# What do you do...



## jen_jen_ng

Hi Everyone~

What do you do to cheer yourself up on days when you’re down/sad? 

~ Jennifer ~


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## Windowlicka

I go down into the basement and start hacking at bits of wood to make rustic-style garden furniture (chairs, garden swings, planter boxes, kids playforts, etc). Taking some emotion out on an inanimate piece of 2x6 can be very therapeutic!

Either that, or park on the couch and watching 80's/90's Britcoms (Blackadder, Men Behaving Badly, Only Fools & Horses, etc) - guaranteed to brighten the day!

Are you having 'one of those' days?


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## jen_jen_ng

Windowlicka said:


> Are you having 'one of those' days?


lol, icic
yes... it seems so... >.<
just looking to get some ideas~
and a bit curious to see how creative GTAA members are with their own unique pick-me-ups 

- Jen


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## Plaid

Jen, you are of Vietnamese descent? A good vietnamese ice coffee's the way to go, sit outside on this lovely day and sip on one.
Not too late, though! Don't want to get too wired before bed.


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## Chris S

Walk the dog.

=)


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## mitboi

get a cup of coffee and walk down to the harbourfront


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## characinfan

**

Tea, ice cream, donuts, walk in a place with lots of plants and wildlife, demolition (seriously -- nothing beats stress like ripping down a wall!) and, oddly, listening to the most ridiculous heavy metal music or hip hop possible. The dumber the words, the more it makes me smile. David Lee Roth's "Yankee Rose" and Fat Joe's "What's Luv" both work remarkably well.


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## jen_jen_ng

Chris S said:


> Walk the dog.
> 
> =)


Chris, can I borrow your dog for a day? lol jkz


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## carmenh

I second Chris s's "walk the dog". Preferably in a quiet natural area with a creek for the dogs...nothing like watching their pure unfettered exuberance to snap you out of a funk 

Carmen


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## jen_jen_ng

Plaid said:


> Jen, you are of Vietnamese descent? A good vietnamese ice coffee's the way to go, sit outside on this lovely day and sip on one.
> Not too late, though! Don't want to get too wired before bed.


Plaid~ you triggered so many of my memories when I was in Vietnam. ooo~ a cup of Vietnamese ice coffee right at the nice sandy beach under your toes and listening to the sounds of waves. The sounds of the waves bring such great strength and power. Doing that can lift up my spirit any day! Now&#8230; anyone know where I can get a nice cup of Vietnamese coffee in Toronto? Of course, it doesn't have to be a café on the beach, lol. But somewhere nice, preferably with big open windows or tables outside on the streets... Let me know~!


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## Darkside

I pop some heads on TF2 or L4D.


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## Holidays

Alcohol + Pizza


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## tom g

*what to do*

i use to go sit on the rocks at the scarborough bluffs and just daydream


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## WiyRay

Haven't been to the bluffs in ages. How is the old bluff?


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## jen_jen_ng

Haven't been there in a while too.
Hoping to go to Scarborough Bluffs this weekend, but the weather doesn't look too promising~


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## ameekplec.

Wow, the bluffs - haven't been there in ages either. I remember bombing down that hill on a bike as a kid (with a helmet on of course) and taking an hour to get back up.

There are lots of places to have a nice vietnamese coffee in Chinatown - or you could just buy one of the percolators, have some beans ground in Kensington market, and go hom and enjoy a nice iced vietnamese coffee on the balcony.

And for me? Go to the market, buy some cheese (soft, and the smellier the better), some meat (I'm a big fan of salami these days), a nice espresso or some strong coffee and tinker with the tanks all day.


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## Fish_Man

goto the gym


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## AquariAM

Recreational drug use. And nature walks.

*Ameekplek-- Go to the market, buy some cheese (soft, and the smellier the better), some meat (I'm a big fan of salami these days), a nice espresso or some strong coffee and tinker with the tanks all day.*

Is this for FW or SW?

I imagine the cheese is some sort of bioavailable calcium supplement?


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## Plaid

Ah, I knew you were Vietnamese! Soon, we'll have beautiful weather, just like in Saigon. But as close as you can come to that... beautiful, old/new atmosphere is in one of the Chinatowns.
As far as iced coffee goes, I like to make my own. I love the Cafe du Monde coffee grinds, they come in a pencil-yellow tin. For milk, I like the taste of Longevity Brand, but find it to be slightly gritty when you're down to the bottom of the cup. So I use Compliments Brand.
I don't know how long ago you were there, but do you remember all the bikes? The girls in their stark white clothes, the silent monks in brilliant orange, the brown flow of the river?
It's one of my favourite places in the world. And I've been around the world. If you're a bit older than I am, and left 'Nam in the war, then you should be able to visit. My dad, a three-boat, got out of there and had no trouble visiting his home in 2007. They might push for a bribe at customs, but no real issues.

