expected to be really good at science and math, but I am not good at either. I may have been subconsciously not good at it to try to break the stereotype (I am just realizing this). 
• I have always naturally been interested in the humanities and social sciences, but I think I pursued it more passionately because that goes against the expectation that Asians will study fields that lead to lucrative jobs as doctors, lawyers, engineers, and accountants.

Social Situations

• When I’m one of a handful of Asians in a room, I generally don’t talk to them and talk to people of other ethnicities so I don’t fulfill the stereotype that Asians are insular and socially awkward with strangers.
• When a white person meets an international Chinese person (who grew up in China), they immediately think of the few Chinese people they know (including me) and introduce them to their friend. I always feel awkward because my Chinese language skills are not super good and I have a hard time carrying on a conversation with native Chinese people, not just because of my limited vocabulary but also because of limited overlapping interests. Thus, I’m colder towards these Chinese people than I normally would be with other new friends because I don’t want others to encourage them to use me as a language crutch to translate for them.

This is all pretty negative stuff; we all have our insecurities/weaknesses/faults. But I am generally a very hopeful, optimistic person. Through the years, I have significantly improved my confidence, self-acceptance, and positive self-image by working on many worthwhile endeavors: dance, piano, singing, school, work, church, friends, family, service, etc. I figured out how to use makeup to accentuate my Asian features. I've met and dated guys who thought I was beautiful AND loved my personality. I try to broaden my areas of knowledge. I try to find ways to relate more to native Chinese people. 

Since I joined The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints at age 18, I have found joy and hope in scriptures like these:

"The Lord seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the Lord looketh on the heart." (1 Samuel 16:17)
 “The Lord...doeth that which is good among the children of men; and he doeth nothing save it be plain unto the children of men; and he inviteth them all to come unto him and partake of his goodness; and he denieth none that come unto him, black and white, bond and free, male and female; and he remembereth the heathen; and all are alike unto God, both Jew and Gentile.”  (2 Nephi 26:33) 

I am grateful that I live in a time and place where I do not usually experience decreased status, privilege, or influence due to my skin color, race or ethnicity. I have found many ways to feel beautiful, not all of them having to do with altering my looks. And God's love makes up for the rest.

Andy Grammer's album "Magazines or Novels" - a Musician and His Morals

Andy Grammer saved me in the summer of 2011 when I graduated from college and was desperately looking for a meaningful job with my B.A. in American Studies. I remember it as a desperate faith-trying time and his first single “Keep Your Head Up” had just come out. Every time I heard it on the radio, I felt a little more optimistic and less anxious. Look up the lyrics, you’ll see what I mean.

I started listening to his other songs and found that his positive hopeful lyrics, singable melodies, and catchy grooves really resonated with me. I was super excited to finally see him in concert at Irving Plaza in June 2014. I realized Andy Grammer is not just a talented singer/songwriter/keyboardist/guitarist and enthralling performer, he’s also an authentic person and devoted husband with a lot of integrity. In addition to all the favorites, he played many songs from his new album. I gained a tremendous respect for not only the way he upholds his personal morals but how he can share them in a nonjudgmental, non-preachy way through infectiously fun songs.

Thank goodness I only had to wait a month after the concert for his new album, Magazines or Novels, to come out. And I love it so much that I have to blog about it. But I want to focus on 2 songs that especially impressed me because they stand for morals that are so often abandoned and even mocked today. Plus both are super fun to sing along to :)

***Disclaimer: I try to avoid songs with profanity and crudeness but I believe the merits and messages of these songs are worth promoting.

