just jaime

 resolution: a poem

 

 

 The windows rolled down, homemade CDs playing old tunes, cramped backseats, a trunk full of luggage and snacks, and of course, lots of bickering. 

 I am taking a bit of a break.

 a poem

There's something appealing about the idea of alternate universes. 

Sometimes there exists this sense of falling behind.

And no, this is not a relationship anniversary. 

a poem.

I've never been great at taking ownership of things.

a poem about days gone past. i wrote two versions of this, this was the first.

2020 was going to be the year of concerts.

a poem about hovering clouds

 Just some musings about my current emotional state.

Zoom fatigue really do be setting in, y'all.

I may never be a published writer — and that's okay. I mean, technically I do have works that have been published... just not works that I can attach my name to (with the exception of a short story I wrote when I was 10 that was published by my school district with a bunch of other students' writing).  I've written before that I am not a poet and so the mere idea of compiling them into one big document to be sent off to a publisher to look at and judge and say, "You seriously think we're going to publish this?" is not something I want to deal with.  Scaredy-cat? Maybe. Probably. Definitely. But also, my poems are not meant for the whole world. Not yet, anyway. Maybe not ever!  So instead, I took matters into my own hands. I wanted to have a hardcopy of all my poems. Well, all the ones I've written in the past few months.  Self-publishing seemed like too much work (all that formatting seemed tedious) and my poems were all written on Canva (because I wanted ...

show, don't tell: a poem

Do you remember being in English class and hearing the teacher say, "Show, don't tell!" when referring to your writing?

Old superstitions are one of my favourite things about old things.

Walking in the rain may seem like a nuisance to some, but not to me.

I am very tired.

A ramble-poem about control or the lackthereof. 

2021 is fast-approaching. New Year, new me? Probably not.

I wrote this earlier this year after hearing, "My love has never known reciprocity," over and over again in my head (it still rings true).

A message to my younger self.

 Do you ever feel like you're moving forward but still keeping an eye on the rearview mirror?

I dream of the day where I have a place of my own. Don't get me wrong, I love my parents. But boy, oh boy, am I ready to decorate my home the way I want to decorate it.  I am ready to get the groceries every week and buy myself flowers (and yes, I realise there's nothing stopping me from doing that but since the pandemic started, I very rarely go to the store because we are limiting how many people leave the house). I am ready to pay the bills and feel like an actual adult.  I am ready to go to thrift stores and pick out cute furniture and decorations. I am ready to paint and refurb objects and spaces.  I am ready to go to the gardening centre and load up on plants so that my home is full of greenery and life. I am ready for my home to look like my Pinterest board. I will say, though, that I have never done well on my own. So I am gonna need a roommate. And maybe a pet. (Definitely a pet).  I can't wait to live with a friend or two. I'm sure at some point we'll get ...

Dude, I love therapy.

Young people get a bad rep for being lazy or entitled.

And yet, I write poetry.

when i say i just wanted to make you happy i mean i would’ve given you the whole world if you asked for it. i mean i would’ve moved mountains and crossed oceans for you. i mean i would’ve jumped in front of a bullet or a speeding car if it meant keeping you safe. i mean i would’ve dropped everything if you called me and said you needed me. i mean i would’ve picked up milk if you said you were out and brought you a pie, just in case. i mean i would’ve travelled the world and taken risks and done things i never thought i could do. i mean i would've loved you wholly with all of my heart and soul. and i would’ve been happy doing those things if it meant you were happy too. this one was for you. river run - andy kong  

 Christmas is my absolute favourite holiday.

 Who is Alex Trebek?

As a moderately White-passing BIPOC, identity is weird.

 Some days are better than others.

 I try not to put too much stock into "signs."

 I am so used to doing things for other people that I've forgotten to do things for myself.

I am a twenty-something-year-old with grandma vibes.

I have always loved the stars.

 It's a good thing I go through writing spurts.

We watched Willy Wonka. 

 Ah, the things I want to do before I kick the bucket.

 I am not Bob Ross. I don't even use acrylic paints.

 I am what people call the "mom friend."

This is not a post about cooking.

Who or what gets to determine what we deserve? 

You know those nights where you wake up in the middle of the night? That's basically my life.

 I would like to be loved, please.

 I have never been a huge fan of Halloween. (And yes, it's a twofer day, that's your treat! Or your trick).

Blogger doesn't do the formatting justice.

The last of the personality series (for now).  The Big 5, or CANOE (or OCEAN), is one of the most scientifically valid of the personality tests.

 Reminiscent poem

 Enneagram comes from the Greek words, "Ennea," meaning 9, and "gramma," meaning written or drawn.

I am not a good liar. Except when I am. 

"What's your Myers-Brigg?" "Which one is that?" "The one with the four letters, or whatever."

 Measuring time in generic terms is meaningless.

This will be a series of me breaking down personality tests/related things and how it's actually good (and okay) for them to be wrong. And no, I am not an expert. I am not an astrology girl. But, I do love astrology. 

 The rumbling of thunder and the bright flashes of light, what more could a girl ask for?

a love poem? maybe?

 Music exists in a nonlinear space.

That is the question.

