another late visual. but in the long run, it still makes things prettier.
9.29.2005
9.28.2005
"...the distance between railway tracks is always 143.5 centimeters, or 4 feet 8.5 inches. Why this absurd measurement? [...] When they built the first train carriages, they used the same tools as they had for building horse-drawn carriages. And why that distrance between the wheels on carriages? Because that was the width of the old roads along which the carriages had to travel. And who decided that roads should be that width? It was the Romans, the first great road builders, who decided to make their roads that width. And why? Because their war chariots were pulled by two horses, and when placed side by side, the horses they used at the time took up 143.5 centimeters."
"[...] the world we know today is merely a story someone has told us, but it is not the true story."
[Why are people sad?]
"[...] They are the prisoners of their personal history. Everyone believes that the main aim in life is to follow a plan. They never ask if that plan is theirs or if it was created by another person. They accumulate experiences, memories, things, other people's ideas, and it is more than they can possibly cope with. And that is why they forget their dreams."
"How does one go about abandoning the story one was told?"
"By repeating it out loud in meticulous detail. And as we tell our story, we say goodbye to what we were and, as you'll see if you try, we create space for a new, unknown world. We repeat the old story over and over until it is no longer important to us. [...] as those spaces grow, it is important to fill them up quickly, even if only provisionally, so as not to be left with a feeling of emptiness. [...] That is how we change. That is how love grows. And when love grows, we grow with it."
Excerpts from The Zahir
"[...] the world we know today is merely a story someone has told us, but it is not the true story."
[Why are people sad?]
"[...] They are the prisoners of their personal history. Everyone believes that the main aim in life is to follow a plan. They never ask if that plan is theirs or if it was created by another person. They accumulate experiences, memories, things, other people's ideas, and it is more than they can possibly cope with. And that is why they forget their dreams."
"How does one go about abandoning the story one was told?"
"By repeating it out loud in meticulous detail. And as we tell our story, we say goodbye to what we were and, as you'll see if you try, we create space for a new, unknown world. We repeat the old story over and over until it is no longer important to us. [...] as those spaces grow, it is important to fill them up quickly, even if only provisionally, so as not to be left with a feeling of emptiness. [...] That is how we change. That is how love grows. And when love grows, we grow with it."
Excerpts from The Zahir
9.26.2005
"According to the writer Jorge Luis Borges, the idea of the Zahir comes from Islamic tradition and is thought to have arisen at some point in the eighteenth century. Zahir, in Arabic, means visible, present, incapable of going unnoticed. It is someone or something which, once we have come into contact with them or it, gradually occupiers our every thought, until we can think of nothing else. This can be considered either a state of holiness or of madness. ~Faubourg Saint-Peres from the Encyclopaedia of the Fantastic (1953)" i vote madness.
back to the world of the living?
that's a slight allusion to the "corpse bride" which i saw yesterday. luverly. the visuals were haunting and dark and beautiful. and it was a sweet g-rated luv story, with the characteristic tim burton flair for pushing borders. the plot was a bit weak, but it was worth the money to see the mind-blowing claymation. and now that i am reflecting on it, it had such a heartbreaking quality to the whole story. and a couple exquisite songs (eg. victor's piano solo and the piano duet). exxxxquisite.
woke up at 5am today. grrr. it's happening so frequently lately that i'm resigning myself to it. didn't crawl out of bed till 5:40 tho :P. then off to foothill to take care of classes. wow. i forgot how bad commuting was. but it's never piss-you-off bad unless you're in a rush and i wasn't in a rush. i got to foothill at 8 and was pleasantly surprised to see a woodsy campus area nestled in the los altos hills and lotsa people my age. it was so strange to see so many young people again. i don't think i ever really appreciated crowds of people my age until today. usually my eyes fall on the oh-so-beautiful elderly or people who look unique or interesting, but today, i was just so happy to be back in a school environment again. i've been so dissatisfied with my goings-on lately. definitely want to return to the world of the busy and "living." plus i am a nerd thru and thru.
anyways, i tried to audit some pathology course offered for medical technicians and the professor wouldn't even let me sit in. stingy old lady. i just want to keep my brain awake! apparently, this is the case for a lot of courses at foothill--you need muchos prereqs or need to apply to some health training program. SO, i took my business over to de anza. but not before taking a quickie tour of stanford med school and having lunch with seb at the rodin garden.
the stanford admissions lady was super nice and that reminds me, i should probably email her and thank her. everybody at stanford is so smiley and there are so many beautiful people. tall and yuppy looking. not stereotyping, just an observation. i chilled at stanford shopping center in one of those little enclaves with the trees, treated myself to some dark chocolate godiva truffle (oh yum :9) and continued my reading of the zahir. i really enjoyed that, especially with today's weather.
the zahir--not the most beautiful prose, but he captures ideas and life lessons so well. i kept stopping to take down quotes every few pages. paulo coehlo lives life like a dream. i've lost my desires to live in such an ideal-driven world, but it's always great decadent food for the soul when yu need it (like godiva truffles...).
