show me something pretty

Material Possessions I Have Accumulated Recently

2011-04-05T00:46:00.000-07:00

I've always wanted to attempt to start a fashion blog, not necessarily pose in my outfits and post the cute ones, but just post and comment on random shit I think is pretty. (Hence the title of the blog). How about I just start with taking pictures of my stuff and talking about it. HERE GOES:

I got this silky-looking scarf at Buffalo Exchange the other day. I took in a bunch of old clothes, was going to get like $45 in cash, decided to spend $5 on this. So far I have worn it on my bag. I always love silky scarves but alas, fail at trying to wear it in my hair or all French and stuff. Try harder.

Here is the ~$50 wallet I got in Taiwan to replace my beat-up fake Coach one. It is a really beautiful green plaid pattern with brown leather, the brand is something like Beverly Hills Polo Club or something and seems unique to Asia. I was a little skeptical about the structure of the wallet but the leather is starting to soften and it is growing on me.

And here is a wooden kitty. I think it's pretty lolz. Meow :3

Srsly though I have been pretty good about not buying stuff this past month.

On Doing Things Alone

2011-02-05T23:51:00.001-08:00

As Valentine's Day approaches once again, all us single folk are forced to reflect on our single lives and lack of a significant other. During the day of, we have to stay at home and avoid any happy places where a couple may be macking out. Even though we have no idea how the relationship dynamic works, it still sucks to see the "better" parts of it shoved in our faces. This was a mistake I faced last year.

But now, I want to talk about being able to Do Things Alone. This is quite an impressive feat that not everyone is able to master, most of all me. I usually wouldn't eat in a restaurant alone, go shooting alone, or even ride the BART alone (unless I'm sneaking off to a Gap 40% off sale).

I always admire people who are able to enjoy events alone, especially events that others usually do together. Like going to concerts alone, eating meals alone, trekking through Ikea's showrooms alone. They are comfortable with themselves and friendly to strangers, something that I like to avoid by putting on sunglasses and earbuds. But honestly, if you really want to do something, the lack of a SO to share it with should not deter you. If your want for it is high enough then screw all your friends who hate Ke$sha and go to her fucking concert and then have a great time dancing with teenagers!

To myself, I make up lists of things that I could feel would be fun to do with a significant other. Past items on list have included watching Wall-e, going to concerts and musicals, or having a picnic (anything grass-related). While for some things I should just stop bitching and do them without a boy, sometimes there are others that would just be a lot better with a SO.

This is not fair.

How about going to a fancy date-like restaurant - I'd feel weird going with a girl in fear of others mistaking my sexual orientation. Or taking a stroll along the beach at night - not something I'd do with my BFF. Going to a weekend getaway and wine-tasting, a fancy cruise, or even just lying around on the grass on a nice day. Something dancing-related that is not in a club or involve grinding.

So I guess the moral of this little rant is that I/you should just man up and do the shit you want to do. Don't want for some dumb boy to motivate you to finally read that book or go running. Then after you feel all successful and accomplished maybe you can come home and cry about how you're not at Chez Panisse with your future husband.

Happy Valentine's day, kids. Too bad there is no cube competition this year.

On Birthdays

2011-01-08T11:10:00.000-08:00

Growing up in an Asian household, I was taught that on your birthday, you throw a party/have a dinner and invite your friends. Since your friends bring you presents, you pay for the party/their dinner. Everything is dandy.

As I got to college and experienced real American culture, I learned that on your birthday, you go out to dinner and your friends pay for you. Slickdeal!

However, this may put you in an awkward situation. On one hand, you don't want to invite everyone you know to "Come celebrate my birthday! BONUS: pay for my dinner!" On the other, you really do want to have dinner with friends on your birthday.

As such, it leaves you with a few options:

1. Have a really good friend who will automatically round up everyone else for you. This only works if you have a friend who will do this without being asked.

2. Don't have dinner - throw a party, buy booze, and have your guests bring more booze.

When you're between the ages of one and twelve, your parents will automatically plan parties for you. There's none of that awkwardness where you wait around hoping someone will remember your birthday and plan an outing. Even if the outing gets planned, I still feel uncomfortable being the center of attention for 24 hrs. I start making a mental list of all the attendees and become concerned about whether I was there to celebrate their birthdays.

In America, your birthday is the one day you can do whatever the shit you want and no one can say anything. People who hate you will be nice to you, your facebook friends who you've only seen once will pretend to care about you. Then the next day things go back to normal and no one comments or "likes" your cute cat picture.

The best scenario, I've found, is option three:

3. Share your birthday with someone. If someone has the same birthday as you, you don't have to feel guilty because you plan each others' dinners! Of course, if you share a dinner then it will suck for your friends who have to pay 2x.

I miss my birthday-sharer. She goes back to school too early now. No more running next door and yelling "It's your birthday!!!" to each other.

Sooo... who wants to plan my birthday dinner/outing/party this year??

2010 in pictures

2010-12-28T22:08:00.000-08:00

Last year I did this pictures post. Thought I'd do it again this year, since I haven't been posting that much. It's been a good year... this marks the tenth year I've been living in the United States. Finally got citizenship too, woo!

It's hard to believe that ten years ago, I wrote this three-page list of reason why California sucks. That was when I was 12 and thought snow was the best thing ever. Now, I'm glad it never gets below like 40 degrees here. Fahrenheit. Oh how things have changed.

1. January

I turned 21! Here is dinner at Zabu Zabu, where Jeremy attempted a 3-layer cube cake :)
I had a few firsts this month. Not all of which I will detail here. But I got my first guitar, I got my ears pierced, etc. Pretty good month.

2. February

I went to the pillow fight in SF for Valentine's Day! Although the fight was fun, walking around outside on V-Day really isn't. Would not do again.
Other highlights include a trip to Reno at the end of the month, where I gambled for the first time.
(Sorry for terrible pic quality. They'll get better...)

3. March

Trip to the Berkeley Botanical Gardens! On assignment for Berkeley's Caliber magazine.
In 2009 my March was pretty good. It was pretty good this year too. Hopefully 2011's will be even better!

4. April

Second time to the Cherry Blossom Festival!

5. May

Here's a pic I couldn't leave out. End of May we had a massive sewing party in which we made Pokemon trainer costumes for Fanime. See Facebook for said embarrassing pictures of me dressed as a 10-year-old. I also saw Wicked for the second time! Got better seats. Felt it was better the first time, but still worth.

6. June

This was a pretty cool day we had. First we were at Theta Chi for The Pack's filming of Wolfpack Party. See me in the music video here (grey striped shirt on right). Then we went swimming at Strawberry Canyon. Then to Trader Joe's for sandwich supplies --> Berkeley Rose Garden --> secret waterfall for picnic! This was also after a night of epic.... fun.

7. July

Impressionist exhibit at the De Young museum!! Monet!! Degas!! Renoir!! This month I also saw Idina Menzel perform with SF Symphony!! I also became an American citizen.

8. August

Cubers on a subway in New York. In August we had our Boston/New York trip. Cubers at Nationals. Cubers everywhere in Boston. Cubing all the time.

9. September

Beginning of my senior year at Cal. Was in denial and ran off to San Francisco food festival. Where there were many noms.

10. October

2nd Cal football game ever! We beat UCLA, I went with lovely roommates, pretty good day in general.

11. November

I saw Robyn live! Free tickets! Plus we had really good tri-tip salad for dinner. Also she signed my CD. Maybe I should've taken a pic of it and posted that instead.

12. December

I went snowboarding in Tahoe and went on a scarier green hill, on which I actually turned and carved a few times without falling on my face.

Happy 2011! This is going to be a scary year for me. Whee.

*some pics are credited to Justin and Esther.

How You Know You're Getting Old

2010-10-27T01:10:00.001-07:00

(Note: these may or may not be things I've personally experienced)

- You feel annoyed when you see other people being young and happy.

- You hate going out at night time because there are always hooligans out causing a ruckus.

- You'd rather stay at home and watch old TV shows on a Friday night than go to a rager.

- You look at teenagers and think that you know so much more than them.

- You start saying things like "When I was young..."

- You feel sleepy after just one beer.

- You feel sleepy around 10pm.

- Your limbs start getting sore and you think they're predicting the weather.

- You start enveloping yourself in oversize sweaters and grandpa cardigans.

This is what happens when you start growing up and having Real Life experiences and understanding the crazy things adults believe in. My parents were so right about my teenage self. Damn it.

Protip: Being Tired is a Good Excuse

2010-09-10T00:43:00.000-07:00

How does one get out of doing something they don't want to, and yet decline in a polite manner? You don't feel like getting food with that guy - tell him you're broke. You don't want to go over and hang out - say it's too cold. The best and most vague reason though, in my opinion, is to say you're too tired.

No one can argue with being too tired. Say, for example, it's summer and you're working - can't use the "too broke" or "too cold" excuse. You can't even say you have homework to do. But anyone can say they stayed up till 5am and are now too tired - even if they were staying up playing Plants vs. Zombies.

People feel sorry for people who are tired. Everyone can relate to being tired. There is no cure for being tired other than sleeping or being lazy in general. You can even say you don't believe in caffeine or don't want to chug a Red Bull after 2pm.

The best part is that you can instantly go from "tired" to "not tired."

"Well I was tired but now I'm excited let's do it!"

"Oh wait, I feel tired again."

You're welcome.

Being an Adult comes with Expectations

2010-06-10T16:45:00.000-07:00

For about a week or so I have felt quite like an Adult. I drove to work, I made monies, I came home and made dinner for the hubby and kids... I slept at a decent hour and got up when it was still a little dark outside.

I have discovered that being a grown-up comes with many unspoken expectations. When you do something wrong no one is next to you telling you not to do it. At work, no one teaches you how to make coffee. No one says stop when you open up a new window for Farmville. Once you get hired, you are trusted to always do your work and not mess around! You are expected to stride into the office with an air of belonging and knowledge and even if you sneak out to chase deer, people assume that you're doing something productive.

When you're young, parents consistently remind you not to do "bad things," to be polite and courteous, to do good things for other people. Eventually these admonishments are supposed to turn into your conscience. That is, when you are about to check Facebook for the millionth time that day, a little parental voice in your head should say, "Hey, don't do it."

But everyone has a different kind of little voice. How do you know what you have is good enough and above the normal threshold? What if your coworker believes in a healthy 10:90 facebook-to-work ratio and yours is more like 40:60? How are we all supposed to judge the same way, and how do we know exactly what we should be doing? How much is enough and how much is too little?

Ultimately these judgey decisions we made only affect our own lives and our own future. It is hard because you are making the most important decisions for your most important adult self. Because when someone tells you the broken car bumper is secure you're the one who's at risk if it fails and you have to trust your judgment.