I told myself I was going to try to write happier poems, this one still turned out sad.

Whale of a time is a phrase typically used to describe a very enjoyable experience. Because whales are big. And impressive. And therefore the time is big and impressive? Sure, that makes sense.

Writing has been a lifelong friend and coping mechanism. I honestly don't know what I'd do if I didn't write. 

written in honour of mental health awareness week (Oct. 5-12). 

In high school drama class, my teacher asked us to play a name game as a way of introducing ourselves. The caveat? We had to use an adjective that started with the same letter of our name. Me, thinking it would be funny, came up with, "Just Jaime."

 Did you know that when you spend so much time worrying about how to make other people happy you can sometimes forget how to make yourself happy? Because I do!

a poem about learning to love yourself

Impostor syndrome: the idea that you’ve only succeeded due to luck, and not because of your talent or qualifications. [1]

is it selfish to be stuck thinking about all the things covid-19 took away from me? is it selfish to be stuck thinking about all those missed opportunities, those missed connections, and those missed moments? 

In 2004, Dove began their “Real Beauty Campaign” as a response to their 2003 global research study which found that “less than 2% of women feel beautiful.” [1] The Campaign for Real Beauty (CFRB) has been written about extensively so instead, I’ll be taking a look at a new campaign, “The Girl Collective,” however it is important to address the history of their body-positive campaigns to show their evolution. In brief, the CFRB advertisements were used “as a means of branding the corporation as a feminist advocate for women (although this strategy oppresses women) as well as a process of self-branding women and girls as empowered “real beauties,”” wrote Dara Persis Murray in her analysis of Dove. By positioning themselves as body positive, Dove attempts to brand themselves as feminists. Note: Dove has since made this advertisement private. Instead, enjoy a veeeeery old CFRB ad! The “Girl Collective” works in a similar way. It is meant to be a “sisterhood that builds confidence an...

Okay, it’s #RealDadMoments time. A lot of scholarly works I came across when writing this paper in 2019 focused on women and commodity feminism. But what about men? Dove has a special product line for men, Dove Men+Care (which, if you think about it, are really the same products but designed in a “manly-man” way). One of their advertisements has amassed 13.6 million views, is not just for men, but for dads. Although Dove targets a lot of their products toward women, they spread their wings in 2014 and started addressing commercials towards men.                                             This ad’s goal is to show men being loving fathers who are there for their children because Dove believes “it’s time to acknowledge the caring moments of fatherhood that often go overlooked.” [1] And Dove has a point. A lot of ads featuring dads show them as people “who incompetently diaper...

In an era where companies are latching onto political and social movements, it’s important to look at their involvement with a critical eye. This is part one of an abridged version of a paper I wrote about Dove and their supposed commitment to feminism. As society evolves, brands must follow suit and adapt in order to remain relevant. Dove is one of many companies that has embarked on a journey to evolve their brand name through what they present and suggest in their advertisements. How have they done this? Through their use of branded activism which leads into ideals of feminism, authenticity, and the body in consumer culture being challenged and presented through their advertisements. A Brief History of Dove in an Evolving Society Dove, owned by its parent company Unilever, began in 1957 in the United States with its “revolutionary new beauty cleansing Bar.” [1] Since then, Dove has been increasing its product line, creating specific lines for women, men, and infants. In 2005,...

This May, Asians across the globe will be celebrating Asian Heritage Month, more commonly known in the USA as AAPI heritage month.   This felt like the right time to rehash one of my favourite essays that I had the opportunity to write while in university about the misrepresentation of Asian Americans (and Asians in Western societies) in media.

Every day feels like the day before. And this is something being universally felt around the globe as countries enact shelter-in-place rules. The basic rules are as follows: 1) Don't leave your house. 2) If you must leave your house, lest it be only for essential trips      a) Essential trips include: getting your socially distant (6ft/2m) daily breath of fresh air and picking up the items intended to keep you alive. 3) If you are a non-essential worker: stay home. 4) If you are an essential worker: thank you from the deepest depths of our hearts (and I'm sorry for how tough it has been). 5) Keep breathing. Keep breathing. Keep breathing. When this quarantine began, I was in the midst of a new job -- a three-month-part-time contract that was about to be extended and eventually, or rather the hope was, full-time. Now, due to lay-offs and concerns about how long this will go (and we all know it'll go for much longer), I'm about to be unemployed once a...

Hello! Long time, no see! I sort of forgot to keep posting about my time on exchange... that's my bad, y'all. Things got so hectic! Clearly, I survived my time abroad -- or else I wouldn't be here posting -- and it was a very rewarding experience where I learned a lot about myself. I will forever thank my lucky stars for the experience, even with all the ups and downs of being away from home. I definitely came back with more confidence and a renewed sense of purpose. Sorta. Anyways. Fast forward to 2019! And what a year it was. I went out for coffee with one of my close friends in early 2020 and when I joked about all the difficulties of 2019, she looked me in the eyes and said, very genuinely, "It really was rough, huh." And I guess it was. I tend to brush these things off with jokes, but I'm working to really work through the pain and issues that arise instead of pushing them down. I got my heart broken (a couple of times) but I also was filled with ...