blog-o-rama

It's been a crazy week. Been a bit overwhelmed. Frustrated. Confused. Same old. Not much to blog about until I decide that I'm feeling crazy enough. Like right now! Been doing job search stuff. Not gonna go into the details, but if I accept this one offer I got I'll be starting work on Monday. My experience so far has been one of speed-hiring. It's weird!!!

I went to an interview yesterday and was asked to write a writing sample on anything I wanted as deemed appropriate for the publication. It's actually an online "lifestyle" magazine that's all very upscale. Oh hmm. Seriously I'm not big on luxury. Like they have articles on there about gallery openings, new spas, fancy cell phones, latest bling, and a possible overuse of the word "glitteratti." I was really racking my brain of how to complete this assignment, which I now saw as some kind of challenge, except part of me wanted to just tell them Hey you know what I can't come up with a single topic so I think that means this job isn't for me. Well I dunno, I'd been stressing about this all last night, and this morning I flip through this other magazine and voila, there's a Picasso exhibit going on right now until mid-July that hasn't been covered by the site. I deemed it just snooty enough. I figured I better actually see the exhibit to write about it, so I made my way to HKU, which I realized is less than 10 min by bus then about 4 blocks on foot. The set of Picasso prints, called "The Vollard Suite," was amazing. First off, I love prints and printmaking. I keep wanting to make prints just for fun (but seem to never get around to it). And it's a set of 100 prints that have a few themes, and some of them tell "stories"... SO COOL. And beautiful. I never really thought of Picasso as beautiful, but these prints are beautiful.

This is probably the most significant one. Most of the prints feature Picasso himself. In a whole bunch of them, he depicts himself as a Minotaur. This one is called Blind Minotaur Guided by a Girl in the Night, in which the artist depicts himself as blind and helpless, following a girl holding a dove:

And this is another awesome Minotaur one:
Lots of them have much lighter themes than these, but I guess no one's really into those happier ones since I couldn't find many images of them online.

cuteness, no exaggeration

I should totally be sleeping right now but wide awake so hmm sounds familiar. Not meaning to sound lame but I'm depressed and confused/frustrated and seriously I think I'm bipolar.

But I just have to say I have the cutest cat ever. He goes wherever I go. I watch TV, he's sleeping on the couch. I lie stomach-down on the bed looking out the window, he's sleeps on the window sill. I'm on the computer in the wee hours, he's sleeping on the desk, same spot every night.

Sometimes he's completely in REM sleep, you can tell because his eyes are like half open but he's definitely asleep, and he sometimes starts twitching like crazy, a hundred tiny twitches in his eyes, mouth, paws, legs, tail, spine, and heavy breathing. He's probably dreaming about his nemeses: all the bugs he has to destroy, the evil movers and strange delivery guys, string, floaty dust, his owners' toes sticking out of the comforter, drops of water.

clinging.

Finally did something I've been meaning to do... started listening to live streaming of Chicago's 101.9FM (The Mix). I feel so much better. I've been deprived of mainstream American radio. The only thing I don't miss is Nickelback. Even the fertility clinic ads make me feel warm and fuzzy. And I don't hate Rihanna anymore. Well, except "Stop the Music," which they just started playing when I typed "I don't hate Rihanna anymore."

EDITED TO ADD:

But in a way it makes me feel worse.

There's this thing I can't really explain. When I look at the ocean or buildings faraway I get this weird feeling like the world is small but big but small but big, etc., and I can't figure out whether it's big or small. Like when I was watching 9/11 on TV in Hong Kong occurring live at night around 8pm, I looked out the window and it was totally surreal that this was happening RIGHT NOW somewhere in the world, but yet I am right here sitting here and outside my window everything looks normal and it's nighttime, and I just got this feeling like the world is so small but big, like I could feel NY right outside my window even though it was really far away. Like when I listen to Chicago radio here and I look out the window, it's the weirdest feeling, like half of me feels like Chicago and half feels like HK, sorta like it's all just one big freakin thing all squeezed together. And it makes me feel happy but sad. Know what I mean?

Once more, with feeling

In the midst of contending with this:

I made this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZG3e75M1SgQ

"Hurt" redux... aka "some Asian girl singing Christina"... so it's been a year since I first recorded and deleted Hurt... it's a lot better this time around. The camera keeps auto-focusing and it's constantly fuzzy ha. But I guess it's still me trying to sing something I can't actually sing. I just like singing this song. I keep trying to come up with something happier to record but just hmm can't.

So, like,

someone requested i model the H&M butterfly barrettes, and here's one where you can't see my face, and yup I have bangs now, just cut 'em on Sunday. I got my hair cut two weeks ago (before I made the vids, so that's my haircut in the vids) and the guy screwed it up after I specifically said, don't layer the front and top too short because then I get mad flyaways, and guess what he did?? He layered the front so much that some pieces were short enough to be bangs, so I decided to just cut bangs at another place. My husband says I went from looking 19 to looking 17.

OOh, I made a cool pic of meself here. I dunno, I just turned up the contrast, turned down the brightness, and now it's all artistical [sic]. See my hair? It's like fine-gauge wire. Clipped my bangs back but can only see the rhinestones on the butterfly here.

other things i want

Side note, as expected, got a rejection email from Beauty and the Beast last week.

Auditioned for the opera chorus here last night. Another interesting experience. I was hella nervous in the waiting room and tried to slow my heartbeat like a good girl. Still walked into the audition room with wobbly knees. But you know what, nerves don't do their evil thing to me anymore. All I need is good supported breath I can rely on, as taught to me by a voice teacher a few weeks ago, and omg it works. There were three parts to the audition: 1) a prepared opera aria of your choice, 2) vocalization to test range (arpeggios), 3) sight-singing. The way the three parts went were 1) decent, 2) awesome, 3) sucked ass. The accompanist was obviously inexperienced and couldn't play my piece at all but I kept singing. Proceeded to blow 'em away with my F# above high C. And the sight-singing was murder but I think they were toying with me, seriously. There were various pieces they chose from on the spot. I think it was some kind of joke, like "let's give the soprano this super hard impossible one and see what she does." But afterward I was asked to be measured, meaning I am at least being considered.

Then spotted this surreal Chinese farm-scene painting. Aww, good donkeys.

stuff i want but can do without (but still want)

I finished "In the Lake of the Woods," which turned out to be ingenius, the way he could switch elegantly between present and past, truth and conjecture. But all in all, the subject matter just wasn't appealing to me personally. I mean really, I really cannot read another book about the Vietnam War. Or anything TOO dark. Ooh and I tried finishing "Bel Canto," which I found "horrible," but I still wanted to know what was going to happen and gave it another 40 pages, but then it was still horrible, like unbearable, so I'm stopping for real. Right now I'm reading this non-fic book called "Warped Passages: Unraveling the Mysteries of the Universe's Hidden Dimensions," which is about quantum physics, I guess. It's supposed to be easy for your average Joe to understand, and written in a kind of relaxed conversational style (which I find a bit... annoying?). So far, I have no better understanding of the universe's hidden dimensions than I did before I started it. But then, I just started.

