I think I'm getting old. Indications are as such:
1) I turned 22 recently.
2) I can't pull all-nighters all the time like I used to.
3) I feel like a mom sometimes with the house-cleaning and cooking and loving cute little babies and all.
I think the worst is this though:
I was talking to a freshman the other day when she commented on how much she liked my black and white striped socks, to which I replied, "Yah, I really like them. They remind me of Beetlejuice." I got a blank stare in response. Apparently the "younger generation" doesn't remember the depraved cartoon wonder of Beetlejuice and Lydia Deets.
I'm old...
O and Lily is coming over to Pittsburgh this weekend. So exciting. Hope she doesn't mind my insane hours.
Monday, April 09, 2007
Friday, March 30, 2007
?!?
Tonight, Ben took to the mall for dinner. As we were walking towards the food court, a couple of kids that looked to be around 13 walk by and one says something that sounded derogatory that ended with, "...at least we're not that white guy with that chinese girl." To which the other replied, "Man, that's totally racist." At which point I turned to look, noticing that Ben and I were, in fact, the only present white guy/chinese girl combo. Then the offending kid yelled, "Yah, you heard me." Turning back, I saw two Asian women walk by and kind of glance at me with that look, kind of like, "Wow....yah...did that just happen? Wow..."
On a funny note, Ben quote of the evening - "MM...dinosaur. MM... tire rotation..."
On a funny note, Ben quote of the evening - "MM...dinosaur. MM... tire rotation..."
Tuesday, March 27, 2007
Life as I Know It
I think it's been an incredibly long time since I've bothered to write in my blog. In fact, it's been about a month. I have no idea how a month just passed, but it has, and it's scary. I'll try to catch up on things that have been happening, but I think that most likely, I'll forget something...
Studio: working on the "New Orleans Community ReIntegration Center" with Brian is good so far. We seem to be at a good place in the project and seem to be in relative agreement as far as form and function concern. Little fights appear over things such as structure. I blame it on him, of course.
Roomie Search: At the beginning of March, I entertained the possibility of living with Estee, but she backed out because she wants to live ALONE. Why would anyone ever want to do that? I did for a summer and it was depressing, I tell you. Depressing! Anyhoo, after momentary panic, I managed to find not one, but two roommates. Yes, starting on May 15, Ken and Brian will officially be my roommates. It should be good.
Spring Break: This year for Spring Break, I decided to bring home Waz. I figured she can sort of shield me from my mother and her incessant lecturing. It worked out quite well. I spent most of my days with May, and Waz spent most of her time in CT unconscious. We got to see my new house and mom took us on a little tour of suburban America (Waz fell asleep during the tour). In the end, Waz came away with two important revelations: "Your mom is very loud," and "Your dad is very reserved." I think that's pretty accurate. Then we were off to NYC.
Day 1: Emergency room for Waz - I, being a know it all, forced her to go see a doctor about a UTI. Getting a kidney infection is a sure-fire way to ruin your break. We called my cousin Ni-ni at work at around 10:30 and she said we could catch a ride back to Flushing with her. She showed us a nice little Japanese restaurant just outside her building where we stuffed ourselves with donburi until Ni-ni and her little sis, Lily, showed up. Then we went to their home where Lily, still in high school, stayed up WAY late and we all watched an episode of "The Black Donnellys."
Day 2: Hanging out with Ken and Mike C. We woke up early, had a "small breakfast" at my favorite NanBeiHe in Flushing and explored Flushing mall where I nearly died of happiness when I found out a store there sold Cop Copine, and nearly died of sorrow when I found out that since they were unofficial retailers, everything was about double price. Then we took the Chinatown Express and met up with Ken and Mike for dimsum, walked on the Manhattan Bridge, explored Soho and went to dinner at a Texan BBQ place near NYU. We waited there for Waz's physics teacher from high school, who arrived pretty late. We all chatted for a bit before Mike and Ken got going. Then, Waz's physics teacher took us to a sake bar practically right next door to Cooper Union. I was tempted to break in to the building to see what their studios were like. Ken attests to the fact that their spaces are much smaller than ours. I suppose that's some consolation. Evening ended with us getting home around midnight and Waz meeting my aunt who greeted her with a "OOOO, you're so skinny!!!" (which, I would like to note, was the exact greeting my mother used).
Day 3: MOMA with Waz. Ni-ni got us free tickets and we explored the museum for three hours and then played around in the store for another hour. We met up with Ken in Soho to see the Hess exhibit at Fuse Gallery and then Ken's dad was kind enought to drive us down to the South Ferry. We rode on that for about an hour, taking many many photos of the Statue of Liberty. Then we wandered the entire southern tip of Manhattan forever. Ken took us around Battery Park, Winter Garden, Stuyvensant, Ground Zero, Wall Street - we finally ended up in Little Italy where we ate a wonderful Italian dinner while people were filming an episode of "The Sopranos" across the street. Later, Ken's dad drove us up to Times Square. Ni-ni was still working so we entertained ourselves at Virgin Records which was surprisingly still open at midnight. Then we rode home with Ni-ni.
Day 4: Waz had to leave real early. REAL early and neither of us were feeling particularly well rested. After she left, I went back to sleep, woke up and typed out my resume and cover letters. I couldn't get them printed, unfortunately, so I had to wait on that. I managed to make it over to Archi-tectonics after searching half of Chelsea and was rudely greeted. Fat chance of ever working there, I think I'm too friendly for them. Then I met up with Nestor at Whole Foods, the one I worked on, and he walked me through everything. It was a wonderful bit of reminiscing and it was cool to get to see all the stuff I designed actually made. Nestor, his employee and I went back to their brand new, spacious office where I said hello to Fabian and met the new girl. I sort of stuck around a bit until my other former boss, Jonathan, showed up, at which point more reminiscing ensued. I noticed that when greeting them, both my bosses kissed me on the cheek, Euro-style. Is that the new NY way? After that, I wandered over to Rawlings where I dropped off another resume and coverletter. Hopefully I have more luck with that one... Then, I bought some gelato, hopped on a train and went back to blissful, sleepy CT, which I quite enjoyed.
My Birthday: I convinced Ben to take me somewhere nice for our Birthdays. Somewhere REAL nice. We couldn't last weekend since his family was celebrating his, my and his gram's birthdays all at once, so perhaps this weekend. For me, he got Dreamfall. For him, I bought a glass from Urban Outfitters, a business card holder from MUJI, and a cute little voodoo doll I like to call winkie because of something on the doll's pants. Ben likes Winkie best too. My birthday started off on a poor note this year - I taught an extra recitation from midnight to 1:30am and then worked until 3 am, and I had a cold besides. But, the actual day of my birthday was good. I cooked taro nian-gao and egg drop soup for Ben and he actually enjoyed it, much to my relief. Then we watched Rounders, which was most entertaining though I was tired enough that I nodded off for parts of it. All in all, a good birthday, though.
So, I suppose that's it? I suppose so. I feel like everyday is just work and dance, work and dance, and I collapse in a pile of exhaustion around 2 every night. I suppose 2 isn't that bad. I think I'm getting old...
Studio: working on the "New Orleans Community ReIntegration Center" with Brian is good so far. We seem to be at a good place in the project and seem to be in relative agreement as far as form and function concern. Little fights appear over things such as structure. I blame it on him, of course.
Roomie Search: At the beginning of March, I entertained the possibility of living with Estee, but she backed out because she wants to live ALONE. Why would anyone ever want to do that? I did for a summer and it was depressing, I tell you. Depressing! Anyhoo, after momentary panic, I managed to find not one, but two roommates. Yes, starting on May 15, Ken and Brian will officially be my roommates. It should be good.
Spring Break: This year for Spring Break, I decided to bring home Waz. I figured she can sort of shield me from my mother and her incessant lecturing. It worked out quite well. I spent most of my days with May, and Waz spent most of her time in CT unconscious. We got to see my new house and mom took us on a little tour of suburban America (Waz fell asleep during the tour). In the end, Waz came away with two important revelations: "Your mom is very loud," and "Your dad is very reserved." I think that's pretty accurate. Then we were off to NYC.
Day 1: Emergency room for Waz - I, being a know it all, forced her to go see a doctor about a UTI. Getting a kidney infection is a sure-fire way to ruin your break. We called my cousin Ni-ni at work at around 10:30 and she said we could catch a ride back to Flushing with her. She showed us a nice little Japanese restaurant just outside her building where we stuffed ourselves with donburi until Ni-ni and her little sis, Lily, showed up. Then we went to their home where Lily, still in high school, stayed up WAY late and we all watched an episode of "The Black Donnellys."
Day 2: Hanging out with Ken and Mike C. We woke up early, had a "small breakfast" at my favorite NanBeiHe in Flushing and explored Flushing mall where I nearly died of happiness when I found out a store there sold Cop Copine, and nearly died of sorrow when I found out that since they were unofficial retailers, everything was about double price. Then we took the Chinatown Express and met up with Ken and Mike for dimsum, walked on the Manhattan Bridge, explored Soho and went to dinner at a Texan BBQ place near NYU. We waited there for Waz's physics teacher from high school, who arrived pretty late. We all chatted for a bit before Mike and Ken got going. Then, Waz's physics teacher took us to a sake bar practically right next door to Cooper Union. I was tempted to break in to the building to see what their studios were like. Ken attests to the fact that their spaces are much smaller than ours. I suppose that's some consolation. Evening ended with us getting home around midnight and Waz meeting my aunt who greeted her with a "OOOO, you're so skinny!!!" (which, I would like to note, was the exact greeting my mother used).
Day 3: MOMA with Waz. Ni-ni got us free tickets and we explored the museum for three hours and then played around in the store for another hour. We met up with Ken in Soho to see the Hess exhibit at Fuse Gallery and then Ken's dad was kind enought to drive us down to the South Ferry. We rode on that for about an hour, taking many many photos of the Statue of Liberty. Then we wandered the entire southern tip of Manhattan forever. Ken took us around Battery Park, Winter Garden, Stuyvensant, Ground Zero, Wall Street - we finally ended up in Little Italy where we ate a wonderful Italian dinner while people were filming an episode of "The Sopranos" across the street. Later, Ken's dad drove us up to Times Square. Ni-ni was still working so we entertained ourselves at Virgin Records which was surprisingly still open at midnight. Then we rode home with Ni-ni.
Day 4: Waz had to leave real early. REAL early and neither of us were feeling particularly well rested. After she left, I went back to sleep, woke up and typed out my resume and cover letters. I couldn't get them printed, unfortunately, so I had to wait on that. I managed to make it over to Archi-tectonics after searching half of Chelsea and was rudely greeted. Fat chance of ever working there, I think I'm too friendly for them. Then I met up with Nestor at Whole Foods, the one I worked on, and he walked me through everything. It was a wonderful bit of reminiscing and it was cool to get to see all the stuff I designed actually made. Nestor, his employee and I went back to their brand new, spacious office where I said hello to Fabian and met the new girl. I sort of stuck around a bit until my other former boss, Jonathan, showed up, at which point more reminiscing ensued. I noticed that when greeting them, both my bosses kissed me on the cheek, Euro-style. Is that the new NY way? After that, I wandered over to Rawlings where I dropped off another resume and coverletter. Hopefully I have more luck with that one... Then, I bought some gelato, hopped on a train and went back to blissful, sleepy CT, which I quite enjoyed.
My Birthday: I convinced Ben to take me somewhere nice for our Birthdays. Somewhere REAL nice. We couldn't last weekend since his family was celebrating his, my and his gram's birthdays all at once, so perhaps this weekend. For me, he got Dreamfall. For him, I bought a glass from Urban Outfitters, a business card holder from MUJI, and a cute little voodoo doll I like to call winkie because of something on the doll's pants. Ben likes Winkie best too. My birthday started off on a poor note this year - I taught an extra recitation from midnight to 1:30am and then worked until 3 am, and I had a cold besides. But, the actual day of my birthday was good. I cooked taro nian-gao and egg drop soup for Ben and he actually enjoyed it, much to my relief. Then we watched Rounders, which was most entertaining though I was tired enough that I nodded off for parts of it. All in all, a good birthday, though.
So, I suppose that's it? I suppose so. I feel like everyday is just work and dance, work and dance, and I collapse in a pile of exhaustion around 2 every night. I suppose 2 isn't that bad. I think I'm getting old...
Tuesday, February 27, 2007
Moola
Yay for income! One of my professors offered me a TA postition for next fall teaching at the Heinz School! Yay!
Sunday, February 18, 2007
Happy Chinese New Years!
Xin Nian Kuai Le! I think this is a great way to start off the new year with fluffy white snow falling outside and much less work to do.
Last night, Waz and my two months of intensive frustration and labor paid off as we watched out models strut their stuff at the Lunar Gala show last night. I think that the moment the first models started out, I decided it was well worth the trouble. No more sewing knowing there's a deadline approaching, no more working at Waz's till 2 or 3 am. No more hurried trips to JoAnn Fabrics. It's done and it was great.
So far, we've had offers for the hoodie, the word tunic, two pairs of pants and my assymetric sports coat, so maybe we'll make back some money. So exciting. Not only did we show our collection, apparently its still wearable enough that people are interested in buying. I think we ought to just start making lots of clothes for ourselves. We'll be our own advertising boards and everytime someone asks where we got that badass shirt, we can say, "Well, we made it. If you would like one, just let us know." Or something. It'd be cool. Though I told Waz that I don't want to design officially next year. "I'll help you out, but I don't want to be a designer." Mostly, I think I just want to dance, or maybe model. I should model just to say I've done it all for Lunar Gala. Except I'm nto too good at walking...
All in all, a wonderful experience.
Happy Chinese New Years!
Last night, Waz and my two months of intensive frustration and labor paid off as we watched out models strut their stuff at the Lunar Gala show last night. I think that the moment the first models started out, I decided it was well worth the trouble. No more sewing knowing there's a deadline approaching, no more working at Waz's till 2 or 3 am. No more hurried trips to JoAnn Fabrics. It's done and it was great.
So far, we've had offers for the hoodie, the word tunic, two pairs of pants and my assymetric sports coat, so maybe we'll make back some money. So exciting. Not only did we show our collection, apparently its still wearable enough that people are interested in buying. I think we ought to just start making lots of clothes for ourselves. We'll be our own advertising boards and everytime someone asks where we got that badass shirt, we can say, "Well, we made it. If you would like one, just let us know." Or something. It'd be cool. Though I told Waz that I don't want to design officially next year. "I'll help you out, but I don't want to be a designer." Mostly, I think I just want to dance, or maybe model. I should model just to say I've done it all for Lunar Gala. Except I'm nto too good at walking...
All in all, a wonderful experience.
Happy Chinese New Years!
Sunday, February 11, 2007
Wednesday, January 31, 2007
Monkeys
Tonight was Lunar Gala practice. As usual, Waz and I lug over every outfit we're working on and spend time putting them on the model and have Sophia hem and haw over it. Sophia, yet again, was displeased. In fact, Sophia is always displeased. And mean. And rude. We keep getting threatened over and over about how we have to be completely done with all our stuff by Thursday despite the fact that we technically have two weeks left till show time. I don't see what the hurry is. Really. We'll get it done in time. Don't worry.
We got all the models together to go over stuff. Being that earlier I was sewing in my black jacket, my black jacket was covered in tons of tiny gritty things and pieces of thread and muslin. What I found particularly amusing was that first, model Justin started picking things off of my back and shoulder, and then model Grant joined in and picked a thread right off my "bust radius" (aka my under-boob), to which Justin stated, "Yah, that one bothered me a lot too, but I didn't think I should try to get it." I suppose it's okay since Grant seems quite ..um...flamboyant. Still, very funny. My monkey models.
We got all the models together to go over stuff. Being that earlier I was sewing in my black jacket, my black jacket was covered in tons of tiny gritty things and pieces of thread and muslin. What I found particularly amusing was that first, model Justin started picking things off of my back and shoulder, and then model Grant joined in and picked a thread right off my "bust radius" (aka my under-boob), to which Justin stated, "Yah, that one bothered me a lot too, but I didn't think I should try to get it." I suppose it's okay since Grant seems quite ..um...flamboyant. Still, very funny. My monkey models.
Wednesday, January 24, 2007
Hapa hapa
So you remember how for a while, it seemed like everyone new I met thought I was a halfie? Well, it quieted down for a bit and for a while I thought, wow, I guess I'm sufficiently Chinese now. So... I just got invited to join the Hapa dodgeball game this Friday..... Maybe I should just start telling people mom is Mexican.
Thursday, January 18, 2007
Wednesday, January 17, 2007
First Day
Happy New Years! I keep forgetting to update and what do you know, it's already halfway through January. I suppose it's time for an update.
Winter Break: Fun. I slept a lot, saw lots of family, ate lots of yummy food (I actually lost weight over break...fancy that. I blame you, Waz), went to Manhattan with my sister where we visited the Met, fashion ave. and her comic book store, "Forbidden Planet." All in all, a satisfying break.
2007 so far: Pretty busy. I got back a week early and Waz and I did what little we could based off of the shitey measurements the girls at Lunar Gala took. Way to go girls, way to not measure a guys inseam correctly. We've been making the outfits for a couple of the models and a lot of things are far off mark. We seem to have a very poor understanding of the male body. I think that the girls will be much easier. Still, things are going well, and hopefully it will be well underway by the time classes pick up.
Classes are going well. The ones I've had so far anyway. My Digital Fabrication assignment is to make a crazy cube thing for Tuesday. I thought I had it. Nearly had it. It'll be cool, though. Except that I have to actually document everything and put it on a website. I'll be borrowing people's cameras for a few weeks.
Then there was Jazz. I'm actually horribly low on the waitlist, but I think there's still hope of getting in. The teacher let everyone who showed up stay, so maybe she'll let me in. Pretty please, pretty please. It was, all in all, an amazingly fun class. One of the acting majors said to me after class, "It's such a pleasure to see someone doing what they were born to do." I guess I was born to dance. Hope mom and dad don't mind.