i stopped by the little corner market at the center (oakville? grocers) to pick up lunch for me and seb. brought back memories of when i was a wee lil girl (6 or 7) and my dad used to take my sister and i out on mini exploration trips. i came to know the streets of the south bay so well. anyways, we once bought custom sandwiches at that grocers and they were the best sandwiches i had ever had up to that point in my life. after that, we had copycat homemade sandwiches non-stop for like a month. i think my luv of sandwiches began then. haha. such lil things can impact you forever.
after a pleasant chat over sandwiches, seb and i pondered the artistic genius of rodin and his "gates to hell." made a raincheck for the cantor museum which we had planned to visit, but couldn't cuz we got too caught up in our talk. made plans to watch "goodbye, lenin" and have a potluck. i luv having a stable art appreciation buddy :). lynn, i dun need your saggy ass anymore. ehehe. jk. what would i ever do w/o yur ghetto yuppy pimp daddyness.
newayz, then off to de anza ~ crazy flashbacks. gud and bad. like the summer i met trev and alfie in some summer class and we kept getting called on by the teacher cuz SOMEbody kept cracking jokes. (good). scary white guy stalker from de anza. (bad). sitting in front of the library and enjoying beautiful norcal weather. (good). scary white guy stalker from de anza. (bad). ehehe. it's kinda funny now that i think about it. but man was it creepy back then. kudos for overcoming fears and getting over the past.
on the way home, i bought a whole frozen turkey. :D heeee. i'm gonna thaw that sucker and cook enough sandwich meat for my sister to eat for a YEAR. ehehe. jk. a month mebbe. i'm such a spendthrift. but she goes thru those lil sandwich meat packs SO fast.
then a lil excursion to the lake once i got home. i luv going out there. it's so serene. (i should plan a picnic. oooh, i think i'll do that.)
when the sun is sparkling along the surface of the lake and a soft breeze is blowing, i feel so... free. i think i was a cloud in my past life.
shower, sleep and a new day tomorrow. plus lynn and yoonie unnie's visit to look forward to. and whatever other simple pleasures lie ahead. it's all about the journey, and i hope mine is the most pleasant, conflict-absent, drama-devoid, beauty-filled, kindness-inciting, peaceful, moving experience i can make it.
woke up at 5am today. grrr. it's happening so frequently lately that i'm resigning myself to it. didn't crawl out of bed till 5:40 tho :P. then off to foothill to take care of classes. wow. i forgot how bad commuting was. but it's never piss-you-off bad unless you're in a rush and i wasn't in a rush. i got to foothill at 8 and was pleasantly surprised to see a woodsy campus area nestled in the los altos hills and lotsa people my age. it was so strange to see so many young people again. i don't think i ever really appreciated crowds of people my age until today. usually my eyes fall on the oh-so-beautiful elderly or people who look unique or interesting, but today, i was just so happy to be back in a school environment again. i've been so dissatisfied with my goings-on lately. definitely want to return to the world of the busy and "living." plus i am a nerd thru and thru.
anyways, i tried to audit some pathology course offered for medical technicians and the professor wouldn't even let me sit in. stingy old lady. i just want to keep my brain awake! apparently, this is the case for a lot of courses at foothill--you need muchos prereqs or need to apply to some health training program. SO, i took my business over to de anza. but not before taking a quickie tour of stanford med school and having lunch with seb at the rodin garden.
the stanford admissions lady was super nice and that reminds me, i should probably email her and thank her. everybody at stanford is so smiley and there are so many beautiful people. tall and yuppy looking. not stereotyping, just an observation. i chilled at stanford shopping center in one of those little enclaves with the trees, treated myself to some dark chocolate godiva truffle (oh yum :9) and continued my reading of the zahir. i really enjoyed that, especially with today's weather.
the zahir--not the most beautiful prose, but he captures ideas and life lessons so well. i kept stopping to take down quotes every few pages. paulo coehlo lives life like a dream. i've lost my desires to live in such an ideal-driven world, but it's always great decadent food for the soul when yu need it (like godiva truffles...).
i stopped by the little corner market at the center (oakville? grocers) to pick up lunch for me and seb. brought back memories of when i was a wee lil girl (6 or 7) and my dad used to take my sister and i out on mini exploration trips. i came to know the streets of the south bay so well. anyways, we once bought custom sandwiches at that grocers and they were the best sandwiches i had ever had up to that point in my life. after that, we had copycat homemade sandwiches non-stop for like a month. i think my luv of sandwiches began then. haha. such lil things can impact you forever.
after a pleasant chat over sandwiches, seb and i pondered the artistic genius of rodin and his "gates to hell." made a raincheck for the cantor museum which we had planned to visit, but couldn't cuz we got too caught up in our talk. made plans to watch "goodbye, lenin" and have a potluck. i luv having a stable art appreciation buddy :). lynn, i dun need your saggy ass anymore. ehehe. jk. what would i ever do w/o yur ghetto yuppy pimp daddyness.
newayz, then off to de anza ~ crazy flashbacks. gud and bad. like the summer i met trev and alfie in some summer class and we kept getting called on by the teacher cuz SOMEbody kept cracking jokes. (good). scary white guy stalker from de anza. (bad). sitting in front of the library and enjoying beautiful norcal weather. (good). scary white guy stalker from de anza. (bad). ehehe. it's kinda funny now that i think about it. but man was it creepy back then. kudos for overcoming fears and getting over the past.
