Fever and Chills. Resorted to medication from Eric……with a temperature of 103 there was no way I could have won the battle by using the hollistic method I’ve tried in the past. Which reminds me of a story my parents tell me about being younger…I was running a fever of 104ish and my mom was trying to “sweat” it out of me by bundling me up in blankets. My dad came home from work and saw what my mom was doing…grabbed me and threw me in an ice bath then rushed me to the hospital. Brrr…good thing I don’t have any real recollection of that…to this day my dad reminds me now and again that I could have been smarter if my mom didn’t fry so many of my brain cells during the fever. Thanks, parental units…at least this is not completely my fault. I guess that’s the curse of being the first born…

Feeling a lot better today. Classes resume.

ARGH! This assassins game is so mind consuming! I decided to traverse Ackerman for lunch and let my guard down a little bit, and then some random guys said hi to me by name. One I recognized from AACF and the other I had no clue who he was but was quite friendly…perhaps overly friendly…I don’t know why, but I got a little scared? I already know who my assassin is! But who knows where he might be lurking?  

I wish I had a better memory. Have you ever had moments happen in your life worth remembering, and you making a mental note saying: This is so xanga worthy, I’m going to write about it so I can look back and remember how stupid this or that was?…but then when you get to the weblog entry page you draw a blank for anything interesting to say. Okay, so maybe that’s just me thinking in xanga terms–But I’m convinced we all have loserish moments to a similar degree. Mental notes are normally made after I’ve discovered a new irritant in life: like slow creepy elevators in the public policy building. They’re so spooky and inefficient that I’ve resorted to 6 flights to stairs every dang day. But there’s always a brighter side to things. More exercise! Burning calves. Huffing and puffing. Cardio! Though I did read in a recent article on MSN (which could easily be the tabloid of all internet newsmedia..but I seem to always get pulled in by their catchy top 10 lists–whatever the topic may be) that obese people are becoming more attractive. Yay for being happy with you you are. But I still don’t think it’s very healthy…sadly I think thin will always be in because we always strive for the things we can’t have. Like in the olden days when food was scarce, fat was in. Now food is abundant…thin is in. It’s sad that we can’t ever be truly content in what we have…we always want more or something different. And then when you realize you really don’t want anything, people think there’s something wrong with you.

Nothing is worse than having to wake up at 6:00am to move your car out of the street by 6:30 am because of street construction. Darn civil engineers. Be more efficient, will you? It was freezing this morning and there was a slight breeze…With my car dewed up and the wind blowing construction dust toward Ferrah (my car’s name), it was like elmer’s glue and sprinkles of pixie glitter. Sunday’s car wash was futile. I give up.

I’ll probably be stuck in my office forever tonight. Internet is my bane. My co-worker/office neighbor is telling me over AIM how irritated he is with double standards in female/male relationships. Tip of the day for dudes: If your girlfriend asks what you think and you don’t have an opinion, don’t answer with “I don’t care.” (even if you really don’t) She would rather hear “Whatever you prefer, honey.” It will make you appear to be a sweetheart. She’ll be happy, you’ll be happy, you can thank my co-worker later. But if you do have an opinion, be sure to voice it (but carefully). Be a man dang it! (I’m convinced there are only a few of those left.) 

This game has got me into stalker/paranoid mode. Stalking my victim is not as easy as you think. And I’m paranoid that I’ll be assassinated. Another preditor/prey situation. I think it’s a good thing I live a pretty low-profiled life. I’m morphing into hermit-woman.

Yes! AACF moved to Monday nights! Ultra Cool.

You know that you’re a compulsive buyer when you have clothes hanging in your closet with tags still on them from a year ago. Kenny, Des, Terry and I went to go shopping at Camarillo this weekend after retreat–bought another purse… I’ve got to remind myself to use it because I spent a good 15 minutes stalking a korean woman around the coach outlet who was holding the exact same purse but in a slightly slightly lighter shade hoping that she would put it down so I could pounce on the lighter shade, but gave up after a sales person offered her one of those big shopping bags you get at stores like ross to hold all your potentials…she was also holding 2 other potentials…Kenny says I have old lady taste

Question: Do you still consider yourself a guy/girl or do you consider yourself a man/woman? When do you officially make the transition to the latter?