OK, can we talk about how much I love H&M? I like it tons better than, for example, Zara, Mango, Forever 21, Gap, Express. They have really nice everything. I was really coveting these butterfly barrettes (in black) that were only HK$30. (I took a pic to mull it over.) I ended up getting them a few days later along with other hair stuff. And I don't just mean I like their hair stuff. They were the only place I could find a good interview outfit, and their stuff is so cheap it doesn't turn into a big dilemma, but still lots of good-quality stuff.

Another thing I'm obsessed with are these classic bird tattoo enamel necklaces with rhinestone eyes I saw at one of those consignment stores in Causeway Bay. OMG. I love classic bird tattoos (and all other tattoo-related things!). These were only HK$78. Why don't I just buy 'em, you ask? As with the barrettes... I just have so much junk. I have SO much hair stuff that I don't wear. I have SO much jewelry that I don't wear. I dunno. I'm on a consumerism fast or something. I just want to be free of objects. Organization puts me in a good mood. All my stuff is arriving from overseas tomorrow (took 2 months!), and I'm not kidding, 1/4 of it is going to donations.

At the same consignment store: these t-shirts that phonetically teach you snide Cantonese idioms with a classic Dick-and-Jane kind of illustration. Aw, cute! Such as "Sik siu siu, ban doi biu," with the explanation of "knowing only a little but pretending to be an expert" (roughly). The black ones are actually printed in gold, which I love. I love t-shirts printed in metallics. But then again I would not wear this t-shirt. I would prefer the print to be on other items, like a mug or poster or something. Because I would not consider this print "fashionable," more like hilarious.

“It’s human nature. We are fascinated, all of us, by the implacable otherness of others. And we wish to penetrate by hypothesis, by daydream, by scientific investigation those leaden walls that encase the human spirit, that define it and guard it and hold it forever inaccessible. (‘I love you,’ someone says, and instantly we begin to wonder—‘Well, how much?’—and when the answer comes—‘With my whole heart’—we then wonder about the wholeness of a fickle heart.) Our lovers, our husbands, our wives, our fathers, our gods—they are all beyond us.”

--Tim O'Brien, In the Lake of the Woods

"This is a list of what I should have been but I'm not"

Couldn't sleep last night. Read until about 1:30AM then just lied there. Lied there staring, thinking, tossing, turning, sometimes writhing.

Sat up around 3:20. Then heard a wave of yelling as in a crowd. And I am on the 43rd floor. Odd. Then it occurred to me that it must be that Manchester-United v. Chelsea game. Actually got up and turned on the TV to see if I could watch along with the millions. Nope, don't get the game, but there's a bar downstairs so I guess that's where people were watching.

I think it's bird mating season. They are chasing.

Song in my head... from Counting Crows new album... the following lyrics:

And I know I could look at anyone but you now
I could fall into the eyes of anyone but you now
So come on, come on, come on, oh come on through now

This is a list of what I should have been but I'm not
This is a list of the things that I should have seen
But I'm not seeing the look in your eyes

"never work with kids or animals"

Guess I decided to sing stuff I actually can sing. If you can take your eyes off Korben... this is Jewel's "Absence of Fear."

"strange but special"

Hmm so the first public video I've made in forever. It's what I auditioned with for B&B ("Home"), except of course they didn't let me finish it. I'd've done it standing up and everything but there wasn't a single place for my camera except the patio table my computer's on. Um you know what's weird? All the videos on YouTube with people singing in the bathroom, because of the acoustics. I mean I'd find it pretty embarrassing to have videos shot in the bathroom. Since my apartment is almost empty (hardly any furniture yet) and non-carpeted, the sound bounces off everything, so no taping in the bathroom for me. Belle sings this song to herself after the Beast has forced her to stay in the castle with him. It's a sad song, but Belle's a fighter. The lyrics are... somewhat appropriate.

I'll say it: I don't suck in this video (but could be better--I especially dislike the beginning).



Happy birthday Tim, the person who actually makes mp3 files out of my super crappalicious videos to listen to them.

Some pics from my phone that I finally uploaded...

My favorite thing I saw at the Art Fair yesterday. An embroidery by these two people. It's like a child-eating flower-dragon with chicken tentacles attacking a miniature Japanese plant village, cranes and petals flying everywhere. I loved everything they did, super detailed and whimsical and technically amazing....

The view from our new (rental) apartment:

Some pre-dragon boat day event last weekend in Stanley:

Korben, looking too-cool-for-pictures and annoyed at his human:

Me, pretending to be just your average normal person!:

As far as fashion policing goes... this is SUCH a no-no (and I am referring to the guy in a blue low-cut sweater):

a little bit on writing

I started reading "Bel Canto" by Ann Patchett, which according to the cover won the Pen/Faulkner Award. Which baffles me. I read 120 pages and I could turn to any page and it would be horrible. I haven't felt this way about professional writing since "Memoirs of a Geisha" (garbage!). The characters' backgrounds are nonsensical, the plot details are FAKE. Not cliches, no no, just entirely unrealistic in the characters' thoughts, uncooperative metaphors and descriptions. For example:

"Gen and Roxane each imagined the accompanist going home, as in sitting up in a seat by the window of a plane, looking out at the clouds that pooled over the host country."

Now what's wrong with this sentence? Two characters each imagining the exact same thing? (The accompanist was not getting on a plane, by the way, he died in front of them.) And clouds that "pooled"? How terrible a description is that? Clouds don't pool. Also the bit about the clouds is superfluous. It does not add anything (except maybe confusion as we try to imagine clouds pooling, and wonder why two characters would both happen to imagine pooling clouds).

Versus... a different book I started reading instead, much better, called "In the Lake of the Woods" by Tim O'Brien:

"For a time Kathy stood gazing at the night sky. It surprised her to see a nearly full moon, a stack of fast-moving clouds passing northward."

See? Can't you just see those clouds in the night sky "moving" fast and "passing" by? And how they are in stacks?! YES. And can't you just see how she could be surprised by a nearly full moon? Because it is kind of thrilling to behold. And haven't you ever stood gazing at the night sky? Everyone knows what that's like. See how it's done?

See the difference between good and bad writing? Doesn't have to be ornate or provocative, just simple and true. The best authors tap into something profound about human nature and human thought.

I have a new resolution to read the entire newspaper everyday now, except the sports section. I don't think I need to know sports details. And the business section is murder to get through for me (snooze), but living in HK one better know business.