on the way home, i bought a whole frozen turkey. :D heeee. i'm gonna thaw that sucker and cook enough sandwich meat for my sister to eat for a YEAR. ehehe. jk. a month mebbe. i'm such a spendthrift. but she goes thru those lil sandwich meat packs SO fast.
then a lil excursion to the lake once i got home. i luv going out there. it's so serene. (i should plan a picnic. oooh, i think i'll do that.)
when the sun is sparkling along the surface of the lake and a soft breeze is blowing, i feel so... free. i think i was a cloud in my past life.
shower, sleep and a new day tomorrow. plus lynn and yoonie unnie's visit to look forward to. and whatever other simple pleasures lie ahead. it's all about the journey, and i hope mine is the most pleasant, conflict-absent, drama-devoid, beauty-filled, kindness-inciting, peaceful, moving experience i can make it.
9.25.2005
Most of the elements in the human body were created in the inferno of a burning star.
-NASA fact @ www.nasa.org
i have been getting so much great brain food lately: mit molecular assemblers, legislative history lesson on soju, contraptions that can make ice from thin air, the great one liners by paolo coehlo, etc. that i dono wat to comment on. so i will take the lazy way out and write about nada today. plus i have to register for classes that start tomorrow! crossing my fingers...
-NASA fact @ www.nasa.org
i have been getting so much great brain food lately: mit molecular assemblers, legislative history lesson on soju, contraptions that can make ice from thin air, the great one liners by paolo coehlo, etc. that i dono wat to comment on. so i will take the lazy way out and write about nada today. plus i have to register for classes that start tomorrow! crossing my fingers...
9.20.2005
mit is so crazy. they are developing molecular assemblers that could be viable in the next few decades. molecular assemblers! like that shit on star trek where the food materializes out of some hole in your wall. i want me one of those. chocolate molten lava fudge cake please. again. again. one more hit. ehehe...
i would like to invent something really cool. like water in a tablet. pop one in your mouth and it rehydrates you AND you get the refreshing sensation of H2O. how cool would that be after a long ass hike? too bad i'm not a physicist.
today's weather was fricken awesome. thunder, lightning, rain, speeding clouds, then a warm, clear night of twinkling stars. *___*;; jus wut i needed. i was feeling so blah these past few days from sheer exhaustion. and then one 3 hour nap and a 3 mile walk/jog later, i feel like nothing can phase me. it's all about physiology. i wonder how much of our thoughts and reactions we're really in control of...
anyways, to bed or i'll be back in shitville again. yay for crazy weather. i hope this continues. i haven't jogged in the rain for ages and that's exactly wat i'm gonna do tomorrow if this weather keeps up. :D
i would like to invent something really cool. like water in a tablet. pop one in your mouth and it rehydrates you AND you get the refreshing sensation of H2O. how cool would that be after a long ass hike? too bad i'm not a physicist.
today's weather was fricken awesome. thunder, lightning, rain, speeding clouds, then a warm, clear night of twinkling stars. *___*;; jus wut i needed. i was feeling so blah these past few days from sheer exhaustion. and then one 3 hour nap and a 3 mile walk/jog later, i feel like nothing can phase me. it's all about physiology. i wonder how much of our thoughts and reactions we're really in control of...
anyways, to bed or i'll be back in shitville again. yay for crazy weather. i hope this continues. i haven't jogged in the rain for ages and that's exactly wat i'm gonna do tomorrow if this weather keeps up. :D
i went on my night hike. yay for following through. was gorgeous with the weather and almost full moon. gracias para mi amiga who kept me company the whole way. ^__________^
impractical of me tho cuz i gotta go up to the city tomorrow and be bright and alert, which means i should be sleeping rite now. faawkety fawk.
i think my dog is going to die. 'jl;joipj;mhnl.;kopyuftyl/'!@#$%^&aowur3
my baby.....
impractical of me tho cuz i gotta go up to the city tomorrow and be bright and alert, which means i should be sleeping rite now. faawkety fawk.
i think my dog is going to die. 'jl;joipj;mhnl.;kopyuftyl/'!@#$%^&aowur3
my baby.....
9.18.2005
i really feel like a nite hike rite now. full moon and great weather. but sooo tired. i am getting so old.
today was very nice. family went out together and appeased my mom by going to mass with her. ate lots of yummy rice cake and chulsok food, and then finally went to see charlie and the chocolate factory. i heard a lot of mixed reviews about it, but i absolutely loved it. so much visual candy and i loved the off-humor and pg-13 complexity (versus g). tim burton is very kuL. i think it is time for a tim burton marathon.
afterwards, we all went to the lake with our doggy and now we're jus winding down. very relaxing and it always makes my heart happy to see my parents smile and laugh.
saturday was really nice too. ehehe, this weekend was just very "nice" cuz of the weather and quality time spent. there was actually a little sun in union square and the korean festival was enjoyable, especially the traditional korean songs. they're so soulful, in a korean way. afterwards, the men sat down somewhere and did their male vej thing, while we women shopped. the neiman marcus in union square is so boujie. we were walking through trying to guess the prices of the clothes, and then making really loud (unintentionally) comments when we were off by a few hundred dollars.
