Hello there, summer! I haven't seen you in a while!

Candice, Chelsey, and I are at Mt. Vernon. Summer is here! Actually, it came last Saturday. My summer is so far "meh." One of the major things is that I am learning to drive. I am very good at stopping. And that's about it. I have also been quite obsessed with Celine Dion and Cyndi Lauper. Hah! Perfect! Both of them sang "I Drove All Night," and I will soon be able to drive all night with them =].
-Jas

So close, yet so far

Haha, poor Stanley. I did eventually give it to him. Many of you have probably seen this porker roaming around my house before. Many of you have also probably been terrorized by this 15 pound of madness. Don't worry, our front lawn is greener.

-Jas

To Blog or Not to Blog

...now that is the question. Obviously, I gave up blogging after spring break. One of the things about me is that I am ridiculously inconsistent. I change my mind a lot. I never stick to one thing. But I like to think of it as just me being open to everything. I told everyone to keep blogging and to never stop when I was the first one to stop.
Speaking of changing my mind, I am not sure if I want to go into psychology anymore. Here is why. On Friday, I went to an interview at the Drug Enforcement Administration in San Francisco, where I will be working over the summer. The laboratory director said that I will start out with either volunteering or the student aid program. Since this is a science place, I asked if there was anything psychology related here. He said no. The lab is strictly chemistry. He said that majoring in psychology entails the necessities of majoring in other stuff. For example, psychology requires that I must go into a counseling or teaching course. In the end, I will have to major in psychology AND teaching. It is a long process.
The greatest catch today was that if I continue working at the DEA as a student, in the future, I am GUARANTEED a job when I am older and out of college. Basically, if I stay with the DEA, my job in the future is set. However, I am not sure if I want to go into chemistry. But if I do, my life in the future is pretty much already wrapped in a box and tied with a purple ribbon. While taking the tour in the lab, I found it is pretty interesting because I analyze items recovered from crime scenes and stuff.
So the question is not "to blog or not to blog," but rather: to have a job that I love, or a job that will make life easier. I have always told myself to find a job that I love and would do for free, But now I am not sure. Jasmine the chemist or Jasmine the psychiatrist/teacher/counselor? Have a nice day!

Bean Sprout

As self-degrading or pathetic as this sounds, I am short. I would not mind sprouting several inches or so. Recently, my mom read in her newspaper that this girl stretched before she went to sleep, and she grew several inches over the years. I have a glimmer of hope!
As a whole, I am generally fine with my height. The thing is that I am not disappointed or disgusted with my height, but it would be nice to be a bit taller. I guess I would rather be compact than be an Amazon woman. It leads me to wonder: How important are looks? As much of a conformist as I sound, physically pleasing individuals have a better chance of getting further in life. It is not true in all cases. I know, I sound ridiculously superficial, but that is just what I have noticed. Would you ever dare leaving your house without a glimpse of the mirror first? But then again, everyone has their own definition of beauty. It is one of those subjective things. Most people are very touchy when it comes to the topic of appearance because everyone has their flaws. Most people would forget if someone called them mean, but if they were called ugly, it would stain like fire on paper. So, how important are looks to you? Have a nice day!

-Jas

I think this is a lovely verse. It is aimed for women, but it can be equally applied to men.
Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting; but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised. Proverbs 31: 30

Brains and Doors Update

In my previous post, I stated that I had no idea what the difference between a psychiatrist and therapist was. Courtesy of "Dr. Bob" from my beloved, Yahoo! Answers.

Psychologist: 4 years college, 2 years Masters degree, 4 years doctroral deedgree (Ph.D. = Doctror of Philosophy, Psy.D. = Doctor of Psychology) Internship. Supervision. Cannot prescribe medications. Will sit and talk with you for a 50-minute-hour about your problems, offer suggestions, support andf encourage you, etc. Has a specific body of knowledge on which to base his/her work, called a "school" of psychology: Freudian psycho-analysis (although usually this will be a psychiatrist), Jungian Analyst (many clergy have Jungian training), Adlerian Individual Pshychology (most influential of the three on modern psychology, basis for most other therapies including Cognitive Therapy.)

Psychiatrist: 4 years college, 2 years masters degree, 4 years Medical school, 2 year specialization in psychiatry (sometimes in connection with a doctoral degree in psychology, so they are MD/PhD), internship, supervision. Can prescribe medications and one criticism of some is that they depend too much on med and not enough on talking, support, etc.

Social Worker: 4 years college 2-3 years School of Social Work. Many schools seem heavily influenced by Freud. Some social workers have private therapy practice, others work in social work settings.Clergy: 4 years college, 4 years graduate theological school; ordained; thinnk "mainstream" denominations.

Clergy who are trained in psychotherapy do NOT get involved in religion or spiritual matters unless that's what the client comes in for. Othersiwse they are trained and conduct therapy pretty much on a paer with psychologist. Problem: No third-part/insurance payments accepted.

Brains and Doors

So, for now, I think I want to go into the field of psychology. I am currently fascinated with the topic of the human mind. After doing a paper on Freud, I am interested in furthering my study in psychology. I have always loved observing people and their behavior, so I am considering on observing people as an occupation. I was also debating whether I should become a therapist or a psychiatrist. Obviously, I have a long way to go because I do not even know the difference between the two. I am particularly interested in helping kids. However, I am kind of scared of being involved in such a touchy topic. I am also afraid of my patients becoming murderers and killing me. But who knows. I recently got over my phase of zoology. Wouldn't it be awesome to be a musician? A relaxed musician, that is. I would love to be able to compose a song with my mind and fingertips. I hope to one day compose a song and play it for whoever wants to listen. I wonder what other doors will open to me. I mean, I never imagined that I would one day be interested in brains. Have a nice day!

-Jas

Ponderments

Isn't "ponderment" such a rad word? Anyway, for my fellow bloggers: Is it repetitive to have a blog AND a diary? I mean, is it tedious to write in a blog and a diary? But I guess a diary is more personal than a blog where the whole universe can read and stalk you. Seriously, I strongly encourage people to have diaries. It is truly amazing to see how much you have grown in the past years. I was reading my diaries from a long time ago and, boy, were they disgusting and annoying. I also think its interesing to think how much I have grown from that time, but in actuality, I still have a long way to go. Hopefully a long way at least. I want to write in my diary more. And plus, it is hilarious and quite entertaining to see what I wrote. Cliche, cliche but it is a good experience. Have a nice day!

-Jas

Do not let your heart envy sinners, but always be zealous for the fear of the Lord. Proverbs 23:17