Interesting article from Tues:

"A green group is organising tours along bustling Nathan Road to expose what it says is the city's abuse of, and obsession with, lighting. The tours aim to challenge the common perception that the colourful neon signs and commercial lights are a sign of prosperity and affluence. It is part of the group's campaign against light pollution in Hong Kong."

It goes on about the use of spotlights on buildings and ads, and how it's illegal in some cities. Maybe they can do a tour of buildings with the coldest AC too, since I believe that is an equally wasteful (and uncomfortable) sign of prosperity.

And yes, the whole Myanmar sitch doesn't so much make my blood boil as it makes me die a little from the lack of humanity. The degree to which people can lack empathy for their own people is baffling.

Two pics I took a few weeks ago when I first moved to HK.

Vending machine for books in the train station:


No Straw Day at McDonald's, the second and fourth Monday of each month:

obsessing over auditions again

Auditioned for Beauty and the Beast yesterday, which was a very interesting experience. When I first found out about the auditions a few days ago, I had zero expectations, because the Belle part (the only young female part worth anything) isn't even in my vocal range. Really, I didn't think I'd care. I'd just do it for kicks. But I learned and memorized her song obsessively, and started to think, You know what I can actually sing the shit out of this thing. A terrible thought, as I started to want it just a little. Then I get to the audition and find out 128 people signed up to audition. Whaa? That's a lot. I knew turnout was going to be high since this is Beauty and the freakin Beast, but darn my Belle dreams were dashed. I would guess I am going up against maybe 60 people for the one Belle part, if you factor in the people who are guys, the older women, and girls who auditioned for chorus only. Factor in cronyism (that wretched foe!), and that's that.

It was a group audition with 8 people per group (I think). There were 4 young females in my group, and all four of us prepared the same song (called "Home," which was written for Disney's stage version of the musical). Thing is... they cut each of us off after the first part of the song. Technically, the song has an intro section (what might be called a "recitative" in opera), then a first part, then a second part. The second part contains all the fireworks and fits my voice well. Two girls went before me and got cut off after the first part. I went up and asked the pianist if I could start at the first part and go a little into the second part also. He said okay and we did just that. I got cut off (grrr) after just a few lines into the second part but made the most of it. ALL NIGHT last night I was freakin PISSED AT HOW STUPID I AM. I should've just said, Can I do only the second part. (!!!) OMG I'm not kidding my lack of (or not-good-enough) strategy or slow thinking might've killed my Belle dreams. That's the story of my life, not thinking fast enough. But of course, now I want it so bad, you know just to be Belle, just to prove something, to have something, to sing. I was running on so much adrenaline after the audition all my energy could've powered small machinery, I couldn't sleep thinking about my stupidity, etc., just hate how much I want this. Like a job interview that leaves you really wanting the job.

Thing I've always loved to do: watch the ocean waves, thinking each foamy lap might contain something magnificent; watch these birds swoop! Black kites. I can never get bored of them. They fly high, above high rises, never need to flap, just free. A most wild wildlife in the city. Sometimes when they're circling low above the water, just keep watching, and they'll do a sudden spin dive to catch something.

That I Would Be Good

Drama galore around these parts. For one, V.Li is back in London for a long spell. The circumstances were sucky and weird. Wish she could've stayed, not just for my personal enjoyment but also wish things were better for her.

Last week I got a job I wanted but turned it down because it's far plus has really bad hours (and I mean 10-hr shifts that end at midnight type of thing). And outrageously bad pay and other reasons that aren't exactly deciding factors but all contributed to my decision. I wouldn't mind either far commute or really bad hours separately, but traveling far in the middle of the night is really unappealing/scary/sad. I dunno. I think I would like that job, so boo. Although Tim had an interesting idea. I could take the job and put everything I earn into a charity fund. That might balance out the crappiness of it all, in a suffering-for-the-disenfranchised kinda way.

And I feel super lame because I don't know what I want to do, have no set goals, no projects, nothing to look forward to, and just feel like dead weight or something, eyes all glazed over, and "too" skinny (according to the masses), and just feel like time is of the essence but I'm not using it properly--note to self, life is not a dress rehearsal.... On the other hand, I am totally having an existential crisis. Everything means nothing. Why do anything? Why have anything? Why love/hate? Why dress up for stupid horse races? Have a career only to retire all old? Sleep without dreaming? Why listen to music if you can't drown in it? Why try? Why babies? They'll grow up to have existential crises, and whose fault would THAT be?


I Heart Huckabees, a movie close to my chaos...

If you're 15 and reading this,

what they say is true, there's never a wish better than this. I know, again a post about my Peter Pan Syndrome. I can't help it. Don't wanna be 27 today.

(That little bit in "100 years" by Five for Fighting)

I'm 15 for a moment
Caught in between 10 and 20
And I'm just dreaming
Counting the ways to where you are

15, there's still time for you
Time to buy, Time to lose yourself
Within a morning star
15, I'm all right with you
15, there's never a wish better than this
When you only got 100 years to live

Will Work for Sugary Drinks

Yesterday... went to V.Li's church picnic to help with face painting. Everyone had this crazy misconception that I was an "expert" or "pro" because I said I'd done it once before (when I was 14) ha ha. The kids were great, it was really fun actually, makes me remember how much I love painting in general heh.... There was this one boy around three years old who insisted that he wanted a "pink butterfly!!!" (as in the kind that would make his whole face into a butterfly) and said it over and over again but his mom would not let him get it because it's "for girls." Then she tried suggesting other things, and said how about a blue butterfly, but no he wanted pink. Then she asked me to do a "masculine" butterfly, and I said "um...". Then she miraculously convinced her kid to get the Batman symbol across his face instead. I just don't get what the big deal was if this kid wanted a girly pink butterfly, it would've been cute and hilarious anyway....

On to the pics...

This "boy genius" (according to the pastor) was very specific in that he wanted a sword and a heart:

Me and V.Li:

This kid chose a monster pic out of a face-painting book that he wanted:

This is the pastor (Scott), he wanted an electric guitar with lighting bolts coming out of it. I know it's not great but gotta love his growl, especially since there is a rainbow on his other cheek. So I mean, he doesn't look like a pastor at all:

Went to Ocean Park with Jen (aka Princess) on Wednesday. It was much nicer than when I last went like 7 years ago. The grounds and exhibitions and everything are kept immaculately. Also used my new phone to take pics and the pics are pretty bad but oh well.

Moulin Rouge

Parts of this film are excruciatingly unpleasant, imho. I watch this scene just for kicks (have the same version with the Chinese subtitles). Love those musical ensemble pieces.