i was close to passing out by dinner time from sleep deprivation so unfortunately, i missed out on the frisco parties (sorry alfie :T). i jus can't hang anymore. lately, all i want to do is curl up with a gud book and do outdoor things. maybe it's the weather. so gorgeous.
anyways, back to the essays and job searches tomorrow. bleh.
today was very nice. family went out together and appeased my mom by going to mass with her. ate lots of yummy rice cake and chulsok food, and then finally went to see charlie and the chocolate factory. i heard a lot of mixed reviews about it, but i absolutely loved it. so much visual candy and i loved the off-humor and pg-13 complexity (versus g). tim burton is very kuL. i think it is time for a tim burton marathon.
afterwards, we all went to the lake with our doggy and now we're jus winding down. very relaxing and it always makes my heart happy to see my parents smile and laugh.
saturday was really nice too. ehehe, this weekend was just very "nice" cuz of the weather and quality time spent. there was actually a little sun in union square and the korean festival was enjoyable, especially the traditional korean songs. they're so soulful, in a korean way. afterwards, the men sat down somewhere and did their male vej thing, while we women shopped. the neiman marcus in union square is so boujie. we were walking through trying to guess the prices of the clothes, and then making really loud (unintentionally) comments when we were off by a few hundred dollars.
i was close to passing out by dinner time from sleep deprivation so unfortunately, i missed out on the frisco parties (sorry alfie :T). i jus can't hang anymore. lately, all i want to do is curl up with a gud book and do outdoor things. maybe it's the weather. so gorgeous.
anyways, back to the essays and job searches tomorrow. bleh.
9.16.2005
it's amazing... you think you know with absolute conviction, and then you realize you know jack shit. but i'm kind of getting used to it b/c it happens so much.
emotions are seemingly so irrational--but there must be some logic to them or how would they prevail so frequently? how many times do u have to tell yourself something before it comes true? or is it always a lie?
WOW
i went group hopping last nite and met a lot of nice ppol and saw some familiar faces. one of these belonged to joe choe from leland, whom i know better as rebeka's (from good sam) boyfriend. anyways, we were doing the usual "what are you up to?" conversation thing, and as a joke, i asked, "so are you gonna pop the question to becky anytime soon?" and he says, "i did. last week." ((o__o))!!
now the fact that both of them are younger than me lends it some shock value (altho a lot of people are getting married fricken young these days) but that's not what the WOW is for. check out how he proposed to her: www.joeandrebeka.com. it is the cutest thing i have seen in ages. and the last page was so touching... WOW. rebeka is one of the most smiley and bright girls i have ever met and seeing such happiness come to her reminds me that things in the world can be so right.
hrm... aside from that, i learned that stanford law school is really adiverse. i think i made that word up btw; if it's real, i'll be dumbstruck. anyways, their classes are 90% caucasian. sucks for the whole diversity experience thing, but i guess it is reality in a lot of neighborhoods. so every thursday, they do a "bar review" (hahaha. :P) and bar hop in the stanford area. that's gotta be great business for those bars cuz there's a ton of them stanford students. i went cuz i was curious how prestigious law students present themselves. it's definitely a different feel from med student gatherings. interesting to say the least, and always a pleasure seeing the lovely seb.
prior to party hopping, i went to barnes to try to work on my essay, but somehow, i ended up with a huge stack of books, taking up two chairs in a corner of the children's section, totally oblivious to time and the outside world cuz i forgot my cell in the car. i luv how reading good shit can do that to you. food for the soul. books i want to read: veronika decides to die (paolo coehlo), eleventh minute (paolo coehlo), *reread* the alchemist (pc), dumb love *children's book* <--luv these (kathleen jeffrie johnson), angels and demons (dan brown), *reread* the dark trilogy (phillip pullman), the kite runner (khaled hosseim), the problem of pain (cs lewis)... i'm gonna storm the library next week. ^__^ and i bought a book about a pediatric heart surgeon--curious about the profession; mebbe i'll get some ideas.
chulsok is this weekend. free korean culture show in union square this saturday afternoon! :D
which reminds me of something... who would you consider closer? an aunt you never met or an acquaintance in your class? who would you cry more for if they died? when you're watching e! and they do a biography on someone famous and you're touched by their life and death, are those the same feelings of grief you would feel? when someone close to you dies, then, is it for them or for yourself?
ooh, and speaking of death... so weird. a couple days ago i had the freakiest dream that ashbitch had somehow lured me into her home and was subversively trying to torture me. and THEN, yesterday i see one of the three people i hate in the world. ashbitch being one of them, and the girl i saw last nite being another. scaaary.
now the fact that both of them are younger than me lends it some shock value (altho a lot of people are getting married fricken young these days) but that's not what the WOW is for. check out how he proposed to her: www.joeandrebeka.com. it is the cutest thing i have seen in ages. and the last page was so touching... WOW. rebeka is one of the most smiley and bright girls i have ever met and seeing such happiness come to her reminds me that things in the world can be so right.