I'm sorry, I was rambling. It's late, even for me.
But when you're down, and the weather sucks, just remember the beautiful places you've been.
Wes

Oh! The old ladies selling fruit for pennies, next to skyscraping silver buildings and european Starbuckses! The lizards that get everywhere, the pirated movies you can get anywhere! This thread's got me going. I'll post a place for some good coffee tomorrow. What part of TO are you at?


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## jen_jen_ng

*hehehe*



Plaid said:


> *Ah, I knew you were Vietnamese! *


- LOL, now i'm reeeeally curious. What suggested that I'm Viet? 0.0



Plaid said:


> *As far as iced coffee goes, I like to make my own. *


- thanks for reminding me^^ it has been a loooong time since I ordered Vietnamese ice coffee. I really don't recall ordering them in Toronto ever - even if i'm in a Vietnamese restaurant. I will try to find the materials and learn how to make them since I recently moved and can now enjoy a nice coffee out in the balcony^^



Plaid said:


> *I don't know how long ago you were there, but do you remember all the bikes? The girls in their stark white clothes, the silent monks in brilliant orange, the brown flow of the river?*


- I didn't stayed in _Saigon (Ho Chi Minh City)_ for a very long time. Instead, I stayed at _Phan Thiet _for the majority of the time - it's a smaller town. And yes, the monks are still in brilliant orange; school girls still wear white _Ao Dai_; and bikes everywhere~~
- yessss, I love sitting on those three-wheel _cyclo _bikes  The house where I stayed is about 15-20min walk away from the beach. I go there every morning at 5:00am (thanks to the roosters) to jog and swim and then enjoy a nice coffee in one of the many cafés on the beach. I also go there every night to meet with friends and to stargaze. Living in a small town away from the lights of the city makes seeing shooting stars very easy! <3 



Plaid said:


> *But when you're down, and the weather sucks, just remember the beautiful places you've been.*


- Among the many unique and funny replies  , your reply triggered a very special place in my heart. I think I will have an additional new way of pick-me-ups now. Thanks, Wes <3

lol... and you thought you rambled. >.< my apologies
hehe, there's just too many things that came to mind! 

~ Jennifer ~

For those who have no clue about some of the terminology, I've included a few pics 
_Sorry for making this post sooo long, and off topic >.<_

*Vietnamese Ice Coffee*









*White Ao Dai*









*Three-wheeled Cyclo*


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## Plaid

It's the name that made me think it. 
"Ng", I don't know if that's your family name, or part of it, or what, but it's very Vietnamese. 
And you can eBay the coffee makers for, like 8$ including shipping. 
I'm half Chinese by blood, and born at the Oshawa General. But my father, the Chinese one, is from Vietnam. And during the war, the Chinese didn't end up put at the safer locations on the battlefield.
That being said, he was obviously immersed in Vietnamese culture, and he took me to his childhood home a few summers ago.
And seeing the monks there, and their lifestyle, struck a chord with me. I'm considering taking some time off, and taking the vows for a year or something like that.
I hope today's as good for you as it is for me! I got hired at the Toronto Zoo, and got my G2 license!

Good talking to you!
Wes


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## jen_jen_ng

Plaid said:


> It's the name that made me think it.
> "Ng", I don't know if that's your family name, or part of it, or what, but it's very Vietnamese.
> And you can eBay the coffee makers for, like 8$ including shipping.
> I'm half Chinese by blood, and born at the Oshawa General. But my father, the Chinese one, is from Vietnam. And during the war, the Chinese didn't end up put at the safer locations on the battlefield.
> That being said, he was obviously immersed in Vietnamese culture, and he took me to his childhood home a few summers ago.
> And seeing the monks there, and their lifestyle, struck a chord with me. I'm considering taking some time off, and taking the vows for a year or something like that.
> I hope today's as good for you as it is for me! I got hired at the Toronto Zoo, and got my G2 license!
> 
> Good talking to you!
> Wes


ohhh icic~ 
I thought my msgs had a Vietnamese style to it that I am unaware of, lolz!
Jen is short for Jennifer
Ng is short for Nguyen 
if ppl see the full spelling of my last name, then most would guess i'm Viet
if ppl see me in person, they'd guess i'm Filipino
if ppl judge me base on my writing style, they'd guess i'm Chinese
hehehe >.<

not a lot of people would ever guess i'm Vietnamese, so good job!
unfortunately, i don't have any close Vietnamese friends
living the area of downtown toronto during most of my childhood years and the church that i go to, i am completely immersed in the Chinese culture, and also picked up their language. i sometimes consider myself more Chinese than any other ethnic group i belong to, hahas