Throughout my life I have always done things at just above the accepted level. I get by with being pretty good at tennis, decent at violin, above average at drawing, and better than other people at being smart (lol). But now as I become an Adult I have to get my act together and start being above average. Which means being better than other people who are already Adults and already above above average. This is difficult when I look 15.

In the end we all screw up a little, lose focus for a moment, make some mistakes. But isn't it nice to know that when this happens my parents are still willing to come to my aid, clean up my mess, and tell me I won't become a failure at life. I guess I'm still not quite that Adult.

On asking questions, Part II

2010-06-02T09:52:00.000-07:00

As we approach the end of the school year and another batch of seniors go off to graduate, here is the question that I've been asking them the most:

"So what are you doing after graduation?"

Although common, this can be a dangerous question to ask. On one hand, it is necessary to know where they disappear off to if you never see them again (except on Facebook). On the other, you can probably expect that they've been asked this a couple million times, and if they don't have a better answer than "bumming around" then it is probably also painful to answer.

If you've read the first part, On Asking Questions, you'll remember that it's annoying when people ask the same repetitive generic questions over and over, and you are continuously obligated to provide the same mundane answers. However, in this case I feel that the graduation question is an important boring question that must be asked. Perhaps it'd be better if you asked it in different ways:

"What are some plans of yours for the upcoming future?"
"Where do you see yourself in five years?"
"What are you going to do with your life???"

Or maybe it's easier to answer if you ask it in a more short-term fashion:

"Anything fun planned for the summer?"
"Where are you living next year?"
"What are you doing tonight??"

But all in all, as much as I hate getting asked the graduation question, I think the ask-ee should simply think of it as a silent plea: "DON'T LEAVE ME PLSPLSPLS." When I ask this question, that and other similar thoughts are probably going through my head - "LET'S HANG OUT DON'T GO FAR AWAY I DON'T WANT TO MAKE NEW FRIENDS."

Yea. So hopefully now you'll feel a little more flattered when I or anyone else ask you this. Or better yet, don't even wait for me to ask! Just tell me! Don't leave! Pls.

Things to Rely on that Begin with 'M'

2010-05-18T17:43:00.000-07:00

In Real Life, there are so few things you can consistently and regularly depend on. Places change, the weather varies, people come and go. You can put all your faith into something only to have your hopes dashed against a very sharp object, leaving it bleeding rivers of crimson.

Throughout all of this I thought I'd put together a small compilation of things I can always trust and believe in, because "some things never change."

1. Manga
I just read the 107th chapter of Full Metal Alchemist, a much-loved manga of mine. For a while it has been building up to this epic fight between the God-like evil antagonist figure and our heroes, Ed and Al and their friends. Of course it only follows that at the apex of the fight, when people have their eyes shot out or are impaled on the ground, that Al sacrifices himself for his brother. And because of his brother's undying love, Ed reaches into his deep reserves of emotional strength and begins to WIN.

Ed and all his friends. I wish I had this many friends.

As most fantasy fiction goes, in the end you win because of all the friends you made, supporting you, believing in you, filled with your heroic and selfless love. Then it turns out the antagonist's personal weakness is that he wishes he had such good friends as the protagonist. I can always trust this to be true and that is why manga is so satisfying in its EPIC-NESS.

2. Money
One can probably also count on money to be a definite universally influencing factor in our daily lives. This is probably why many people become workaholics and disregard others - they feel like people only disappoint, but money can always buy you what you want (if inflation isn't too high)

3. Music
Music is a great medium to channel in all your faith, because it won't run away from you, turn into something else, or stab you in the back. The same old song you loved a few years ago can help bring back the same good emotions when you listen to it again. How lovely.

4. Memories
Good memories cannot be ruined or taken away. That is why I keep a diary, to write them down and make sure I don't forget. Or take pictures. Now would also be a good opportunity for me to make a comparison of good memories to some sort of delicate and enticing chocolate desert, but I haven't thought of it yet.

What a Good Memory looks like.

For some reason all of these happened to begin with 'M'. These are all the ones I could think of.

Do your work. Be responsible. Don't be a potato.

2010-04-22T21:54:00.000-07:00

It's about the end of the semester, about that time where you reflect upon the past few months and think, "How did I manage to accomplish so little and why do I not feel like doing anything except mope around about how I didn't do anything?" Well, I know exactly how you feel.

In the beginning of the semester, you are all pumped about how this will be THE semester, the BEST one, how EVERYTHING will change, how you will actually LEARN in your classes. You will make new friends, find that close-knit group of friends, get promoted at a job, and perhaps discover a new cool hairstyle.

This is basically how my level of productivity/motivation has trended this semester.

In the beginning you are filled with hope, because you have all the time you need ahead of you. You attend every single class or activity rapt with attention, just imagining all the glorious knowledge you will gain. When people ask how your classes are, you say "They're really interesting! I'm excited." (True story)

But as time passes, you begin to miss one class, and then suddenly you've missed it twelve times. By then you're so behind on the material that there's no point in going back to class. You realize that the super-fun class that you were taking for fun used superb advertising materials to entice you in.

For me, at some point I just get so overwhelmed that I become incredibly lazy, not even bothering to go out to hang with my new group of close-knit friends. Learning becomes memorizing names for tests, fun classes turn into tedious useless work that I try to finish as soon as I can. I haven't gotten a better job, and I even got the same haircut I've been getting for two years. noes.

Don't become lumpy and boring and lazy like a potato.

But not to worry, kids! I am here to remind you that, however late it is in the semester, you can still decide to up your motivation and productivity. You can still decide to pay attention and go to class and get your work done. Don't flake out now - there is hope yet! For example, just today I stayed awake for 2/3 of a 1.5 hour class, when I only stayed awake for 1/3 of it the week before.

While for some things it may be too late, like joining a club, there are still a few weeks to the semester, and I challenge you to make the most of it! What a cheery and cheesy message - but it's true! Suck it up, be a man, be responsible. Sit down and think about all the things you want to do and all the things you still can do, then find the union of the two lists. Then do it.

Here's a motivational poster to get you started:

"When I get sad, I stop being sad and be awesome instead. True story."

Emo Blogging is Interesting Blogging

2010-04-03T20:44:00.000-07:00

Having had my Livejournal account for quite a few years (since July 2003, to be exact), and having been members of various online publishing/blogging sites like Twitter, Tumblr, Blogspot, and the like, I have made this sort of conclusion.

People only care about what you write if it's emo.

Now I may be (and probably am) exaggerating, but hear me out. The reason is that misery loves company, and when you start ranting about your sad excuse of a life people read and relate and provide feedback. No one cares when your life is going awesome because then you will just make the emo people more emo.

"My girlfriend just dumped me."
"This guy I thought I was exclusive with flirted with other girls."
"Well my boyfriend is great and caring and just bought me a horse."

Then you feel terrible and bad but it's not your fault you're happy! Because when you talk about how crappy the feeling of rejection is - everyone can relate. Other people feel the need to support you and "be there for you" because you "need" them. They think that if they are available when you are feeling sad and down, you will form a closer bond because they're opening themselves to you when they're vulnerable blah blah.

Maybe the train of thought is that happiness is easy! You can take substances to induce endorphins and make you feel good. Loneliness and sadness is a more substantial feeling, one that requires deep thought. Strangers can party together but you can only be emo to close friends.

Emo-tinted coloring is artistic and deep.

Well I say, this is totally not fair. I am happy and I have nothing to blog about. Friends being happy should be able to induce happiness into their friends, not the other way around. Although there is still a limit. People (including me) don't want to hear cheesy cheery posts filled with happy faces as I'm talking about serious issues. But of course, that is not the point of this blog. The point of this blog is to not be emo and sad but instead be... thoughtful. Or funny. Or laugh and be happy about other people's sad issues. (Just kidding on the last one). Sometimes I forget just what I made this blog for and now that I'm relatively happy the posts should be flooding in.

What is a happy but not cheesy topic to write about? Suggestions welcome.

Pet Peeves: Cropping out other people for your profile picture

2010-02-10T15:35:00.000-08:00

As an amateur photographer, I totally understand retouching photos or enhancing them or manipulating them to make them better. What I don't understand however, are people who upload pictures on facebook with their friends cropped out.

What does this say about them? Here are some of my hypotheses.
-My friends are too ugly and I don't want them ruining the picture.
-My friends are really good-looking and I don't want them to look better than me.
-I think this facial expression of mine is really cool and I think I look great.
-I have no sense of what constitutes the right size for a photograph and I must butcher it.
-I don't want people to know I have friends.

Here are some examples. To avoid hurting peoples' feelings I am only using pictures of myself or random strangers.

here is a perfectly nice (albeit a little blurry) picture of some nice happy girls. I decide - this is a good picture of me, let me use it for facebook!

But instead of using that version on my facebook...

I will instead use a 10x10000 version of the picture, complete with some random hand sticking out of nowhere. Nothing is centered right, but at least I get to be the main focus point.

The best ones are when it's a picture of you and one other person at a special event.

You are my special friend because I came to your graduation and we have a special picture together.

But then when this goes on facebook -

Random hand? - check
Weird picture size? - check
Deciding your friend is not good enough for your profile picture even though you went to their graduation? - check

So yea. Every time I see one of these I just chuckle silently to myself because it's so obvious. Actually I admit, I am also guilty of this. But only once! A cookie if you can figure out which one.

How to Model

2010-02-02T13:22:00.000-08:00

Part 1:

How to not model:

How to model, part 2:

Learn from the hair.

101 in 1001

2010-01-12T17:39:00.000-08:00

Another resolution, the 101 in 1001, basically 101 tasks to be completed in 1001 days. I'll come back to this and cross things off as I do them.