hrm... aside from that, i learned that stanford law school is really adiverse. i think i made that word up btw; if it's real, i'll be dumbstruck. anyways, their classes are 90% caucasian. sucks for the whole diversity experience thing, but i guess it is reality in a lot of neighborhoods. so every thursday, they do a "bar review" (hahaha. :P) and bar hop in the stanford area. that's gotta be great business for those bars cuz there's a ton of them stanford students. i went cuz i was curious how prestigious law students present themselves. it's definitely a different feel from med student gatherings. interesting to say the least, and always a pleasure seeing the lovely seb.
prior to party hopping, i went to barnes to try to work on my essay, but somehow, i ended up with a huge stack of books, taking up two chairs in a corner of the children's section, totally oblivious to time and the outside world cuz i forgot my cell in the car. i luv how reading good shit can do that to you. food for the soul. books i want to read: veronika decides to die (paolo coehlo), eleventh minute (paolo coehlo), *reread* the alchemist (pc), dumb love *children's book* <--luv these (kathleen jeffrie johnson), angels and demons (dan brown), *reread* the dark trilogy (phillip pullman), the kite runner (khaled hosseim), the problem of pain (cs lewis)... i'm gonna storm the library next week. ^__^ and i bought a book about a pediatric heart surgeon--curious about the profession; mebbe i'll get some ideas.
chulsok is this weekend. free korean culture show in union square this saturday afternoon! :D
which reminds me of something... who would you consider closer? an aunt you never met or an acquaintance in your class? who would you cry more for if they died? when you're watching e! and they do a biography on someone famous and you're touched by their life and death, are those the same feelings of grief you would feel? when someone close to you dies, then, is it for them or for yourself?
ooh, and speaking of death... so weird. a couple days ago i had the freakiest dream that ashbitch had somehow lured me into her home and was subversively trying to torture me. and THEN, yesterday i see one of the three people i hate in the world. ashbitch being one of them, and the girl i saw last nite being another. scaaary.
9.15.2005
whew. i spent 2 hours at the dmv today to get my official m1 license to riiiide. :P
it was getting a little tiresome, but i realized i like sitting and observing at the dmv.
wut a crossroads for all walks of life--you got the little old grannies and granpas retaking their tests, and then the there's the superhappy teenagers getting their licenses for the first time. there's the thuggy looking latinos and the young professionals. mommies, daddies, asians with their translators in tow. even the employees there are interesting. someone should do a documentary.
hee. so (once again) i just barely passed my test (a written one this time)--but i passed! i missed all the questions in the last 4 pages of the dmv book, which i didn't get to. thank gudness i read it while i was waiting. the test is nothing like the one they give you in the classes. not exactly sure wut i paid 198 bucks for now... newayz, they punched a big fat hole in my current license and said my new one's on the way in 2-3 weeks. so in the meantime, i get to carry around a big sheet of white paper for a license like some pre-pubescent teen. and i'm not so sure i want the new one cuz they took a new picture and i wasn't expecting that... dundundun.
i smiled nice and big in my pic so that if i ever get pulled over by a cop, he'll take a look at my license and i'll get karma points. ^______^;;
now all that's left is the bike and the gear. which doesn't happen until i get a job. which is going ever so slowly. x__x i wish i could waitress... but my mom has threatened to disown me if i do. there's gotta be a way i could pull it off......
i am looking forward to this weekend. mebbe i shouldn't expect so much. high expectations always seem to end up in disappointment. eh. dun care. i am looking forward to this weekend. ^^
it was getting a little tiresome, but i realized i like sitting and observing at the dmv.
wut a crossroads for all walks of life--you got the little old grannies and granpas retaking their tests, and then the there's the superhappy teenagers getting their licenses for the first time. there's the thuggy looking latinos and the young professionals. mommies, daddies, asians with their translators in tow. even the employees there are interesting. someone should do a documentary.
hee. so (once again) i just barely passed my test (a written one this time)--but i passed! i missed all the questions in the last 4 pages of the dmv book, which i didn't get to. thank gudness i read it while i was waiting. the test is nothing like the one they give you in the classes. not exactly sure wut i paid 198 bucks for now... newayz, they punched a big fat hole in my current license and said my new one's on the way in 2-3 weeks. so in the meantime, i get to carry around a big sheet of white paper for a license like some pre-pubescent teen. and i'm not so sure i want the new one cuz they took a new picture and i wasn't expecting that... dundundun.
i smiled nice and big in my pic so that if i ever get pulled over by a cop, he'll take a look at my license and i'll get karma points. ^______^;;
now all that's left is the bike and the gear. which doesn't happen until i get a job. which is going ever so slowly. x__x i wish i could waitress... but my mom has threatened to disown me if i do. there's gotta be a way i could pull it off......
i am looking forward to this weekend. mebbe i shouldn't expect so much. high expectations always seem to end up in disappointment. eh. dun care. i am looking forward to this weekend. ^^
9.14.2005
i called myself a misogynist yesterday by accident. lynn, stop laughing.
