Hello, blogspot.com!

Between the conclusion of one tremendous stage of my life and the beginning of another even greater, I felt it appropriate to start a new blog to document this next stage. So...hello there! My name is Amy, but I thought it would be more interesting to spell it as "Amie" because it looks much more similar to "Amiable" than "Amy" does. By the way, if I ever become a waitress, I envision myself making lots of tips by introducing myself as "Hi, my name is Amy, and I will be your amiable waitress today."

That reminds me: I try to be funny, but I think I make myself laugh a lot more than I've ever made anyone else laugh. So you can expect really bad jokes from me...but if you ever think I'm funny, then feel free and laugh with me! I love laughing.

Anyway, the stages of my life that I am currently hanging out between are high school and college, living in Chicago and moving to Los Angeles, the teen years and adulthood.

One reason I chose USC (University of Southern California) is for the vibrant Asian American community on campus and in Los Angeles, so it's ironic that I'm spending this summer discovering everything about the Asian American community right here in Chicago. The Asian American Institute's Impact Fellows Program has exposed so much about the community and culture to me, and I feel like I'm starting to really establish my identity as an Asian-American woman. More about that at another time, though. Trust me, there will be plenty about that.

I browsed through the Magnificent Mile Art Fair with my friends yesterday, and all the electric, intense, surprising, amusing, and beautiful art led me to desire money from my future career. (The most interesting pieces were anywhere from $300 to $1500.) Isn't it ironic that artists who sacrifice financial stability make me want financial success so I can buy from them?

I watched Miss Universe tonight, and I felt deeply disappointed at the end of the two-hour program. We picked Miss Venezuela because she looks sexy in a swimsuit, looks elegant in a gown, and answers a question decently in thirty seconds. That was it. No talent competition, no demonstration of a desire to positively affect the world, nothing of that sort.

I start my internship portion of the Impact Fellows Program at the Illinois Department of Human Services tomorrow...wish me luck!

Take care,
Amy