Start date: Jan 13th, 2010
End date: Oct 9th, 2012

Completed so far: 30 out of 101
In progress: 11 out of 101

1. ~~Get an interesting job~~ Buck Institute
2. ~~Learn Python~~ CS188 Spring 2011
3. ~~Learn more about web design (PHP)~~ In progress
~~4. Learn Javascript~~ In Progress
5. Work at a big biotech company
6. Program/Code something for fun
~~7. Take a dance class~~ Lindy Hop, Feb 2011
~~8. Take a singing class~~ Spring 2010, Music 20a
~~9. Apply to grad school~~ In progress
~~10. Live on my own~~ Mission in SF
~~11. Take a more involved photography class~~
12. Learn Japanese
13. Learn Latin
14. Take an art/drawing class
15. Get promoted at a job
16. Get an A in a Bio class
17. Go to Magic Castle at night
18. Spend a day at the beach
19. Learn a cool magic trick
20. Learn how to snowboard toeside and hillside
21. Take a long walk on the beach at night
22. Attend a wedding
23. Attend a formal dinner party
24. Go to a black-tie event
25. ~~Go to a rave~~ Etd.LOVE 2011
26. Get a pedicure
27. Get a massage
~~28. Go to a club~~ Mel's bday
29. Get my hair done for a special event
30. Go to a New Years' Eve party
~~31. Have a picnic~~ Bluegrass Festival 2011
~~32. Donate my clothes~~ Buffalo Exchange
~~33. Donate money to a charity~~ Heifer International
~~34. Host a party~~ Apt party March 2011
~~35. Go to a Big Game (Stanford vs. Cal)~~ Fall 2010
36. Meet Orson Scott Card
~~37. Take pictures of street style in Berkeley~~ 9-20-10, Looks on Campus for collegefashion.net
38. Take studio pictures
39. Cook a meal for someone
40. ~~See the Phantom of the Opera~~ Las Vegas, Jan 2011
41. Watch another musical
42. Watch Cirque du Soleil
43. Go to a professional tennis match
44. ~~Go to a concert~~ Voxtrot, 5-28-10
45. Ask for a guy's phone number
46. Go on a blind date
47. Go on a double date
~~48. Buy a drink for someone~~ Thalassa, 3-11-10
49. Fall in love
50. Kiss in the rain
~~51. Pierce my ears~~ completed, June 2010
52. Dye my hair a different color
53. Get a cat
54. Get a dog
~~55. Finish my current journal~~
56. ~~Send someone a letter~~ sent two letters, 3-24-10
57. ~~Work out regularly for 3 months~~ completed Core Conditioning, 5-6-10
58. Be able to run a mile easily
59. Be able to do 20 pushups easily
~~60. Get a super comfortable bed~~
61. Bring a friend home for the holidays
~~62. Visit my grandparents~~ April 2011
63. Make a foreign friend
64. Decorate my room
65. ~~Learn how to use a steamer~~ in progress
66. Get a blunt haircut
67. ~~Go on a trip with friends (that doesn't involve a competition)~~ Las Vegas, 2011
68. Fly first class
69. Travel to Europe
70. Travel to Japan
~~71. Go to Vegas~~ Jan 2011
~~72. Go to New York City~~ August 2010
73. Travel with only one other person (that isn't family)
~~74. Take a road trip~~ Reno Winter 2010
~~75. Drive somewhere far (few hours)~~ Tahoe 2011
76. Go back to Toronto
77. Go to World Championships for Rubik's Cube
~~78. Get a sub-20 average for 3x3~~ 18.56s avg at Stanford Winter 2010!
79. Get a sub-30 average for one-hand
80. Go to a Rubik's Cube competition in another country
81. Write a short story
82. Write a good fanfiction
83. Buy a designer handbag
~~84. Read the Silmarillion~~ in progress
~~85. Buy another lens for my camera~~ Tamron 17-50mm
86. Shoot a photoshoot for a magazine
~~87. Finish a drawing~~ 5-3-10, History of Middle Earth project
~~88. Go to SF to take pictures~~ 7-18-10, DJ Smoke photoshoot
89. Learn how to knit
90. Learn how to sew clothes
91. Learn a new pen trick
92. Shoot a wedding
93. Reread LOTR trilogy
94. Paint something on a canvas
95. Blog more regularly (once every 2 weeks)
96. ~~Learn how to play the guitar~~ In progress
97. Buy a piece of art
98. ~~Have a photoshoot with another photographer~~ Caliber assignments
~~99. Read a book for fun~~ In progress, The Black Swan
100. Buy flowers for someone
101. Learn to cook an exotic dish

On asking questions

2010-01-04T16:32:00.000-08:00

You've probably all encountered those questions that are repeatedly asked over and over, to the point where, as much as you appreciate the concern of the asker, annoy you to death because it's the 10th time someone has asked and you've given the same boring answer every time. Usually these questions are some form of "How are you?", but in a more attentive way, like "How have you been?" or "What are you doing during break?" or "How is [insert name of school here]?"

By adding little details, the asker prides themselves on seemingly knowing what is up and happening in your life. In some ways this is pretty considerate, but if it goes wrong the conversation may go like this:

"So when are you going back to school?"
"Um... I graduated five years ago."
"So... how's work?"
"...I'm unemployed."
"Now would be a great time to travel!"
"I have no friends."

At this point you both feel extremely embarrassed and you have failed to be considerate about your friend. In my opinion, the reason most people ask these mundane questions (myself included) is that they do care (however little) about your life and wish for you to tell them something cool about it. Thus, keeping a few interesting stories at hand would make the encounter go a lot smoother.

Since I am not as fast-thinking in actual person-to-person interaction, I cannot come up with the eloquent prose you read on the blog in an instant. So when people ask me these questions my brain interprets it and I answer them literally. A second later I realize I probably should have said something more interesting. But doesn't "how" imply an adjective?

"How has your break been?"
"Good."
"How's Berkeley?"
"Hard."
"How are you giving me the lamest answers?"
"Dunno."

Maybe if they had said something like, "What is the most fun thing you did that was illegal in 48 states?" or "What is the coolest thing you bought exceeding $200?" I would have thought longer and come up with something more appealing. As such, I need to teach my brain to interpret questions like "How's school?" as "Tell me about that time you tried to study for a test but was interrupted by a slew of naked people."

Of course, these interpretations would vary with audience. With anyone older than the age of 30, "How's school?" would interpret into "Tell me your greatest academic achievement so I can go home and tell my kids and compare them to you."

So it is up to both the asker and the askee to make something more of general vague questions. As I proved above, the askee should think of some interesting stories beforehand. The asker, depending on how much facebook stalking they have done, may choose to ask more personal questions. This depends on the extent to which they want to reveal the level of their stalking. Such questions can range from "How do you have so many presents in Farmville?" to "Why is there a picture of you passed out with hieroglyphics on your face?" to "Why do your wall-to-walls with so-and-so go all the way back to 2005?"

Having said all this, I don't want you to get the wrong idea that I'm silently seething while you're making small talk about the weather. It'd just be nice if both parties deferred a little from generic question/answers, because we all know the answer to "How's home?" is "Sooo relaxing and sooo much food it's sooo awesome." Because you know what you get when you have an actual conversation that's not about how hard school is and how bored you are and what you ate for lunch? SECRETS.

2009 in pictures

2009-12-29T15:39:00.000-08:00

Last year I recall attempting to write up some summarizing thing for my livejournal, going through important things that happened in each month. I think I was at maybe July before I got too lazy and stopped. This year, I will instead use pictures, and show one cool thing I did each month, proving that my life is interesting and fun and full of intrigue. Enjoy.

1. January

My first ever Exploratorium Rubik's Cube competition. Had been wanting to go to one for years, and finally got to! No world records were set, but I did "win" the Life Award with a result of awesome.

2. February

I went to see Wicked. I got to wear cool shoes. I knew all the songs. It was amazing.

3. March

This was a happy month although I don't quite remember what I was doing. Here is a green flower I got for free on St. Patrick's Day.

4. April

I had a McGangBang. lulz. It was quite good.

5. May

Not something cool I did per se, but they were putting in new windows, resulting in a hole in our wall for a day! All while I was studying for finals, great timing.

6. June

I met Sarah Dessen! She was one of my favorite authors in middle school/high school. Also bought my first book by her, which is also my favorite - This Lullaby.

7. July

Death Cab for Cutie at the Greek Theatre. Along with Ra Ra Riot and Andrew Bird. Got my tickets the day of, so cheap!

8. August

US Nationals at Stanford. In which I got two 17s solves! Fun weekend too :)

9. September

This was a busy month so I don't have anything specifically taken during it, but I was working on a production team for BARE magazine, culminating in this super fun photoshoot in October.

10. October

Dressed up as Elphaba (minus the green) for Halloween! Then did some negative cube solving. (Check out Bugs Bunny's whiskers teehee)

11. November

Went to two back-to-back Rubik's Cube competitions, in which I started competing in one hand. After the 2nd competition Berkeley also killed Stanford in football.

12. December

Received my amazing gorgeous Nikon D90 body and started learning to take pictures. Expect better pictures next year!! Also, I think my hair length has come around full circle.

I have concluded that Tumblr...

2009-12-10T11:03:00.000-08:00

..is for people who don't know HTML. Or can't format their blog entries (with or without HTML). Or need predefined formats for their entries. Or even just can't come up with their own material and need to "reblog" other people's.

Basically it is an awesome (or ridiculous) combination of Twitter/Blogger/Livejournal. And I say that with all the love/respect I have for it.

Say this blog of mine, "show me something pretty," was actually on Tumblr. There wouldn't ever be gaps and months of MIA-ness. In fact, posting would be so easy, it can be done 12938921 times a day. Observe -

Step 1: Login
(this one is actually kind of hard because the "Log in" link is smaller than the SIGN UP NOW part. Just shows how much Tumblr loves its users)

Step 2: Click something
You can choose from six options - Text, Photo, Quote, Link, Chat, Audio, Video. With the exception of Text, most of these categories assume a small text box for your "blog" post.

All you need is a URL and you have a blog post! So silly how people try and come up with actual articles.

The best part is the "Advanced Options" on the right. Like changing the HTML or the color or the font style or the... oh wait.

If you can't think of anything, no worries. Just click on this button. It's like an instant entry generator!

Step 3: Post!
Click the post button. And go back to step 1. Repeat. Forever.

So now you're probably wondering, where is my Tumblr? Yes, I did make one. Yes, I did use it. No, I don't know how often I'll continue to use it. No, I don't know if I'll become addicted to it... I titled my Tumblr "how to disappear." I have decided that it can be a clever and subtle message to Tumblr (instead of a reference to fanfiction) - disappear plz. Just kidding. No, really.

Let your imagination take root...

2009-11-12T14:30:00.000-08:00

A couple of days ago I had been thinking about my life back in high school/middle school compared to my college life. What did I do all the time, cooped up in my house after school with limited transportation and at times limited internet access? (dial-up netzero, anyone still remember that?)

Managing my own forum, of course.

(I had a thing for something-spirit-something)

Eventually became co-admined with KP, who made the latest layout. We had almost 2000 members and was actually pretty active at one point (until we stopped checking it).

Should I be worried that I managed to login to my admin account with my current password? That means I've been using this password for ~5 years...

Also, from 8 Top-Paying Part-Time Jobs for College Students
1) Computer Lab Assistant (on-campus)
This is me at work reading about what an awesome job I have. Go me!

Happy Anniversary Blog!

2009-11-04T01:07:00.000-08:00

Around a month late, but it's been a year! I renewed my redirect domain a few weeks ago. My first post here, as usual, was a shameless plug for Livejournal, on Oct 3rd, 2008.

One year later, I was obliviously eating sushi, unaware that I was missing our anniversary. Following the football game, in which we epic failed. Studying for something probably.