O Captain My Captain

The cheapest place to buy computer stuff and Converse shoes is Mongkok. So after I bought computer speakers, I looked for Converses. I've been worried about the best shoes ever and thinking that I need a new pair of Converses for everyday walking around. To my dismay, they don't make/sell laceless Converses anymore?! I really don't keep up with this type of thing at all. I went to about 7 stores, and all the hundreds of Converses were lame, I was going to settle for a pair of black leather Jack Purcell ones. Then finally, I saw the ones I knew really belonged to me:

I loovvve Sailor Jerry! (And any tattoo-themed things!)

New Most Eligible Bachelor Has Arrived

Congratulations, Lo Sai, you are now the most eligible bachelor in Hong Kong.

Name: Steve
Job: yes
Education: 2 degrees of the useful variety
Likes: beagles, manga
Dislikes: annoying babies who "act" cute, movies with misleading previews
Asset: good hair
Hobby: ironing
Drunken tendency: steals restaurant decor
Ambition level: once spotted passing out biz cards at Urban Roots hair salon
Notable achievement: placed second at Chinese Dictation Competition
View on global warming: when water levels rise, we'll shoot the H2O into space

Inquiries welcome

I know life is beautiful,

but sometimes this is how I feel.

Tote bags are sexy

[I had no idea today's Earth Day when I wrote this. Funny. I was informed by Google's home page.]

When I was moving out of Evanston, one day it was snowing slush, literally the stuff at 7-eleven in white. I carried a huge stack of old magazines to the recycle bins, which is maybe 100 feet from the backdoor (in jeans and a t-shirt). It was pretty gross, cold, trecherous, and hard to negotiate. The guy who parks in the space right by the bins says to me, "It takes a brave soul to treck all the way over here just for recycling."

A lot of things about Hong Kong have surprised me since arriving here three weeks ago. The biggest thing is environmentalism. I am astonished by how much people and companies here are into the environment. It's really nice. Compared to the U.S., ugh, over there it's all talk no action. Or rather, all Oprah no reaction. I've always been annoyingly environmentally conscientious since I was really young. Like I'd do things that annoy people, such as if someone is brushing their teeth with the faucet running, I'd turn it off. It just grates on my sanity for the water to be running like that. Or in boarding school, Mr. Dowdy (who I secretly detest) would do our room check and ask why I have so many plastic bags stuffed in my closet. "Uh... to be environmentally friendly?" Landfills! They're full. Why elect to throw away when you can recycle/reuse, it just baffles me to no end.

Well, walking down the street here, every woman has one or more tote bag in addition to a handbag. I was feeling very weird on the first few days here when I was the only one with a plastic bag. I really wanted one of those cheap-ass tote bags. I imagined how free I'd be with a cheap-ass tote bag. Stores actually give away those tote bags, and some are really nice. At the supermarket, if you don't need a plastic bag, the checkout lady says Thank you for supporting environmentalism. Today I was at the largest cosmetics chain store here, and the salesgirl was explaining to the customer in front of me in line that you have to pay for a plastic bag on Tuesdays. Wow! There's propaganda galore about the environment. I mean I'm feeling totally advanced. I bet it's like this in Scandinavia, those advanced countries. Tee-hee. I read in someone's blog that you get a ticket in the EU if you don't sort your glass and plastic!

In the 5th grade (I believe... oh loyal readers, please correct me) some people including myself founded The Useless Paper Club. Well, the way it came about... basically one girl in class, Angie, said she was going to recycle this garbage paper she had. She probably wasn't even serious. But then people started passing her paper trash in class, that she collected in a plastic bag, since she said she was going to recycle it. This act spawned the Club. I told my mom about the Club, and she asked whether it's "Useless Paper Club" or "Use Less Paper Club". I said I don't know, since both made sense. But it's really the former name that was our intention. What did our Club do, you ask? Nothing. I think we just wanted to be in a club. Girl26 and I made (wrote, illustrated, stapled) a newsletter/magazine one time, only one copy, all in English, which now I guess just made us sophisticated, but people were like, Why's it in English? Anyhow, it was a really great newsletter!

And hey, if you need a newsletter done for your organization, you have no idea how good I am at that! I can single-handedly write, edit, take pictures for, layout, and publish your professional newsletter! I am a biligual, experienced writer and journalist, high-school newspaper editor, Daily Northwestern copyeditor, photographer with a good eye, highly proficient in many publishing softwares, and know what I'm talking about at the copy place! I can even produce illustrations, which I've been doing since the 5th grade (see above)! HIRE ME FOR YOUR NEWSLETTER!

Doubt thou the stars are fire

My Gondolier Dreams... Dashed!

I have some very unconventional career aspirations. When I was in middle school, I wanted to be a TVB dancer. Like, literally. People thought I was kidding. Then around high school I wanted to be a backup vocalist. I just thought that would be the best job ever. People never take me seriously when I say stuff like that, but I totally mean it. I mean, right now I want to be a professional opera singer, the only problem is, I am technically grown up already.

OK, literally, I'm not even kidding, the best job EVER is a singer in a Cirque du Soleil show. Like, seriously, I can't even imagine a better job. But I thought I'd settle to be a gondolier at the Venetian. I love Las Vegas. The Venetian has always been my favorite hotel on the Strip. (But after I went to Italy for reals, the Venetian is just so whatever now.) Well, Macau is bigger than Vegas now. Their casino revenues beat Vegas last year. That's how insane it is. I found out the Venetian Hotel in Macau is the biggest resort in Asia, and it has three canals. I immediately was like, How can I be a gondolier at the Venetian in Macau???!!!

Last weekend we went to Macau and stayed at the Venetian. The suites were off-the-wall amazing. But anyways, the package included a free gondola ride, so what did I do? I go on the gondola ride and basically had 10 minutes to ask the gondolier everything about being a gondolier at the Venetian (sort of like the classic trapped-in-an-elevator scenario). "Where are you from?" "Where do people audition?" "Do you have a suite here?" "How many days do you work?" "Do you like living here?" She only sang for like 1 minute HA.

So my gondolier dreams have been dashed. First, you have to have been born in Italy. That's the end of that for me. Second, everyone auditions in Vegas. Ar! They are mostly actors in addition to singers. You have to learn how to operate a gondola and I'm just terrible at stuff like that.

Well, Cirque du Soleil's show in Macau is coming soon, so... I want to "run away with Cirque du Soleil," as they say.

The one who had to deal with me.

Updated website

Spent a few days creating a new website, so people will stop being confused and emailing me asking whether I'm gonna be accepting orders any time soon....

Gretchen am Spinnrade... Schubert...

Meine Ruh' ist hin,
Mein Herz ist schwer,
Ich finde sie nimmer
Und nimmermehr.

Mein Busen drängt sich
Nach ihm hin.
Ach, dürft ich fassen
Und halten ihn,

Und küssen ihn,
So wie ich wollt,
An seinen Küssen
Vergehen sollt!