who knew misogynist meant woman-hater? i thought it meant averse to society, otherwise i wouldn't have agreed when my friend called himself one. this is wut i get for being lazy and making assumptions.
so hemingway was a misogynist?! am i missing something??
yes women can be scary but i don't hate most of them. only a few b/c they're SO female and hence super scary.
same goes for men. they can be pretty darn annoying when they are SUPER male. but to hate ALL of them...? when liam neeson and albert einstein and my pappy are among them? not possible.
who knew misogynist meant woman-hater? i thought it meant averse to society, otherwise i wouldn't have agreed when my friend called himself one. this is wut i get for being lazy and making assumptions.
i learned something new today (aside from the correct definition of misogynist): misandrist is a male-hater. that should come in handy one day.
so hemingway was a misogynist?! am i missing something??
yes women can be scary but i don't hate most of them. only a few b/c they're SO female and hence super scary.
same goes for men. they can be pretty darn annoying when they are SUPER male. but to hate ALL of them...? when liam neeson and albert einstein and my pappy are among them? not possible.
9.12.2005
it's always interesting to examine yourself in retrospect and realize the progression of your life perspective.
that's when i am able to appreciate the crap i went through for the enlightenment.
and reapproach life accordingly--that is, hopefully wiser and smarter (that's not a redundancy).
as time passes, the experiences and lessons seem to fall neatly into place--in part, because they led you to the point you're at, and perhaps in part, because it was only right that they should happen that way (although that would require a belief in destiny--a realm I visit only in rare, miraculous circumstances because my little brain has its limits).
with age, the gap between the act and the realization seems to decrease--thankfully. the point is, you learn and you live on.
that's when i am able to appreciate the crap i went through for the enlightenment.
and reapproach life accordingly--that is, hopefully wiser and smarter (that's not a redundancy).
as time passes, the experiences and lessons seem to fall neatly into place--in part, because they led you to the point you're at, and perhaps in part, because it was only right that they should happen that way (although that would require a belief in destiny--a realm I visit only in rare, miraculous circumstances because my little brain has its limits).
with age, the gap between the act and the realization seems to decrease--thankfully. the point is, you learn and you live on.
9.11.2005
finally got to changing the color scheme; this is what happens when i have time on my hands. but it makes blogging a much more pleasurable experience.
so, i completed my motorcycle classes today :D. but really -__-; cuz they started at 7am so i had to be up at 5:30 the past two days. motorcycles are not easy to handle. i was so excited to get on a bike--until i actually did. the actual execution is so stressful! too much coordination for this lacking individual. and my instructor was this ex-military dude who was yelling left and rite. so scary.
i think if i do get a bike, i'm gonna get a nice little, AUTOMATIC, vespa. practical and cute. sexiness is overrated. and riding bikes is not sexy w/ all the required gear and concentration. nicely dressed gq guy in a convertible versus bright orange/blue/yellow/green leather-clad guy with helmet hair on a bike ~ now do that for a girl. kuL while the bike is moving, but once they get off and walk into a restaurant/bar/class, it's gq guy hands down.
latest and greatest eye candy: sfmoma. nice variegated and sizeable collection of modern art. i actually liked the tuttle exhibit: simple, great use of space, and a loyalty to basic geometrics. there were a couple outstanding pieces, just because of the sheer work that probably went into making the piece (ie. a animated piece composed of graphite sketches erased and redrawn and captured frame by frame, and a huge room of trees with a prison window and running sink which you mistakenly think is a river or waterfall as you approach the piece). the building is a piece in itself, especially the top floor. FIRST TUESDAYS FREE EVERY MONTH :D. and now that i have a stable art appreciation buddy i am going to milk that baby.
but my favorite piece at the museum--three blank white canvasses side by side, about 4' by 6' each. the artist's inspiration? he wanted to capture the essence of a white painting. and the description so sincerely stated the purpose of the painting, attributing deep social significance to it, that i gained quite a respect for this artist who could pull that shit off. artist's are such great bull shitters. i think i almost laughed out loud. my favorite.
latest and greatest triumph: not my license. i got the romeo&juliet dvd for $6.99 out of the bargain bucket at albertsons, and i've wanted this movie forever. score.
it's all about the simple pleasures.
so, i completed my motorcycle classes today :D. but really -__-; cuz they started at 7am so i had to be up at 5:30 the past two days. motorcycles are not easy to handle. i was so excited to get on a bike--until i actually did. the actual execution is so stressful! too much coordination for this lacking individual. and my instructor was this ex-military dude who was yelling left and rite. so scary.
i think if i do get a bike, i'm gonna get a nice little, AUTOMATIC, vespa. practical and cute. sexiness is overrated. and riding bikes is not sexy w/ all the required gear and concentration. nicely dressed gq guy in a convertible versus bright orange/blue/yellow/green leather-clad guy with helmet hair on a bike ~ now do that for a girl. kuL while the bike is moving, but once they get off and walk into a restaurant/bar/class, it's gq guy hands down.