Haven't had any bright ideas for posts recently, but here's to another year of happy thoughts!

Happy clothes!

Happy animals!

This one's just funny.

RescueTime rescues time

2009-09-27T17:57:00.000-07:00

So for the past week I've been using this handy time tracking tool called RescueTime. It basically keeps track of the time you spend on all your windows and categorizes them from -2 (very distracting) to +2 (very productive).

It's kinda fun. You can tell them you want to "get focused" for however many minutes, and they'll block all your "very distracting" sites.

(I have yet to actually use this feature. Like I'm going to let some program tell me what I can and can't do)

Then they give you detailed reports of how long you've been productive/unproductive.

More productive during the weekend - to be expected.

It also breaks it down by categories.

For some reason it doesn't realize how much TV I watch on my computer...

I kind of feel they should have a more forceful version. Maybe something that includes an angry pop-up that appears when you've spent too much money shopping online. Or a witty message that shows before they destroy my farm on Farmville. Or even automatic IM responses that will alienate all my buddies and prevent them from IMing me. Maybe it'll happen when I start setting time goals.

But the best part is, when your productivity becomes positive, you get this teeny tiny ribbon:

Huzzah! All that hard work and they couldn't even make the ribbon a little bigger. It'd be nice if it flashed and glittered a little too. Something else they should add to the more forceful version.

boys are awesome

2009-09-26T00:59:00.001-07:00

*Names have been changed to protect identites

So as I hope you will be able to tell, I am not Cone*. I am nothing like Cone. Cone is a girl, while I am a boy. Cone is cool, while I am pretty much the definition of awesome that you’ll find in the bible. Cone is interesting most of the time, I am interesting all the time. The list could go on and on.

Even though I am not Cone, I thought I should write about something that Cone is interested in. Unfortunately, I never pay attention to her when she is talking so I have no idea what her interests are. Labels to the rescue! On the right bar of this blog, you’ll find a list of all the labels Cone has used before to tag her posts with. I’ll just assume those are her interests. I said above that I don’t pay attention to Cone, but she talks so much that sometimes I can’t tune everything out. So I’m going to give you my impression of what she thinks about her interests.

Quick note first: I am surprised that there are no labels for ‘Legolas’ and ‘green’.

Books: Cone likes books. Cone likes to read books because it makes her feel smart, unless the book is a textbook, in which case she does not like reading books because occasionally they make her feel dumb.

Boys: As a general rule, Cone thinks boys are dumb. As with any rule, there are a few exceptions. First of all, even though I am a boy, I am not dumb. Secondly, Cone never thinks boys are dumb until they stop talking to her.

Celebrities: Personally, I do not know much about celebrities. I think Cone must like them though. One day, I wish to be a celebrity so Cone will like me too.

Emo: Cone is emo half the time, and thinking about being emo the other half of the time. Even though she talks as if she dislikes emoness, she secretly loves the feeling. Cone is a closet emo.

Fashion: Cone prides herself on being on top of the latest fashion trends. Whenver Cone sees people dressed in simply jeans and a t-shirt, she likes to think to herself about how much better dressed she is. She then gets a big smile on her face because she is happy that she has a superb fashion sense.

Music: Cone likes music. She likes Stars, Eminem, and maybe even Soulja Boy.

Pictures: Cone enjoys taking pictures of good looking, well dressed people. I am one of these people.

Rubik’s Cube: Cone lurvs rubik cubes. She will see to it personally that you get hurt if you spell it rubix cube. Cone likes these cubes because she twists and spins them very fast. Some people might say that she needs better hobbies, and I think these people are right.

These labels all served to give a clearer picture into Cone’s interests. So if you want to be Cone’s friend, all you have to do is… read emo books about celebrities’ fashion while looking at pictures of rubik’s cubes. And most importantly, don’t be a boy because boys are dumb.

This was a guest post by Chubbers. Check out his blog and my corresponding post here

Freshmen Hunting

2009-09-04T15:59:00.000-07:00

As the start of school approaches, one may notice on a college campus the sudden appearance of a great many individuals who seem "glad" and "cheerful" as they make their way from class to class. Depending on your preference, you may want to avoid or instantly bond with such "freshmen." Therefore, I've written up some tips on spotting them.

Tip 1: They travel in packs
Freshmen never move alone. They are continuously trailing along a roommate or two, sometimes even their entire floor. At this point even something like "Let's go buy textbooks from the overpriced bookstores" will conjure up half a dozen eager faces, ready to head out with said freshman.

"I love studying on the grass in bright neon colors!"

Tip 2: They have their ID/keys/good luck charm from Mom around their neck
I suppose this makes it harder to lose, but that's what pockets are for, and this fashion statement is way tacky. Everyone and their mom has a student ID with a corresponding lanyard, not original at all. Try having it hang out subtly from a jeans pocket instead of loped around one's neck.

Tip 3: They're still wearing their high school class shirt or some sort of first-day-of-school ensemble
So they look like they're still in high school. Probably busting out a new Abercrombie & Fitch hoodie that looks the same as the ten other ones they own. (for further info, consult this post) A class shirt can also instantly indicate what year they're in (ie. freshman)

Tip 4: And finally, they talk way too loudly and look way too excited.
You can probably expect them to show up to class around half an hour early, in order to mill around outside and introduce themselves to a new friend. They talk about everything with absurd levels of enthusiasm ("ZOMG the expired bread at the dining commons was sooo good roflcakes")

Just wait, kids. In a few years all of you freshmen will be old and bitter like me. Just kidding. I'm a freshman at heart :D

I love school and learning and studying and learning!!

A Weekend in Pictures Part 1

2009-08-18T13:27:00.001-07:00

Part 1 because more may be coming soon.

The venue. Dinkelspiel Auditorium at Stanford University.

Darren doing a mystery puzzle - solving emo cube with 3D glasses!

Me and Macky judging. I swear I just looked away on accident. lol.

Another mystery puzzle - team blindfold with TouchCube! DNF.

More team blindfold fun.

"yesyesyesyes nooooo no yes! yesssss" team bld using only yes/no

Day 2 - skirt/dress day

Berkeley kids warming up

BBQ at Lars Petrus' house

Day 3 mystery puzzle - crazy cube sudoku! Another DNF.

Awards! I got one too :)

We're all winnars!!

Photo credits: Lucas Garron, Stanley Wong, Lars Vandenbergh

EPIC.

2009-07-28T19:50:00.000-07:00

SPOILER WARNING.

If you've known me for a while then you'll know that I used to be an avid Potter fan until the release of the book Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. I even joined a Facebook group about how bad it was. But right now I won't go on about the numerous reasons why HBP was bad (ask me in person or see my livejournal for that), I'm going to say good stuff about the movie.

They basically took every ridiculous funny thing in the book (all the snogging, for one), and made it hilarious in the movie, which I greatly appreciated. Finally I can actually laugh at stuff they made funny intentionally (and not at how bad the movie is). Cormac was priceless! And of course, lovely lovely Luna is still my favorite movie character.

Adorable! Too bad it didn't roar though.

And how about these points:
-Michael Gambon finally produced a decent Dumbledore
-Tom Felton finally fulfilled his Draco potential (I quite liked the dark shadowy Room of Requirement scenes) Yes no one can be as awesome as fanon!Draco but Tom did a good job
-Dan Radcliffe is getting better and better at acting.
-Emma Watson. Enough said.

This movie is the perfect buildup for the double Deathly Hallows whammy. Relationships are set up and Horcrux story is introduced, not to mention accompanied with an amazing lake scene with appropriate EPIC music (think LOTR) and fantastically scary dead people. The ending was a little disappointing relative to the climax though. Harry and Hermione in a Deep Talk while Ron sits to the side? Meh.

Other minor disappointments:
-Ginny is still not as kick-ass as the books
-Bill/Fleur???? I want Clemence Posey back but it's not going to happen :(
-No amazingly beautiful and sad funeral scene in which everyone hooks up
-Alan Rickman as Snape was good but could have been so much better. Maybe show a little more emotion while being cold and showing none?
-Bellatrix was amazing but totally stole Cissy's lines. What happened to the "MY ONLY SON WAHHH" bit?
-Different Tom Riddle actor but this guy was good too.

Need moar evil plz. (haha I win Patrick roflcakes)

go cry, emo kid

2009-07-02T20:50:00.000-07:00

Here I've compiled a list of things that I do when I'm feeling emo. I sure do like lists. Hopefully this helps some emo kids out there when they feel like letting the scissors slide.

1. Listen to cool music
Specifically, angry music! I find that Eminem helps a lot when I'm angry! If you need some music to listen to, here is my Last.fm page.

2. Eat something yummy
Candy helps. So does ice cream. Although you should eat them when you're not emo too. Preferably with me.

3. Buy something awesome
Not that I'm advocating spending crazy money (for all you perpetual emos), but there's nothing like finding an amazing deal to cheer your spirits. SlickDeals and DealNews are good places to start. The sheer anticipation of knowing that somewhere in cyberspace something awesome is on its way to you - a good feeling indeed.

4. Make a long rant
Get out all those emo feelings onto paper! A diary perhaps. Or if you're a technology lover, an online journal. You can lock it up and hide it in the deep depths of the internet if you'd like too. Later you will look back at these epic paragraphs of feeling and self-discovery and nod at how profound and deep you are.

5. Rant to someone else
That is what AIM is for. Of course, if no one will listen to your emo ramblings, there's also Omegle (talk to strangers!). Eventually you'll find someone sympathetic to your troubles. I still recall one of them comforting Stephanie once, when she described to him how she'd never held hands with a guy roflcakes.

6. Look at cute things
This never fails. Cute Overload preez.

7. And the last one...
is to STUDY. Who has time to be emo when you have a midterm tomorrow and reading to catch up on and work and everything else? Academics are always #1 priority right. At least it's kind of productive. And you can feel good knowing that somewhere in the near future, because of your hard studying skills, you will have a good job and money and can simply stop being emo and buy yourself some happiness.

awww!!! being emo is no fun :(

Why You Should Put On Clothes (and How)

2009-06-10T13:15:00.000-07:00

While college is a great way to show off your style, wear what you want, be accepted and all that, it does actually mean you should put on clothes. Like actual going-out clothes, not your pajamas or sweatpants (or underwear *cough*Irvine*cough*) As much as I enjoy lounging around in fat comfy pants and t-shirts at home, here are some reasons why and how I keep these clothes at home (or the gym, but we all know how much I go there ha).

1. Regular clothes are just as easy to put on
Changing your clothes takes so little time. Why not go from homeless-look to stylish-look in less than five minutes with a change of pants? It's silly that some people can't be bothered to put on decent clothing, especially if you're going to class - maybe you can't be bothered to pay attention either.