Abysmal adventures in real estate

Wow, looking for an apt in HK sucks. Right now the housing market is insane. What we've been looking at are approx 700 sq ft, 2 bedrooms, somewhat close to Central, for around HK$24,000/mo. WTF. They are nasty. A few are new, but the older ones are either nasty (bathroom, kitchen) or entirely unpleasant in other ways. Even the ones that aren't nasty... it's depressing. I can't live in an apt that will make me depressed just sitting there. Not to mention the size--not even 50% of our crap will fit in these apts. I know I've been spoiled by Chicago/Evanston, but COME ON, for this price, one could rent a freaking three-bedroom apt on Michigan Avenue, and not the 800 sq ft type of 3 bedroom.

Meeting with an agent later today. Not promising at all....

And I LOVE this serviced apartment the company is giving us this month. It's almost an insult how great it is. Great location, brand new, gorgeous design, great service. And that's 874 sq ft, 1 bedroom. I would live here. Too bad it's HK$42,000+/mo. Do you know what I could get for THAT in Chicago? I dunno, maybe a penthouse apt facing Lake Michigan.

Re: my last post! It's made me sick!

I've been eating like crap, I know it, and you can tell just based on my last post.  Starting from yesterday evening I started having a stomachache, nothing major.  Then today it got vicious.  I mean, really bad, me collapsed on the bed, first reading the Bell Jar, then humming the death scenes of famous operas, then saying "ouch ouch ouch ouch," this went on for a few hours.  Then I decided I wanted medical attention and called my dad to take me to the hospital on his way home from work.  In anticipation of his picking me up, I charged my cell phone and went fetal on the couch.  Which, miraculously, cured my pain.  I tried to call him back and tell him I was feeling way better and he didn't need to get me anymore, but his phone was forwarding to the office.  Oh well.  He got here and I said I was feeling way better and I'd rather he take me to get congee.  So that's what we did.  And this is what you get for HK$30 set during afternoon-tea time (ends at 6pm): very large bowl of congee, a quite large fancy drink (such as what we got: mango tapioca drink, pearl coffee/tea yeen yeung), quite large dessert (such as what we got: sesame tong shui, tofu fa... ok I know these are like the worst translations ever).  I couldn't help getting zha leung, even though I know it's probably not good for the stomach.  My dad, having possibly never had set afternoon tea like ppl like me perpetually living in "recent college grad" lifestyle, was impressed with the cheapness.

Unlike most Hong Kong people, I'm not a foodie. People here just never stop talking about food or eating it. Like today in the elevator, I was holding food and a maintenance guy making small talk asked if that was lunch of afternoon tea. Just because people here often eat afternoon tea. As well as midnight snack. In addition to the normal 3 meals. I just don't care much about food. As long as it's keeping me alive and possibly healthy, I'm good. When I'm in the US, I often forget to eat. But the thing about living in HK is there's so much good and cheap food, even I feel relatively obsessed with eating when I am here. I pretty much have the urge to go buy food all the time since I am in TST (where my temporary abode is located). Everything is like 1 block away. I find pure bliss in the oil of roast duck skin melting over my taste buds (saving the fattest piece for last). Or when I go to my mom's office and she has breakfast delivered. Hot milk tea with a wimpy sandwich--untoasted white bread with runny scrambled egg and a piece of ham slapped together. Or congee and fried dough for breakfast. And I make special trips to the supermarket for curry-flavor Calbee chips. Today I went out to a Macau cafe that comes highly recommended to buy a hot milk tea and a Portuguese egg tart (the tart was an impulse buy). There's no bliss like slowly devouring that. And knowing that it only cost HK$20.

Finally done with my final order, the very torturous, terrible, terrifying, tedious, tumultuous, testing, taxing, time-consuming, tumor-inducing, tendon-straining, tension-creating order. I survived. Now it just needs to get there!!!

Now I've been "folded up." I've literally been curled up in bed with an awesome comforter and awesome pillows, no TV on, reading the New York Times Almanac or Time magazine or whatever book. Literally. Then I get tired and go to sleep. Or get up to binge on crackers. Like, "I'm not ready for this sort of thing" (Anna Begins, Counting Crows). Want to be folded up, in denial, away, alone, etc.

Quick entry here just so I'll remember this...

So I had my last voice lesson with my teacher on Wednesday. I just have to say here how much I owe to her. She believed in me and made sure I knew it. When I first started out with her about two years ago, she said it often, how much she believed in me. She said she believed I could do anything, sing any aria (within my range), pronounce any language, learn the technique, be a professional. No one's ever expressed this to me before, and I get weepy just thinking about SOMEONE BELIEVES IN ME. She knew I have a confidence problem. She told me that if I put myself down in my mind, I will fall. She says that just based on the way I sing, she knows all these things about me. (Interesting factoid: research shows that singers who are afraid to go for high notes are also afraid to fly.) She said that I have to believe that this is what God made me for, to sing classical. "This music was written for you, you can sing this better than anyone has ever sung it." Okay, that's an exaggeration, but if I believe that, it will be true, according to her.

I'm transplanted

Just got in to HK today. It's freeeeezing in the business center here in my aforementioned service apartment building. Therefore, I cannot really blog, it's really that cold. They are crazy about the AC in HK. But anyway, I watched Becoming Jane, Elizabeth II, and Lions for Lambs on the plane. They feel a need to constantly feed you in business class, now I feel a little sick, especially since the first thing after getting here was another meal, and now this crazy AC is probably making me sick upon sick upon sick. And I feel homesick for Chicago. Even though I am home now. But home is where the heart is, right?

Still got that crazy order, been making me crazy, I hate this, hate this, hate this arrr.

You know what's funny, after the movers came and packed all my worldly possessions into a truck and drove off, the first thing I felt was if I lost all those things I would be perfectly fine. I have what I need in my 1.5 suitcases, which include my favorite jeans, t-shirts, dresses, and 5 pairs of shoes, and about 5 books to keep me company. The only other thing I really cared about is my car, but that's gone it's OK. But at that moment I just felt like I don't really NEED anything. I bought three books at Barnes and Noble before leaving, just 'cause, they were buy 2 get 3rd free. And it's pretty weird how much I feel like I'll be OK as long as I have a few books. I just remember one of them is the Bell Jar, that my cousin said she liked, and I trust her judgment completely, and I don't even remember what the two others were. So, my point... I dunno it's just a weird feeling. All that stuff. I don't need it. I really don't need any of it.

And I sat in the empty apartment, like seconds before exiting forever, and one window had the blinds up, and outside was like... the most beautiful depressing thing ever, just slate blue sky, a bit of a building, and the enormous old-timey streetlight. It was so beautiful.