My next class which I was also on the waitlist for is GIS, aka digital mapmaking. I think I'm going to enjoy it, it's so wonderfully structured! We have a calender and a syllabus, regular homework assignments. All very exciting for a person in art school.
After class, I attended a boring TA meeting where we were all reminded yet again (fourth time for me) that we can't date the student. If we are in a relationship with a student in the class, please quit the class not the relationship. Yes, I know, thanks for wasting an hour of my day. Then it was rush over to Waz's and sew sleeves, then rush to Point Park. OK, so, Point Park's community jazz class is NOT WORTH $15. Five maybe. The warmups were horribly disappointing after my earlier jazz class, though things picked up towards the end when the teacher started getting a little creative. If she had a better warmup, I'd be tempted to keep taking, but no. I might take a try at Dance Alloy next week and see how I like it. And I'll finally get to meet the mysterious heartthrob Estee has been raving about.
After dance was LG practice. We measured models, talked with models, Waz pointed out I only said the work "crotch" around girls and gay guys. So I'm shy, and I don't like to touch boys unless I'm dating them. So see me and my prudery. See May, I'm a prude too!
So here I am at home at midnight. Time to start the homework! Joyful fun!
Winter Break: Fun. I slept a lot, saw lots of family, ate lots of yummy food (I actually lost weight over break...fancy that. I blame you, Waz), went to Manhattan with my sister where we visited the Met, fashion ave. and her comic book store, "Forbidden Planet." All in all, a satisfying break.
2007 so far: Pretty busy. I got back a week early and Waz and I did what little we could based off of the shitey measurements the girls at Lunar Gala took. Way to go girls, way to not measure a guys inseam correctly. We've been making the outfits for a couple of the models and a lot of things are far off mark. We seem to have a very poor understanding of the male body. I think that the girls will be much easier. Still, things are going well, and hopefully it will be well underway by the time classes pick up.
Classes are going well. The ones I've had so far anyway. My Digital Fabrication assignment is to make a crazy cube thing for Tuesday. I thought I had it. Nearly had it. It'll be cool, though. Except that I have to actually document everything and put it on a website. I'll be borrowing people's cameras for a few weeks.
Then there was Jazz. I'm actually horribly low on the waitlist, but I think there's still hope of getting in. The teacher let everyone who showed up stay, so maybe she'll let me in. Pretty please, pretty please. It was, all in all, an amazingly fun class. One of the acting majors said to me after class, "It's such a pleasure to see someone doing what they were born to do." I guess I was born to dance. Hope mom and dad don't mind.
My next class which I was also on the waitlist for is GIS, aka digital mapmaking. I think I'm going to enjoy it, it's so wonderfully structured! We have a calender and a syllabus, regular homework assignments. All very exciting for a person in art school.
After class, I attended a boring TA meeting where we were all reminded yet again (fourth time for me) that we can't date the student. If we are in a relationship with a student in the class, please quit the class not the relationship. Yes, I know, thanks for wasting an hour of my day. Then it was rush over to Waz's and sew sleeves, then rush to Point Park. OK, so, Point Park's community jazz class is NOT WORTH $15. Five maybe. The warmups were horribly disappointing after my earlier jazz class, though things picked up towards the end when the teacher started getting a little creative. If she had a better warmup, I'd be tempted to keep taking, but no. I might take a try at Dance Alloy next week and see how I like it. And I'll finally get to meet the mysterious heartthrob Estee has been raving about.
After dance was LG practice. We measured models, talked with models, Waz pointed out I only said the work "crotch" around girls and gay guys. So I'm shy, and I don't like to touch boys unless I'm dating them. So see me and my prudery. See May, I'm a prude too!
So here I am at home at midnight. Time to start the homework! Joyful fun!
Wednesday, December 20, 2006
Tuesday, December 19, 2006
Finally
It's been a long semester and I finally feel free to relax. Almost all of my grades save one (I have a feeling my poor professor was recently inundated with a semester's worth of work from every single student) are posted online, and most of them were surprisingly better than I expected. So, even if I end up with a bad grade for the last one (by bad, I mean B because he's apparently very lenient) I'm still pleased. I only ended up with a B in studio, which is a little disappointing because this is definitely the best semester I've had in a while studio-wise, but I think it was a good strong B, not like the just barely I got last semester, so I'm still okay with it. After all, its not the grade but the portfolio that matters, after all.
I am a little surprised with one very difficult class I had, in a couple of ways. 1) I definitely bombed the final test and somehow I got by with a 99.... and 2) The teacher hasn't posted the final project grade yet so I'm assuming it hasn't been factored into my final grade. I think that it might be that this time around, I got what I did solely because I sucked up to the professor (I swear I didn't do it on purpose).
Still, the semester's over, and I'm looking forward to next semester where I'll be taking only a whopping 6 classes with one of them being a mini (and it's just CSW - aka how to use Excel because apparently one can't graduate CMU without knowing how to work Excel) so that doesn't really count. Five classes, what a vacation...
I am a little surprised with one very difficult class I had, in a couple of ways. 1) I definitely bombed the final test and somehow I got by with a 99.... and 2) The teacher hasn't posted the final project grade yet so I'm assuming it hasn't been factored into my final grade. I think that it might be that this time around, I got what I did solely because I sucked up to the professor (I swear I didn't do it on purpose).
Still, the semester's over, and I'm looking forward to next semester where I'll be taking only a whopping 6 classes with one of them being a mini (and it's just CSW - aka how to use Excel because apparently one can't graduate CMU without knowing how to work Excel) so that doesn't really count. Five classes, what a vacation...
Saturday, December 16, 2006
Cursed
I wonder if someone has placed a jinx on me for the last week of classes. I feel like my luck is usually pretty darn good, and for some reason this week, small things have been going wrong.
My laundry card: I can't even remember which day it is, but I was doing the laundry this week and I somehow managed to drop the laundry card into that horrible little crack between the wall and the machine. I tried to move the machine and obviously it was way too heavy. I fortunately was able to get it out with the aid of my ruler and a lot of duct tape. Later in the week, I lost the laundry card yet again while walking down to the laundry room. I suppose it was because it was early, but I remember looking down into my basket as I walked in and seeing the card, but when I set down my basket, I found the card wasn't there. I looked through the basket, looked all over the room, traced my steps and found the card lying in a sad little corner outside the stairwell. I suppose it flew out while I was struggling my way through that horrible doorway (whoever thought having a 5' doorway with two 2.5' doors is an idiot because it's so hard to get through with a laundry basket).
My wallet: On Thursday, I ran down to the vending machines to grab a couple sodas for me and Waz. I ran back up, supposedly with my wallet in hand, but I didn't realize it was missing until about 4 hours later. Panic ensued and I ran through the hallways looking for it, and I suppose some girl recognized me and could tell I was upset about something and told me she found the wallet a couple hours ago and turned it in to the UC info desk. I got it, fortunately with all my affects intact.
My flight: normally I breeze right through ticketing and just hop on a flight. This time around, I walked to USAirways, realized my ticket was for United, so I went to United. At the United counter, I was told that they had NO flights to NY. "But I bought a United ticket online, United flight 2758!" The lady told me as if I should've known, that it was moved over to USAirways 1096. I go back to USAirways where the machine says there are no tickets under my name for the flight, so I panicked. Then someone behind the counter made me wait 20 minutes while she discussed baggage with another person. Fortunately, she was able to print out a ticket for me. Upon arrival at the gate, I found out that the flight was delayed 45 minutes. 45 minutes later, they informed us it was delayed again by another 45 minutes. All in all, our plane took off at 10:10 instead of 8:30, and I ended up arriving in NY at 12:30.
So yes, I think I might be jinxed.
At least I got to chop off all my hair so now I'm comfortable.
My laundry card: I can't even remember which day it is, but I was doing the laundry this week and I somehow managed to drop the laundry card into that horrible little crack between the wall and the machine. I tried to move the machine and obviously it was way too heavy. I fortunately was able to get it out with the aid of my ruler and a lot of duct tape. Later in the week, I lost the laundry card yet again while walking down to the laundry room. I suppose it was because it was early, but I remember looking down into my basket as I walked in and seeing the card, but when I set down my basket, I found the card wasn't there. I looked through the basket, looked all over the room, traced my steps and found the card lying in a sad little corner outside the stairwell. I suppose it flew out while I was struggling my way through that horrible doorway (whoever thought having a 5' doorway with two 2.5' doors is an idiot because it's so hard to get through with a laundry basket).
My wallet: On Thursday, I ran down to the vending machines to grab a couple sodas for me and Waz. I ran back up, supposedly with my wallet in hand, but I didn't realize it was missing until about 4 hours later. Panic ensued and I ran through the hallways looking for it, and I suppose some girl recognized me and could tell I was upset about something and told me she found the wallet a couple hours ago and turned it in to the UC info desk. I got it, fortunately with all my affects intact.
My flight: normally I breeze right through ticketing and just hop on a flight. This time around, I walked to USAirways, realized my ticket was for United, so I went to United. At the United counter, I was told that they had NO flights to NY. "But I bought a United ticket online, United flight 2758!" The lady told me as if I should've known, that it was moved over to USAirways 1096. I go back to USAirways where the machine says there are no tickets under my name for the flight, so I panicked. Then someone behind the counter made me wait 20 minutes while she discussed baggage with another person. Fortunately, she was able to print out a ticket for me. Upon arrival at the gate, I found out that the flight was delayed 45 minutes. 45 minutes later, they informed us it was delayed again by another 45 minutes. All in all, our plane took off at 10:10 instead of 8:30, and I ended up arriving in NY at 12:30.
So yes, I think I might be jinxed.
At least I got to chop off all my hair so now I'm comfortable.
Thursday, December 14, 2006
Ridiculously Busy
I remember how at the start of the semester, I was raving to my parents about how easy and carefree this semester has been. How wonderful it will be and how much free time I would be looking forward to.
Well, pretty much since mid-semester, it's been non-stop work that just intensified after Thanksgiving. In the process of all that, I somehow managed to fit in spending time with my boyfriend and celebrating my best friend's birthday. Other than that, this is what I've managed to achieve this semester:
For Figure Drawing, I completed my portfolio (which I still need to pick up. For dance...well...I've been dancing. I just made it by this mini with two absences, both due to hell week. It's a good thing I saved up for those. I've also managed to make a sketchbook, a book arts info book, a different from the normal, portfolio worthy box and a lab plate in book binding. For my two enviro classes - well, I feel bad about those because I have been just hanging on all semester long. As for studio, this has been one of the best semesters ever, and I hope that I can continue to do this well. (I think that I have a good solid B this semester, keeping my fingers crossed for something better....doubtful though).
I'm also really annoyed, because before I leave tomorrow, I have to help my acoustics group put together a project, work with my mechanical systems group to put together another project, and work with another group to do the heat gain calculations and construction diagrams for yet another project. I love how all of that has to be done by the end of today.
Other than classes, I had the worst DS show I ever did, mostly because I've been so busy that I haven't had time to really go over the dances or, for that matter, show up to people's extra rehearsals. I feel like I wasn't that great a statics TA, but oddly enough, Oppenheim asked me to TA structures again, this time not even waiting for me to ask.
In my personal life, my relationship with the Benny-bean is going well. He seems oddly okay with my leaving for a month. I suppose after three months of me being on the other side of the world, three weeks of me being on the other side of the region is quite all right by him. I only wonder if someday he'll get fed up with my leaving all the time and just dump me. Who knows...boys are fickle.
PS I just had a mini heart attack when I checked my account and saw I owed $11000. I wondered for a moment how it was possible to spend that much money on printing, before I noticed the money was for spring tuition. Yah...I'm good...
Well, pretty much since mid-semester, it's been non-stop work that just intensified after Thanksgiving. In the process of all that, I somehow managed to fit in spending time with my boyfriend and celebrating my best friend's birthday. Other than that, this is what I've managed to achieve this semester:
For Figure Drawing, I completed my portfolio (which I still need to pick up. For dance...well...I've been dancing. I just made it by this mini with two absences, both due to hell week. It's a good thing I saved up for those. I've also managed to make a sketchbook, a book arts info book, a different from the normal, portfolio worthy box and a lab plate in book binding. For my two enviro classes - well, I feel bad about those because I have been just hanging on all semester long. As for studio, this has been one of the best semesters ever, and I hope that I can continue to do this well. (I think that I have a good solid B this semester, keeping my fingers crossed for something better....doubtful though).
I'm also really annoyed, because before I leave tomorrow, I have to help my acoustics group put together a project, work with my mechanical systems group to put together another project, and work with another group to do the heat gain calculations and construction diagrams for yet another project. I love how all of that has to be done by the end of today.
Other than classes, I had the worst DS show I ever did, mostly because I've been so busy that I haven't had time to really go over the dances or, for that matter, show up to people's extra rehearsals. I feel like I wasn't that great a statics TA, but oddly enough, Oppenheim asked me to TA structures again, this time not even waiting for me to ask.
In my personal life, my relationship with the Benny-bean is going well. He seems oddly okay with my leaving for a month. I suppose after three months of me being on the other side of the world, three weeks of me being on the other side of the region is quite all right by him. I only wonder if someday he'll get fed up with my leaving all the time and just dump me. Who knows...boys are fickle.
PS I just had a mini heart attack when I checked my account and saw I owed $11000. I wondered for a moment how it was possible to spend that much money on printing, before I noticed the money was for spring tuition. Yah...I'm good...
Saturday, November 18, 2006
A Good Day
Today started very early for a Saturday morning. We had a field trip for our mechanical systems class (HVAC...yay...) that left campus at 8:30am so I had to wake up at 7. Amazingly, I woke up on time.
First, we went to Antiochian Village. It sounds like a retirement home, but is actually the national headquarters for some Christian religion or other. We toured the museum and auditorium, and then Jerry, the professor, took us to his favorite room of the building - the boiler room. I thought it was a little boring, personally. Looking around, I think a few people agreed. After that, we took the bus to the new dining hall. It was big. It was orange. It looked like a humongous log cabin. Jerry said the architect cried when they decided to put the faux log-cabin siding on. He also told us the architect said that was the ugliest building he ever designed. Poor architect. Again, we went to the boiler room and looked around. O yes, and the whole time, our bus driver (Mr. Chuck) walked around with us.
So then we all went to lunch. It was really amusing, because so far, when we moved from building to building, we've been taking the bus to just cross the street. I predicted to Waz that we would just drive 20 feet before we had to get off again, and lo and behold, we drove about 20 feet. I think there was a Mary Kay cosmetics convention because when we walked into the parking lot, there were an abnormal amount of pink cadillacs, and inside the entryway, there were a ton of pink things. It scared me. A lot. When we all picked drinks for lunch, I saw blue colored juice, and being that the more toxic it looked the more appealing it was to me, I picked it. Then everyone made fun of me. Meh, blue juice is more fun than red juice. The nice thing about archie field trips is that you're so familiar with all your classmates, that you could sit with just about anyone and still have a good time. It was a good lunch. I stole cookies and we ended with a debate about who was better, Matt Damon or Leonardo DiCaprio. Since I personally think that Leo looks like a very ugly woman, I went with Matt.
Next we went to Jerry's very own home. We approached what I thought was the driveway going up to his house. A very narrow little road that Jerry's own SUV just squeezed through somehow managed to accomodate our schoolbus. I feel like we drove a mile on that road before we reached his house, which seemed to be about the same size as Mount Vernon. Apparently my professor is quite affluent. We were greeted by an adorable three-legged german shepard mix that decided to run a circle around me while on his leash, nearly making me fall over.
The inside of Jerry's house was the most American looking house ever. The kitchen and gathering room were warm colors, the other rooms looked either very stately or very country craft-like. His wife told us she was starting to decorate and one of my classmates said, "Starting??" Then she clarified by saying she was starting to decorate for Christmas. They plan on having a total of 27 Christmas trees. 27! Jerry took us all into the basement to show us his pride and joy - a 3 ton geothermal heating system. Then we went upstairs and looked around his house. The study had a tiny little spiral staircase which led to a tiny tiny little room at the top. When I got up there, I don't know if it was the staircase or the size of the room, but I felt a little faint so I went back down. Claustrophobia, I think. All in all, a gorgeous house that a state politician would love. We finished our visit with a sampling of Mrs. Jerry's Christmas cookies. Very yummy.
The bus ride home was very quiet because everyone fell asleep. Well, almost quiet. Chang snored way too loudly for me to be able to sleep well. Fortunately, my trusty new earmuffs made it a little quieter.
First, we went to Antiochian Village. It sounds like a retirement home, but is actually the national headquarters for some Christian religion or other. We toured the museum and auditorium, and then Jerry, the professor, took us to his favorite room of the building - the boiler room. I thought it was a little boring, personally. Looking around, I think a few people agreed. After that, we took the bus to the new dining hall. It was big. It was orange. It looked like a humongous log cabin. Jerry said the architect cried when they decided to put the faux log-cabin siding on. He also told us the architect said that was the ugliest building he ever designed. Poor architect. Again, we went to the boiler room and looked around. O yes, and the whole time, our bus driver (Mr. Chuck) walked around with us.
So then we all went to lunch. It was really amusing, because so far, when we moved from building to building, we've been taking the bus to just cross the street. I predicted to Waz that we would just drive 20 feet before we had to get off again, and lo and behold, we drove about 20 feet. I think there was a Mary Kay cosmetics convention because when we walked into the parking lot, there were an abnormal amount of pink cadillacs, and inside the entryway, there were a ton of pink things. It scared me. A lot. When we all picked drinks for lunch, I saw blue colored juice, and being that the more toxic it looked the more appealing it was to me, I picked it. Then everyone made fun of me. Meh, blue juice is more fun than red juice. The nice thing about archie field trips is that you're so familiar with all your classmates, that you could sit with just about anyone and still have a good time. It was a good lunch. I stole cookies and we ended with a debate about who was better, Matt Damon or Leonardo DiCaprio. Since I personally think that Leo looks like a very ugly woman, I went with Matt.