Sweats should not be worn in public. Uggs should never be worn period. I've never understood why people wear Uggs (especially in the summer) or sweats, and unfathomable why they'd wear them together... do they elongate your legs maybe? Make you look less like a chunky Eskimo?

2. Regular clothes make you more alert
Going off on that last point, putting on going-out clothes make you feel like you're out and not just in the comfort of your own home. There are other people around that you have to consider and things you have to pay attention to. It puts you in the right mindset to focus (if you're in class or taking a test) - not fall asleep. Instead of lumping around (and looking) like a sack of potatoes, you can look fresh and ready for whatever the world has in store for you!

Mmm potatoes! but not an attractive look

3. Putting on clothes makes you look modest and decent and not like you're in your underwear

This is not an outfit. This is your underwear. Underwear should not be worn as outerwear. That includes wearing leggings as pants. No picture provided because no one wants to see every cellulite curve of your lower body. Save it for the gym.

But still wanting to look mildly promiscuous? The trick to being revealing but not like a street hustler is to expose certain parts but keep it modest everywhere else. Case in point: show your legs, but cover up the top -

Kate Moss is a good example. Cover up! And put on some real shoes (ie. not flip flops)

4. Running shoes do not go with dress clothes
Until recently, I've never noticed how silly it looks for guys to wear nice khaki pants with running shoes. This look is mainly channeled by Asian dads or other equally nerdy guys who are noobcakes at dressing up. If you're going for a business casual or slightly dressy look - running shoes should not be in the equation. Especially when your pants are too short.

Hmm... which one doesn't look right? There are plenty of comfortable-slightly-dressy shoes out there - try a little something called matching.

5. Don't wear clothes all from the same brand
Okay this last point doesn't have much to do with the previous ones, but annoys the balloons out of me. Remember high school, when it was cool to have "ABERCROMBIE & FITCH" emblazoned across your chest and all other body parts, announcing to the world that you have succumbed to their mindless following? Well in the real world, it isn't.

If you wear clothes from all the same brand (especially Hollister, AE, Abercrombie), that is not called having style. That is called overpaying so you can assume the role of their walking billboard. Yes, you match and look put-together - well duh, because everything is from the same store and all look the same! Not to mention that in A&F ads, none of the models seem to be wearing any of their clothes anyway. BAD IDEA (see above points).

Not sure what they're trying to sell here, but it's definitely not clothes. The end.

Why I Hate Physics

2009-05-26T09:39:00.000-07:00

Because my textbook is so messed up:

So I sold it back to the bookstore >D

I also made spring rolls! NOM!

And that's all for today

Style Evolving

2009-05-15T19:19:00.000-07:00

So I recently read this brief article, and while at times I like to think I have my own "unique" "style," I think it makes sense to change it up according to who I'm with (or who I'm dating, in this case).

Because it's pretty natural to want to blend in with the group and dress accordingly. Not to perpetuate stereotypes, but last semester I had a computer science class right before an English class, and what my classmates wore were pretty different between the two (way more girls in English, for one).

And to address the couple transformation: guys are such good accessories for girls to have on their arm... wouldn't you want to kind of coordinate and match and look awesome together?

Example: Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie, the ultimate power couple. Looking fierce in black.

I'm not saying to be matchy-matchy (I mean you Stephanie... just kidding), but don't be so outlandishly different that you don't look good walking around together. I think you can fit in, but you can also stand out while doing so?

(but this does not mean going sweats and pajamas during finals season - ugh)

Eminem vs. Pitbull

2009-05-04T00:44:00.000-07:00

So a while ago I posted about Eminem's new song We Made You, and the awesome video that went along with it. There is also a series of "Making Of" videos on YouTube, so you can see how much work went into it.

They have like 4-5 different sets/scenes, with a pretty big cast, one that includes Dr.Dre (legend) Even with so many complicated plots/themes, the whole shooting takes two days.

On the other hand, Pitbull, another rapper, currently has the #16 spot on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 with his song "I Know You Want Me." Now, I have nothing against Pitbull. Since I'm not a music snob, I admit that his songs are pretty catchy. But here is his "Behind the Scenes" of his music video:

After watching the first eight seconds you'll get the basic idea for the rest of it, and also Part 2. Basically Pitbull is in a nice suit and sunglasses, kind of moving his body from side to side, while a hot girl slinks around him. What a tool.

Hmm this sounds familiar - oh yea, that's what he has been doing for all his music videos! Suit+sunglasses+hot girls. While Eminem is practicing his dance moves and getting in and out of crazy costumes, Pitbull can't even do a simple two-step. He lets all the girls do the dancing instead. This is why Eminem is way more awesome.

Okay so after all that hard work Pitbull does standing around, this is the final result:

Looks like it took a whole two minutes to make. He might as well have hired me and I could have churned up. In fact, he should hire me for all his future videos. I would just loop a clip of him standing there while a girl grinds up against him. BAM. Done in one minute.

Early mornings are not good for discussing literature

2009-05-01T18:43:00.000-07:00

Me: Wow they're making a movie for "Angels and Demons."
Me: I liked Angels and Demons better than Da Vinci Code.
Stephanie: What was the other book he wrote?
Me: Da Vinci Code?
Stephanie: No, something else...
Me: Something Fortress? Something Point?
Stephanie: No, it was like Angels and Demons...
Me: DA VINCI CODE.
Stephanie: Yea that one.
Me: I SAID THAT TWO MINUTES AGO.

Stephanie: Who's the author again? ....Chris Brown?

Me: This is going on my blog
Me: You're dumb
Stephanie: Noooooooooo

Although Dan Brown is not literature. Fun novels with intricate interesting drawings, perhaps. And a lot of made-up stuff that sounds real.

5 Awesome Songs

2009-04-17T15:19:00.000-07:00

music-related picture of a violin. Favorite violin concerto: Sibellius ^^

In the spirit of not being depressing, here are the top five of my favorite songs of all time. (As in right now) In no particular order:

1. Interpol - No I in Threesome
I had a friend in high school who was obsessed with Interpol. So after much consideration I finally downloaded some of their songs. They sat around in my iTunes for the longest time until one day, I started to really listen, loved their lyrics, and this one is my favorite. The song itself doesn't make much sense and is open to interpretation, but still yay!

2. Stars - Take Me to the Riot
This song was one of the first of many that my friend sent to me last year, after discovering we had similar musical tastes. Most songs tend to grow on me, but this one was love at first... listen? Since then, Stars (Canadian band too!) has become one of my favorite bands :)

3. Ne-yo - Because of You
Aww Ne-yo! I didn't really start liking this song until last year when I put on my friend's awesome headphones. This song was played, it was totally enveloping... I should get some cool headphones like those.

4. Asian Kung-fu Generation - Rewrite
This is from Fullmetal Alchemist love. Even though I have very little idea as to what all the lyrics mean, it reminds me of Ed and I love AKFG. Their songs have been used for a lot of anime opening sequences (Naruto, Bleach)... After Dark is one of them and I find the music video very entertaining.

5. The Postal Service - Nothing Better
A cute song I've liked since high school. The girl parts are so cute! FYI, the link above is not the actual music video. This one has survived a while... hehe.

Yea so I had to reformat my whole computer this week... I lost a lot of my music library. :( So now that I'm replenishing, your musical suggestions are welcome!

Emo Bashing: Twilight the movie

2009-04-09T08:53:00.000-07:00

Twilight, the movie based on Stephenie Meyer's book, has got to be the most hilariously emo film I have seen in a long time. Not only does no one ever ever smile in that movie (except that cute girl Jessica), every scene is drenched in this perpetual dreary gray-blue emo color. When I first saw it, I thought maybe it was due to the poor quality of the crappy camera version, but upon second viewing in better quality (perhaps I will discover the eye candy everyone else sees?), I realized that this movie is really the epitome of EMO.

First of all, this movie makes NO SENSE. In what world would a depressed looking girl become the star of her school on her first day in the middle of the semester? And why would anyone like her when she has this huge ego that prompts her to believe that no guy is good enough for her but the dark mysterious unattainable one? COME ON. What are we teaching the next generation? And Kristen Stewart's acting is unbelievably dull.

"I've only known you for two days, but after that frolic on the grass yesterday I'm madly in love with you."
"Hey me too! When do I get to give my life for you?"
This gazing into each others' eyes thing goes on for about 80% of the movie.

Not only that, but the main male lead (Edward) is SUCH a creeper. This movie only teaches 14-year-old girls that it's okay when guys randomly appear in your room when you're in your underwear, as long as he's brooding and evil and is resisting the urge to kill you. Romantic is having the guy following you around without your knowledge, sneaking around your house, and taking you to deserted to places so he can tell you he wants to eat you. Never mind that he looks twenty-five and this is like child molestation. Storylines like this are the reason girls go for the evil dangerous types!

And the vampire. If he was really that cool of a vampire, and immortal, why is he still in HIGH SCHOOL? Shouldn't he be doing something significant with his life, say, maybe go to college? Instead of lurking around high schools picking up little girls and constantly ranting about his monstrosity and evil nature. Also, why are vampires only good-looking people? I bet the doctor vampire just lets the ugly ones die while he changes the pretty ones to add to his "family."

This film makes me never want to go near one of the actual books. Plus, the apple cover is such a ripoff of Death Note. (btw, if you want to lust after a evil dangerous guy, go after Raito from Death Note, because at least he's INTELLIGENT) It is so sad the kind of books that now fall under "good fantasy literature." Tolkien is quality literature. Pullman is quality literature. Even Harry Potter and Narnia are better than this unrealistic romance emo crap.

Please realize that you can never truly call yourself a fantasy buff until you've read Tolkien. Meyer's bad influence Twilight does not count. That is all.

Eminem's We Made You

2009-04-07T09:36:00.000-07:00

No one makes music videos like Eminem. Not even Britney Spears. I've listened to this song maybe 5-10 times, and I like it. Need to watch the video a few more times though.

So the first Eminem song I ever heard was Slim Shady, back in 5th grade. Granted, I did not understand most of it, but it was catchy and the content sounded funny. I don't really remember when I got over all the swearing and obscenities (maybe I only listened to the censored versions back then), but I do remember sneaking home one of his EPs from the library, despite my friend's disapproving comments. (inner rebel at a young age)

When his Encore album came out, I somehow persuaded my mom to buy it for me. She probably did not realize what the PARENT ADVISORY sticker meant... and I can be very persuasive >] Towards the end of middle school I knew most of the lyrics to Superman during 8th grade promotion (Superman at a middle school dance, srsly?), and in high school memorized ALL the lyrics to Just Lose It.

Since college, I haven't listened to Eminem as much (maybe because he hasn't had a new music video in maybe, 5 years??), but I am still loyal. He's like almost 40, and still really hot.

life fail

2009-04-01T17:20:00.000-07:00

A stranger with your door key
Explaining that I am just visiting
And I am finally seeing
Why I was the one worth leaving

Today I realized that I am so lost....

