7. Petting Cats

Let me set the record straight, first off: I am a dog person. I have owned three dogs in my eighteen years and cannot foresee the rest of my life being any different. Not only am I deathly (well, not deathly...but extremely) allergic to cats without taking medicine - while taking the allergy tests where they prick your back, the doctor said he had never seen someone react so badly, and would I mind if he take a photo? - but cats are, put simply, quite apathetic. While I admire their relative self-sufficiency and independence, I find dogs' general need for companionship relatable and comforting.

However, I cat-sit for my neighbor while he and his wife go on trips, and I have to say that having a cat open up to you is quite a rewarding experience. Their cat, Callie, has, over the past couple days, started to trust me. Today, she actively sought me out to rub up against my legs while purring. Bonding with an animal is not the same as connecting with a human; the former implies a special kind of unrequited love that is difficult to create with other people. I can't deny that bonding with Callie, a relatively off-standish cat, makes me feel like a Cat Whisperer. Is it my charisma? Is it the gourmet cooked shrimp I hand-feed her? I may never know.

6. Mother Nature is One Bad Madre

I didn't post yesterday due to a power outage. The reason: a storm like no other. I don't think I've ever experienced such a massive storm; the thunder and lightning from behind the mountain looked more like Mordor than Hawaii. It was raining so hard, thundering so loud, and...lightnening? so brightly that I woke up in the middle of the night. It must have been right over my house, the rain falling with a fury like no other, as if Zeus had just caught Hera with a lover. (Hera, you slut.) At one point, a flash of lightning seemed to strike the school behind my house or a neighbor's house. You could feel the electricity in the air. I was terrified and fascinated at the same time, and couldn't stop wondering what it would be like to be struck by lightning.

Oh, to be on Mount Olympus (or at least be a demi-god).

5. Nationalistic Flashbulb Memories (also known as Ding Dong, Osama is Dead)

Flashbulb memories are memories made when an event happens with such magnitude or such great consequences that you remember the situation surrounding you when you find out about it. People are saying that Osama's death is going to be one of those moments. I have lots of thoughts, concerns, and speculations about his death that I don't think are appropriate for this blog. However, I think it's fascinating how quickly news spreads, and how a whole country - or even globe - can share a moment like this, especially over something as seemingly inconsequential as one man's death. Right now people seem to generally be happy, slightly confused, and proud in his or her country (namely, America). I have no idea what the future holds and do not even feel confident saying that it may be safer than it is now, but rest assured something big and unforgettable has happened today that will go down in history.

RIP, those murdered by Osama.