Got a fever yesterday. This amidst stretching myself to my absolute limits. And having no insurance, go figure. Not that I ever see a doctor for a fever. I'm just thinking if it turns into something else. But yeah, so packing, getting rid of stuff, origami, stuff, argh, this sucks, being sick, hafta do 100 things, arrr. And what's wrong with people? If you ordered 190 origami butterflies, don't email me and say you only received 190 butterflies not 200. Um, you didn't order 200.

The company will put us up in a serviced apartment for one month. It's here. Seeing as how I don't believe any stalkers are reading my blog, I think it's cool to post that. I'm just so not used to this kind of treatment. It's weird. And good.

I won't give up on the Counting Crows.

I sort of feel like I owe Adam Duritz something for all the hours that his music has kept me company and helped me emote sadness and nostalgia. Their new album comes out tomorrow (technically today, since it's 12:04AM). It's called Saturday Nights and Sunday Mornings, because "Saturday night is when you sin and Sunday is when you regret." It might suck but that's okay, there'll be something in there that's good. Wow, it's been SIX years since their previous album Hard Candy. I was listening to Hard Candy when someone ran me off the road. But that's just because I listened to that in the car for about a year. It has my hands-down all-time favorite depressing song, Holiday in Spain. Which, by the way, someday I really will take a holiday in Spain, leave my wings behind me, drink my worries down the drain, fly away to somewhere new.

A girl in my building bought our couch, coffee table, bedroom set (2 side table and dresser), and boxspring for $130. How depressing is that.... I can't believe I'm giving up this apartment. And we've sold the Honda, and the same buyer's mom is thinking about the Mini Cooper. MY car. With stripes. That's my car.

movie pass!

So we got a movie pass again a month ago, and this is what we have rented:

Dexter first season (4 discs): LOVED. I LOVE THIS SERIES.

Hot Fuzz: LOVED, I love this movie. The DVD has an awesome special feature with trivia similar to VH1's old Pop-Up Videos.

Superbad: OK, kind of all over the place.

Knocked Up: OK, a little better than Superbad. I'd be okay with never seeing Seth Rogan's ass ever again.

The Good Shepherd: liked a lot, although I had to watch it twice to understand it (because I'm dumb like that, and I was doing origami at the same time). Matt Damon is so talented. This version of Matt Damon reminds me of the Talented Mr. Ripley, which I absolutely love. This movie is moody, beautiful, emotional, detailed, not manipulative (doesn't tear jerk or use visual shocks). One particularly touching scene involves a guy playing the violin, I love that scene. But overall the movie jumped back and forth between flashback and present day very quickly, and if you aren't paying attention to the very beginning, that's it, u'll have no idea what the whole movie's about. Also, lots of characters speaking in low voices made it even more confusing.

Gone Baby Gone: OK, a bit typical with a little twist at the end. The thing I can't stand about this film is Michelle Monaghan's character's presence. Her character served NO purpose. I love to watch her as an actress (hello, Kiss Kiss Bang Bang rocks my world, and she was great in M:I3), but this character did not make one bit of sense. She doubles as Casey Affleck's business partner and lover (how convenient when the main guy needs a love interest AND a sidekick), is repeatedly put in dangerous situations when she absolutely does not need to be there, goes through a moral dilemma without showing any emotion (show don't tell or go to ----!).

Paris Je T'aime: didn't really like, and the last 1/3 of the disc didn't play, so I didn't get the watch the films with Natalie Portman or Emily Mortimer, whom I like.

Into the Wild: OK, a bit tedious, I actually liked the last 5 or so minutes best... "Happiness only real when shared" is what he scrawls in a book. Agree.

Beowulf: not viewed by me

American Gangster: not viewed by me

I am Legend: objectively, it was OK. A neat little film. The CG and zombies kinda sucked though. Subjectively: I hate it! It sucked! Because it was trying to freak me out! I don't like to be freaked out!! Geez! This movie SUCKS! I am SO glad I didn't go watch it in the theater!

Atonement: rented to view again for me, a first time for my husband.

Sicko: to view again for me, sort of first time for my husband. I find this film shocking. More shocking than Bowling for Columbine, which I also find shocking. It's mere facts that are shocking. I know Moore exaggerates facts by focusing on only one side of things, but still.

3:10 to Yuma: not yet viewed

Roma Bella

Some pics that I like most...

SOOooo...
We are moving to HK at the end of the month, probably flying on 3/31 but do not have plane tickets yet. Tomorrow I'm going to Rome for 5 days, then... unfortunately... coming home to a huge-ass order, which will most definitely spill over into April. How totally fun. TOTALLY. Thanks, people who order double/triple what you initially said. As for getting ready for biz-after-Evanston, I've pretty much decided to close it. The problem right now is having to tell twenty people that sorry I won't be able to take your order that we previously discussed. ARGH they're gonna be PISSED... ok today was a verrrry stressful day.

Oh yeah, we saw "Cloverfield" on Sunday. Interesting... headache-inducing... literally...

what i have

I am coining a new mental condition: Briony Syndrome. For anyone who's read or watched Atonement (although much better understood if one has read the book), it would be what Briony had: excessive dreaminess, having an understanding of events not grounded in reality, overdramatizing, romanticizing, a belief that life imitates art. The afflicted might have had more books than conversations as a child.

Quotations

from A Prayer for Owen Meany by John Irving.... This was my favorite book for a while, read during my first year of college (for fun, where did I find the time)... but it's standing has dropped....

This first quote is one that has always been a favorite of mine. It shows up in the book awkwardly, sort of like the author just wanted to drop that in there, almost suddenly removed from the context of the narrative:

"Your memory is a monster; you forget--it doesn't. It simply files things away. It keeps things for you, or hides things from you--and summons them to your recall with a will of its own. You think you have a memory; but it has you!"

This is one that I was never aware of and just read it somewhere. And yes it's written in all caps in the book, as spoken by the title character:

"IT DOESN'T MATTER WHERE YOU LEARNED IT--IT'S A GIFT. IF YOU CARE ABOUT SOMETHING, YOU HAVE TO PROTECT IT--IF YOU'RE LUCKY ENOUGH TO FIND A WAY OF LIFE YOU LOVE, YOU HAVE TO FIND THE COURAGE TO LIVE IT."

During my two years of being roommates with Joanna at boarding school, at times I thought how much better my days would be if she weren't my crazy-ass roommate. But the truth is my days would have been so much less interesting, funny, memorable, informed, dramatic, endearing, and (yes) crazy without her. She was almost completely herself around me--which she NEVER was around other people. I got a very insightful look into what a person is like when their guard is down. How often do you get to see that? Almost never. She let me see every insecurity, every thought, every obsession and crush, every quirk, everything beautiful and fragile and appalling about a person. I knew every piece of gossip about her half of the school (jocks/jockettes, j.crew and abercrombie donners) that I generally only consorted with in class. I knew every detail of every fight she had with friends. One time she came up with an excuse to call a guy she liked, and she had me help come up with topics to talk to him about beforehand, and to be in the room to help her out. Do you see how hilarious this is in retrospect? She would very self-consciously make a speech in French while I watched intently, even though I had no idea what she was saying. I let her cry and bitch about boys, and tell her she is right. We were slobs together. We ate crackers and cheese that her dad sent and stunk up the dorm. She made fun of my singing and praised my art, and I will always respect and love her for caring enough to do that. I let her alone when she was upset and wanted to be alone, and that was only once or twice... which brings me to my point...