I don't know where I'm going and I don't know what I want. I know I said that this blog will not be anything less than fun and interesting, but I feel that my thoughts are too deep not to share.

There's really nothing to look forward to anymore. My life is a vast empty hole and I am just flailing my arms helplessly within. I am so tired. Tired of it. Why am I at this dumb hard school? What am I going to do with my life?? When is my hair going to grow back? How will I ever master physics?

Yesterday walking through Sproul, this girl came up to me asking if there was anything in my life I would've liked to undo. YES. EVERYTHING. Sometimes I walk through that place and I just want to punch everyone in the face because they look so happy without me. Tonight I'm going to go home and burn all my colored clothes... and stick to black.

I hate cute hyper dogs that jump at me. I hate listening to Jason Mraz because he's so damn happy. I hate everyone around me (you know who you are). I hate happy people. I keep so much bottled up inside of me, sometimes I just want to let it all out in ambiguous cryptic messages. I am so angry... and so sad all the time... and also so much fail, and did I mention I was angry?

Is anyone listening??

I'm staring at the asphalt wondering
What's buried underneath
Where I am
happy april fool's day, btw

Happy St.Patrick's Day!

2009-03-17T21:46:00.000-07:00

--88 (that's a clover). Oh how I miss the high school days when I was known for my clover-ness. But this St.Patty's Day has been a good one, best yet, since freshman year of high school (I found six 4-leaf-clovers during track practice).

If you haven't noticed yet, I heart green! And I have always wanted a green flower. And since those don't exist, the next best thing is a dyed-green carnation, the ones they have around St.Patrick's Day.

Today I got one! And sort of for free! :D

"vase" courtesy of the myboys show on tbs, party pack!

So I went to that flower place on Durant today, and wanted a $1.75 carnation. I didn't have any cash, and there was a $8 minimum for credit cards. But the owner was like "You just want one? You can have it, and pay me back later." I was like :O!!!!! because of course that just means he's going to give it to me.

:O!!!! free flower!!!! I think I can safely say that I've never paid for flowers (and yes, I have gotten flowers)

So I picked out a pretty one (they were all pretty, they're green!), and that totally made my day. I love green and I adore my flower. Flowers live forever, right? I will definitely try and pay him back, although I normally never walk that way.

Today was a beautiful day to wear green. :]

hello hello

2009-03-12T09:45:00.000-07:00

So I'm sitting here trying to think of a new cool blog topic (as I always am), but everything I come up with is somewhat depressing or vaguely bitter or ranty. Even with that last sentence, I am beginning to introduce these seeds of doubt that should not be associated with my worry-free drama-less blog.

Because, there should be plenty of things to write about that will not make my readers feel depressed or sympathetic or even... thoughtful! There should be many issues I can address that will not make me seem silly when I read back on this in ten years.

I am being too contemplative... this is a sign to switch to LJ

If you're too emo you might as well get this umbrella, paint it black, and carry it around even when it's not raining.

So the moral of the (what?) story is, don't be emo! Or if you are, you should get a livejournal and tell me all about it. Here is my attempt at keeping this blog drama-free.

So below are some things that have been making me happy:

Although there's an additional nine cents tax. Click for original image.

Cute animals always make me squee. And I haven't squeed in a long time (perhaps since Cassandra Clare visited last year)

That's all I have for today.

5 Reasons why Canada is cool!

2009-03-05T20:27:00.000-08:00

Americans are so silly! I've never said 'eh' once in my life.

1. People are nice
Everyone in Canada is nice! If you've seen How I Met Your Mother, you'll remember that nice Canadian people give out free donuts. Now I'm not a big fan of donuts, but anything free is good in my book.

I still remember when I first moved to the United States. I thought everyone carried guns around! This is how violent and scary the image of the American is to the rest of the world. I went to school, and people said mean things about each other! None of my friends in Canada called me stupid :( Here, my friends called me that like twice a day! (should've gotten better friends, but remember no one is nice) Canada is just such a peaceful happy friendly place!!

2. Everyone gets free health care
In Canada, everyone got a cool green card with their name and picture on it, and you can get free health care! Here, you have to go find some lousy hospital, and every time you go you have to pay $15!!?? In addition to membership fees of course.

Why would I pay $15 for some doctor to look at me for about fifteen minutes, and then give me a print-out sheet of what I should do? That's $1 a minute! $15 for some useless sheet of paper, and then I get a prescription for some like $20 medicine in a tiny bottle. I'd rather just ignore the searing pain in my joints :P

3. We get to eat cool stuff like maple syrup cookies and ketchup chips
If you haven't had any of these... it's so good! Granted, I think they have maple syrup cookies at Safeway, but they're so expensive! In Canada you can probably go to one of those maple syrup tree farm things and make your own cookies, using sap straight from the tree! I've never actually seen it done, but that's besides the point. Also, ketchup chips! Best flavor of chips. I haven't had any in eight years :P

These are so yummy you don't even know.

4. Metric System is the normal way to measure
When are Americans going to stop being so full of themselves, and conform to the rest of the word??? The weirdo retarded pounds/feet/inches system is just not as good as the metric system! It makes no sense! Why can't we count right like every other country? I've been here for eight years and I still can't remember those retarded numbers that convert feet to pounds to yards to whatevers, and in my experience the people around me don't know either.

5. Less people = less competition
So I think the comparison is, California has more people than all of Canada. But isn't that better? It's not as crowded, and you can actually see trees and big fields and other nature things. There's less competition for everything, which means you can win more at life. If you're smart, there are probably only ten other people as smart as you, whereas in the United States there are whole universities smarter than you (case in point: Berkeley). Not only that, but because there are more people in the United States, there are a lot more dumb people too. Wouldn't you rather live in a place where there's less people, but each one is smart and nice!

So with the above points, I think I've proved that Canada is a great country to live in. Stop making fun of it! Spell it right! :( As you can see from the first chart, only dumb Americans make fun of Canadians because of false stereotypes. We're cool nice people! 8)

pics or it didn't happen!

2009-03-01T10:20:00.000-08:00

I recently got an anonymous tip from my brother's friend (who I know too, supposedly), regarding my photography skillz.

??: and tell her to get a external flash and not use the ghetto one that came with the camera lawl
??: but she has a good eye for aperture setting
??: just underexposed
??: a lot of her pics are like that
??: thats one of my underexposed shots
??: theres shadows overcasting the subject, making the color washed out
??: getting a polarizer helps ..
r: it's underexposed bc i dont have flash, genius
r: and i dont need a polarizer, i have photoshop

It was amusing until I still couldn't figure out who it was. I'm usually pretty good at these things :D Anyway, before a cute Nikon D40 or D60 magically drops in my lap, I have to stick to my huge fat D1H. To show him who's boss, I considered putting together an album of some of my better shots, but alas, all of the good shots have me in them (obviously).

But here are some of them anyway. Enjoy :]

Off-topic, but:
n: did baba and mama let you pierce your ears by any chance
n: did they say when you can?
r: no
r: like never
r: why?
n: oh
n: i kinda want one
kekekekkekekekeee

why I don't (like to) compost

2009-02-19T11:34:00.000-08:00

Those friendly green compost bins at our dining commons... yea I never really use them. At Crossroads sometimes I get peer-pressured into dumping my excess dinner into the huge bins, but at Cafe 3 I don't bother.

Because if they were really serious about not wasting food, the people working there would actually listen to you when you tell them you only want "A LITTLE BIT." ~~Conversation~~ Exchange I had yesterday at Crossroads:

Dining lady: rice and chicken?
Me: No rice! Just chicken
DL: *dumps rice on plate*
Me: No rice! No rice! ...awww damn it.
DL: *oblivious*

Maybe I should speak louder? Why do they always ask what you want, if they're just going to give you the same amount anyway? They always heap huge portions on my plate, and I can never finish it! Hence the extra food for compost, and hence my disinclination to compost.

stop your scooping movements!! I'm a small person and I don't need to eat moar!

at work

2009-02-09T22:36:00.000-08:00

My first 4-hour shift at Moffit! At least I'm getting paid. Here's the plan:

First hour: cube, get 50+ solves
Status: still slow, only on 17th solve

Second hour: shop online. being here means I can justify spending money
Status: already started in first hour

Third hour: Pretend I'm coding for fun while in actuality working on CS project (2-week no homework policy for noobies)
Prediction: reveal secrets on aim, make embarrassing ranty emo blog posts

Fourth hour: Read Watchmen
Prediction: figure out how to not get mugged on way home (can I count on not waiting for night shuttle until 4am??!?!)

real post coming up laterz.

O HAI

2009-02-08T18:34:00.000-08:00

That Valentine's Day thing is upon us. I've never actually had a vday that wasn't S.A.D. (singles appreciation day) Now I'm trying to remember what I did during this holiday...

Last year we were walking through Sproul after class when one of us got coerced into buying one of those candy rose things for a dolla. He didn't actually want the flower, so he gave it to me. Naturally my roommate wanted one too, and so our other guy friend ended up buying another one. Hell yea boys buy me flowers. I think I still have it at home somewhere.

In high school one year I managed to land two girl Valentines. Unfortunately one also had another Valentine who got her a rose (she let me hold it for a while, what a good friend). She wouldn't tell me who it was, but I later figured it out when my parents were like "hey I saw so-and-so with a rose today and he looked proud of himself." They were just friends though, so I'm sure I was still her favorite.

my ideal valentine's day candy - nerdy style

This year I will be at a most unlovable place, Stanford. Probably epic failing at my solves and programming my project. And after competition I get to find my way home by public transportation and continue coding. Sorry to disappoint everyone who keeps asking what my plans are. I plan to spend it playing with Lennie. :D

Anyway I like to think of Valentine's Day the way I think about New Year's Eve: in the future I will get to have a good real one. I am only through a quarter of my life, so plenty more years to go to a New Year's Eve party, and have a real vday. It's nice to know that I'll still have a lot of firsts, and I'm very patient.

9: maybe your stalkers will ask you out on vday
9: you should write your blog about them
9: ahahaha
r: potential valentines from blog stalkers?
First to comment gets to take me out to dinner on vday roflcakes

happy chinese new year!

2009-01-25T21:30:00.001-08:00

"If desire did not dim the brain, nobody would ever get married, drunk, or fat. -V"

Another chance to start a new year, and I'm not married, drunk, or fat! And this is what I'm counting on.

The single Dragon will be happy to know that romance is favored this year, so you may find someone to share your experiences.
Steph: Romance is favored for you!
Me: Yay!
Me: Yay! Romance is favored!
Steph: Yay!
Me: This is so pathetic.