Next we went to Jerry's very own home. We approached what I thought was the driveway going up to his house. A very narrow little road that Jerry's own SUV just squeezed through somehow managed to accomodate our schoolbus. I feel like we drove a mile on that road before we reached his house, which seemed to be about the same size as Mount Vernon. Apparently my professor is quite affluent. We were greeted by an adorable three-legged german shepard mix that decided to run a circle around me while on his leash, nearly making me fall over.
The inside of Jerry's house was the most American looking house ever. The kitchen and gathering room were warm colors, the other rooms looked either very stately or very country craft-like. His wife told us she was starting to decorate and one of my classmates said, "Starting??" Then she clarified by saying she was starting to decorate for Christmas. They plan on having a total of 27 Christmas trees. 27! Jerry took us all into the basement to show us his pride and joy - a 3 ton geothermal heating system. Then we went upstairs and looked around his house. The study had a tiny little spiral staircase which led to a tiny tiny little room at the top. When I got up there, I don't know if it was the staircase or the size of the room, but I felt a little faint so I went back down. Claustrophobia, I think. All in all, a gorgeous house that a state politician would love. We finished our visit with a sampling of Mrs. Jerry's Christmas cookies. Very yummy.
The bus ride home was very quiet because everyone fell asleep. Well, almost quiet. Chang snored way too loudly for me to be able to sleep well. Fortunately, my trusty new earmuffs made it a little quieter.
Halfie
I guess growing up in America has made me a little too white-washed. In the past week, I've been asked twice if I'm a halfie - by halfie I mean half asian, half white. I can't figure out why people think so, in fact, it's a little upsetting since I feel like, if anything, I seem a little more fobby after being in China all summer. My friends can't pinpoint what makes me look distinctly not-Chinese. It's not just here either. When I was in China, practically every talkative cab driver asked me if I was from Japan or Korea, or something along those lines.
I guess I shouldn't let it bother me. The guy who asked me today said, "It's a good thing." His reason for asking me was because my hair's really black. All of my cousins have really black hair, too, so I thought that was a little odd for a reason. Another friend said it's my eyes, but my mum tells me I have very nice, Chinese almond-shaped eyes. I guess I just have a wierd combination of features. Poo. Mom said that when she was in college in Texas, she was regularly mistakened for hispanic. In fact, if we go to Manhattan, very often some poor tourist will start speaking to her in fast Spanish and she won't even know what language they're speaking. Well, since people think Mom is hispanic, maybe I look half hispanic...?
Maybe I should just say, "Yes, yes I am," because, after all, with family history who knows?
I guess I shouldn't let it bother me. The guy who asked me today said, "It's a good thing." His reason for asking me was because my hair's really black. All of my cousins have really black hair, too, so I thought that was a little odd for a reason. Another friend said it's my eyes, but my mum tells me I have very nice, Chinese almond-shaped eyes. I guess I just have a wierd combination of features. Poo. Mom said that when she was in college in Texas, she was regularly mistakened for hispanic. In fact, if we go to Manhattan, very often some poor tourist will start speaking to her in fast Spanish and she won't even know what language they're speaking. Well, since people think Mom is hispanic, maybe I look half hispanic...?
Maybe I should just say, "Yes, yes I am," because, after all, with family history who knows?
Thursday, November 09, 2006
Me and My Stupid Mouth
Today I think I win the prize of saying inappropriate things. Well, I only recall two instances, one of which I noticed myself in hindsight which I very much regret, and the other one I noticed when Ben pointed it out, and it was actually quite funny. Just for entertainment's sake, I'll tell you the funny one.
So, my roomie has been receiving a million packages in the mail. Constantly. I don't know what she orders, but they always arrive in teeny little bags. In any case, I got home today and opened the mailbox and took out a few pieces of paper that notified me that we had received a package. While talking to Ben on the phone, the doorman brings out a big box and I said, "O my, that's a large package." Fortunately, the doorman, being about daddy's age, didn't notice either and said, "Yes, but it's quite light." Ben, on the phone, burst out laughing and in a very suggestive tone said, "Yes. Yes it is. A. Very. Large. Package." Yah, apparently I'm dating a pervy one.
Speaking of my pervy boy, we were watching "Sex and the City" Season 5 the other day - the season where Sarah Jessica Parker was pregnant so there were only eight episodes. About half way through episode six, Ben offhandedly mentioned that her boobs looked bigger. I never told him she got pregnant that season, so he must have come to that conclusion on his own. Is it just my boyfriend? Or is it all men? And how come, when I look at that show again, I still don't notice any change? Maybe it's just because I'm a girl and I don't really care...
Well, enough of that. I think that last paragraph can be added to my list of wildly inappropriate things. Speaking of which, to my friend, I feel very badly about what I said. If you noticed it and it upset you, I apologize.
So, my roomie has been receiving a million packages in the mail. Constantly. I don't know what she orders, but they always arrive in teeny little bags. In any case, I got home today and opened the mailbox and took out a few pieces of paper that notified me that we had received a package. While talking to Ben on the phone, the doorman brings out a big box and I said, "O my, that's a large package." Fortunately, the doorman, being about daddy's age, didn't notice either and said, "Yes, but it's quite light." Ben, on the phone, burst out laughing and in a very suggestive tone said, "Yes. Yes it is. A. Very. Large. Package." Yah, apparently I'm dating a pervy one.
Speaking of my pervy boy, we were watching "Sex and the City" Season 5 the other day - the season where Sarah Jessica Parker was pregnant so there were only eight episodes. About half way through episode six, Ben offhandedly mentioned that her boobs looked bigger. I never told him she got pregnant that season, so he must have come to that conclusion on his own. Is it just my boyfriend? Or is it all men? And how come, when I look at that show again, I still don't notice any change? Maybe it's just because I'm a girl and I don't really care...
Well, enough of that. I think that last paragraph can be added to my list of wildly inappropriate things. Speaking of which, to my friend, I feel very badly about what I said. If you noticed it and it upset you, I apologize.
Saturday, November 04, 2006
Facebook Group
I started a nifty little group on facebook a while back to keep track of friends who went to my Chinese School. I checked on it recently and there's three people from CUNY Brooklyn and Stuyvensant. My question is - did they actually go to my Chinese School (and if so, why on earth would anyone want to travel so far for a Saturday morning class?) or did they just randomly decide to join? (and if so, should I try to kick them out of the group...?)
Tuesday, October 31, 2006
Glassed!
Today is halloween. In true halloween fashion, I put on a make-everyone-stare outfit. I'm quite proud of it. Think Jay McCarroll's final collection super long green scarf mixed with his 2055 outfit. Very cool, I think. I also put my hair in two buns on the top of my head. Whee! It only took 45 minutes to do....I really need to grow out my hair...or chop it all off again...
On a different note, I bought a bottle of snapple today and right when I was about to chug the last bit down, I noticed I could hear a tinkling noise in the bottle. What's this? I think, and look closer. Lo and behold, lying at the bottom of the bottle was a little piece of glass. I really hope I didn't swallow any, though I doubt I did. I called up Snapple after class and complained. I'm getting coupons...Well, I suppose that when I'm recovering from a tear in my stomach, they might come in handy...
On a different note, I bought a bottle of snapple today and right when I was about to chug the last bit down, I noticed I could hear a tinkling noise in the bottle. What's this? I think, and look closer. Lo and behold, lying at the bottom of the bottle was a little piece of glass. I really hope I didn't swallow any, though I doubt I did. I called up Snapple after class and complained. I'm getting coupons...Well, I suppose that when I'm recovering from a tear in my stomach, they might come in handy...
Fashion!
Waz and I are OFFICIALLY fasion designers in the school's biggest fashion show of the year! Rejoice at the opportunity! Lament the work that's coming...
Random note: Today I found out that my best friend Waz and my cousin Louise went to elementary school together. It's a small world...
Random note: Today I found out that my best friend Waz and my cousin Louise went to elementary school together. It's a small world...
Monday, October 30, 2006
Updates
There's a strange man in my apartment and all I know is that he wears odd high top sneakers. And sandals in cold weather. For the past month, my roomie has been inviting mystery asian man over for sleepovers and occasionally not coming home, so my only conclusions are that mystery man is her boyfriend and that he is abnormally unresponsive to cold.
In other news, my midsemester grades were pretty darned horrible, mostly due to the fact that I've been focusing more on studio and dance than usual so the enviro classes kind of suffer. O, and by horrible, I mean I only got two As, so don't panic.
Also, after working for about four weeks straight on gut-wrenching heart-stopping gotta-meet-the-deadline work, I finally had a relaxing weekend where I just focused on crocheting a scarf for the long winter ahead. It was most amusing actually, what's been happening with that. For most of the day, I walked around with a ball of yarn tucked under my arm, the scarf around my neck and the "active" part was expanding with every minute as I chatted with everyone. At one point, I was sitting with Ben in his room watching him play Dead Rising and I got called downstairs to help out with something, so I wandered down, not realizing I was leaving a long trail of yarn behind me. Ben ever so kindly picked all of it up off the ground before the cat realized it was there and put it in a pile. Also, right before he was going to bring me home, I was reviewing the state of the scarf, and, to my chagrin, it has shrunk a lot in width. I have no idea where I'm losing stitches. So, I was quite upset, and grumbled while rolling all of the around the current ball of yarn I was on. What resulted was a fuzzy big ball roughly the size of a watermelon. I kept grumbling while I packed stuff up to go, turned around and found Ben curled up around the ball, shielding it from "destructive mommy." I thought that was funny. Not many boyfriends would try to rescue their girlfriends' botched crocheting projects. Isn't he sweet? :)
In other news, my midsemester grades were pretty darned horrible, mostly due to the fact that I've been focusing more on studio and dance than usual so the enviro classes kind of suffer. O, and by horrible, I mean I only got two As, so don't panic.
Also, after working for about four weeks straight on gut-wrenching heart-stopping gotta-meet-the-deadline work, I finally had a relaxing weekend where I just focused on crocheting a scarf for the long winter ahead. It was most amusing actually, what's been happening with that. For most of the day, I walked around with a ball of yarn tucked under my arm, the scarf around my neck and the "active" part was expanding with every minute as I chatted with everyone. At one point, I was sitting with Ben in his room watching him play Dead Rising and I got called downstairs to help out with something, so I wandered down, not realizing I was leaving a long trail of yarn behind me. Ben ever so kindly picked all of it up off the ground before the cat realized it was there and put it in a pile. Also, right before he was going to bring me home, I was reviewing the state of the scarf, and, to my chagrin, it has shrunk a lot in width. I have no idea where I'm losing stitches. So, I was quite upset, and grumbled while rolling all of the around the current ball of yarn I was on. What resulted was a fuzzy big ball roughly the size of a watermelon. I kept grumbling while I packed stuff up to go, turned around and found Ben curled up around the ball, shielding it from "destructive mommy." I thought that was funny. Not many boyfriends would try to rescue their girlfriends' botched crocheting projects. Isn't he sweet? :)
Tuesday, October 24, 2006
Exhausted
It's funny how I thought fourth year was such a breeze. I think part of it was the relief that we would be doing something more on the level of what I can understand. However, workload doesn't seem any less. For taking one less class than usual, I seem to still spend very little time at home.
Last Sunday, I had a big studio project due. At least, we all felt like it was a big studio deadline. Little did we know it, but on Wednesday, when the other studios had their presentations, what they pinned up was grease-pencil drawings on yellow trace. And here I spent $60 to make a book. That doesn't seem very fair. At least the review went well.
Immediately after that, I studied for a lighting exam, which I felt went well. Wednesday was my usual night off after discussing Lunar Gala with Waz. Thursday, whilst everyone partied and recuperated, Patrick and I sat in the computer lab putting together the beginnings of our lighting presentation. Friday, all day, I spent drawing the little people that went in our Lunar Gala design portfolio. They turned out fabulous. All of Saturday was spent grading homework and working out solutions for students to study off of. Sunday was all grading homework and Lunar Gala. The deadline was at 10 pm, but we were a little short on time when we found out that the printer didn't like 11x17 paper. But, in the end, we made it work - I even powerwalked between studio and the third floor computer lab. We got the deadline extended to 11 and exactly at 10:59, Waz and I grabbed our barely completed portfolio and sprinted full tilt over to the dropbox - and made it! Yay!
Then, of course, there was still Lighting to do, which is what I did last night until 4:00am. I think the presentation went will, though I feel that today, my thought process is significantly slower than normal because the exhaustion is setting in.
Dance at noon, right before the presentation - we had a substitute who had some interesting moves, many of which went too quickly for me to pick up. And, of course, it was very hip hop and if there's one thing that I really suck at...It should be fun though, a lot of my friends are in the class this time around so there's people to talk to.
1:30 was lighting, and then at 3:30, Waz and I had our Lunar Gala interview where we were solidly praised for the quality of our portfolios. I think we have a good chance, though they tell us that rehearsals are 6 hours a week, Tuesday and Thursday from 9:30 till god knows when. That will suck...and they start next week!
So now, here I am, with an hour and a half of free time before I teach recitation and then dance for three hours. Woe is me and my lack of rest. I'm really looking forward to tomorrow evening where I can just completely relax.
Last Sunday, I had a big studio project due. At least, we all felt like it was a big studio deadline. Little did we know it, but on Wednesday, when the other studios had their presentations, what they pinned up was grease-pencil drawings on yellow trace. And here I spent $60 to make a book. That doesn't seem very fair. At least the review went well.
Immediately after that, I studied for a lighting exam, which I felt went well. Wednesday was my usual night off after discussing Lunar Gala with Waz. Thursday, whilst everyone partied and recuperated, Patrick and I sat in the computer lab putting together the beginnings of our lighting presentation. Friday, all day, I spent drawing the little people that went in our Lunar Gala design portfolio. They turned out fabulous. All of Saturday was spent grading homework and working out solutions for students to study off of. Sunday was all grading homework and Lunar Gala. The deadline was at 10 pm, but we were a little short on time when we found out that the printer didn't like 11x17 paper. But, in the end, we made it work - I even powerwalked between studio and the third floor computer lab. We got the deadline extended to 11 and exactly at 10:59, Waz and I grabbed our barely completed portfolio and sprinted full tilt over to the dropbox - and made it! Yay!
Then, of course, there was still Lighting to do, which is what I did last night until 4:00am. I think the presentation went will, though I feel that today, my thought process is significantly slower than normal because the exhaustion is setting in.
Dance at noon, right before the presentation - we had a substitute who had some interesting moves, many of which went too quickly for me to pick up. And, of course, it was very hip hop and if there's one thing that I really suck at...It should be fun though, a lot of my friends are in the class this time around so there's people to talk to.
1:30 was lighting, and then at 3:30, Waz and I had our Lunar Gala interview where we were solidly praised for the quality of our portfolios. I think we have a good chance, though they tell us that rehearsals are 6 hours a week, Tuesday and Thursday from 9:30 till god knows when. That will suck...and they start next week!
So now, here I am, with an hour and a half of free time before I teach recitation and then dance for three hours. Woe is me and my lack of rest. I'm really looking forward to tomorrow evening where I can just completely relax.
Tuesday, October 17, 2006
Sleep Walking
Have you ever woken up after a nap and gotten really confused on just what, exactly, happened? I pulled an all-nighter last night, and basically worried myself away all weekend long so I found myself in a state of zombieness today.
O and it just so happened, as well, that out of everyone in the entire studio, I had to stay the longest for my extra crit today, which, by the way, I really enjoyed because they had such nice things to say. After that, I went to dinner with Waz and then went home. Upon arriving home, I saw that it was around 7, and was a great time for me to take an hour's nap before doing some homework and then going to dance rehearsal - dance rehearsal that I lead, since I'm choreographing.
And then I woke up. About ten minutes ago, with the cell phone alarm clock thing on the nightstand next to me. How did it get there? I definitely set that thing on the other side of the room so I wouldn't turn it off in my sleep. And the funny thing is, usually, if I do that, I can vaguely recall myself turning the phone off, but this time...nothing...and I'm amazed I didn't trip over anything in my room because it looks like a typhoon came through here.
So all in all, I still have a lot of crap I need to do and let down a whole bunch of people who had to drag their butts to campus in the middle of the night just because of me. And I'm still sleepy. Crud...Sorry, guys...
O and it just so happened, as well, that out of everyone in the entire studio, I had to stay the longest for my extra crit today, which, by the way, I really enjoyed because they had such nice things to say. After that, I went to dinner with Waz and then went home. Upon arriving home, I saw that it was around 7, and was a great time for me to take an hour's nap before doing some homework and then going to dance rehearsal - dance rehearsal that I lead, since I'm choreographing.
And then I woke up. About ten minutes ago, with the cell phone alarm clock thing on the nightstand next to me. How did it get there? I definitely set that thing on the other side of the room so I wouldn't turn it off in my sleep. And the funny thing is, usually, if I do that, I can vaguely recall myself turning the phone off, but this time...nothing...and I'm amazed I didn't trip over anything in my room because it looks like a typhoon came through here.
So all in all, I still have a lot of crap I need to do and let down a whole bunch of people who had to drag their butts to campus in the middle of the night just because of me. And I'm still sleepy. Crud...Sorry, guys...
Wednesday, October 04, 2006
A Detriment to Studio Culture
Cheers to me! According to my best friend's ex, I am a detriment to studio culture. According to this guru of feelings, I make my best friend feel bad about herself and I badmouth him to the entire school of Architecture.
I wasn't mad at him before. In fact, I was willing to give him a chance. I didn't talk to him unless he talked to me; since my best friend is working things out I figured I wouldn't do anything that might botch things up for her. I thought, 'Lend support to my best friend, try to be positive.' That was what I was trying to do.
And now this. I don't think I did anything to deserve hearing f***, s*** and b***** flung at me several times each over the course of three minutes. I don't recall spreading any information about him. I don't think I even discussed it with anyone who wasn't already aware of the entire situation. In fact, and I probably already said this, I didn't even hate him or dislike him until he decided to call me up just now. Not only was he rudely yelling expletives at me, he was self-righteous, condescending, arrogant, and ever so unaware as usual that he's, yet again, trying to displace the blame. Frankly, I'm offended and hurt. And yet, I still try to give him the benefit of the doubt...