Honey, I’m Good

Condensed lyrics (pardon some language):

It’s been a long night here, and a long night there

And these long long legs and da** they’re everywhere

You look good, I will not lie

But if you ask where I’m staying tonight

I gotta be like oh baby, no baby, you got me all wrong baby

My baby’s already got all of my love

[Chorus]

So nah nah Honey, I’m good

I could have another but I probably should not

I’ve got somebody at home, and if I stay I might not leave alone

No, honey, I’m good

I could have another but I probably should not

I’ve got to bid you adieu

To another I will stay true

Now better men, than me have failed

Drinking from that unholy grail

I’ve got her, and she got me

And you’ve got that a**, but I kindly gotta be like

Oh baby, no baby, you got me all wrong baby

My baby’s already got all of my love

[Bridge]

Oh, I’m sure ya, sure ya will make somebody’s night

But oh, I assure ya assure ya, it sure as hells not mine

It is from a unique perspective because he directs it to his gorgeous temptress. I think he exemplifies amazing values and principles in it.

Honesty: He admits that he is tempted and he knows he is weak. He doesn’t try to suppress his libido and he can appreciate an attractive female but he does avoid the temptation of staying for another drink. So many times, we fool ourselves into thinking that we can get super close to a temptation and be strong enough to resist, but our willpower is sometimes not able to overpower our hormones or appetites. He knows he’s not superhuman - better men than me have failed. As Jesus warned “Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.” (Matthew 26:31)

Self-Control: Peer pressure can make us do all kinds of things we regret (though, of course, there’s positive peer pressure that pushes us to be better). I’m sure he has some friends along with this temptress who are asking him to have another [drink] but he has his limits and sticks to I probably should not. Since I don’t drink alcohol, the equivalent of this to me and other Mormons might be the pressure to have another piece of cake/brownie/pie. It’s hard to say no! Especially when it’s an attractive person asking us to enjoy it with them. As Alma told his son, “I would that ye would be diligent and temperate in all things” (Alma 38:10). It doesn’t mean we can’t have some cake/brownie/pie, it just means we need to know when to stop.

Faithfulness: Andy Grammer married his wife in 2012. He wore his wedding ring and mentioned his beautiful wife Aijia several times during his concert. It’s obvious that she’s already got all of [his] love. I'm not sure what his Baha’i faith and his own values dictate for marriage but he takes his marriage vows seriously. The Bible teaches that “Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh.” (Genesis 2:24) I also love this scripture from D&C 42:22 “Thou shalt love thy wife with all thy heart, and shalt cleave unto her and none else.” I love that he is trying to do this.

Non-Judgment: My own religious and personal convictions do not condone one night stands and Andy’s doesn’t seem to either, but I admire his respect for anyone else who might choose differently than him. Multiple apostles have recently counseled us to be kind and courteous to those who think, act, or feel differently from us. Apostle Dallin H. Oaks said in his recent General Conference address, “Even as we seek to be meek and to avoid contention, we must not compromise or dilute our commitment to the truths we understand...Though we may disagree, we should not be disagreeable. Our stands and communications on controversial topics should not be contentious. ...we should be persons of goodwill toward all...as followers of Christ we should live peacefully with others who do not share our values.”

Holding Out

Condensed lyrics:

When I met you, love, I hadn't done the dirty yet,

Call me the unicorn, they said that I didn't exist,

Truth is my heart was torn, the v had a couple of rips

But I was still holding on to the edge with my finger tips

[Bridge]

With a little bit of prayer, little bit of porn, sorry,

Couple long nights of sleeping on my own

Waiting for the right one to come along

Waiting for the right one and now I know

[Chorus]

That I was holding out for you

Yeah, I've been holding out for you

And the neighbors, yeah, they're all haters 'cause they say that we go too loud

I've been holding out for you

And a couple times thought I might not make it

Laying on the bed, both of us half naked

Looking in her eyes something in my heart said save it

Here we go again, another awkward conversation

Cupid's secret is love starts before you meet it [3x]

***NOTE: Neither I nor The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints encourage, permit, or condone using pornography for any reason. (See “Pornography”, April 2005)

In this song, he’s talking to his current wife. This is a powerful song. And here are the reasons why it touches me every time I hear it:

Courage: How many pop songs express the sanctity of chastity and sex within marriage? I can’t think of one but I can think of dozens that condone and promote sex outside of marriage. It’s arguable whether Andy Grammer could have published this song successfully if he were just starting out as a professional music artist. But now that he has a respectable following and is touring widely, he has the influence to be bold about his values. Men like him, especially famous men, are rare. People called him a unicorn because outside of my Church, it does seem like they don’t exist. President Thomas S. Monson would have been proud to see him follow his counsel: “May we ever be courageous and prepared to stand for what we believe, and if we must stand alone in the process, may we do so courageously, strengthened by the knowledge that in reality we are never alone when we stand with our Father in Heaven.” (“Dare to Stand Alone”, October 2011)

Sanctity of Sex: Keeping the Law of Chastity is HARD, even for us Mormons who try to keep an eternal view as motivation to keep our covenants and save sex for our spouse only. In somewhat vague and obscured language (probably to shield children), Apostle Boyd K. Packer stated, “Participation in the mating process offers an experience like nothing else in life. When entered into worthily, it combines the most exquisite and exalted physical, emotional, and spiritual feelings associated with the word love. ...The only legitimate employment of the powers of procreation is between husband and wife who have been legally and lawfully married.” (“The Fountain of Life”). In other words, sex is not off limits outside of marriage because it’s bad. Sex is preserved for marriage because it is so good and special. I believe it was the Light of Christ that was the something in [his] heart that said save it.

Patience: Patience is not a passive thing. It takes alot of mental energy and self-discipline to hold out for something as Andy Grammer did. And I believe he did because he knew it would be worth it, that it would be so much more special because he worked and waited for it and now shares it exclusively with his wife. Apostle Jeffrey R. Holland said, “In matters of human intimacy, you must wait! You must wait until you can give everything, and you cannot give everything until you are legally and lawfully married.” (“Personal Purity”, October 1998).

I’m so grateful for good music. Enjoy the rest of his album :)

My Religion is a Benefit, Not a Barrier

If you're applying to NYU's master's program in Counseling for Mental Health and Wellness for 2014, you will need to write an essay in addition to your personal statement.

Describe a characteristic or issue of your own that could present a challenge in your work as a counselor. Explain how you address that challenge to become a more effective counselor. 

This was my response in full (2 pages, double spaced):

I Am Such a Cliché

There comes a time when we realize we are not unique - that we are actually quite typical.

Through talking to my young single adult peers and contemplating various blogs, articles, books, songs, movies, and TV shows, I have come to the realization that I am SUCH a product of my generation. There are many names – Generation Me, Generation Y, Millennials, etc. – for the group of us born in the 1980s. I am in my mid-20s. I am having a lot of fun and learning a lot. I also feel insecure and vulnerable at times. I realize that almost all my peers are going through the same reality whiplashes of this “defining decade”, our 20s. Allow me to use myself as a case study of The Quarter Life Crisis:

1) Drawn out college years – I stayed in my undergraduate degree for as long as I could (5.5 years) and picked up a minor along the way (though I have enough credits for 3 minors) because I loved the in-between growing stage between high school and adulthood. College is a unique cocoon-like time when we’re allowed to take risks, try new things, make mistakes, and actively find and create ourselves. We have relative independence and not as many responsibilities yet. We could still explore and not be expected to live up to “what we want to be when we grow up”, which can cause great pride or anxiety when posed as a question.

2) Moved across the country – 7 months after graduation, I tried but couldn’t achieve my career goals in my college town, so I moved from the West to a big East Coast city to “chase my dreams” (I had/have many). It has been a big adventure. Sometimes I still stop and think incredulously, “I work and study in the nation’s capital. How did this happen!?” The emotional and social transitions are taking a much longer time to play out than the physical transition.