I will definitely look that up on ebay, thanks for the info <3

it's good that you have the chance to explore the Vietnamese culture!
So can you speak another language other than English?

and congrats on getting a job at the Toronto Zoo and the G2 license!!! I'm so jealous, lolz . It sucks to not have a car go to places~

Today is a relaxing day for me. I am preparing my home to invite two guinea pigs to the family. Very excited! If everything goes according to plan, I will get them tomorrow!

Smiles,
Jennifer


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## ShrimpieLove

Sorry to hear u had a bad day!! Some things I do- play with My cats theyre always funny and cheer Me up, I love going to the fish store and just lookin around it takes My mind off things and I walk there so it gets Me out of the house into the fresh air for a bit, listen to some upbeat music to get Me into a good mood, a bubble bath is always nice, clean My house( not that fun but when it looks spotless it always makes me feel good lol), and of course spending time working on my deck garden. Buying new shoes or clothes allllways works but can be depressing when ur wallet is empty lol 
watching an all time favorite movie in pyjamas


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## michaelhoffman

Whenever I feel down or sad, I turn on the music. It helps you get your mind off certain things when your depressed. A brisk walk also does help.


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## AquaNeko

Sometimes I just have an Office Space moment with a piece of tech and I feel better. 

Or a 5km uphill ride helps a lot because you know when you're up the hill you can relax on the way down. Or a box of ammo and paper targets down range. Or I like to cook a lot when you're bummed out and enjoy the food afterwards and feel better then freeze the rest so you don't have to cook for a while.  

Cookies...sweets... Mmmmm always a good way to feel better. Mmm... ice cream. Good thing I got the day off today. Going to go shopping for frozen goodness.


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## jen_jen_ng

AquaNeko said:


> I like to cook a lot when you're bummed out and enjoy the food afterwards and feel better then freeze the rest so you don't have to cook for a while.


wooow, cook? i wish i'd do something constructive like you when i'm feeling down~ although, i'd doubt it's edible... lol >.<
bike riding is a good and fun idea too!



AquaNeko said:


> Cookies...sweets... Mmmmm always a good way to feel better. Mmm... ice cream. Good thing I got the day off today. Going to go shopping for frozen goodness.


Don't forget to share~~! It's also more yummier that way  hehe

Jennifer


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## mr.sandman

Play Jason Mraz - I'm Yours.


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## brapbrapboom

Eat with friends, chill.. And more food trip!!  you can tell by my body size XD


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## jen_jen_ng

mr.sandman said:


> Play Jason Mraz - I'm Yours.


hehe, I really like that song

another that i (know is a bit cheesy for some) but can't help but smile and melt a lil when it comes on the radio is: Just The Way You Are - Bruno Mars  heh.



brapbrapboom said:


> Eat with friends, chill.. And more food trip!!  you can tell by my body size XD


lol, i second that (all of it! )!
that'll definitely cheer me up too! >.<
- maybe you can suggest some great places for food trips~ hehe

Jennifer


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## AquaNekoMobile

^^;;


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## Dienah

Darkside said:


> I pop some heads on TF2 or L4D.


Hahha yeah, L4D pretty much does it for me too.

That, and I watch_ really, really, really_ stupid videos on YouTube.


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## ynot

CRANK UP THE VOLUME with Black Eyed Peas: "I Gotta Feeling" and "Boom Boom Pow" until the windows vibrate in unison!


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## jen_jen_ng

ynot said:


> CRANK UP THE VOLUME with Black Eyed Peas: "I Gotta Feeling" and "Boom Boom Pow" until the windows vibrate in unison!


ahahaha! *nods nods*


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## brapbrapboom

Dont forget *Rock ur body*


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## Ciddian

AquaNeko said:


> Sometimes I just have an Office Space moment with a piece of tech and I feel better.