I wasn't mad at him before. In fact, I was willing to give him a chance. I didn't talk to him unless he talked to me; since my best friend is working things out I figured I wouldn't do anything that might botch things up for her. I thought, 'Lend support to my best friend, try to be positive.' That was what I was trying to do.
And now this. I don't think I did anything to deserve hearing f***, s*** and b***** flung at me several times each over the course of three minutes. I don't recall spreading any information about him. I don't think I even discussed it with anyone who wasn't already aware of the entire situation. In fact, and I probably already said this, I didn't even hate him or dislike him until he decided to call me up just now. Not only was he rudely yelling expletives at me, he was self-righteous, condescending, arrogant, and ever so unaware as usual that he's, yet again, trying to displace the blame. Frankly, I'm offended and hurt. And yet, I still try to give him the benefit of the doubt...
Tuesday, October 03, 2006
Not Feeling the Love
There's something really depressing about standing at the front of an empty classroom. There's also something really depressing about going upstairs to remind people that there's recitation right now, at this moment, and no one's interested because they're too busy playing poker or eating dinner. Hey, let's add to the depression by having me haar my students joke and laugh about how I'd yell at them for not paying attention because they'll be too busy playing poker in the back of the classroom. Thanks guys. I'M STANDING RIGHT HERE! I'm not impressed. In fact, right now, I'm feeling more than a little resentful of these people.
So, I'm just standing here at the computer, waiting to see if anyone will show up for recitation. My guess is that no, no one is interested, and in approximately 10 minutes, I'll be walking out that door myself, fuming at the insolence of the little buggers. Loving TA I am not. Whawtever. At least I'm making $5 for just standing here and typing on my blog.
Edit: So, half an hour late, but three people managed to show up (they had to finish their poker game first). They were polite enough to sit through it all, and they had questions afterwards. How nice. Still, where's the other 55 people?
So, I'm just standing here at the computer, waiting to see if anyone will show up for recitation. My guess is that no, no one is interested, and in approximately 10 minutes, I'll be walking out that door myself, fuming at the insolence of the little buggers. Loving TA I am not. Whawtever. At least I'm making $5 for just standing here and typing on my blog.
Edit: So, half an hour late, but three people managed to show up (they had to finish their poker game first). They were polite enough to sit through it all, and they had questions afterwards. How nice. Still, where's the other 55 people?
Monday, September 25, 2006
No Heat
So today I planned on doing the laundry, since it's been about three weeks since I'd done any. However, the hot water in the building is down and no one knows when it will be up again. While I'm a cold water laundry person, I was warned that the hot water might back up and ruin my clothes. So, alas, no laundry for me. Whatever am I going to do with...all my free time?
Tuesday, September 19, 2006
Fascinating
I had a good weekend. A few things happened of note, I suppose.
On Thursday, a little red-haired girl at the busstop decided I would be a good conversationalist and talked to me about bugs and dogs. She was very serious, and, for someone who looks like she must be about 7 or 8 years old (though I'm a bad judge of age when they're that young, she could be 10 for all I know) she was very well spoken. I think her mother is a professor or something at the school. That would proably explain things.
This weekend was quite relaxing. Ben and I enjoyed our post-anniversary by christening his brand new XBOX360. Well, rather, he played a LOT, and I watched. Sometimes. Mostly, I dozed in the chair next to him or graded homework nearby. Still, it was nice and relaxing.
Last night, I had the first rehearsal for my dance at 11pm. It went well, I suppose. I might have imagined it, but I kept feeling like everyone was staring at me thinking, "My god, why did I sign up for her dance. We're going to look terrible..." But maybe that was just nerves. I'm not good at leading when I actually know that I'm in charge. Hmm, now that's a revelation.
Today I got a wonderful package in the mail. I ordered two 1GB flash drives the size of trident gum online, and lo and behold, they came in a box that was 8x5x10. For two pieces of trident gum. What's more amazing is that the packaging material, styrofoam, was in larger pieces than the actual flash drives, making me have to dig and thereby torture myself with that horribly styrofoam noise.
Still, 2GB! YAY!
On Thursday, a little red-haired girl at the busstop decided I would be a good conversationalist and talked to me about bugs and dogs. She was very serious, and, for someone who looks like she must be about 7 or 8 years old (though I'm a bad judge of age when they're that young, she could be 10 for all I know) she was very well spoken. I think her mother is a professor or something at the school. That would proably explain things.
This weekend was quite relaxing. Ben and I enjoyed our post-anniversary by christening his brand new XBOX360. Well, rather, he played a LOT, and I watched. Sometimes. Mostly, I dozed in the chair next to him or graded homework nearby. Still, it was nice and relaxing.
Last night, I had the first rehearsal for my dance at 11pm. It went well, I suppose. I might have imagined it, but I kept feeling like everyone was staring at me thinking, "My god, why did I sign up for her dance. We're going to look terrible..." But maybe that was just nerves. I'm not good at leading when I actually know that I'm in charge. Hmm, now that's a revelation.
Today I got a wonderful package in the mail. I ordered two 1GB flash drives the size of trident gum online, and lo and behold, they came in a box that was 8x5x10. For two pieces of trident gum. What's more amazing is that the packaging material, styrofoam, was in larger pieces than the actual flash drives, making me have to dig and thereby torture myself with that horribly styrofoam noise.
Still, 2GB! YAY!
Friday, September 15, 2006
:(
Days like today I just don't feel good about myself. In fact, days like today, I don't even like myself. Life is unfair. No one gives a crap how hard you work, you still get screwed over in the end.
Tuesday, September 12, 2006
Depressed
So I've got a few things that make me depressed.
1) It's raining and cold, that makes for a bad combination.
2) I have a huge blister on my toe from dance auditions on Saturday and it seems to get more painful with everyday.
3) The blister wasn't worth it - I still didn't get into the one dance I really wanted. Darnit.
On the upside:
1) I got a really good set of dancers in my dance (except one of them seems to have combined my existence with Alice W., which offends me to the core)
2) I made a new friend in the Afro/Caribbean dance class
3) I got a lot of sleep last night.
I'm not sure if it's all evened out. It might be even, but Depressed Reason 3 seems to tip the scale in its...favor?
1) It's raining and cold, that makes for a bad combination.
2) I have a huge blister on my toe from dance auditions on Saturday and it seems to get more painful with everyday.
3) The blister wasn't worth it - I still didn't get into the one dance I really wanted. Darnit.
On the upside:
1) I got a really good set of dancers in my dance (except one of them seems to have combined my existence with Alice W., which offends me to the core)
2) I made a new friend in the Afro/Caribbean dance class
3) I got a lot of sleep last night.
I'm not sure if it's all evened out. It might be even, but Depressed Reason 3 seems to tip the scale in its...favor?
Monday, September 11, 2006
Auditions and Food
Yesterday was Dancer's Symposium tryouts. I was most apprehensive because I'm choreographing and I hadn't actually ever practiced the dance that I had to show people. Needless to say, when I went on stage, it didn't go so well. O yes, and did I say I missed the choreographer meeting so I didn't know what to say when I went on stage? Well, I suppose as choreographing went, it wasn't too bad. It wasn't a good selection. Most of the girls who are really good weren't interested because it seemed too easy and the girls who did try out just aren't very good. So, I'm changing it. I think they'll all be mildly horrified when they find out that the nice slow song has turned into a moderately fast song and it's slightly more hip hop and a lot less lyrical. I think I'll teach them what I've got so far and if they screw up, well, I'll go back to the easy one. Most important is having girls who can do this.
As for auditioning itself, I think it went well. For once, my pirouettes were on the spot. I'm really hoping I get into this one lyrical jazz piece, but if not, at last I'll have a few others. And if I did far worse than I thought I did, well, at least I have my own to look cool in.
After dance, I ran home and cooked for Waz's housewarming potluck. From what I'd been hearing from Waz, it seemed like there weren't many people bringing food so I decided to bring two dishes, a dinner and a dessert. For dinner, a cod and mushroom casserole that many people enjoyed. For dessert, an almond tofu (not actually tofu, just looks like it) with fruit cocktail mix of deliciousness. That went over particularly well. Waz told me that at the end of the evening, there was only one bowl's worth of the dessert left. Similarly, according to my calculation, there was exactly one bowl's worth of fish casserole left over for my enjoyment.
Ironically, I didn't have to worry about people not having enough to eat, since most of the people Waz invited decided not to show up for some stupid reason or other. I'm most annoyed with them. I managed to bring Ben, and he lives 20 miles away. Ben, by the way, was afraid he would be torturously bored or antagonized and found that he was neither. Well, maybe he was a little bored. It wasn't a problem anyway, since we left around 9 so his dogs didn't have to be locked in the house with no where to pee for too long. I brought a bit of the almond dessert I had left over to his place and gave it to his parents. His mom seemed to like it.
So, to sum up my weeked, I danced relatively well and I know I could make a pretty good dessert chef. ^_^
As for auditioning itself, I think it went well. For once, my pirouettes were on the spot. I'm really hoping I get into this one lyrical jazz piece, but if not, at last I'll have a few others. And if I did far worse than I thought I did, well, at least I have my own to look cool in.
After dance, I ran home and cooked for Waz's housewarming potluck. From what I'd been hearing from Waz, it seemed like there weren't many people bringing food so I decided to bring two dishes, a dinner and a dessert. For dinner, a cod and mushroom casserole that many people enjoyed. For dessert, an almond tofu (not actually tofu, just looks like it) with fruit cocktail mix of deliciousness. That went over particularly well. Waz told me that at the end of the evening, there was only one bowl's worth of the dessert left. Similarly, according to my calculation, there was exactly one bowl's worth of fish casserole left over for my enjoyment.
Ironically, I didn't have to worry about people not having enough to eat, since most of the people Waz invited decided not to show up for some stupid reason or other. I'm most annoyed with them. I managed to bring Ben, and he lives 20 miles away. Ben, by the way, was afraid he would be torturously bored or antagonized and found that he was neither. Well, maybe he was a little bored. It wasn't a problem anyway, since we left around 9 so his dogs didn't have to be locked in the house with no where to pee for too long. I brought a bit of the almond dessert I had left over to his place and gave it to his parents. His mom seemed to like it.
So, to sum up my weeked, I danced relatively well and I know I could make a pretty good dessert chef. ^_^
Friday, September 08, 2006
Hamsters and Ballerinas
I came to a strange conclusion this morning after ballet. For the majority of the day, I'm like a hamster. I like to slump over and huddle in a little area and just eat and sleep. And if I'm out and about, I just kind of sit there and look. Well, maybe I'm not a hamster per se, just a lazy fat rodent, like a guinea pig...
However, it seems after ballet class, I seem much less guinea pig-like. I guess something about the stretching in the class just makes me stand straighter. I look so much thinner after dance, or it could just be something that bothers me when I'm not exercising, that I'm getting fatter because I'm getting lazy. Who knows, my brain is wonky apparently. You can thank Barthes for that.
However, it seems after ballet class, I seem much less guinea pig-like. I guess something about the stretching in the class just makes me stand straighter. I look so much thinner after dance, or it could just be something that bothers me when I'm not exercising, that I'm getting fatter because I'm getting lazy. Who knows, my brain is wonky apparently. You can thank Barthes for that.
Tuesday, September 05, 2006
By Dose is Clogged
Translation: My nose is clogged.
Ernesto seems to have caused me to get a bit of a head cold. Never fear, Sinus Decongestant is waiting for me upon my arrival home. Thank god.
Other than that, nothing of note has been happening lately. I had a nice Labor Day weekend with my benny-bean. He was very nice and drove me all the way to Ikea and suffered through the whole ordeal. To pay him back, I'm going to make a delicious spaghetti dinner for him. Hopefully I don't burn anything.
Right now, I wish I had a tissue...
Ernesto seems to have caused me to get a bit of a head cold. Never fear, Sinus Decongestant is waiting for me upon my arrival home. Thank god.
Other than that, nothing of note has been happening lately. I had a nice Labor Day weekend with my benny-bean. He was very nice and drove me all the way to Ikea and suffered through the whole ordeal. To pay him back, I'm going to make a delicious spaghetti dinner for him. Hopefully I don't burn anything.
Right now, I wish I had a tissue...
Thursday, August 31, 2006
First Week
Classes seem to be in full swing now. I actually find myself enjoying it so far. It possibly has something to do with the fact that I am only (only!) taking six classes this semester and most of them are fun, or at least, interesting. I think the only one I'm really not excited about is the Mechanical Systems one, but that's mostly because it's so early.
I had a most pleasing day yesterday. For studio, we had to make that occupancy poster. So I made mine. I might post it, but basically it's a big grey word (Occupancy) going diagonally across the page, and I altered a few letters and turned them into the phrase, "Occupancy - function of habitation." There was actually no hyphen, it's just implied. And then I made little red silhouettes sit on the words or around them.
I was quite worried in class when everyone hung up their posters and basically all of them were chock full of words or images. And then there was mine. Four words, four silhouettes. So I started to worry and then continued to worry as the studio progressed and went on for an hour where it seemed absolutely no one noticed my poster. Finally, my professor says he's been waiting and waiting and I guess he just didn't want to wait any longer, and he wants to know all about the Russian Constructivist poster. I felt like a bad student as I wondered what the heck that meant, and felt even dumber when I realized that he meant mine. And what's worse is when I started talking about it, he thought I was talking about the wrong poster because I didn't turn my head all the way to look at it. Yes, everyone, my eyeballs are quite flexible too. So I just muttered about the poster a little bit, basically saying that there's not much to say and then he says he really likes it. Then Stephanie chimes in and says she likes it too! Yay! So I guess I wasn't a complete idiot.
Then my day became especially pleasing at bookbinding. Passion-wise, I think I've found my calling. I love books. I love reading them, I love making them. I do think that I would willingly sit at a table for hours and work on a book until it was perfect. When the professor mentioned that one of his former students is in NY with her own firm specializing in letterpressing and bookbinding I got to thinking, maybe that's all I really want to do. Maybe when I'm all done with school and have worked for a few years, I'll just start a little business where I can make pretty books for gifts, cards and whatnot and even do custom binding and such for those who want fancier portfolios. It wold be like Kinko's except that the employees would actually have brains. Sounds like a credible business, maybe? I think it might work, though mom wouldn't approve because she would probably think that it wouldn't have much in the way of customers. Who knows?
I had a most pleasing day yesterday. For studio, we had to make that occupancy poster. So I made mine. I might post it, but basically it's a big grey word (Occupancy) going diagonally across the page, and I altered a few letters and turned them into the phrase, "Occupancy - function of habitation." There was actually no hyphen, it's just implied. And then I made little red silhouettes sit on the words or around them.
I was quite worried in class when everyone hung up their posters and basically all of them were chock full of words or images. And then there was mine. Four words, four silhouettes. So I started to worry and then continued to worry as the studio progressed and went on for an hour where it seemed absolutely no one noticed my poster. Finally, my professor says he's been waiting and waiting and I guess he just didn't want to wait any longer, and he wants to know all about the Russian Constructivist poster. I felt like a bad student as I wondered what the heck that meant, and felt even dumber when I realized that he meant mine. And what's worse is when I started talking about it, he thought I was talking about the wrong poster because I didn't turn my head all the way to look at it. Yes, everyone, my eyeballs are quite flexible too. So I just muttered about the poster a little bit, basically saying that there's not much to say and then he says he really likes it. Then Stephanie chimes in and says she likes it too! Yay! So I guess I wasn't a complete idiot.
Then my day became especially pleasing at bookbinding. Passion-wise, I think I've found my calling. I love books. I love reading them, I love making them. I do think that I would willingly sit at a table for hours and work on a book until it was perfect. When the professor mentioned that one of his former students is in NY with her own firm specializing in letterpressing and bookbinding I got to thinking, maybe that's all I really want to do. Maybe when I'm all done with school and have worked for a few years, I'll just start a little business where I can make pretty books for gifts, cards and whatnot and even do custom binding and such for those who want fancier portfolios. It wold be like Kinko's except that the employees would actually have brains. Sounds like a credible business, maybe? I think it might work, though mom wouldn't approve because she would probably think that it wouldn't have much in the way of customers. Who knows?
Tuesday, August 29, 2006
The Rising Tide of Doom
Every year on the first day of classes, I always feel waves of dread as the teachers, who act as if they were going easy on us, assign one assignment after another.
Still, the day went well.
I started out the day by going to my Mechanical Systems class where the teacher talked about how he intends to go easy on us. Then he gave us our homework. We have to go to a fast food restaurant and stare at the vents, and hold our cheeks against the cracks between doors. As silly as it sounds, there is a point to it. I'm going with a couple of people today so we don't look like complete idiots.
Then, I sat around with some people for three hours since we don't have any studio space.
Studio consisted of an hour long lecture by Laura Lee and various higher ups in the department. Apparently our school is hosting the AIAS northeastern quad conference. I wonder what that's going to entail. Then we went to our new studio and stood around for what felt like another hour until our professors decided to show up. They all gave really long course descriptions, but fortunately, all of them sound good (in comparison to last year, anyway). I'm looking forward to whichever Professor I end up with.
I ended up the day with a ballet class at the Pittsburgh Ballet Theater. The thing about dancing there is that most of the people there have been dancing there, with the same teachers, for years. Many are professional ballerinas. So, needless to say, with basically five years of spotty ballet lessons, I felt horribly ungraceful and fat. Still, I felt great walking out of class, so I'm going back for more torture on Thursday, hopefully with a classmate in tow.
Now I have to figure out how to define "Occupancy." I looked it up in the dictionary, but somehow I doubt that the teacher was going for the exact definition. I see a big word on my 11x17. A big diagonal "Occupancy" and probably a smaller "Habitation." We'll see where I go with that.
Still, the day went well.
I started out the day by going to my Mechanical Systems class where the teacher talked about how he intends to go easy on us. Then he gave us our homework. We have to go to a fast food restaurant and stare at the vents, and hold our cheeks against the cracks between doors. As silly as it sounds, there is a point to it. I'm going with a couple of people today so we don't look like complete idiots.