Santa Barbara and Saylor’s was beautiful! God is awesome always.

A little late, but my new year’s resolutions:

1. Buy less.

2. Take the stairs instead of the elevator when it’s under 5 flights.

3. Smile more often.

4. Call my sister.

5. Say “goodmorning” to passer-byers when I go jogging.

Happy 22nd Birthdy, Tracy! You’re one amazing chica, and I’m so lucky to have you as a friend! Can’t wait to see you today.  We had a pseudo birthday celebration for you at The Stinking Rose, but claimed it was Char’s birthday instead (just so we could get free garlic ice cream and mole sauce) and sang the birthday song. If you were there we’d feel less guilty.

There was one time when Char went to the Stinking Rose and came back with some rank breath…and started breathing on me in my sleep. She said I mumbled something like, “Dang, Char-Our room really smells…” and rolled over to fall back asleep. I hope I don’t smell today.

I want to learn how to perfectly poach eggs so that I could make eggs benedict.

The uncertainties in life can be so daunting at times, and sometimes I feel as though the decisions I want to make are those that may cause me to fall victim in this vicious game we’re all trapped in. It’s just a matter of which you are: preditor or prey. As for now, I have to head to class. Yippee!

Because I haven’t been in the mood to post anything meaningful, I’ve decided to take a personality test I found on Roy’s blog and share it with you wonderful readers. I fancied it because I thought the questions were cute. But I don’t know how accurate this analysis is….

Get to know yourself better

Christmas is coming…and I haven’t finished my shopping. I have a ton of work to do for the next quarter…but I’ve still managed to find down time for myself to run at the beach and to pick up a book which makes me quite happy .

DUDE…my sister is so pimp. She’s on some kind of escapade-date every night now! (But it’s good for me because I’m going to take her left-overs to work tomorrow ) Watch out San Diego, and please please take good care of her!…sigh I’ll miss that little booger so much after she leaves for college …but that means NO more dumping junk in my room and I get to have most of my clothes back!…Remind me to check all her luggage before she leaves for school. Don’t want to be sending essential elements of my wardrobe to the black hole of UCSD…so I must conduct a proper customs check prior to her departure…or some kind of loss prevention system!

 Today was the boss’ (how do you possessive-ize “boss”) birthday. Before he left yesterday, he declared that he was going to be 28 tomorrow (he’s nearly 50ish I think)…so I got him a happy 30th birthday card since they don’t make 28 year old cards and it’s nice to round up anyway…the company signed another community card and each person wished him a happy birthday at all age ranges…from 21 to 38…I guess as you get older ambivalence/memory loss can kick in pretty hard.

Praise the Lord…Char and I may have found an apartment for the new year! Federal and Texas…hopefully I’ll be able to find a bus stop near by, cuz parking is at the KILLER RATE of $8/day at UCLA…Living in LA county can really screw you up…granted our housing situation isn’t as bad as New York, but at least New York’s public transportation system is more convenient than LA’s…you don’t have to deal with traffic, gas, parking…sigh. We need to expand our lame little metro system!!!

I renewed my Disneyland passport on Sunday!!! So call me up if you want a Disneybuddy…the 50th anniversary celebration is pretty awesome. Fireworks especially, though its crowded up the butthole…and take heed of insta-giants…you know, those suddenly 7-foot figures that arise right before the show (aka parents with little children on their shoulders). There is nothing like home. So after helping host a congressional delegation visiting Hong Kong, I landed two tickets for Rehearsal Day at Hong Kong Disneyland. Granted the crowd was reduced, the size of the amusement park (or the lack of) was really brought to perspective..you can literally finish the park in 3.5 hours minus lunch! Only 3 lands: Adventureland, Fantasyland and Tomorrowland which mainly features shows rather than rides. If you’re looking for Indiana Jones, Haunted Mansion, Log Ride or some other classic aside form Space Mountain or Dumbo, you’re out of luck. Also, the characters are really weird looking. I’m guessing Mickey and friends might have been imported from Tokyo since they have a Japanese/Sanrio resemblance in their facial features. Check out this Best Friends’ shirt…looking back at it I should have bought one for Char since it’s so ugly…but for some reason I decided a picture would have been enough at the time. Char you can be the electrocuted duck and I’ll be the bear-mouse okay?