latest and greatest eye candy: sfmoma. nice variegated and sizeable collection of modern art. i actually liked the tuttle exhibit: simple, great use of space, and a loyalty to basic geometrics. there were a couple outstanding pieces, just because of the sheer work that probably went into making the piece (ie. a animated piece composed of graphite sketches erased and redrawn and captured frame by frame, and a huge room of trees with a prison window and running sink which you mistakenly think is a river or waterfall as you approach the piece). the building is a piece in itself, especially the top floor. FIRST TUESDAYS FREE EVERY MONTH :D. and now that i have a stable art appreciation buddy i am going to milk that baby.
but my favorite piece at the museum--three blank white canvasses side by side, about 4' by 6' each. the artist's inspiration? he wanted to capture the essence of a white painting. and the description so sincerely stated the purpose of the painting, attributing deep social significance to it, that i gained quite a respect for this artist who could pull that shit off. artist's are such great bull shitters. i think i almost laughed out loud. my favorite.
latest and greatest triumph: not my license. i got the romeo&juliet dvd for $6.99 out of the bargain bucket at albertsons, and i've wanted this movie forever. score.
it's all about the simple pleasures.
9.09.2005
9.08.2005
9.07.2005
Americans opening homes, lives, to flood refugees
The offers go on and on -- "Free Rent in Oregon!!" "It's Ohio, but it's comfortable." "Rebuild your life in Cleveland." "Offering my sofa in N.H."
From California to Connecticut and nearly every state in between, Americans are flooding Internet Web sites with offers to open their homes, lives and wallets to evacuees fleeing flood-ravaged New Orleans.
"People have a responsibility to help each other," said Dirk Knudsen, who is providing a free furnished apartment in Beaverton, Oregon, to a New Orleans mother and her two children. "We're not wealthy, but we can provide a safe haven. A lot of people want to do that."
Not since the Civil War have so many Americans been forced to leave home with little but the clothes on their backs. The American Red Cross this week is providing temporary shelters in 18 states for 142,000, but said the number needing homes is much higher. Some estimates put the figure at well over a half million.
Churches, cities and states are trying to fill the need by placing people in low-income apartments, community centers, national guard facilities, sports stadiums and elsewhere, but thousands of individuals want to provide personal havens.
A family in the tiny community of Codell, Kansas, has offered to set up two mobile homes on their land and provide food, clothes and household items.
"We will bring you here or help you get here. We will help you get back on your feet," their Web posting reads.
'THE BEST THING I CAN DO'
A family in Iowa is offering a finished basement and private bathroom for a small family to use rent free "for as long as you need."
A firefighter in Petaluma, California, is offering his living room for a displaced family.
And a single father in Williamsburg, Kentucky, has offered to share his modest 3-bedroom home with up to four adults or teenagers and pet dogs, if they have them.
"I live paycheck to paycheck and I don't have a lot of money to donate, so this is the best thing I can do," said 34-year-old Rob Blatchley, who admits to being a little scared about letting strangers share his home.
There are more than 88,500 beds available at katrinahousing.org, which says it has already placed over 3,000 people. And hurricanehousing.org says it has more than 150,000 such offers. Craigslist.org is another popular site.
"The government is ineffective so it is empowering to have groups coalesce like this across the country," said Lee Daniels, an Arizona technology director who helped create an Internet housing match forum. "It is something people can do other than throw money at the problem."
Many of those reaching out to offer refuge say they were motivated by televised images of the suffering hurricane survivors as well as frustration and anger at the sluggish government reaction.
The frustration is continuing.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency, American Red Cross, and Salvation Army, all assisting those displaced by Hurricane Katrina, say they do not have systems for matching the evacuees with individuals offering housing.
Indeed, in many cases, some officials said they are actively discouraging the private outreach efforts, saying putting strangers in private homes could be unsafe.
That has left private housing placement and transportation largely up to ad hoc groups of volunteers who scurry from shelter to shelter with laptops and computer printouts in hand trying to match those needing housing with the housing offers.
"We just want to help," said Dawn Phlieger, a Kansas mother of four who has posted housing offers on several sites. "These are fellow Americans. They're hurting. They need homes."
From California to Connecticut and nearly every state in between, Americans are flooding Internet Web sites with offers to open their homes, lives and wallets to evacuees fleeing flood-ravaged New Orleans.
"People have a responsibility to help each other," said Dirk Knudsen, who is providing a free furnished apartment in Beaverton, Oregon, to a New Orleans mother and her two children. "We're not wealthy, but we can provide a safe haven. A lot of people want to do that."
Not since the Civil War have so many Americans been forced to leave home with little but the clothes on their backs. The American Red Cross this week is providing temporary shelters in 18 states for 142,000, but said the number needing homes is much higher. Some estimates put the figure at well over a half million.
Churches, cities and states are trying to fill the need by placing people in low-income apartments, community centers, national guard facilities, sports stadiums and elsewhere, but thousands of individuals want to provide personal havens.
A family in the tiny community of Codell, Kansas, has offered to set up two mobile homes on their land and provide food, clothes and household items.
"We will bring you here or help you get here. We will help you get back on your feet," their Web posting reads.
'THE BEST THING I CAN DO'
A family in Iowa is offering a finished basement and private bathroom for a small family to use rent free "for as long as you need."
A firefighter in Petaluma, California, is offering his living room for a displaced family.