She would sit by the window with no lights on and just stare outside at our rural Massachusetts campus with a cup of something in her hand, with some mellow music playing. She would ask to be alone. And that is what I did this afternoon watching the snow fall. How I will miss the apartment buildings across the street, the snow, the tree, the cars there, people out bundled in their winter attire with their dogs, my perfect apartment. How I hate growing up. How I want time to stop for me so I can just be.

This is going to seem really random,

but the ubiquitous song Hey There Delilah really gets to me. When it first started playing on the radio, I would sometimes change the channel just because it's repetitive and kind of boring. But at some point I joined the leagues of girls across the land in feeling my heart break every time I hear this...

Hey there Delilah I've got so much left to say
If every simple song I wrote to you
Would take your breath away
I'd write it all
Even more in love with me you'd fall

...and this...

Hey there Delilah
You be good and don't you miss me
Two more years and you'll be done with school
And I'll be making history like I do
You'll know it's all because of you

...and wishing someone had written this song for me, you know? Doesn't it just make you wanna weep and smile at the same time? I'm just a girl.

Another update...

Watched "Once" on DVD, given as a Christmas present from my brother. The music was very beautiful.

Went to see "No Country for Old Men" today. Still absorbing.

Quick media update...

While in HK, saw "My Blueberry Nights." Don't waste your time. I don't have a problem with slow moodiness. The theme is unoriginal (girl finding herself through travels around the country and meeting new people). It is narrated by the girl (Norah Jones), saying really cliche things. That sums up its badness.

Also rented Hairspray and Fracture while in HK. Both were good. Hairspray had so many people I didn't know were in it. Such as Cyclops (uh, X-Men), who I thought was awesome in it! He can really sing and act and dance. And Allison Janey, Britney Snow, Amanda Bines, and loads of other famous people were in it. Fracture... I like Ryan Gosling.

Read "Eat, Pray, Love" on both plane rides (Read Eat one way, and the rest the other way). The Eat and Love parts were great. She's a great writer. I read about 20 pages into the Pray part and had to skip ahead. The Pray part is also the shortest, makes me think she ran out of things to say in that section and had to add filler, because it was much more boring than the other two parts.

well, i haven't blogged about my trip to hkg over christmas/new year. It was really nice. Very relaxing. Not stressful at all. And long enough so I don't feel rushed. I guess that's all I'm going to say.

My mom drinking a Starbucks, checking her text messages:

Opera in 10 minutes

Old Avril, Fall to Pieces. I can't believe how well she does the bridge (starts around 2:05).
I mean, I didn't know that was humanly possible.

Quick update. I saw Juno on Friday, loved loved loved it. So far, favorite movie of the year is still Waitress. Then followed by Michael Clayton, Juno, and Atonement, in no special order. I still feel conflicted about how much I like Atonement, but I just think it was really well done.

Will be back in HK on the night of the 25th. Am so looking forward to it. Need to rest the synapses in my brain, thoroughly.

Finished "Atonement" the book on Saturday, went to see "Atonement" the film on Sunday. My review is it's the most visually stunning film I've ever seen, and the sound effects/ music really added to the visual too. However, because the story is rather complicated, many many people were discussing the plot and all confused after the film. It's worth just seeing it for the sensory aspects though.

Today faced a work crisis which isn't really a crisis says my level head as it was totally not my fault and rather the direct fault of my customer. Trying not to freak.

Then I couldn't stop beaming because I got a corporate gift from Tiffany & Co.! My contact person sent me a holiday gift!! This is what she sent me, except each square is different (two pieces of each flavor). This made my month. I didn't like caramels until now! Yum, they are sooo good. But that's not the point. I got a corporate gift!

Today was lecture day at my voice lesson. As in, I got lectured. About how I should be doing more to achieve greatness, basically. Makes me go Argh.

There's a theme to my favorite TV ads. I only recently realized. Take a showtune. Add a celebrity. Add elation. They make me oh so very happy. (Funny how the screencaps of the middle and last vids are similar.)

Maris Sharapova, Nike


Claire Danes, Patrick Wilson, Gap


Penelope Fortier, MasterCard

how much i heart my friends

I talked to Vivian last night and she is practically forcing me to read "Atonement," so we can "discuss" it, so I bought it at Barnes & Noble, since all 15 or so copies at the public library are checked out, probably because the movie's coming out in 1 week. I hope to finish it before the movie comes out, since it sucks doing it the other way around. I've never heard her--or anyone--so excited about literature.

Just finished "Kafka on the Shore." OK maybe I'm dumb or lazy to think, but I didn't really get it. Now I can catch up on my Time magazines, woohoo!

"...slung between a neurotic and an iceberg, Amelie retreats into her imagination."

This week

So I had to do origami at a big trade show from Sunday to Wednesday. It's a metal fabrication and welding show. Booo. I hated it because I had to wake up at 7. Had to take two trains to get there. Had to wear a suit (possibly the worst part). 95% of attendance were men, and everyone assumed I was one of those trade-show models instead of a legitimate businesswoman.

Problem was, my recital was Sunday night. I think I did well, like maybe a 8.5 out of 10. The only problem was a high note at the end that was not brilliant, but there were reasons for that--my teacher decided I was gonna do that note only last week so I had never rehearsed it, etc. And also the accompaniment was a bit problematic as he didn't give me room to breathe. But all in all, I think it was good. I just wish my teacher would stop insulting me with the order she chooses to have people sing in--as in, either put me before intermission or have me close the show, k?

Then on Monday night, we had to go see a free screening of the Battlestar Galactica Razor movie, showing 2 weeks before it airs on TV. We really had to see this because we don't get SciFi channel anyway, add that to it being free, and in Evanston, so I had to go even though it meant having no time to take care of any other orders at the time.

Therefore, I've been completely swamped with filling orders yesterday and today, hoping to get them to customers before we leave for California. I am exhausted.

I am swamped and freaked out with all the orders I have to fill... I always doubt how fast I can really fold and assemble and cut, but I know I can pull it out in the end. And really, it's rewarding when you get customers who are probably the best people on the continent (versus, say, if I sold grenades or something), you want to do it well for them.