There will be a number of occasions that will allow you to add to your circle of friends.
More friends!

The Dragon would do well to pull in the reins on lavish spending and take a more conservative approach this year.
....no because I will have a job.

This is what I really look like.

Favorite Movies: Closer

2009-01-22T15:49:00.000-08:00

"Do you have any children?"
"No."
"Would you like some?"
"Yes, but not today."

I first saw this picture in 2004 when the movie came out, and I knew I had to see it (because it looks so cool!). I finally did last year, and Closer has become one of my favorite movies of all time, for its clever banter, amazing performances by the actors, and raw honesty about love and relationships. Here are some of my favorite parts.

This has to be the hottest kiss I've seen in a film, all that nuzzling. Basically the guy (Dan) used to be this quiet nerdy guy until he meets Alice (Natalie Portman), and being with her transforms him into a cocky jerk who is so full of himself he just goes after random beautiful women. (boysaredumb)

"It's a lie. It's a bunch of sad strangers photographed beautifully, and all the glittery assholes who appreciate art say it's beautiful 'cause that's what they want to see. But the people in the photos are sad, and alone... But the pictures make the world seem beautiful, so... the exhibition is reassuring which makes it a lie, and everyone loves a big fat lie."

So this movie is about four people who fall in love and couple up, but two can't help but cheat on the other two. It is not for the soft-hearted, because it is very very sexual and probably very offensive too. But I think it gets right to the point about love and relationships and infidelity, more honest and direct than any other film. And with witty and cutting dialogue to go along with it.

"No one will ever love you as much as I do. Why isn't love enough?"

This is my favorite scene in the movie, with an amazing performance by Natalie Portman. She finds out that Dan has been cheating on her for a year when he just says it right to her, "This will hurt." It is heartbreaking and honest and very realistic. In real life when people break up the girl/guy doesn't just say something clever and biting and walk away like in other movies. It hurts but you just can't let go and leave, you want to hang on, you want to know all the details, exactly how/when/what happened. You want to know if anything had been real, because it's so incomprehensible that this could happen, and this scene does all that beautifully.

"You did love me?"
"I'll always love you, I hate hurting you."
"Why are you?"
"Because I'm selfish."

"How? How does it work? How do you do this to someone?"

After this you might think this movie gives a kind of a depressing view on love, but I think its honesty just addresses the truth about people. Relationships are hard and people are selfish and cruel and deceptive. None of these characters are what they appear to be.

I read a review that claimed Larry was the asshole most guys want to be, but Dan is the asshole most guys are, his petulance and immaturity lurking beneath the shy guy surface. So be careful, girls! The cute innocent ones are the ones that will turn into a huge jerk after they start a relationship with you. Not that that is the moral of this story (movie).

The moral of the story is that Natalie Portman is so so good (hot) in here....roflcakes. If there's nothing else you can get from it.

oh boy!

2009-01-06T22:10:00.000-08:00

Finally made a trip to the library today (the public one, not the one at our high school in which we loitered yesterday), and picked up a bunch of books I had on hold. I now have two weeks to finish these. Ready set go!

Here they are, because after everything, I still love love love books:

1. Ender in Exile by Orson Scott Card

OSC is so amazing because he just keeps churning out these Ender sequels. Of course they're not as good as Ender's Game or Speaker for the Dead, but I love seeing all these different sides of Ender, from his early childhood to old age and everything in between. I also enjoy reading about the Wiggin family, so so brilliant in every move. I think Ender is the one fictional character I love and admire the most because he is so real but also too good to be real.

2. Beloved by Toni Morrison

Read Toni Morrison's Love for school this past semester, and now I'm going to give this one a try. I hear it's much better and very much a beloved book... haha punny. One of the best works in the last 25 years, according to the sticker.

3. Wicked by Gregory Maguire

I am so excited to finally see this musical in San Francisco in February, so I want to actually read the original story. Looks like a long book though, so not sure if I'll get to it. Until then, I will just listen to the amazing music.

4. Paradise Lost by John Milton

Like Tolkien's The Silmarillion, I admire anyone who has read this. Once I saw someone reading it on the bus and I had instant respect for them. It's a classic that everything else in literature derives from... something I think all book buffs should at least attempt? (Guns, Germs, and Steel was an epic fail for me so sad). This particular edition has an intro by my favorite anti-Narnia author Philip Pullman.

5. City of Ashes by Cassandra Clare

Just something I thought I'd scan over if I get bored. Read this last year. Written by one of my favorite (fanfiction) authors, whom I also met last year when she toured Berkeley. She remembered and knew who I was (loyal fan hello), fulfilling all my fangirl dreams. Though this trilogy is far from achieving the cult status of her fanfiction, still a worthy read. (Jace is so hawt like omgaww incest)

And now to brush the dust off my speedy reading skills and set them to work. Go me!

I made sushi!

2008-12-27T16:54:00.000-08:00

Everyone look at the beautiful sushi I made:

wahh for crappy lighting. but still nomnomnom!!

First double post in a day.

Winter Break so far

2008-12-27T14:33:00.000-08:00

It's only been around a week of break, and I am bored with still three weeks left. So here is some stuff I've been doing so far.

Snowboarding
First time snowboarding! Drove up to Northstar at Lake Tahoe for two days, where I took my first snowboarding lesson after seven years of not skiing. Getting up on the board is actually very tiring as I realized the next day. Despite this, I did manage to get on a ski lift to my first green hill and ride down a few times.

I looked something like this. No, really.

It was a lot funner and easier than I expected, almost like ice skating. Unfortunately our group had a bunch of uber pros, so I was very noob.

can you spot the noobs?

Caroling
First time caroling too! We actually did it on Christmas Day, instead of Christmas Eve... nonetheless, it was fun because I sang soprano, when I'm normally an alto. Some of the notes got a bit high for me... but at every house we hit, they stuffed us with various food items. Caroling for dinner is not a bad idea :D

what an awkward non-acapella formation.

Other than that, I've also been programming, practicing my cubing, and resisting sales. I want to go to the library soon and get some books maybe... any recommendations?

How to Shop Like an Asian

2008-12-11T11:48:00.000-08:00

I started writing this a while ago, but now that it's Christmas season it's more relevant than ever! On other blogs I've been seeing all these lists on how to get gifts for people when you're dead broke (ie. college student), and they go kind of like this:

1. Make something
2. Provide services (no, not that kind)

Since I'm not 12 anymore, I'd rather not make Popsicle-stick frames for everyone on my list, so here are some handy ways to fork over less money than other blokes for the same things. Can't call it saving money because I've heard that buying stuff on sale ≠ saving money.

1. Shop Online
This is getting more and more convenient. In the comfort of your own home, you can have any fabulous thing be sent right to you! But be warned, you should not shop online to the point where you have your credit card number memorized.

In many cases shopping can save you loads of money and energy. Never buy anything at retail price online; you can always find some sort of coupon code in forums like Slickdeals. If you're worried about sizing, go to the store and get an idea first. Familiarize yourself with the store's return policy. In some cases you can just order a bunch of extra stuff to qualify for free shipping, and then if you don't want it go return it in-store.

There are also these sites like Ebates that give you money back for stuff you buy online... initial $5 for signing up!

2. Be patient but alert!
It takes a bit of stalking around on places like Slickdeals and The Bargainist to find something good. Be patient! But you should also familiarize yourself with different stores' inventory, and what you would want to buy from them. That way, when a deal pops up, you already know what you wanted and can jump on it fast. You either have to make very very fast good decisions or be very very patient.

Many times I have missed out on a good deal because I considered for too long (Seagate 120GB portable drive, $30 was it?), but other times I ordered too early and the price went down the day after.

Try to be like a cougar... stalk around, but always be ready to pounce!

3. Use Customer Service
That's what these people are here for. For YOU. Use them, either in stores or by calling their Customer Service line. Although the agents always seem to be Indian women (in India), most of the time they are very nice and helpful. Amazon has excellent Customer Service, by the way. If you think you got jipped on a purchase, call them and speak to an agent. Normally they will try their best to compensate. After all, you are the customer and you are ALWAYS RIGHT. Fight for that extra dollar!

This applies in stores too. Don't be afraid to ask the salespeople about discounts, sales, promotions, return policy. Smart shopping says inspect your merchandise before purchasing. If an item is damaged, point it out! They will most likely offer you a discount if it's the only one left in stock. I once got a $10 skirt for $5 because of a tiny rip.

4. But still be Asian!
Which is to say, after reading this you'll probably start seeing fantastic deals everywhere. That doesn't mean you should just keep spending and spending. Remember to still look at quality and usefulness and practicality and all that jazz. Do you really need another $6 microSD card? Do you really want to buy crappy clothes/jewelery at Wet Seal even though it's like $1?

Ask yourself: Do you really need a Nose Pencil Sharpener?

But of course, if you're just buying gifts for other people, this tip doesn't really matter. Who cares if it falls apart later as long as they like it when they open it?

Well I hope these helped! Have a good break everyone.

I need more interesting topics

2008-12-07T01:34:00.001-08:00

So I will use the new additions to our quote big post-it board:

Stephanie: I just saw Vincent on the bus!
Me: Oh cool. He just sent us an email.
Stephanie: No wait. Not that Vincent. The other Vincent. Victor-Vincent.
Me: what...
Stephanie: Oh wait, his name is Victor.
Me: *feels sorry for Victor*

Stephanie: hey, how do you spell analyzation?
Me: ...you mean analysis?

Random pretty thing:

gorgeous photo by Nicoline Patricia Malina

throw rocks at them

2008-12-02T23:11:00.001-08:00

After much consideration and debate, us girls of the apartment decided to change our router name from something a little too promiscuous and revealing to:

boysaredumb

What a nice philosophy that all four of us can share. except of course, we love Erik.

And in an attempt to recreate last year's quote wall, here is our first addition:
Christina: Our internet router's name is boysaredumb!
Stephanie: OMG YAY!!!

Pet Peeves: Not Being On Time

2008-11-26T01:44:00.000-08:00

Since I try my best not to be emo on this blog, I think I should be able to rant. So I'm going to start a series on my pet peeves. Something I'm passionate about, right? First one is

Not Being On Time D:

Once upon a time, a long long time ago, before cell phones and text messaging, people were on time. You tell someone you'll meet them at 1pm, you get there maybe 5-10 minutes before 1pm so you can be there for the whole span from 12:55pm to 1:05pm. Your friend, being a responsible individual who would never want to keep you waiting, will show up in that time interval. People waste hardly any time and everything proceeds on schedule.

I remember in high school, I had two good friends who were ALWAYS ON TIME, if not early. Those were the days. I could always expect these two to show up right on the dot. I remember one time when a group of us were meeting, and when I arrive early, I knew that my on-time friend would be the next to come. And he does, right on time.