3) Career crisis – I’ve tried a few options since college graduation and I thought I finally figured out a career path I could be passionate about. It took hard work, trials of faith and tenacity, and a few detours. But now that I’m on this path and confronted with the bleak reality of the job market [in academia], I am trying to figure out how to go back to a former option. Ironically, I want to go into career counseling, to help other people avoid the drawn out, roundabout path I’m currently taking! Though it might seem quaint, I admire those people who have known exactly what they wanted to be from a young age and followed the smooth and straight path to achieve it.

4) Blog(s) – I have 3 (see right sidebar) that serve different themes. We are the first generation to have almost entirely grown up with the internet, which offers an unprecedented forum for sharing our personal thoughts, feelings, travels, pictures, crafts, videos, music, art, etc. Private journals and physical photo albums have given way to shameless public declarations of the minute and monumental moments of our lives through tweets, Facebook statuses, instagram pictures, and blog posts like this one (guilty). We want to be known, we want to be heard, we want to be validated.

5) Compulsive multi-tasker – We feel like we all have ADD because we feel compelled to constantly check our devices and social media (email, texts, Facebook, Twitter, voicemail, etc.). Whether it’s because we’re bored or lonely, our need to always be “in touch” is feeding our FOMO (Fear of Missing Out), the ubiquitous plague of our generation. Because we are more accessible, others expect more of us. There is a vicious cycle in media: messages shortened to fit our diminishing attention spans, which then decreases our opportunities to practice reading longer (more detailed and developed) material. We have a hard time concentrating on one task for very long when it is required. How many distractions did I have had while writing this post?

6) Relationships...yea – Around our mid-20s, our friends and family start to [un]tactfully ask us when we'll get married and have children. The pressure mounts, magnified by social media, with more of our friends getting married. Almost every Mormon young single adult I’ve talked to has said in a tone denoting their simultaneous disbelief and disappointment, “I didn’t expect to still be single at this age”. As a whole, our generation is getting married later in life than any previous generation due to various economic, political, and cultural reasons. Whether that is a deliberate decision or not; we still all yearn for meaningful fulfilling relationships, but either we haven't found the right person yet or we're not ready to commit/settle down. Since the success of romantic relationships is out of our control, we try to focus on ways we can continue to progress and improve ourselves in order to prepare ourselves (not that progress and improvement stop at marriage; quite the opposite really) to attract a suitable [eternal] companion.

Yes, I am a product of my times, but not a victim to it. The cliches of our generation can be used to our advantage or disadvantage. Every generation has its unique challenges and opportunities. I am a dogged optimist so I am determined to thrive, not just survive my 20s. This, too, shall pass. I don’t want to just say I lived through it, I want to be able to say I lived fully IN it.

If I Were a Purse...

Ever since junior high, I've been engaged in learning about myself so I can have a better reference point from which to understand and interact with the world. I've taken countless personality tests, polled my friends, read numerous books & articles, and blogged & journaled as ways of self exploration and expression...but given that I'm only in my mid-20s and constantly changing/growing, I still have a lot to learn!

Recently, I discovered a new way of learning about myself - by the things I buy/own. I try to avoid materialism (Colossians 3:2, Alma 39:14, D&C 6:7) so I don't mean "I am what I buy". I like aesthetically pleasing and good quality things like most people, but I try to use, enjoy, and take care of them without becoming attached to them. What I discovered is: My possessions don't define me, but sometimes they describe me.

Case in point: this purse

I bought it at a Labor Day sale with my $75 Macy's gift card from my boss last Christmas (took 9 months to decide how to spend it wisely). I hate purse shopping because I refuse to spend above $40 and it's hard to find a good quality purse I like with that price limit. So I put it off for as long as I can until my current one wears out, which usually takes 1-2 years, then I buy a new one and toss the old.

I spent about an hour in Macy's trying on dozens of purses, comparing color, price, size, material, etc. I walked out with the most expensive purse I've ever owned (with $1.84 left on my gift card!) and was really unsure whether I would keep it because it is SO different from all my previous purses. Over the next 10 days, it really grew on me! I realized this purse is basically me in accessory form. It describes me perfectly, or at least what I'm striving to be.