And a single father in Williamsburg, Kentucky, has offered to share his modest 3-bedroom home with up to four adults or teenagers and pet dogs, if they have them.
"I live paycheck to paycheck and I don't have a lot of money to donate, so this is the best thing I can do," said 34-year-old Rob Blatchley, who admits to being a little scared about letting strangers share his home.
There are more than 88,500 beds available at katrinahousing.org, which says it has already placed over 3,000 people. And hurricanehousing.org says it has more than 150,000 such offers. Craigslist.org is another popular site.
"The government is ineffective so it is empowering to have groups coalesce like this across the country," said Lee Daniels, an Arizona technology director who helped create an Internet housing match forum. "It is something people can do other than throw money at the problem."
Many of those reaching out to offer refuge say they were motivated by televised images of the suffering hurricane survivors as well as frustration and anger at the sluggish government reaction.
The frustration is continuing.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency, American Red Cross, and Salvation Army, all assisting those displaced by Hurricane Katrina, say they do not have systems for matching the evacuees with individuals offering housing.
Indeed, in many cases, some officials said they are actively discouraging the private outreach efforts, saying putting strangers in private homes could be unsafe.
That has left private housing placement and transportation largely up to ad hoc groups of volunteers who scurry from shelter to shelter with laptops and computer printouts in hand trying to match those needing housing with the housing offers.
"We just want to help," said Dawn Phlieger, a Kansas mother of four who has posted housing offers on several sites. "These are fellow Americans. They're hurting. They need homes."
9.06.2005
self-absorbed?
i've been watching the news on hurricane katrina and the devastation along the gulf coast, and the main emotion i've felt: detached. a lil pissed at bush because i can be (and b/c he makes it so easy), but lately, trying to figure out how i can help. family's donating a lil bit, and my mom keeps saying, "how could we go ___ (shopping, eating out, etc.) when there's so many people suffering?"
when she said that, i thought, "what does that have to do with us enjoying our weekend?" but in retrospect, mommy was rite. i realize how much money was spent this weekend just getting drunk like every other week, and although i got in quality time with the people i luv, wut if someone had said, "let's rent a movie and send the rest for the victims?"
i can't imagine how traumatized i would be if my house was razed and my family had to start all over again with literally nothing. how long does it take to rebuild a home? not just the four walls, but the familiarity (the distinct sound of your family's footsteps, and their favorite places to rest), the memories, the feeling that this is where i can sleep in complete comfort. a few hundred of the katrina victims are coming to the bay for sanctuary, so they'll prolly need some help there. for all yu bay area ppol (polly :), here's the red cross #'s: santa clara r.c. (408) 577-1000, sf bay r.c. (415) 427-8000, palo alto r.c. (650) 688-0415. lemme kno if yur interested and we can go together. :)
when she said that, i thought, "what does that have to do with us enjoying our weekend?" but in retrospect, mommy was rite. i realize how much money was spent this weekend just getting drunk like every other week, and although i got in quality time with the people i luv, wut if someone had said, "let's rent a movie and send the rest for the victims?"
i can't imagine how traumatized i would be if my house was razed and my family had to start all over again with literally nothing. how long does it take to rebuild a home? not just the four walls, but the familiarity (the distinct sound of your family's footsteps, and their favorite places to rest), the memories, the feeling that this is where i can sleep in complete comfort. a few hundred of the katrina victims are coming to the bay for sanctuary, so they'll prolly need some help there. for all yu bay area ppol (polly :), here's the red cross #'s: santa clara r.c. (408) 577-1000, sf bay r.c. (415) 427-8000, palo alto r.c. (650) 688-0415. lemme kno if yur interested and we can go together. :)
9.05.2005
i am feeling much better now. wut a LONG weekend... first the 3+ hour hike up mt.diablo w/ my cuzn talking about all manner of things (but mostly our parents), then dinner with her husband and another married couple and their 1.5 yr old kid. very cute, but i'm glad i usually hang out with ppol my own age cuz that marriage/family stuff can get to you. then clubbing with my cuzn. yah. i didn't know married people and 30+ people could party like that. man allll nite. then 2 hours of sleep and off to my first day of motorcycle lessons. :D very excited. then errands, home, SLEEP. dinner. more sleep. then up to the city with the folks to see the tibet exhibit at the asian art museum (worthwhile). farmer's market, a nice fusion lunch, and a drive around the marina then back home. it's so amazing how domestically centralized their lives are cuz all they know is their work and our family. it was interesting to hear their comments about the pieces. "their buddhas have so many arms and heads..." ehehe... then hurry and pack for camping trip at henry coe park. it has a nice view of the stars going for it and...mm, and that's about it. oh! they had an evening program where a lil old man came to talk about the park. he spoke very fondly of the flora and fauna. drink, eat, drink. another couple hours of sleep, home, lunch, more sleep. and now i am feeling ^_^. time to get crackin on the essays and job stuff once again. **new insights/lessons from the weekend: my parents need to go on more dates, parking at mission college is only $2!!, i have ulcers again >:P, i don't know a very important part of myself, california is known as the golden state b/c of the gold hills, asians are genius.
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