Then, I sat around with some people for three hours since we don't have any studio space.
Studio consisted of an hour long lecture by Laura Lee and various higher ups in the department. Apparently our school is hosting the AIAS northeastern quad conference. I wonder what that's going to entail. Then we went to our new studio and stood around for what felt like another hour until our professors decided to show up. They all gave really long course descriptions, but fortunately, all of them sound good (in comparison to last year, anyway). I'm looking forward to whichever Professor I end up with.
I ended up the day with a ballet class at the Pittsburgh Ballet Theater. The thing about dancing there is that most of the people there have been dancing there, with the same teachers, for years. Many are professional ballerinas. So, needless to say, with basically five years of spotty ballet lessons, I felt horribly ungraceful and fat. Still, I felt great walking out of class, so I'm going back for more torture on Thursday, hopefully with a classmate in tow.
Now I have to figure out how to define "Occupancy." I looked it up in the dictionary, but somehow I doubt that the teacher was going for the exact definition. I see a big word on my 11x17. A big diagonal "Occupancy" and probably a smaller "Habitation." We'll see where I go with that.
Wednesday, August 16, 2006
The Unfairness of it All
So, since the non-major jazz class in the school of drama stopped for good last semester, I worked with the class president (or whatever his official title is) to put together a good, technique based dance class together. Today, I found out that there will be a class (yay), but, like all the other classes I want to take, it's during studio (curses!) So, yes, I'm feeling very put out about that.
On the upside, I contacted my landlord the other day, who just happens to be a former ballet dancer for the PBT about dance classes. Today I talked to him on the phone about it and he is good friends with the head of the ballet department at Point Park, which I hear is very very good. So maybe I won't have a technique-less year. After trying to get back in shape this summer, having a year where all I do is forget how to keep my hips aligned is horrifying. Here's to Point Park.
On the upside, I contacted my landlord the other day, who just happens to be a former ballet dancer for the PBT about dance classes. Today I talked to him on the phone about it and he is good friends with the head of the ballet department at Point Park, which I hear is very very good. So maybe I won't have a technique-less year. After trying to get back in shape this summer, having a year where all I do is forget how to keep my hips aligned is horrifying. Here's to Point Park.
The Unfairness of it All
So, since the non-major jazz class in the school of drama stopped for good last semester, I worked with the class president (or whatever his official title is) to put together a good, technique based dance class together. Today, I found out that there will be a class (yay), but, like all the other classes I want to take, it's during studio (curses!) So, yes, I'm feeling very put out about that.
On the upside, I contacted my landlord the other day, who just happens to be a former ballet dancer for the PBT about dance classes. Today I talked to him on the phone about it and he is good friends with the head of the ballet department at Point Park, which I hear is very very good. So maybe I won't have a technique-less year. After trying to get back in shape this summer, having a year where all I do is forget how to keep my hips aligned is horrifying. Here's to Point Park.
On the upside, I contacted my landlord the other day, who just happens to be a former ballet dancer for the PBT about dance classes. Today I talked to him on the phone about it and he is good friends with the head of the ballet department at Point Park, which I hear is very very good. So maybe I won't have a technique-less year. After trying to get back in shape this summer, having a year where all I do is forget how to keep my hips aligned is horrifying. Here's to Point Park.
Sunday, August 13, 2006
Cow?
Today we had a family outing. Yay! Where did we go as a family? Grocery shopping! Yay!
The main reason for shopping today was that we're going to be having a big barbecue tonight and there's a lot and lot of people coming over. So we went to Stew Leonards, a local supermarket where everything is extra fresh, and mom and dad stared at different cuts of steak for what must have been twenty minutes. While they were doing that, the oddest thing happened.
The thing about Stew Leonards is that it's a family friendly place, so it has little robotic things that come alive at a push of a button and do something cute, like lay an egg or sing a song. Occasionally, there's people in cow or duck costumes that walk around and play with kids. Never grownups, occasionally teens, but mostly kids. Which is why it was really odd when a cow came up to May and me while we were waiting for our parents. We were talking in a corner and all of a sudden, there's a cow...standing...right...there... My first response is, "O my god." It waves and then holds its hand in mid-air, and I wonder why, and then May gives the cow-person a mid-five, because it certainly wasn't high enough to be a high-five. Then the cow turns to me, so I respond with another uncertain mid-five. And just like that, cow-person turns around and walks into the back room.
Random. Very odd.
So we stood there for the rest of the time trying to figure out what the deal was with cow-person. At first I thought maybe it was someone I knew. Then we theorized cow-person was sent as an undercover cow-scout to figure out why we were just standing in the corner for twenty minutes. As if I would take that long if I wanted to shoplift...
The main reason for shopping today was that we're going to be having a big barbecue tonight and there's a lot and lot of people coming over. So we went to Stew Leonards, a local supermarket where everything is extra fresh, and mom and dad stared at different cuts of steak for what must have been twenty minutes. While they were doing that, the oddest thing happened.
The thing about Stew Leonards is that it's a family friendly place, so it has little robotic things that come alive at a push of a button and do something cute, like lay an egg or sing a song. Occasionally, there's people in cow or duck costumes that walk around and play with kids. Never grownups, occasionally teens, but mostly kids. Which is why it was really odd when a cow came up to May and me while we were waiting for our parents. We were talking in a corner and all of a sudden, there's a cow...standing...right...there... My first response is, "O my god." It waves and then holds its hand in mid-air, and I wonder why, and then May gives the cow-person a mid-five, because it certainly wasn't high enough to be a high-five. Then the cow turns to me, so I respond with another uncertain mid-five. And just like that, cow-person turns around and walks into the back room.
Random. Very odd.
So we stood there for the rest of the time trying to figure out what the deal was with cow-person. At first I thought maybe it was someone I knew. Then we theorized cow-person was sent as an undercover cow-scout to figure out why we were just standing in the corner for twenty minutes. As if I would take that long if I wanted to shoplift...
Saturday, August 12, 2006
Pirouettes
It's been bothering me to the point where I literally dreamed about it last night.
Last summer, I took dance classes in New York and all of a sudden, bam, I could do pirouettes. Singles, doubles, triples, I could nail them every time, ending exactly where I should end, staying up in a passe. I started off the school year nailing the turns just like that, every single time. Then, all of a sudden, I just...forgot how.
So, the last Tuesday I was in China, I took a ballet class. At the barre, of course, I sucked. All the other girls had great turnouts and great extensions and I was just rusty and overall unimpressive. Then, when we went across the floor doing pirouettes, all of a sudden, bam, yet again. Every single time, single, double or triple, abolutely on point, I could feel myself absolutely on center for both left and right pirouettes.
And now, I can't do them anymore. Again. I strongly suspect it has something to do with taking ballet classes (pulling up, elongating the spine, keeping the hips aligned, all that stuff we ignore in jazz) except that, o, of course, the selfish school of Drama won't open any classes for people who aren't drama majors. So, I'm left looking at ballet classes that are off campus and horrendously expensive. Except that the schools around CMU only seem to offer ballet on Tuesday which is when I have to teach statics recitation. Curses!
Last summer, I took dance classes in New York and all of a sudden, bam, I could do pirouettes. Singles, doubles, triples, I could nail them every time, ending exactly where I should end, staying up in a passe. I started off the school year nailing the turns just like that, every single time. Then, all of a sudden, I just...forgot how.
So, the last Tuesday I was in China, I took a ballet class. At the barre, of course, I sucked. All the other girls had great turnouts and great extensions and I was just rusty and overall unimpressive. Then, when we went across the floor doing pirouettes, all of a sudden, bam, yet again. Every single time, single, double or triple, abolutely on point, I could feel myself absolutely on center for both left and right pirouettes.
And now, I can't do them anymore. Again. I strongly suspect it has something to do with taking ballet classes (pulling up, elongating the spine, keeping the hips aligned, all that stuff we ignore in jazz) except that, o, of course, the selfish school of Drama won't open any classes for people who aren't drama majors. So, I'm left looking at ballet classes that are off campus and horrendously expensive. Except that the schools around CMU only seem to offer ballet on Tuesday which is when I have to teach statics recitation. Curses!
Thursday, August 10, 2006
Treadmills
Back in Connecticut and enjoying it. I've done pretty much nothing but eat, sleep and play video games since I got home. Well, I also hung out with Marlen at the mall where I bought a very very pretty pair of shoes. I can't wait to wear them. When did I become so obsessed with those things?
Anyway, I just had to share this music video. Best treadmill workout ever!
Anyway, I just had to share this music video. Best treadmill workout ever!
Friday, August 04, 2006
Home Sweet Home
I'm back in Connecticut! Yay! Happy, happy, happy. I always forget, but it's so nice to be utterly surrounded by just trees and sunlight, where the only sound is my parents talking and the birds. No cars, no smog, just "the country."
So my plane ride was a little uncomfortable. This time around, the seats didn't have footrests and there were entirely too many babies on board for my comfort. I sat next to an adorable little old lady who I felt quite bad for because she started throwing up halfway into the flight. And the airline attendants didn't have anything for her tummy which made me feel double bad for her. Other than that, though, the flight was good. I watched a few good movies - "Something New" and "Take the Lead." "Something New" was much better than I had anticipated, and somehow the movie made toenail painting look incredible kinky. INCREDIBLY. It also made me slightly suspicious as to how many men actually go for that kind of thing. As for "Take the Lead," obviously I loved it because there was dance. I didn't realize until the end credits that the girl who does the menage-a-trois tango at the end is my former piano teacher's grand-daughter. Go, Jenna!
So yes, my entire family met me at the airport and I told them all about my trip. I pulled out the big sack of candy I bought for daddy and he was very pleased. I also told mom about how I took a ballet class in modern shoes and ended up getting huge blisters on my feet from all the turning I did (but I've suddenly regained the ability to do perfect turns, so it's worth it). Then today we went out and did grocery shopping and dad seemed to be mocking me and my new aversion to NorthEastern Chinese food by buying pickled cabbages. Bad daddy, no peanut candy for you.
So my plane ride was a little uncomfortable. This time around, the seats didn't have footrests and there were entirely too many babies on board for my comfort. I sat next to an adorable little old lady who I felt quite bad for because she started throwing up halfway into the flight. And the airline attendants didn't have anything for her tummy which made me feel double bad for her. Other than that, though, the flight was good. I watched a few good movies - "Something New" and "Take the Lead." "Something New" was much better than I had anticipated, and somehow the movie made toenail painting look incredible kinky. INCREDIBLY. It also made me slightly suspicious as to how many men actually go for that kind of thing. As for "Take the Lead," obviously I loved it because there was dance. I didn't realize until the end credits that the girl who does the menage-a-trois tango at the end is my former piano teacher's grand-daughter. Go, Jenna!
So yes, my entire family met me at the airport and I told them all about my trip. I pulled out the big sack of candy I bought for daddy and he was very pleased. I also told mom about how I took a ballet class in modern shoes and ended up getting huge blisters on my feet from all the turning I did (but I've suddenly regained the ability to do perfect turns, so it's worth it). Then today we went out and did grocery shopping and dad seemed to be mocking me and my new aversion to NorthEastern Chinese food by buying pickled cabbages. Bad daddy, no peanut candy for you.
Sunday, July 30, 2006
Goodbye Jazz du Funk
Today was my last class ever at Jazz du Funk. It was happily an amazing end to the experience with my favorite teacher, Allen, teaching lyrical jazz. Yet again, I will state that Allen is an amazing teacher, and I'm also starting to think, after watching millions of reruns of "So You Think You Can Dance" that he's kind of Brian Friedman-esque in his choreography, only more modern. Great guy (that phrase is a gross understatement of how much I respect him).
Anyhoo, I ended up spending an extra half hour after class talking to the people that were Jazz du Funk regulars gossip and plan future classes. I found out from a lady named Debbie that there's more dance schools in Shanghai, and she's taking me to a ballet class on Tuesday (yay!). I should've started making friends sooner, stupid me.
Allen was also regaling us with tales of how he'd be dancing on the way to some elevator and end up smashing into something. Apparently he bumps into things very often. That started off another conversation about how everyone in the room always seems to walk into things when they're just walking. I'm glad they mentioned that because walking always seems like such an akward thing to me, too. I can't seem to avoid people or objects and just end up glancing off of them into something else, and it seems to be the case for the others. A girl (I don't know her name, but she's from Sweden - cool, no?) hypothesized that since dancers are constantly keeping their entire bodies controlled while dancing, it seems like such an odd thing to be relaxed when just walking, and being particularly limber, dancers end up just wobbling into everything. I decided that that makes sense. I do feel very akward walking, like I'm too fast, or too slow, off the beat that everyone else seems to be following, constantly trying to and failing to avoid bumping into other people. It's ironic that mom enrolled me in ballet so that I would be more graceful.
Anyhoo, I ended up spending an extra half hour after class talking to the people that were Jazz du Funk regulars gossip and plan future classes. I found out from a lady named Debbie that there's more dance schools in Shanghai, and she's taking me to a ballet class on Tuesday (yay!). I should've started making friends sooner, stupid me.
Allen was also regaling us with tales of how he'd be dancing on the way to some elevator and end up smashing into something. Apparently he bumps into things very often. That started off another conversation about how everyone in the room always seems to walk into things when they're just walking. I'm glad they mentioned that because walking always seems like such an akward thing to me, too. I can't seem to avoid people or objects and just end up glancing off of them into something else, and it seems to be the case for the others. A girl (I don't know her name, but she's from Sweden - cool, no?) hypothesized that since dancers are constantly keeping their entire bodies controlled while dancing, it seems like such an odd thing to be relaxed when just walking, and being particularly limber, dancers end up just wobbling into everything. I decided that that makes sense. I do feel very akward walking, like I'm too fast, or too slow, off the beat that everyone else seems to be following, constantly trying to and failing to avoid bumping into other people. It's ironic that mom enrolled me in ballet so that I would be more graceful.
Monday, July 24, 2006
Countdown: 9 days
With only nine days left till I go back to the US, I thought I would list a few things I've come to realize during my stay in China.
I. Things I will not be missing about China
a) Not being able to drink tapwater - It's like being stranded in the ocean with water all around you when you're dying of thirst and not a speck of it is good for drinking. Except that in this case, I haven't even had the chance to step on said offending soon-to-be-sunk boat and am instead, surrounded by working faucets dispensing all rust-scented water I could ever hope to dream of when the water cooler is empty.
b) Traffic - I miss being able to cross the street in an orderly fashion, meaning when the little walking man lights up and the music blares, it's my turn. No, truck driver, not your turn. And don't you dare honk your horn and glare at me like it's my fault. For that matter, I find it incredibly annoying when people have no reason at all to honk at me because I'm out of the way, on the sidewalk, and Still, they have to honk. I keep having this urge to flick people off and yell obscenities except I don't know enough bad Chinese to hold my own in an argument.
c) Being identified and therefore villified for being a foreigner. It isn't so bad if you're American, white and male. They LOVE that here adn for all the worng reasons. However, if you look asian, don't speak very good Chinese (or at least have a detectable accent) then you are a possible victim, whether it be for making a shirt cost triple price or being marked by shady cab drivers as possible rape victims. I thought I was doing okay with being at least generally Chinese, but just three days ago, I was accused of being Japanese, Korean and some odd Chinese-Russian mix. Yeah, as if I would ever pass for Russian.
d) Dumplings - good lord, I don't think I could eat another one of those horrid things ever again. Supposedly hand made is always better, but in this case, it's much worse. The dumplings here are all the dough-like stuff on the outside, with just the teeniest smidgen of meat on the inside. It's like biting into a cabbage flavored mochi. I miss mommy's cooking...
II.Things I will miss about China:
a) Haggling - I love to haggle. LOVE. Especially when I can do it without being too rude. My crowning achievement was haggling two dresses from a total of 200RMB down to 70RMB. That's pretty good, I think. Particularly since the maid told me the shirt she was wearing this morning was 50RMB. I think I enjoy the bargaining aspect much more than the actual acquiring of things. It's so sad to go back to the US where a $70 pair of jeans will always be $70 and therefore forever out of my reach.
b) Air Conditioning - O, ozone depletion, how I delight in thee. You can bet almost none of the air conditioners in this country are environmentally friendly. And yet they make hot and humid weather so much more tolerable.
c) Bizarre Popsicles - here's a treat. What's chocolate on the outside, pudding in the middle and red beans in the center? The popsicle Shelly ate yesterday. The red bean was an unexpected surprise, but she claims it was still quite tasty. Mine was a delightful confection of vanilla and coffee which lasted almost all the way back to the office. O and let's not forget myh favorite, vanilla with raisins! Add a little rum and it's my favorite ice cream flavor. Add a little imagination and teenage boys would by dying to watch. Horrible, no?
III. Things I miss about the States:
a) STEAK - yah, I'm a carnivore. I tried the vegetarian thing once, but it didn't really work out. I'm getting tired of every single piece of meat int eh country being cut into little bite sized pieces or smothered in sauce so that it's no longer distinguishable meat so much as an added bi to ftexturre in an eggplant dish. I miss meat, as in a juicy steak seasoned with only salt and pepper and cooked on a charcoal grill. Yes, I know, my food fantasies are quite vivid. As Marlen once said, "I may be thin on the outside, but on the inside, I'm obese."
I'm sure more things will come to me as the week goes on. But for now, back to work and dreams of steak.