Hong Kong/Asian Styled Mickey…….Classic Style Friends

Did you know that Lee Kum Kee, maker of oyster sauce “chan chan pue jee nay,” makes ketchup packets? Ketchup wasn’t too bad but someone needs to fly to Hong Kong Disneyland to school them on how to make burgers! The patties look like the ash gray McDonalds slabs that appear in Big Macs…

Some pluses about HK Disneyland: VERY VERY Clean, cute subways to take you to the miniature version of the happiest place on earth…hence no parking hassles!…and asianized souvenirs (like mickey mooncakes!)…I guess Disneyland Anywhere will always be a magical place. But nothing can beat home.

Happy Birthday, Kurato!!!

A Bientot, Hong Kong! Sigh…the memories, the laughs, the friendships and the peepeeshrimp! I’m going to miss it…now for some pictorial highlights..

Hong Kong’s three headed monster: Me Maggie and Vedica…too bad we live worlds apart! And the master narratives for each: Me: the girl who always hung with the Americans, Maggie: the Shanghainese hottie who breaks hearts and has a very matured boyfriend, and Vedica: the teacher’s pet, but only because she is really quite brilliant.

Okay let’s start with Stanley Beach. Where the shopping is supposedly good but as Vedica would put it: “I vas a liddle bit disappointed..” but the beach and down time really made up for it…

The crew at Stanley Beach. We went a day after it rained so no swimming for the most of us. When Maggie and I waded in the water, the bottoms of our feet had traces of tar…gross huh?

The only person who decided to go for a swim was Yo. He ended up swimming toward this trampoline type platform which was only a few meters away…but since he didn’t have his glasses and he is nearly -1,000 in visual acuity, we were screaming and waving him back to shore for nearly 2 hours! This is him finally at shore, we were all ready to leave him behind to chat with the middle eastern fellow (who swims with his turban on)…

See, the man who swims with his turban. It looks like a swim cap from afar…but don’t be fooled. I wonder how he does it…Oh and the lifeguards…they’re out on the water in this contraption that looks really fun. But they’re so much more smarter than American lifeguards because then they don’t have to bust the baywatch scene when they go out to save people…they can just dive right in.

Dinner time! Megan is giving Edward a lesson on how to do the classic Hong Kong pose.

Naturally, our Harvard graduate masters it with little difficulty.

Yum Yum! The pad thai has antennas! I thought it was cute. This restaurant was a very fancy (sheeshee/bougie) thai/vietnamese joint, but still I would argue that the best thai food is only a block away from Alice’s house in Monterey Park.

That’s all for the Stanley Beach. Tune in next time for clips from the rest of my trip! I’ll break it down for those of us with ADD.

I promise my next entry will be about Hong Kong, and I’ll litter this site with tons of photos….but for now, I feel like sharing last year’s photos and the wonderful engrish I came across on the Mainland.

I think fishing is forbidden here…but what does “taictlr” mean?

China wishes you a safe trip…

Don’t spank the rocks?

Chinese diet plan: Spit often.

When I saw this I thought of Chris Mao…oh the high school nostalgia…

To Lit

Yes they should…

I always knew that Mark Twain was a wise man…

Well, you must be drinking “C” since you’ve visited my xanga!

Look how convinced I was….Now I can tell you from a first hand account that “C” doesn’t work for just EVERYBODY…

How much do you think the Chinese Government would pay someone to go around to grammar and spell check everything and correct their mistakes?

A cute Garfield Cartoon I found in the South China Morning Post. So true sometimes.