WHAT HAPPENED TO THAT.

Maybe we all need an ominous lizard clock to keep track of time.

Nowadays, with Berkeley time and iPhones and the extinction of watches, I am constantly judging and considering and making sure I show up at the right time, if not on time. No one wants to be the one waiting around. Party starts at 9? Show up at 11. Meet me in 15? For some, that means 30. I'll call you back at 2? No call ever. (actually that's unrelated and a different story)

After a year of people being late, I am late too. This makes me sad. I remember one time when I tried to use my late-time-judgement, but I still ended up waiting 40+ minutes... it was cold too! WTF. Is it so hard to be present at a time you determine without calling or canceling or running late? What happened to the common courtesy that says you shouldn't call last minute to change plans?

Ed from FMA is good at knowing what's important.

I am a very punctual person. I always arrive exactly when I want to arrive. But being at college has screwed me all up! I am actually late sometimes, but then other people are always late-r.

And now I'm going through all the times when someone's kept me waiting. All it says is that you don't consider the other person important enough to be on time and not waste their time. The more I think about it, the more annoyed I get. So I'm going to stop.

But remember kids, after five minutes means you're LATE. Not fifteen.

Womanizer

2008-11-18T10:22:00.000-08:00

I just realized that Britney Spears' new video is out. And wow, much as I make fun of her and scorn her, I have to admit that this is really good. At least a huge improvement over her videos for Gimme More and Piece of Me, where all she did was wiggle around a little, half-asleep. Granted, in this one she wiggles around naked and wet, but I can definitely see the old Britney in here.

Ah, what is it about her that makes it impossible for me to hate her? Perhaps the childhood memories associated with her Oops I did it Again album? How cute and innocent and pretty she used to be? I think I've just forgotten how attractive she still can be.

Ok, so things I liked about the video:
-The guy that whips around and gets dressed just like that
-Britney whipping around and magically changing her clothes and hair
-The bit at 2:09 where everyone's hair gets blown around, that was way hot

Yes that's about it. In some parts she tosses her hair and grabs ties a bit too much, but at least she seems energetic. Also she plays like 4 different characters! So talented. And that was sarcastic. But I'd have to say this is a decent comeback for her.

Berkeley Fall 2008!

2008-11-16T14:39:00.000-08:00

Wow I haven't done an average in competition for so long. Even though I wanted at least a sub-25 average I knew I could've done way better...

I just discovered Vista's Snip tool so this is really fun:

My fastest time yesterday was slower than my times at Nationals

I didn't make the 2nd round either... only 36 out of like 60 T_T What happened to all my goals? Oh yea, school.

At least I got a sub-2mins in 4x4, didn't practice for this. But the 2nd solve had weird edges so I just gave up. To avoid another 4-min solve.

I am going to practice during Christmas break!! I can't believe it's almost been a year since I made this sign. Jeremy has been taking good care of it :]

Adam lurvs the sign.

I love shoes bags boys

2008-11-12T19:37:00.000-08:00

Yes, so today I'm going to discuss bags. Or more specifically, this bag:

Doesn't it look fantastic and amazing? Such a handy cube shape too, and since it has so many colors it will match any outfit! Score!

This model really manages to show off how amazing this bag is. The dalmatian look really completes it.

One downside. If you really want to seem like a hardcore cuber, this bag may not be the right fit. If you noticed, on the first picture, there is a red-orange side, and a white-yellow corner. These pieces do not exist on a traditionally colored cube. Only if you're retarded and don't know the order of the colors. In the model picture, it looks like there's a corner with two white sides. Sigh, amateurs. Experienced cubers will notice this at once. But to everyone else, having this bag will make you look super smart and classy.

I personally cannot afford the $18, I would rather buy a real cube or a real timer. But this is a must-have for you, you can purchase it here

MORE FASHION UPDATES IN THE FUTURE.

How to Meet Guys (and vice versa)

2008-11-09T23:25:00.000-08:00

So you all know that I'm an old pro at meeting boys and being social, so I thought I'd share a few tips. Follow these easy steps and you will meet someone amazing in no time. This should work for guys to meet girls too, though I've never tried.

Keep in mind that this has already worked for me like three times in the past year and so this qualifies me as an expert.

Step 1: Meet your boy at a party/social gathering
What better way to meet your next soul mate but at a rockin' party? Hopefully you will have dressed up a bit, so you'll be looking your best, surrounded by your girlfriends who love you (but make sure they don't look better than you). I am telling you, this is the best setting possible to reveal to your potential boy how interesting and outgoing and fun you really are! If you're too scared to talk to them, you can always accidentally "bump" into them or "start dancing" with them.

Looking like a freako skeleton is not advised.

Step 2: Go home and friend him on Facebook
After you two have a scintillating conversation and a fantastic time and head on home, make sure you remember his name so you can ~~stalk~~ add him on Facebook! This step is very crucial. Hopefully you picked someone who will remember you, and after he confirms you will have access to a wealth of knowledge!

Step 3: Learn about him (through Facebook)
Be sure to memorize everything about him on Facebook, from his favorite bands/movies/websites to all his interests and go through all his pictures. If you want to go one step further - you should go through all his friends too. Getting to know people face-to-face is so last year, it's so much easier to do it over the web!

Totally not creepy at all!

Step 4: Contact him
You should start off by posting on his Wall with something like "I had a great time last night~~~~~!!!! :)" or something witty about his profile "OMG I love bungee jumping too!!~~!~! :)" If he has some sort of IM client you should definitely contact him there. Remember that there is a small window of time right after you meet when it won't be too creepy to contact him. After like a week or so, if you keep spamming him with happy faces it gets a little weird. Plus he's probably already forgotten you by then.

After this point it is mostly up to you to show him that you are an attractive and interesting individual who would be perfect for him. Share your interests ("...I like rabbits") Suggest late-night hang out sessions to "study." Or grab a late-night snack together. The key word is late-night. Everything looks better in the dark.

Actually I just got kind of bored after the fourth step. So that's all I have, four easy steps! Hope that helps. Good luck, you'll probably need it.

Election Day!

2008-11-04T15:21:00.000-08:00

It's election day! I didn't like being left out, so I went to Starbucks and got a free tall coffee anyway. Ha! Take that! I cube for the USA, and still I have to pay $600 to vote. They wouldn't even let me work the polls in high school!

Also, Orlando Bloom supports Barack Obama. He was making phone calls to voters, but I guess he missed me because I can't vote.

There are very few things I would not do for this man. I have been loyal to him since the 7th grade. Plus we have the same birthday. It's bound to happen soon.

Gossip Girl vs. The OC

2008-11-01T12:04:00.001-07:00

So this Josh Schwartz guy, creator of both the OC and Gossip Girl, two hit shows, must be one creative guy. So creative that he reuses all the characters/crazy themes from the OC in Gossip Girl. I think someone has already done this comparison, but mine is better. I will break it down step-by-step for you:

1. Serena van der Woodsen is Marissa Cooper

Troubled, likes to abuse substances, really long hair. Impossibly tall. So self-righteous because they're the emo dramatic heroine so they should always be right. Marissa died off in the OC, maybe they'll do the same for Serena...? just kidding. But I still don't like her.

2. Blair Waldorf is Summer Roberts

The snobby best friend to the dramatic heroine, significantly shorter. Both are more gorgeous than their BFFs, in my opinion. Also way more interesting. Blair is a bit more evil, but both like to do their scheming.

3. Nate Archibald is Ryan Atwood

Quiet and brooding, both of these characters seem to only have one expression. Always emo. I'm guessing that they're on the show for eye candy, although I can't see why Ryan would count...

4. Vanessa Abrams is Theresa Diaz
I couldn't find a good picture of Theresa, so no pics. This is basically the childhood girlfriend/love of Dan/Ryan. She shows up looking hot, confident, and just really annoying.

5. They all get into impossible schools
Okay, I can understand the GG group getting into Ivy Leagues because of their impossibly rich parents who have a lot of influence. This is a lot more believable than the educational pursuits of the OC group. Although I do remember Nate saying that Dartmouth was his backup school while USC is his first choice... ha. ha.

In the OC, UC Berkeley is the school to go to. Although these characters never seem to study, they are still able to get into the #1 public school in the nation. Apparently they easily accept girls like Marissa (alcoholic, shot a guy, suicidal), who also THROWS HER ACCEPTANCE LETTER IN THE TRASH. :O

In fact, the OC likes Berkeley so much, this is how they shoot it in the show:

At least they have the Cal logo right, but where is this? Not on the real campus..

They say they're at a DC, but which one? None of them are on campus...

I understand if they didn't shoot AT Brown, since it's far, but Berkeley is so close! A little more realism would've been nice.

And they deliver. One shot of VLSB, hurrah.

Also, when Seth doesn't get into Brown, he's screwed. In the OC, characters only apply to one school. Applying to backups are so unnecessary even though their parents are loaded.

6. In conclusion...
But, as my roommate pointed out, after all the similarities/weirdness/general wtf, is there a Chuck Bass on the OC? NO. Which is why, at the end of the day, GG > OC.

(btw, does Blogger do LJ-cuts?)

SLUUUUU

2008-10-24T19:53:00.000-07:00

Tonight we were dining at Crossroads when I suddenly noticed this girl's... "dress"

How does she walk around without flashing everyone? It's so short!

This was quite amusing to us, because my roommate Stephanie actually has the exact same article of clothing. Except... she wears it as a shirt.

How she wears it vs. how bad it looks as a dress.

We waited, took pictures of the evidence, and when we came home, she attempted to wear it as a dress. Epic fail. It is most definitely a shirt. Maybe it could pass for a skimpy nightgown. And I always thought when we tried wearing our skirts as dresses we were just messing around.

I Google myself regularly

2008-10-20T20:10:00.000-07:00

I should really clean up after myself on the WWW. I've been using this "spiritgreen" thing for years, and when I search it on google odd things come up:

1. Legit, my livejournal <3
2. My attempt in middle school to create a forum for artists/writers everywhere. We reached 300 members and slowly died... should get rid of that
3. Last.fm! Hopefully I'm not listening to a lot of angry music
4. Icon Journal

After the first page it gets a bit weirder:

1. Some weird asian girl took my name!
2. Deviantart! (mental note to delete some really crappy art)

And then there are bunch of posts from... slickdeals. But after that there are lovely people crediting me for use of my icons.

And I really don't know what I'm doing with this blog. I've been stalking around Blogger for a while now, and maybe this time I'm just going to quietly start posting and see if anyone notices. I need a better name.

LIVEJOURNAL

2008-10-03T09:57:00.000-07:00

Still figuring out the customizing HTML, should I make it awesome pretty or keep it simple? Banner, no banner? Decisions decisions...

I've missed this. I blame college.