I. Things I will not be missing about China
a) Not being able to drink tapwater - It's like being stranded in the ocean with water all around you when you're dying of thirst and not a speck of it is good for drinking. Except that in this case, I haven't even had the chance to step on said offending soon-to-be-sunk boat and am instead, surrounded by working faucets dispensing all rust-scented water I could ever hope to dream of when the water cooler is empty.
b) Traffic - I miss being able to cross the street in an orderly fashion, meaning when the little walking man lights up and the music blares, it's my turn. No, truck driver, not your turn. And don't you dare honk your horn and glare at me like it's my fault. For that matter, I find it incredibly annoying when people have no reason at all to honk at me because I'm out of the way, on the sidewalk, and Still, they have to honk. I keep having this urge to flick people off and yell obscenities except I don't know enough bad Chinese to hold my own in an argument.
c) Being identified and therefore villified for being a foreigner. It isn't so bad if you're American, white and male. They LOVE that here adn for all the worng reasons. However, if you look asian, don't speak very good Chinese (or at least have a detectable accent) then you are a possible victim, whether it be for making a shirt cost triple price or being marked by shady cab drivers as possible rape victims. I thought I was doing okay with being at least generally Chinese, but just three days ago, I was accused of being Japanese, Korean and some odd Chinese-Russian mix. Yeah, as if I would ever pass for Russian.
d) Dumplings - good lord, I don't think I could eat another one of those horrid things ever again. Supposedly hand made is always better, but in this case, it's much worse. The dumplings here are all the dough-like stuff on the outside, with just the teeniest smidgen of meat on the inside. It's like biting into a cabbage flavored mochi. I miss mommy's cooking...
II.Things I will miss about China:
a) Haggling - I love to haggle. LOVE. Especially when I can do it without being too rude. My crowning achievement was haggling two dresses from a total of 200RMB down to 70RMB. That's pretty good, I think. Particularly since the maid told me the shirt she was wearing this morning was 50RMB. I think I enjoy the bargaining aspect much more than the actual acquiring of things. It's so sad to go back to the US where a $70 pair of jeans will always be $70 and therefore forever out of my reach.
b) Air Conditioning - O, ozone depletion, how I delight in thee. You can bet almost none of the air conditioners in this country are environmentally friendly. And yet they make hot and humid weather so much more tolerable.
c) Bizarre Popsicles - here's a treat. What's chocolate on the outside, pudding in the middle and red beans in the center? The popsicle Shelly ate yesterday. The red bean was an unexpected surprise, but she claims it was still quite tasty. Mine was a delightful confection of vanilla and coffee which lasted almost all the way back to the office. O and let's not forget myh favorite, vanilla with raisins! Add a little rum and it's my favorite ice cream flavor. Add a little imagination and teenage boys would by dying to watch. Horrible, no?
III. Things I miss about the States:
a) STEAK - yah, I'm a carnivore. I tried the vegetarian thing once, but it didn't really work out. I'm getting tired of every single piece of meat int eh country being cut into little bite sized pieces or smothered in sauce so that it's no longer distinguishable meat so much as an added bi to ftexturre in an eggplant dish. I miss meat, as in a juicy steak seasoned with only salt and pepper and cooked on a charcoal grill. Yes, I know, my food fantasies are quite vivid. As Marlen once said, "I may be thin on the outside, but on the inside, I'm obese."
I'm sure more things will come to me as the week goes on. But for now, back to work and dreams of steak.
Sunday, July 23, 2006
Big Brother
So, after last weekend's horrible all-nighter experience, it was really nice to just sit back and relax this weekend. I was lazing around Saturday morning when Gege (pronounced "Guh-guh", means big brother in Chinese) walked in and thumped me on the head saying, "Hey, long time no see." Yah...thanks for drinking all my milk the other day and not telling me...
Little aside: He's not actually my big brother. He's actually my cousin, but I call him big brother because he lived with my family for two years way back in my elementary school days.
Still, it's nice to see him after not seeing him for about two weeks despite the fact that we live next door to each other. Yesterday I was telling him how much I missed having American food like Pizza and Fries and STEAK, so he decided to take me out later for some good old American cuisine. We went to a mall near his office where there was not only Pizza Hut and Papa John's, there was also a Dairy Queen, a KFC and a McDonalds. American Food Paradise! So first we went to the video arcade and spent an hour playing car racing games and Taiko drums. Fun fun. And then we went to Papa Johns and got a teeny tiny pizza that was half pepperoni and half "Mexican." Then we realized it was getting late and we had to pick up my uncle from the airport, so Gege bothered the waitresses into 1)hurrying up our order, 2) changing the onion rings in our pre-arranged meal package deal into potato wedges and 3) changing things at the last minute from eating-in to to-go. I told him at one point they probably hate us now, and he said, "Well then they'll probably be extra eager to put everything in a bag and get us out the door." With the bill came a lotto-ticket-like thing where you can win whatever the prize is if your gamepiece has a certain flag or something. Gege won an apple pie which they refused to give saying that the earliest we could get it is tomorrow (or rather, today). Stupid rules.
But anyhoo, when we finally got all the food, we had 10 minutes to get to the airport, so Gege used his speed driving arcade skills and drove us to the airport in 7 all the while eating pizza with one hand. Pretty impressive. Then we just sat, ate pizza and complained about our smoothies until my uncle walked out of the airport.
So that was my fun evening with Gege. I think that for all that he picked on me when I was seven, it's still kind of cool to have a big brother that takes me out for arcade games and pizza.
Little aside: He's not actually my big brother. He's actually my cousin, but I call him big brother because he lived with my family for two years way back in my elementary school days.
Still, it's nice to see him after not seeing him for about two weeks despite the fact that we live next door to each other. Yesterday I was telling him how much I missed having American food like Pizza and Fries and STEAK, so he decided to take me out later for some good old American cuisine. We went to a mall near his office where there was not only Pizza Hut and Papa John's, there was also a Dairy Queen, a KFC and a McDonalds. American Food Paradise! So first we went to the video arcade and spent an hour playing car racing games and Taiko drums. Fun fun. And then we went to Papa Johns and got a teeny tiny pizza that was half pepperoni and half "Mexican." Then we realized it was getting late and we had to pick up my uncle from the airport, so Gege bothered the waitresses into 1)hurrying up our order, 2) changing the onion rings in our pre-arranged meal package deal into potato wedges and 3) changing things at the last minute from eating-in to to-go. I told him at one point they probably hate us now, and he said, "Well then they'll probably be extra eager to put everything in a bag and get us out the door." With the bill came a lotto-ticket-like thing where you can win whatever the prize is if your gamepiece has a certain flag or something. Gege won an apple pie which they refused to give saying that the earliest we could get it is tomorrow (or rather, today). Stupid rules.
But anyhoo, when we finally got all the food, we had 10 minutes to get to the airport, so Gege used his speed driving arcade skills and drove us to the airport in 7 all the while eating pizza with one hand. Pretty impressive. Then we just sat, ate pizza and complained about our smoothies until my uncle walked out of the airport.
So that was my fun evening with Gege. I think that for all that he picked on me when I was seven, it's still kind of cool to have a big brother that takes me out for arcade games and pizza.
Thursday, July 20, 2006
Nausea
Nauseating things:
Today on the bus, I experienced serious motion sickness. The reason being that 1) I was reading a book, 2) The bus ride was particularly bouncy, and 3) a guy sitting next to me smelled like salt and vinegar potato chips in a bad bad way. My tummy is currently doing backflips and I am not liking the feeling at all.
Also, I just read that "Michael" of Project Runway is making things that look suspiciously like fashion designs out of Elle magazine. So now we have someone plagiarizing things on national television. What I can't figure out is why on earth someone would do that. Why would someone risk his integrity on national television. I suppose he doesn't remember how Vanessa flipped out on television in the first season and had her sales drop a LOT. Stupid people. If people are watching, you really want to be on your best behavior and not let all the dirty laundry hang out for everyone to see.
Today on the bus, I experienced serious motion sickness. The reason being that 1) I was reading a book, 2) The bus ride was particularly bouncy, and 3) a guy sitting next to me smelled like salt and vinegar potato chips in a bad bad way. My tummy is currently doing backflips and I am not liking the feeling at all.
Also, I just read that "Michael" of Project Runway is making things that look suspiciously like fashion designs out of Elle magazine. So now we have someone plagiarizing things on national television. What I can't figure out is why on earth someone would do that. Why would someone risk his integrity on national television. I suppose he doesn't remember how Vanessa flipped out on television in the first season and had her sales drop a LOT. Stupid people. If people are watching, you really want to be on your best behavior and not let all the dirty laundry hang out for everyone to see.
Tuesday, July 18, 2006
More Random Musings
It's odd that amongst all the yummy food available in Shanghai (Soup Dumplings, regular dumplings, korean barbecue, etc.) I still find myself craving pizza. Good pizza. Really really good pizza with only a little bit of cheese and a lot of sauce and a lot of crust. Mmmmm, Pizza Hut...
On another note, I am currently the only English speaker left in the office. Shelly is on vacation with her boyfriend, Scott. Kathleen has moved on to a new internship, a hopefully more productive internship, at a bank somewhere. That leaves little old me, studious and ever-hard working (boy would my professors be surprised to hear that) all alone and o so sad. No, not really. It's not so bad. I get a little peace and quiet, except that WangYue keeps bothering me. I think I might murder him soon. He keeps dragging me away from what I'm doing so I can translate stupid games he's downloaded. And when did this annoyance start? Well, it definitely gave me a big nudge when he woke me up when he decided to take my picture while I was sleeping on the couch. There's nothing more horrid than knowing that someone might be watching you while you sleep. It's stalkerish...
O, and somehow, even though I'm eating all this food, I seem to be looking thinner, or so people tell me. I guess it's because I don't really like any of the candy or pastries they have in this country, so I simply indulge in fruit instead. The apples, I have found, are incredibly yummy. I suppose when I get back to the US, I should just continue not eating cake and cookies, but oh boy are they yummy.
On another note, I am currently the only English speaker left in the office. Shelly is on vacation with her boyfriend, Scott. Kathleen has moved on to a new internship, a hopefully more productive internship, at a bank somewhere. That leaves little old me, studious and ever-hard working (boy would my professors be surprised to hear that) all alone and o so sad. No, not really. It's not so bad. I get a little peace and quiet, except that WangYue keeps bothering me. I think I might murder him soon. He keeps dragging me away from what I'm doing so I can translate stupid games he's downloaded. And when did this annoyance start? Well, it definitely gave me a big nudge when he woke me up when he decided to take my picture while I was sleeping on the couch. There's nothing more horrid than knowing that someone might be watching you while you sleep. It's stalkerish...
O, and somehow, even though I'm eating all this food, I seem to be looking thinner, or so people tell me. I guess it's because I don't really like any of the candy or pastries they have in this country, so I simply indulge in fruit instead. The apples, I have found, are incredibly yummy. I suppose when I get back to the US, I should just continue not eating cake and cookies, but oh boy are they yummy.
Monday, July 17, 2006
All-Nighter Aftermath
Yesterday was the most boring, horrible day of work ever. I mean that in that after pulling an all-nighter, we still weren't allowed to not go in to work (since that would be considered a vacation day). Nor could we sleep during work. Nor did we actually have any work to do. So what started out as a hectic morning, turned into a horribly long, drawn out afternoon spent in front of my computer watching movies over and over again that I had no interest in watching. At one point, I passed out on my table for five minutes and woke up with a big red spot where my collar bone met the table. At 6:30 I whisked myself out of the office as quickly as possible and took a horrifically long busride home, finally entering the door at 8:00 pm.
So I found out my uncle is back in town. And he arrived at 6:00 am to find that I wasn't around. My cousin knew I was at the office, but the maids didn't know where I was. I told the maid this morning that I was working all night at the office, but I have a feeling she didn't quite believe me. Wangyue suggested I show her the photos of me sleeping first on the lobby couch and then on the kitchen table. Boy, that should be fun. Kind of annoys me though. Why else would I stay out all night? I doubt I'd like Karaoke enough to spend an entire night (a school night, no less) singing in a frumpy disco-like bar. Whatever. If mom calls to yell at me, I'll just tell her I was being annoyed at the office by my coworkers who have absolutely no model-building skills.
So I found out my uncle is back in town. And he arrived at 6:00 am to find that I wasn't around. My cousin knew I was at the office, but the maids didn't know where I was. I told the maid this morning that I was working all night at the office, but I have a feeling she didn't quite believe me. Wangyue suggested I show her the photos of me sleeping first on the lobby couch and then on the kitchen table. Boy, that should be fun. Kind of annoys me though. Why else would I stay out all night? I doubt I'd like Karaoke enough to spend an entire night (a school night, no less) singing in a frumpy disco-like bar. Whatever. If mom calls to yell at me, I'll just tell her I was being annoyed at the office by my coworkers who have absolutely no model-building skills.
Sunday, July 16, 2006
All-Nighter
Let it be known that I find it tremendously unfair that I'm the only intern in the firm that has to pull an all-nighter. But then again, it's 4:15am over here and I'm feeling might crabby. I went in to work at 11am and started off working on model building. Then I did some photoshopping and then back to model building. I've been working on the stupid model for over 10 hours. I hate brillo trees.
So yes, my first professional all-nighter. Nice to have such a head start on what looks to be my future career. All-nighters twice a month. Sweet...
o yes, and I found out today that the model building skills of people in this firm are atrocious. WangYue makes boxes that don't even come together on the edges. Simple decency, man! And boy did he really annoy me when he dragged up from my desk all the way over to his and I find that the all important reason is that he wants me to translate the English on some stupid Hot Wheels video game he downloaded off the internet. I wonder if he realizes that a large reason why I'm still here at this horrible hour is because he's wasting time downloading stupid video games off the net instead of trying to make a credible box. I think I've remade nearly every one of the buildings he started.
And the dumplings! God, if I have to eat another dumpling, I'm going to hurl. I almost feel like the only strong thing I've gained in China is a strong aversion to dumplings, particularly chive dumplings. Those things make me feel like I just ate a rock.
O yes, and I don't think I get to go home after this o so joyous all nighter either. If I want to get paid for the day (Monday, that is) I have to be there for a full nine hours in a row. That means that if I go home at 6, sleep and come in at noon, I have to stay till 9 pm. And it takes me an hour to get home. It seems that it's not worth it at all, so I'm just going to sleep at the office. And I'm going to buy a toothbrush in the morning when the stores open. And Shelly's bringing her boyfriend in to visit tomorrow. I can just imagine it. "Hello, Scott. So nice to meet you. Why yes, I do have raccoon eyes, thank you for noticing." And then when I get home, my cousin will lecture me yet again for not informing him that I'd been out late. Though I didn't really think I'd still be here at 4:30am (yah, that's what time it is now). And then when I get home tomorrow, I'm sure GuanAh-Yi will be following me around asking me questions in her in-distinguishable dialect and not understanding a thing I say in response.
I'm in a very bad mood. Can you tell?
So yes, my first professional all-nighter. Nice to have such a head start on what looks to be my future career. All-nighters twice a month. Sweet...
o yes, and I found out today that the model building skills of people in this firm are atrocious. WangYue makes boxes that don't even come together on the edges. Simple decency, man! And boy did he really annoy me when he dragged up from my desk all the way over to his and I find that the all important reason is that he wants me to translate the English on some stupid Hot Wheels video game he downloaded off the internet. I wonder if he realizes that a large reason why I'm still here at this horrible hour is because he's wasting time downloading stupid video games off the net instead of trying to make a credible box. I think I've remade nearly every one of the buildings he started.
And the dumplings! God, if I have to eat another dumpling, I'm going to hurl. I almost feel like the only strong thing I've gained in China is a strong aversion to dumplings, particularly chive dumplings. Those things make me feel like I just ate a rock.
O yes, and I don't think I get to go home after this o so joyous all nighter either. If I want to get paid for the day (Monday, that is) I have to be there for a full nine hours in a row. That means that if I go home at 6, sleep and come in at noon, I have to stay till 9 pm. And it takes me an hour to get home. It seems that it's not worth it at all, so I'm just going to sleep at the office. And I'm going to buy a toothbrush in the morning when the stores open. And Shelly's bringing her boyfriend in to visit tomorrow. I can just imagine it. "Hello, Scott. So nice to meet you. Why yes, I do have raccoon eyes, thank you for noticing." And then when I get home, my cousin will lecture me yet again for not informing him that I'd been out late. Though I didn't really think I'd still be here at 4:30am (yah, that's what time it is now). And then when I get home tomorrow, I'm sure GuanAh-Yi will be following me around asking me questions in her in-distinguishable dialect and not understanding a thing I say in response.
I'm in a very bad mood. Can you tell?
Saturday, July 08, 2006
Paranoia
So, as you all know, I had my cell phone - actually, my aunt's really-really-super-duper-expensive-and-not-at-all-worth-the-money cell phone - stolen by a pick pocket the other day. Today, on the bus back from dance class, I started thinking about the evening when it went missing and I realized when it happened, who did it and how he did it. That bastard.
So the events went like this. I keep the cell phone with my bus pass in a pocket on the front of my purse. I get on the bus and open the pocket to pull out my pass and as I'm doing so, a man gets off the bus and jostles me in the process. I'm pretty positive that in that moment, he reached in the open pocket, grabbed the phone and then got off the bus. That bastard.
I got home last night really late because Anita (my supervisor) is leaving the office. We had a big farewell dinner at a Korean barbecue place and then went Karaoke-ing at a tacky place somewhere nearby. It was fun - our coworkers and bosses are super scary and not at all what I expected when they are singing. LiQiang in particular creeped me out. He's normally such a nice boy...
After we finished singing at around 1:30, the office secretary, WangJing, drives me part of the way home and drops me off somewhere nearby where I live. I was standing on the corner hailing for a cab when a red cab approaches with two men in it. It looks like the meter is running so I take a glance inside. Upon looking in I see there's two middle aged men. One's in the cab seat and the other one is in the passanger seat. They both ask me where I'm going and I was polite saying that I'm fine, I'll catch my own cab, but thanks all the same.
Some things wrong with this scenario:
1) Obviously I'm slightly paranoid because there aren't that many good samaritans in the city of Shanghai.
2) From my experience, cab drivers are completely disinterested in their passangers. This one seemed a little too buddy buddy with the passanger, even offering a bit to the conversation (aka Get in the cab, lady).
3) If a cab driver had a passanger who wanted to be nice and help a stranded lady in the middle of the night, he'd probably say no, because that would mean less money for him or one of his fellow coworkers.