Hahaha! Neko.. Love that movie.

I usually play with the kiddo, make something out of clay. Cleaning with some great music always seems to make me feel better.

I like finding new places with the car, I used to be the only one with my full license when I was younger so my best friend used to call me to go driving whenever she was down.


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## gucci17

Dienah said:


> Hahha yeah, L4D pretty much does it for me too.
> 
> That, and I watch_ really, really, really_ stupid videos on YouTube.


I totally forgot about L4D...I loved the first one and bought the second one and never really played it. It's fun but I had no one really to play with. I agree that it's a great way to kill a few hours.


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## ynot

Black Eyed Peas: The Time (The Dirty Bit).

Another "driving until you feel better song" (takes a few listens cause it grows on ya the more times you listen to it).


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## ameekplec.

CBC radio 3, vanilla latte, and looking out the window pretend to read papers. This day can't pass fast enough!!


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## jen_jen_ng

ameekplec. said:


> CBC radio 3, vanilla latte, and looking out the window pretend to read papers. This day can't pass fast enough!!


"pretend to read papers" <-- lol^^

omgosh, Ameekplec, I don't know how long I have believed this, but I jussttt notice the spelling under your username and realize that you're not a moderator, lol 

Jen >.<


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## ameekplec.

Pretending to do work is sometimes harder than actually doing it. 

Nope, I don't moderate. I moberate. I go with the flow.


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## Holidays

ameekplec. said:


> Pretending to do work is sometimes harder than actually doing it.
> 
> Nope, I don't moderate. I moberate. I go with the flow.


you're a G?


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## ameekplec.

What's a G?


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## LexiBadger

mr.sandman said:


> Play Jason Mraz - I'm Yours.


Nice. Or maybe even better than that is this kid playing I'm Yours on the ukulele. Gets me every time.


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## jen_jen_ng

LexiBadger said:


> Nice. Or maybe even better than that is this kid playing I'm Yours on the ukulele. Gets me every time.


lol! *nods*
I saw the vid a while ago. Really cute^^

Smiles,
Jennifer~


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## AquaNekoMobile

Holidays said:


> you're a G?





> 11-11-2010 05:46 PM
> ameekplec. What's a G?


LOL. G Halocon's an OG.


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## AquaNekoMobile

I tend to search up Youtube for awesome covers of songs I remember and also via covers I discover new tunes and it cheers me up. Here are some of my favorite covers:





 Sweet Child O'Mine





 I've Just Seen A Face





 Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds (same girl as above. Awesome cover!)

More in my thread here. http://gtaaquaria.com/forum/showthread.php?t=16349  Perhaps others can drop some recommends for good tunes and linkages in my thread. Thanks.  Enjoy.


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## AquaNekoMobile

Ciddian said:


> Hahaha! Neko.. Love that movie.
> 
> I usually play with the kiddo, make something out of clay. Cleaning with some great music always seems to make me feel better.
> 
> I like finding new places with the car, I used to be the only one with my full license when I was younger so my best friend used to call me to go driving whenever she was down.


For you Cid.





 <3 <3 <3  I'm not even going to mention what the link is about other then it is work-safe. It is because anyone that has seen it in the same hot seat would probably react the same way.


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## xr8dride

Hop on the Ps3...Grand Theft Auto online...and shoot people, lol. Nothing like staring thru the sniper scope and letting off a few shots to some unsuspecting person. It's really the comments and private msgs that come after the game that make me smile. e.g. cheater, hacker, @#!% off, and the numerous suggestions I get in reference to doing my mother. 
How can you not smile knowing that you have a significantly better life than someone who gets that upset over a video game.


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## Kweli

Make myself fresh coffee
- Grind the beans which are stored in freezer
- Use a french press
- Yummmm

Eat something from the BBQ

Play video games

Mary J


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## jen_jen_ng

hehehe, 
wow, I think I should try some of these shooting video games that many of you have mentioned here. Seems to work for most of you really well 
I don't play much and when I do, it's mostly those magical la la stuff, and mario >.<

lol! actually... just now, I remember playing something called *CounterStrike (?) *yeeeeears ago - when my friends pulled me out of class and we spent half of our day in a computer store playing that with other bunch of people. Sooo many people skipped just to play that game @[email protected]

Although, I have to admit that it was quite fun. and I remember I couldn't help but to cruelly smile a bit every time when I shot someone, teehee >.<

Jennifer


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## xr8dride

See......it works


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