Here are the 10 ways:

1) Colorful: I love bright rich (vs. neon or pastel) colors. I feel like my life has exploded in color since I moved to DC (see my DC to the Fullest blog). Life is more vibrant and colorful here than I've experienced in China, Guam, Seattle, or Utah. My closet and bedroom reflect this - bright blocks of color against stabilizing neutrals. I'm very multicultural so 3 colors represent me better than 1.

Also, the inside lining is awesome because it represents the many cultures I am influenced by and want to explore; I feel like I carry them inside me.

2) Nice Lines: Not to say I have nice lines haha, but I always try to create nice lines when I dance and pose for pics. I think my dancer's aesthetic causes me to be drawn to simple graceful lines, angles, and arches. My last purse was more of a blob and the one before that had too many lines; this one has a good balance of clean straight and curved lines.

3) Minimal: I don't like fluff or excessive adornment. I hate clutter. This purse doesn't have anything I don't need. I love glamour and accessories but I only wear 1 or 2 at a time so they stand out and complement instead of distract or overwhelm. I like the idea of being "neat and comely" (Alma 1:27).

4) Genuine: Don't know if you can tell from the pictures but the purse is genuine leather. I didn't know until I checked the tag yesterday so I was pleasantly surprised :) I think this represents me well because I am super straightforward and honest (sometimes to a fault). What you see is what you get. I try to be my real self to everyone because it's exhausting trying to keep up a false image, and people can always tell if you're faking it anyway (like faux leather).

5) On-the-Go: I'm active and I value functionality. I got tired of holding my purse (clutch purses are the worse) and always having to pull up the straps, especially when I'm carrying groceries or taking pictures. With this purse, I can say "Look, Ma! No hands!" Loving it :)

6) Compact: Prioritization is a big theme in my life right now. There are so many things I want to do but time and money seem so scarce. Once again, I'm trying to streamline my life, invest in what really matters (see "Prioritizing 'Things That Matter Most'" post) and fulfills me (2 Nephi 9:51), and cut out the excess (see "The Big Rocks of Life" by Stephen Covey). This is easier said than done but getting a smaller purse lightens the burden on my back, literally ;)

7) Unique: I've seen alot of purses and I've never seen one quite like this one. I've also never met another Linda who is Mormon and biologically Chinese but Latin dances and loves African American culture, among other things. I used to resent being unique, but now I embrace it.

8) Adaptable with Preferences: There are 3 rings on the purse and the strap can hook on 4 different ways, with varying lengths and levels of comfort. I mostly keep the strap at the longest length so I can wear it across my body. This is like me socially. I can adapt to various group sizes and situations for varying lengths of time and levels of comfort, but I mostly prefer meaningful 1-on-1 conversations.

9) Efficient/Creative: See the outside zipped pocket? That's a wallet! How brilliant is that?! So convenient in so many ways. I like to shorten and simplify processes to find the fastest and most effective way to do things. Efficiency often requires creativity and I enjoy those opportunities to be creative. I think this attached wallet is very creative.

10) Structured but Flexible: It's not a loose drawstring bag or a stiff briefcase. I like that this purse looks structured but can be stretched a bit to hold different shapes if needed. I need structure and some routine to my life to be productive but I also try to leave room for a little spontaneity or when something important comes up.

Well that was fun! Looking forward to keep learning about myself, others, and the world around me :)
***
Update: November 27, 2013

Alas, I had to get a new purse because this one was just too small for me. On occasions that I needed my camera, glasses case, or a book to read on the metro, I couldn't fit them in without my purse bulging out or my contents almost falling out. Not safe. So I upgraded to this lovely piece -

Almost the same except
- It has more room
- It's one color (easier to match), which I LOVE
- It doesn't have a built-in wallet so I had to dig my old one out
- It has tiny bit of bling, classy not trashy :)