Looking back on it, I also noticed a couple of things:
1) A similar thing happened on Wednesday night when I was hailing a cab. Except the taxi didn't stop on the corner, rather the passanger rolled down the window while the car was passing and put his arm out in a follow-me gesture. Yah, like hell I'll follow you.
2) I really wished I bothered to copy down the cab driver's ID number so I could report a possible hobby rapist who spends gas money entertaining his friend and trying to pick up daft foreign girls for god knows what reason instead of doing his job.
So yes, I'm feeling very paranoid in this city right now. I start to wonder if everyone who takes a second glance at me is a pickpocket sizing up my worth or a horny guy thinking about luring me into a back ally. My coworkers told me not to discount children for thieves, so now even little girls in pretty pretty princess dressed are treated with suspicion. Every middle-of-the-night-cab driver is now a possible mugger who might drive me out of the city and put a bag over my head before beating me and taking all my stuff. Bastards, all of them. I wish I had something like pepper-spray or a knife, or something. I get horrible images in my mind about all sorts of things. What if I had gotten close to the car and they had chloroform? What if they had just jumped out and grabbed me? Sometimes I wish mom had let me take those martial art classes in Chinese school...
So the events went like this. I keep the cell phone with my bus pass in a pocket on the front of my purse. I get on the bus and open the pocket to pull out my pass and as I'm doing so, a man gets off the bus and jostles me in the process. I'm pretty positive that in that moment, he reached in the open pocket, grabbed the phone and then got off the bus. That bastard.
I got home last night really late because Anita (my supervisor) is leaving the office. We had a big farewell dinner at a Korean barbecue place and then went Karaoke-ing at a tacky place somewhere nearby. It was fun - our coworkers and bosses are super scary and not at all what I expected when they are singing. LiQiang in particular creeped me out. He's normally such a nice boy...
After we finished singing at around 1:30, the office secretary, WangJing, drives me part of the way home and drops me off somewhere nearby where I live. I was standing on the corner hailing for a cab when a red cab approaches with two men in it. It looks like the meter is running so I take a glance inside. Upon looking in I see there's two middle aged men. One's in the cab seat and the other one is in the passanger seat. They both ask me where I'm going and I was polite saying that I'm fine, I'll catch my own cab, but thanks all the same.
Some things wrong with this scenario:
1) Obviously I'm slightly paranoid because there aren't that many good samaritans in the city of Shanghai.
2) From my experience, cab drivers are completely disinterested in their passangers. This one seemed a little too buddy buddy with the passanger, even offering a bit to the conversation (aka Get in the cab, lady).
3) If a cab driver had a passanger who wanted to be nice and help a stranded lady in the middle of the night, he'd probably say no, because that would mean less money for him or one of his fellow coworkers.
Looking back on it, I also noticed a couple of things:
1) A similar thing happened on Wednesday night when I was hailing a cab. Except the taxi didn't stop on the corner, rather the passanger rolled down the window while the car was passing and put his arm out in a follow-me gesture. Yah, like hell I'll follow you.
2) I really wished I bothered to copy down the cab driver's ID number so I could report a possible hobby rapist who spends gas money entertaining his friend and trying to pick up daft foreign girls for god knows what reason instead of doing his job.
So yes, I'm feeling very paranoid in this city right now. I start to wonder if everyone who takes a second glance at me is a pickpocket sizing up my worth or a horny guy thinking about luring me into a back ally. My coworkers told me not to discount children for thieves, so now even little girls in pretty pretty princess dressed are treated with suspicion. Every middle-of-the-night-cab driver is now a possible mugger who might drive me out of the city and put a bag over my head before beating me and taking all my stuff. Bastards, all of them. I wish I had something like pepper-spray or a knife, or something. I get horrible images in my mind about all sorts of things. What if I had gotten close to the car and they had chloroform? What if they had just jumped out and grabbed me? Sometimes I wish mom had let me take those martial art classes in Chinese school...
Thursday, July 06, 2006
Picked
So you know how when you go abroad, people always warn you to watch your bags, keep them in front of you and things like that? Well, I followed the advice. I had my bag in front of me, kept a hand, if not at least an eye on it, and still, it wasn't enough.
Yes, everyone. I, Angela, have had my purse picked. The nice new, shiny Motorola Razor (or Razr if you have to be "cool" like that) that once belonged to my aunt is now probably somewhere on the Chinese cell phone black market. I can just imagine someone turning the thing on and thinking, "Why the heck are there so many baby pictures on here?"
So I emailed my sister and told her to tell mom, and have mom tell my aunt. Yes, I am, as always, being very indirect so as to avoid as much heat as possible. Though I get to see my uncle in a few days. I hope he isn't going to be too mad with me...
It also wouldn't have been so bad if something else had been taken as well. Then I could have said, "Yes, your phone and my [insert precious and treasured belonging of Angela's here] have both been stolen" instead of saying, "Well all of my stuff is here, thank god for that. Your phone, on the other hand..." Yahhhh, so, crap...
Yes, everyone. I, Angela, have had my purse picked. The nice new, shiny Motorola Razor (or Razr if you have to be "cool" like that) that once belonged to my aunt is now probably somewhere on the Chinese cell phone black market. I can just imagine someone turning the thing on and thinking, "Why the heck are there so many baby pictures on here?"
So I emailed my sister and told her to tell mom, and have mom tell my aunt. Yes, I am, as always, being very indirect so as to avoid as much heat as possible. Though I get to see my uncle in a few days. I hope he isn't going to be too mad with me...
It also wouldn't have been so bad if something else had been taken as well. Then I could have said, "Yes, your phone and my [insert precious and treasured belonging of Angela's here] have both been stolen" instead of saying, "Well all of my stuff is here, thank god for that. Your phone, on the other hand..." Yahhhh, so, crap...
Wednesday, July 05, 2006
PMS
I don't know if it's PMS, but I was feeling most annoyed with everyone. One woman in the office I find particularly annoying because she's very loud and crass. LOUD. and CRASS. Right now she's shouting in the kitchen which is on the otherside of our not so small office, and I can hear everything clearly. I think I might murder her soon, it's getting so annoying.
On a brighter note, I went to a Jazz class last night, taught by none other than a Mr. Strever look-a-like. Except whereas I remember Mr. Strever being cadaverously thin (no offense Strevie), this guy, as Jamie the contemporary dancer from LA says, is CUT. So if you want to imagine my dance teacher, imagine Strevie with wiry muscles and a flamboyant flounce to his movement. O yes, and imagine him a little shorter too. Jamie also told me I ought to go to his hip hop class on Tuesdays. If they're anything like the Jazz class, I think I will. I think I'm getting fat. Actually, no. I am getting fat. Stupid dumplings. I think I should go on that watermelon lunch diet everyone here seems to love so much.
Jamie is a premed student at Berkeley who is currently sitting in on surgeries at some reknowned hospital in Shanghai. Yesterday, right before dance class, she was busy probing a live human being's brain. Just the thought of probing a person's brain already grosses me out, but then adding that it's a live human being...ick... Poor brain. I asked her if the person is ok now. I also think that it would be a bad idea to get sick in this country because I might have a 19 year old premed student performing surgery on me.
On another note, my hip doesn't feel right. I think I must have sprained it or something. Is it possible to sprain a hip?
On a brighter note, I went to a Jazz class last night, taught by none other than a Mr. Strever look-a-like. Except whereas I remember Mr. Strever being cadaverously thin (no offense Strevie), this guy, as Jamie the contemporary dancer from LA says, is CUT. So if you want to imagine my dance teacher, imagine Strevie with wiry muscles and a flamboyant flounce to his movement. O yes, and imagine him a little shorter too. Jamie also told me I ought to go to his hip hop class on Tuesdays. If they're anything like the Jazz class, I think I will. I think I'm getting fat. Actually, no. I am getting fat. Stupid dumplings. I think I should go on that watermelon lunch diet everyone here seems to love so much.
Jamie is a premed student at Berkeley who is currently sitting in on surgeries at some reknowned hospital in Shanghai. Yesterday, right before dance class, she was busy probing a live human being's brain. Just the thought of probing a person's brain already grosses me out, but then adding that it's a live human being...ick... Poor brain. I asked her if the person is ok now. I also think that it would be a bad idea to get sick in this country because I might have a 19 year old premed student performing surgery on me.
On another note, my hip doesn't feel right. I think I must have sprained it or something. Is it possible to sprain a hip?
Monday, July 03, 2006
Not So Bad After All?
It's fascinating. During the school year, I always feel like the dunce in studio. I always feel like teachers look at my work and think, "This is exactly what I teach students not to do." I feel like most people in studio think that in general my architectural design skills are poor to Wal-mart quality. And yet, here I find at LWMA that the architect and my supervisor actually seem to like my work. My coworkers actually seem to like it too. Not my school work, mind you. I'll just continue hiding that trash I do during the school year.
Right now the office is working on a new project in QingDao where we are revamping some old factory buildings for office and retail. I chose to do a geometric analyzation a la first year. For once, the person in charge liked what I did, and assigned two people to work with me on my idea. Not that I'm in charge. XiaoGuan and ZhangYu spent the better part of an hour interrogating me in a language I find I barely understand, trying to understand how I came up with what I did, so we can all figure it out and make something nice. I do think I'll keep this project for my portfolio. It's slightly Koolhaas like.
So maybe I'm actually not a bad architect. Maybe I just need to take less classes so I can focus more on studio... I think I just have to restructure my priority list during the year.
Right now the office is working on a new project in QingDao where we are revamping some old factory buildings for office and retail. I chose to do a geometric analyzation a la first year. For once, the person in charge liked what I did, and assigned two people to work with me on my idea. Not that I'm in charge. XiaoGuan and ZhangYu spent the better part of an hour interrogating me in a language I find I barely understand, trying to understand how I came up with what I did, so we can all figure it out and make something nice. I do think I'll keep this project for my portfolio. It's slightly Koolhaas like.
So maybe I'm actually not a bad architect. Maybe I just need to take less classes so I can focus more on studio... I think I just have to restructure my priority list during the year.
Sunday, July 02, 2006
Dance!
I found a dance school in Shanghai, finally. Well, I knew about it for a while, but never had the time to go take any classes until now. It's only been a month of not taking any classes, but I am completely out of shape now. Right now, I feel as if I've been run over by a truck.
The nice thing is that I haven't lost too much of my flexibility and I did a triple priouette that could have gone into a quadruple if it hadn't surprised me so much I dropped out of the turn. I surprise myself too much.
I took a contemporary dance class on Saturday. It involved a lot of contractions and push/sit-ups the like I've never done before, and boy were they tiring. I had trouble doing the dances that the teacher made up mostly because I was so sweaty I stuck to the floor. Sunday I took a lyrical class taught by exactly the kind of girl I avoid in normal everyday life. Still, it was fun. I've never taken a lyrical class before and it wasn't what I expected. I also tried to start off the class in jazz sneakers. Bad idea. Foot cramps. I think maybe the teacher started to hate me because I stopped in the middle of class to take off my shoes. I think Ken Leigh's class has ruined me for non-barefoot warmups.
O and I made a new friend, though I don't remember her name. Little Chinese girl who's going to be a sophomore premed student at UCBerkeley. I told her I was an archie and got the usual response. "O I have a bunch of archie friends. You guys are always in studio!" Yes, yes, we know, our lives revolve around studio. I think I'm starting to get tired of hearing that...
The nice thing is that I haven't lost too much of my flexibility and I did a triple priouette that could have gone into a quadruple if it hadn't surprised me so much I dropped out of the turn. I surprise myself too much.
I took a contemporary dance class on Saturday. It involved a lot of contractions and push/sit-ups the like I've never done before, and boy were they tiring. I had trouble doing the dances that the teacher made up mostly because I was so sweaty I stuck to the floor. Sunday I took a lyrical class taught by exactly the kind of girl I avoid in normal everyday life. Still, it was fun. I've never taken a lyrical class before and it wasn't what I expected. I also tried to start off the class in jazz sneakers. Bad idea. Foot cramps. I think maybe the teacher started to hate me because I stopped in the middle of class to take off my shoes. I think Ken Leigh's class has ruined me for non-barefoot warmups.
O and I made a new friend, though I don't remember her name. Little Chinese girl who's going to be a sophomore premed student at UCBerkeley. I told her I was an archie and got the usual response. "O I have a bunch of archie friends. You guys are always in studio!" Yes, yes, we know, our lives revolve around studio. I think I'm starting to get tired of hearing that...
Wednesday, June 28, 2006
F*$%
Great. Just great.
So, it's been going on a while. Ben would call, talk about his separation anxiety and then get mad at me for leaving him. I thought it would be fine. Only two months to go, I said at one point. And then it progressed to, only 50 more days to go. Today it's 48. But his anxiety is quite a bit worse, now that it's been over a month and I'm on the other side of the world.
Today he asked me to go back to Pittsburgh sooner so that we can be together longer. I understand that he wants to see me as soon as possible and I would like to oblige. However there's also the fact that I get home from China on August 3, and if I were to go back any earlier, I'll have barely spent any time with my parents at all. I can't just go home, say hello and be off. If I go back to Pittsburgh when he wants me to, I'll be too tired to even say hello because I haven't even recovered from jetlag yet.
We were in a pretty heated argument today. He seems to think I won't go back simply because my parents don't want me dating him and I think it will tip them off. He doesn't even consider the fact that I see my family for less than two months a year and it would be nice to spend some time with them when I can.
The argument descended to a point where Ben demanded my home phone number so he could call my mother, tell her what the deal is and declare that he'll never give me up, he loves me so much. As flattered as I am by his attentions, it's not going to help our situation. If anything, it could quite possibly make things horribly worse. Besides, meeting my parents over the phone is not the best introduction, even if it was a conference call. I told him that, and he doesn't understand. But then, he doesn't have Chinese parents, and so it would be difficult for him to understand.
So our conversation ended with something along the lines of Ben saying that "this" is all ridiculous, he gives up, my parents hate him, good bye. So what exactly does that mean? I'm horribly upset over the fact that he might have dumped me because of my parents.
I'm not going to let it get to me at work. I'm not.
So, it's been going on a while. Ben would call, talk about his separation anxiety and then get mad at me for leaving him. I thought it would be fine. Only two months to go, I said at one point. And then it progressed to, only 50 more days to go. Today it's 48. But his anxiety is quite a bit worse, now that it's been over a month and I'm on the other side of the world.
Today he asked me to go back to Pittsburgh sooner so that we can be together longer. I understand that he wants to see me as soon as possible and I would like to oblige. However there's also the fact that I get home from China on August 3, and if I were to go back any earlier, I'll have barely spent any time with my parents at all. I can't just go home, say hello and be off. If I go back to Pittsburgh when he wants me to, I'll be too tired to even say hello because I haven't even recovered from jetlag yet.
We were in a pretty heated argument today. He seems to think I won't go back simply because my parents don't want me dating him and I think it will tip them off. He doesn't even consider the fact that I see my family for less than two months a year and it would be nice to spend some time with them when I can.
The argument descended to a point where Ben demanded my home phone number so he could call my mother, tell her what the deal is and declare that he'll never give me up, he loves me so much. As flattered as I am by his attentions, it's not going to help our situation. If anything, it could quite possibly make things horribly worse. Besides, meeting my parents over the phone is not the best introduction, even if it was a conference call. I told him that, and he doesn't understand. But then, he doesn't have Chinese parents, and so it would be difficult for him to understand.
So our conversation ended with something along the lines of Ben saying that "this" is all ridiculous, he gives up, my parents hate him, good bye. So what exactly does that mean? I'm horribly upset over the fact that he might have dumped me because of my parents.
I'm not going to let it get to me at work. I'm not.
Tuesday, June 27, 2006
Nothing much has been happening lately at work. There's been a lot of torrential downpours with sudden onsets. I started out for work yesterday with sunglasses thinking it was going to be an overly bright and sunny day, and halfway to work, the clouds come in and by the time I'm at my stop, the rain is coming down in sheets. I went into work completely soaked. Fortunately, someone had a hair dryer and an extra shirt for me to borrow.
But other than that, nothing much has been happening. I had a fun lunchtime conversation with Shelly and Kathleen about vanity in asia. It seems that in China, only girls actually give a crap about how they look and too often it consists of pounds of makeup, see through white dresses and cheesy side ponytails. We talked a little about girls in Korea. Apparently it's quite common for girls there to receive plastic surgery for their 16th birthday. We likened it to parents saying, "O honey, we're so sorry you were born ugly. But now that you're old enough, you can go under the knife and make it all better!" Yay! They told me that the process involves lopping off a chunk of eyelid, and even afterwards, there's a definite scar so it's still obvious that the double eyelids that people are looking at aren't natural. I don't know if it's worth it... Does having an extra crease to your eyelids make you that much prettier?
But other than that, there hasn't been anything happening. The dogs have somehow got a hold of WangYue's shoe so we must go and get it back from them now. Fun!
O and I think Ken Lau and company are in Shanghai but have forgotten I'm here. Which sucks because I am hanging out with a bunch of Shel's friends, and wanted to see if they could come, too. The more the merrier after all. Silly Ken.
But other than that, nothing much has been happening. I had a fun lunchtime conversation with Shelly and Kathleen about vanity in asia. It seems that in China, only girls actually give a crap about how they look and too often it consists of pounds of makeup, see through white dresses and cheesy side ponytails. We talked a little about girls in Korea. Apparently it's quite common for girls there to receive plastic surgery for their 16th birthday. We likened it to parents saying, "O honey, we're so sorry you were born ugly. But now that you're old enough, you can go under the knife and make it all better!" Yay! They told me that the process involves lopping off a chunk of eyelid, and even afterwards, there's a definite scar so it's still obvious that the double eyelids that people are looking at aren't natural. I don't know if it's worth it... Does having an extra crease to your eyelids make you that much prettier?
But other than that, there hasn't been anything happening. The dogs have somehow got a hold of WangYue's shoe so we must go and get it back from them now. Fun!
O and I think Ken Lau and company are in Shanghai but have forgotten I'm here. Which sucks because I am hanging out with a bunch of Shel's friends, and wanted to see if they could come, too. The more the merrier after all. Silly Ken.
Sunday, June 25, 2006
Annoyed
Why is it that my new roomie can find all the time in the world to go climbing all over her hometown and hanging out, and yet she can't find time to reply to an email of mine that requires one simple date for an answer? For that matter, why can't she read my emails clearly enough to write the correct zip code on an envelope. My mom seems to be very dubious about her. I hope I can prove mom wrong eventually...
Friday, June 23, 2006
The Aftermath
It's been quite a while since I started work at LWMA, and I thought that things were starting to fall into a predictable pattern. Go to work, makes cheesecake, go home, play with baby and fall asleep at 10:30. However, something amazing always seems to happen when I least expect it. Yesterday, it suddenly got very dark around 4:30 and the wind started blowing. We all knew there was a thunderstorm on the way, so we didn't pay any attention to it. And then, the rain came pouring down. The first big commotion happened when we heard people shouting in the printing room, far back corner or the office. We walked over to see what the fuss was about and apparently the windows weren't well sealed adn there was water leaking around the glass and dripping right onto our Best Plotter. So all the secretaries were flipping out adn stuffing towels into all the cracks they could find.
After a few minutes, the office manager ran by shouting something about the kitchen, so I went over to see what was happening. The water from our flat roof was coming into the kitchen through the light fixtures. It wasn't a trickle, it was definitely two very big showers of water. Yellow water. We blamed it on a clogged gutter whcih is being fixed today. Then we heard more commotion going on upstairs and found that the roof was also leaking right above all of our servers. All in all, no one did anything but gawk or bail water for the next hour and a half. In the end, the server room and the printer room stopped leaking and someone rigged up a fancy way of geting the water out of the kitchen.
It didn't help that someone let the dogs in and they were running around like maniacs. I suppose the indoors is better than the outdoors in the event of a thunderstorm, but since the storm kept them from going out doors, and the poor puppies had to go, they ended up peeing and pooping in the office...again.... Kathleen has a wonderful photo of her absolute delight at finding a piece of dog poo in the lobby.
Around 6, everything was pretty much back to normal, so we all went back to work. I left after work to go to the busstop only to find that the extra lane for bicycles and mopeds had turned into a crick more than anything. I walked quite a ways till I find a good place to ford the river so to speak. I briefly considered taking my shoes off and walking through the water, but there was so much dirt and debris in it that I wasn't sure I wouldn't step on something gross. Or sharp.
So I made it home, early by my usual standards. I sat around and ate some dinner, read a book adn then Yuko came in with Mumu-chan. A naked Mumu-chan. "He has daiper rash," she said as she dumped him in my arms while she went to make some tea. I just looked down and him and said, "You had better not pee or poop on me." He just looked and me adn started gnawing on the tv remote control. I must say, it's a little akward holding a naked baby, particularly a naked baby boy...
Today I came into work and found the internet out for a time. Ben Finally acepted my gmail invite, but now he needs to get GTalk so we can chat online.But now it's time for lunch! Dumplings!
After a few minutes, the office manager ran by shouting something about the kitchen, so I went over to see what was happening. The water from our flat roof was coming into the kitchen through the light fixtures. It wasn't a trickle, it was definitely two very big showers of water. Yellow water. We blamed it on a clogged gutter whcih is being fixed today. Then we heard more commotion going on upstairs and found that the roof was also leaking right above all of our servers. All in all, no one did anything but gawk or bail water for the next hour and a half. In the end, the server room and the printer room stopped leaking and someone rigged up a fancy way of geting the water out of the kitchen.
It didn't help that someone let the dogs in and they were running around like maniacs. I suppose the indoors is better than the outdoors in the event of a thunderstorm, but since the storm kept them from going out doors, and the poor puppies had to go, they ended up peeing and pooping in the office...again.... Kathleen has a wonderful photo of her absolute delight at finding a piece of dog poo in the lobby.
Around 6, everything was pretty much back to normal, so we all went back to work. I left after work to go to the busstop only to find that the extra lane for bicycles and mopeds had turned into a crick more than anything. I walked quite a ways till I find a good place to ford the river so to speak. I briefly considered taking my shoes off and walking through the water, but there was so much dirt and debris in it that I wasn't sure I wouldn't step on something gross. Or sharp.
So I made it home, early by my usual standards. I sat around and ate some dinner, read a book adn then Yuko came in with Mumu-chan. A naked Mumu-chan. "He has daiper rash," she said as she dumped him in my arms while she went to make some tea. I just looked down and him and said, "You had better not pee or poop on me." He just looked and me adn started gnawing on the tv remote control. I must say, it's a little akward holding a naked baby, particularly a naked baby boy...
Today I came into work and found the internet out for a time. Ben Finally acepted my gmail invite, but now he needs to get GTalk so we can chat online.But now it's time for lunch! Dumplings!
Thursday, June 22, 2006
Flooding!
The great flood of '06. This once lovely and quite moderne, sunlit kitchen is now the site of two new, very one of the kind, two in one shower light! Witness the superiority of Chinese construction techniques.
Tuesday, June 20, 2006
Morning News Shanghai
Newsflash! As of yesterday morning, I have been dubbed the ChiJiaoDaXian which means the "Barefoot Immortal" because I go everywhere in the office (other than the bathroom) barefoot. My statement that everyone does this in studio is met with shock and awe, as well as the idea that people Want to be tan.
Newsflash! Hot news of the morning is that a truck overturned just down the road, crushing some poor pedestrian to death. Word is it happened around 8 or 9 last night. Witnesses state that a definite crowd was forming to gawk at the victim fortunately hidden beneath a 7 meter long tank of oil. Shel said that this morning, a crane was at the site, trying to right the truck. Shel also hopes that it's not an open casket burial.
Newflash! Hot news of last evening was that around 11, WangYue (aka Wayne - we named him) text messaged me asking how to write "Fart" which he pronounces "fert." So I messaged him back saying that he ought to work on the pronunciation lest it be mistaken for "Flirt." A very important distinction between the two meanings was emphasized upon seeing him this morning.
Newsflash! Hot news of the morning is that a truck overturned just down the road, crushing some poor pedestrian to death. Word is it happened around 8 or 9 last night. Witnesses state that a definite crowd was forming to gawk at the victim fortunately hidden beneath a 7 meter long tank of oil. Shel said that this morning, a crane was at the site, trying to right the truck. Shel also hopes that it's not an open casket burial.
Newflash! Hot news of last evening was that around 11, WangYue (aka Wayne - we named him) text messaged me asking how to write "Fart" which he pronounces "fert." So I messaged him back saying that he ought to work on the pronunciation lest it be mistaken for "Flirt." A very important distinction between the two meanings was emphasized upon seeing him this morning.
Monday, June 19, 2006
Random Musings
I told Shelly yesterday that with a woman as clueless as my supervisor for a boss, I worry about the future of my career. I continue worrying beign that I'm sitting here, over an hour into work and my supervisor has still not showed up yet, nor left me anythin to do. I keep looking up at the sound of clicking heels, hoping its her, but no, it's usually the office manager glaring at me through his emo glasses. Yes, I'm not doing anything. No, there's nothing I can do about it. So shove it.
Yuko and Grandpa Duh's nurse have been in a silent battle over my breakfast rolls. Whenever there's no more regular rolls that Grandpa Duh eats, the nurse gives him one of the ones I buy. She's asked me before if I could, to which I said that it's not a problem. He's a nice old guy - he gave me a bracelet when I was 10. However, Yuko doesn't know that I have given permission for Grandpa Duh to eat my breakfast rolls and now it has escalated into a heated argument that took up 15 minutes of my morning. I don't think it's even a matter of the rolls anymore to Yuko. I think I'll just try not to get involved and hand the rolls over to Grandpa myself.
Speaking of rolls, I was buying some at Carrefour (China's equivalent to KMart, but horrifically Much happier) some weeks ago when I noticed something at the checkout counter. Those tall boxes that I thought were many colorful forms of cigarettes are actually boxes of condoms. How could I miss the happy banana-like condom man with sunglasses on? I should really be more observant. In a nation where only one baby is allowed per family, condoms Would be located where the boxes of candy aisle should be.
WangYue and I were looking at photos Victor took of all of us on our great Shanghai Weekend adventure and we deduced two things. 1) The camera definitely adds 10 pounds on me (great, as if the maid wasn't already telling me I'm too fat and should eat less) and 2) I don't look very Chinese. I keep hearing that. Though here they tell my I look a little Vietnamese rather than asking if one of my parents is caucasian...
Yuko and Grandpa Duh's nurse have been in a silent battle over my breakfast rolls. Whenever there's no more regular rolls that Grandpa Duh eats, the nurse gives him one of the ones I buy. She's asked me before if I could, to which I said that it's not a problem. He's a nice old guy - he gave me a bracelet when I was 10. However, Yuko doesn't know that I have given permission for Grandpa Duh to eat my breakfast rolls and now it has escalated into a heated argument that took up 15 minutes of my morning. I don't think it's even a matter of the rolls anymore to Yuko. I think I'll just try not to get involved and hand the rolls over to Grandpa myself.
Speaking of rolls, I was buying some at Carrefour (China's equivalent to KMart, but horrifically Much happier) some weeks ago when I noticed something at the checkout counter. Those tall boxes that I thought were many colorful forms of cigarettes are actually boxes of condoms. How could I miss the happy banana-like condom man with sunglasses on? I should really be more observant. In a nation where only one baby is allowed per family, condoms Would be located where the boxes of candy aisle should be.
WangYue and I were looking at photos Victor took of all of us on our great Shanghai Weekend adventure and we deduced two things. 1) The camera definitely adds 10 pounds on me (great, as if the maid wasn't already telling me I'm too fat and should eat less) and 2) I don't look very Chinese. I keep hearing that. Though here they tell my I look a little Vietnamese rather than asking if one of my parents is caucasian...
Sunday, June 18, 2006
An Exciting Shanghai Weekend
This weekend, I went out on a grand tour of the city with the new girl, Kathleen, and Claire, pretty Shanghai lady, WangYue, Jenny from the office, and Kathleen's distant cousin, Victor. I must admit, I was a little apprehensive at first because it would be going out with total strangers, however, I think in the end, we all had a lot of fun.
Day one we all met up at noon at Kathleen's uncle's office. Being it was the weekend, the building wasn't air-conditioned so we sat in a tiny little office waiting for Kathleen to get there while we chatted with Claire. Then we all went out to lunch with Kathleen's uncle to a Shabushabu place. Shabushabu is basically hotpot. The strangest part of the meal was the appetizer/"sushi." What made it odd was that the sushi was actually thinly sliced beef that we're normally accustomed to putting into the shabushabu soup to cook. So yes, ladies and gentlemen, I ate raw meat. And liked it.
After that, I went - again - to XiangYang. I bought a nifty purse for my sister (I think you'll like it May) but other than that, there wasn't anything interesting there. We made a stop at Mister Donut, where I introduced everyone to the wonder that is the chocolate pon de ring (chewy donuts, yum!).
Next, we went to XinTianDi which I already went to as an office fieldtrip. Same as last time, very nice but all in all too expensive to enjoy. Next we went to a bar called Face which was located in some sort of gated community place. It was horribly expensive like XinTianDi and was also filled with foreigners. The the interior was very interesting. Apparently Face is a Thai styled bar. We lounged there for over an hour and Kathleen picked up a monster mosquito bite kind of the like the ones I got when I first arrived.
Afterwards it started to get a lot more fun. Claire took us to a really nifty store that took factory leftovers from brands like Diesel and Yohji Yamamoto. I am now the proud owner of a really awesome Yamamoto jacket. Yippee! Next was dinner at a horrifically ugly looking restaurant that nevertheless cooked good food. Claire brought her boyfriend for us to meet - an extremely tall Dutch man charmingly named Bob. Bob was very polite.
Yesterday after a horrible morning of coordinating, I managed to get everyone to meet up at 12:30 and we proceeded to ChenHuangMiao - yet another super touristy place. The featured attraction is a villa complex once belonging to a very rich man. We wandered around there for over two hours, sweating like crazy. Then we went to Pudong where we walekd by the water and went to a restaurant that specialized in delicious mango deserts. Mango pudding...yummmm. Next was an o so exciting but very short ferry ride across the water to Puxi where we walked for half an hour into the Bund just to climb up onto a people filled platform to get a few people filled shots of the Pearl Tower. Then there was dinner at an alley that specialized in street food. Mmm, street food. We ended up only eating five ShenJianBao apiece. And everyone was too polite to say they were still hungry. Next we went to a snazzy bar in the middle of some park and ended up spending over 200RNB on yucky drinks. I ordered a pina colada and asked for no alcohol, but there was definitely some when I got it. Yuck, alcohol. At drinks we met Bud the art director from Cleveland who seems to strongly dislike the Japanese (all the while I was thinking about my cute little nephew - how can you possibly hate him?) and his prettily dressed up, extremely young companion for the evening and Claire's friend, Kelly. At around 11, I pointed out that tomorrow there was still work and we had to try to catch some form of public transportation. Yah, all the subways were closed, and none of the buses went where we needed to go, so we ended up splitting an expensive cabride, but not before we ran into various convenience stores to buy some food because we were Starving!
This morning, I finally saw Yuko and Kaigen after not seeing them all weekend. Kaigen called me a few times to yell at me for not telling them where I went, and then Yuko sent me a very polite text message saying that I can stay out as long as I want, but please call every so often to let them know I'm alive. Yuko said this morning that Kaigen is afraid that if I get lost or something my parents will kill him. I guess he still lives in fear of my daddy. ^_^
All in all, though, a great weekend. I made a lot of new friends. Yay!
Day one we all met up at noon at Kathleen's uncle's office. Being it was the weekend, the building wasn't air-conditioned so we sat in a tiny little office waiting for Kathleen to get there while we chatted with Claire. Then we all went out to lunch with Kathleen's uncle to a Shabushabu place. Shabushabu is basically hotpot. The strangest part of the meal was the appetizer/"sushi." What made it odd was that the sushi was actually thinly sliced beef that we're normally accustomed to putting into the shabushabu soup to cook. So yes, ladies and gentlemen, I ate raw meat. And liked it.
After that, I went - again - to XiangYang. I bought a nifty purse for my sister (I think you'll like it May) but other than that, there wasn't anything interesting there. We made a stop at Mister Donut, where I introduced everyone to the wonder that is the chocolate pon de ring (chewy donuts, yum!).
Next, we went to XinTianDi which I already went to as an office fieldtrip. Same as last time, very nice but all in all too expensive to enjoy. Next we went to a bar called Face which was located in some sort of gated community place. It was horribly expensive like XinTianDi and was also filled with foreigners. The the interior was very interesting. Apparently Face is a Thai styled bar. We lounged there for over an hour and Kathleen picked up a monster mosquito bite kind of the like the ones I got when I first arrived.
Afterwards it started to get a lot more fun. Claire took us to a really nifty store that took factory leftovers from brands like Diesel and Yohji Yamamoto. I am now the proud owner of a really awesome Yamamoto jacket. Yippee! Next was dinner at a horrifically ugly looking restaurant that nevertheless cooked good food. Claire brought her boyfriend for us to meet - an extremely tall Dutch man charmingly named Bob. Bob was very polite.
Yesterday after a horrible morning of coordinating, I managed to get everyone to meet up at 12:30 and we proceeded to ChenHuangMiao - yet another super touristy place. The featured attraction is a villa complex once belonging to a very rich man. We wandered around there for over two hours, sweating like crazy. Then we went to Pudong where we walekd by the water and went to a restaurant that specialized in delicious mango deserts. Mango pudding...yummmm. Next was an o so exciting but very short ferry ride across the water to Puxi where we walked for half an hour into the Bund just to climb up onto a people filled platform to get a few people filled shots of the Pearl Tower. Then there was dinner at an alley that specialized in street food. Mmm, street food. We ended up only eating five ShenJianBao apiece. And everyone was too polite to say they were still hungry. Next we went to a snazzy bar in the middle of some park and ended up spending over 200RNB on yucky drinks. I ordered a pina colada and asked for no alcohol, but there was definitely some when I got it. Yuck, alcohol. At drinks we met Bud the art director from Cleveland who seems to strongly dislike the Japanese (all the while I was thinking about my cute little nephew - how can you possibly hate him?) and his prettily dressed up, extremely young companion for the evening and Claire's friend, Kelly. At around 11, I pointed out that tomorrow there was still work and we had to try to catch some form of public transportation. Yah, all the subways were closed, and none of the buses went where we needed to go, so we ended up splitting an expensive cabride, but not before we ran into various convenience stores to buy some food because we were Starving!
This morning, I finally saw Yuko and Kaigen after not seeing them all weekend. Kaigen called me a few times to yell at me for not telling them where I went, and then Yuko sent me a very polite text message saying that I can stay out as long as I want, but please call every so often to let them know I'm alive. Yuko said this morning that Kaigen is afraid that if I get lost or something my parents will kill him. I guess he still lives in fear of my daddy. ^_^
All in all, though, a great weekend. I made a lot of new friends. Yay!
Thursday, June 15, 2006
Stupid Web
I realized a while back and just thought I would share. I now know why asian people don't use AIM or Blogger. The reason is because neither are easily accessible. In the case of AIM, not only can I not get onto the network, I can't even get to a website that will download the program. I couldn't even download gaim. I was able to get Terraserver, but that's how I found out the network is inaccessible. And because of this, I have resorted to just talking on the gmail chat network. If you feel like talking to me, get gmail (if you need an invite, let me know). O and my "screenname" is my gmail address - Irenia321@gmail.com. Do feel free to chat, it's quite lonely here and I crave being able to talk to people in English.
As for Blogger, while I can post, I can't actually access anyone's (not even my own) blog. How messed up is that?
As for Blogger, while I can post, I can't actually access anyone's (not even my own) blog. How messed up is that?
Wednesday, June 14, 2006
Did it Work?
Here's my schewed Barragon. Too much chocolate cake, not enough cheesecake.
Let me know if the screenshot uploaded or not.