Normally, I'd be cool with sleeping less and stuff. But I have to work at a trade show for 4 days next week and have to be on a normal sleep schedule in order to wake up for it. Also, I've been juicing everyday and have never felt healthier. Plus, I have a recital on Sunday. I have to HAVE TO do well.

I went to my voice lesson today and my teacher was just about gonna kiss my feet for singing the absolute best I've ever sung, especially after an abysmal rehearsal two weeks ago. It's been so much crazy singer shit I've been doing, like mad visualization, mental rehearsal crap, focusing, singing in front of a mirror, fixing my tongue, fixing my posture, reading books, warming up at home, diva-ing it up in the car, eating breathing this, but I swear the juicing is what did it. (But I hate to say it out loud b/c then it's not gonna work anymore.)

Which is why I'm feeling very guilty right now drinking coffee and eating a pumpkin muffin from Panera. I haven't had coffee in over a week, k? But I realize I shouldn't be drinking it now that I'm trying to sleep earlier and earlier (last night I slept at 2:15). Anyhoo, sorta decided on what's gonna be in my juice: carrot, celery, cucumber, kale, Romaine lettuce, and pear. It tastes awesome as long as you don't put too much kale in.

Last weekend we got a juicer and made juice with celery, cucumber, apples, pears, and carrots.

I was very inspired by Kris Carr, who appeared on Oprah to talk about her documentary and book. She was a 31-year-old model and actress who found out she had stage-4 cancer, as in, incurable. Instead of waiting to die, she decided to look into every kind of way to improve her health, mostly with diet, but she tried every single thing you can do. Her cancer becomes stable and she is doing well. One of the things she did was to make juice from vegetables. It's a small thing, but considering the fact that I usually only ingest coffee during the entire day before dinner, having fresh organic vegetable juice will probably make a difference for me. (Although I wonder why I don't just EAT the stuff, so I think it would make more sense to juice some worse-tasting vegetables that are even healthier, 'cause that's the whole point of drinking it right? It's not supposed to taste this good!)

Funny, I just went to her blog and the top entry is about how gross milk is. V.Li just told me the exact same thing a few days ago! OK no milk for me.

And one day, it hit me...

I'm Tiffany's bitch!

just a few examples

I hate being forced to continue patroning companies that have wronged me in the past.

1. FedEx. They charged a shipment to me instead of the recipient. I called and told them to change the charge to the recipient. The person said there is a $10 service charge for that. I was looking right at the shipment online, where it says the shipment is to be billed to the recipient. She accused me of doing the online thing wrong and said she can transfer me to IT so they can teach me how to use it. Um, I've prepared like 30 FedEx shipments online, every one was billed to recipient or 3rd party and never did it wrong, including this one. And I was staring RIGHT AT IT, RIGHT IN FRONT OF ME, where it says bill to recipient (followed by the recipient's FedEx number). Of course, these customer service people don't know how the online thing works so she has no idea what I was talking about anyway. This is putting me in a stabbing mood.

2. The Post Office. Even Ned Flanders hates the Post Office. But can't live without it.

3. Landlords. Well, you can't just pack up and move every time they do something assholey.

4. Comcast Cable. Yup, they have a monopoly on cable television in Illinois. Trust me when I say: they've wronged me.

been meaning to introduce to the world...

These are the best shoes ever! I bought them in March of this year and have been in love ever since. I love the short, round toe, the bow that's actually the wrong side of a piece of leather folded intricately, the distressed color, the heel, and comfort. They were on clearance!! Original price US$149. The tag said $75. I was ecstatic they came in my size. Then when the salesman rang them up, they were actually $46! I couldn't believe it, especially after I started wearing them and found them to be pretty much the most comfortable shoes I've ever worn. I love these shoes, they are so perfect.

(Max Studio)

Very Victorious cacti

I can only keep cacti alive. I've had these for over two years and love how one of them is currently making a peace sign.

I also have an orchid plant but it hasn't flowered since I bought it four years ago. The leaves are nice.

Spammers, how to get me to read your emails

Dear Spammers and Scammers: You are all morons!!! If you really want someone to read and believe your sob story and millions of funds are legit, you have to write your emails according to proper conventions. Geeeezzzzzz. You give yourselves away too easily.

Why must you make up stupid names like "David John" or "John Davids"? How many people have the last name "John"? Tacking an "s" on the end of a name doesn't automatically make it a last name either. Or sometimes there's something like "Mary Goodness" or "Teresa Sincerity." Argh! Stop using fake last names that are supposed to tug at our Christian heartstrings! It just screams SCAM!

Also, seriously, no one uses the name "Mr.John Smith" or Mrs, Miss, etc in the names that show up in the Inbox. NO ONE DOES THIS except you. It doesn't make your email look more legit or more formal. And there is always a space after a freaking punctuation mark.

OK next thing, subject line. Don't use your fake name as your subject. Do not write "From Mr.John Smith" as the subject. This is redundant information, that's why no one does it! Automatic deletion!

Why one earth do you even bother sending an email that starts "Dear,"? "Dear" followed by comma, that is just not the way you write a letter. If you don't even have time to write my name, why should I believe that you really need me and only me to help transfer your billion dollars? And don't even get me started on "Dear Sir,". If you get me to take a peek into your email just to make sure it's not spam, the "Dear Sir" is a deal breaker in getting me to continue reading. I'm not a Sir. Sorry to disappoint.

Tulum

We got back from Mexico on Tuesday. It was so beyond awesome. I love Tulum. I love Mexican decor and crafts, all the Mexican people we encountered, the food, the beaches, the Mayan ruins, everything.

That Umbrella Song

I've previously blogged about my dislike for that Rihanna singer. I know, she's hecka huge now, but my husband still changes the radio channel when her songs come on, even if it's to the classical channel. That's how influential I am in his musical taste.

However, I am sometimes captivated by her. Sometimes purely by how awesomely bad she sounds. Sometimes by her bangs or hotpants. Sometimes just to ponder how appropriate the song "Shut Up and Drive" would be as a theme song for the short-lived TV series "Drive." As for the song "Umbrella"... I know it's like this summer's anthem, but I can't stand her nasally "ella ella ella eh eh eh", yet it captivates me with its awesomely bad catchiness...

I am in love with this acoustic version by Marie Digby. Anyone who can improve a Rihanna song enough for me to love it is a master.

This version by Mandy Moore is so not good in comparison. Too slow, for one.

Just finished "Prisoner of Trebekistan." It was really GOOD. I highly recommend it to anyone who's even seen "Jeopardy!" (of course, I am a huge fan). It's not what I expected at all. Great writing, funny writing, intricate writing, and it's not just about the game show, it's a poignant, heartfelt, insightful, good-humored memoir. I love this book and this guy. It will change the way you see Jeopardy! and the world.

I started to read "Seat of the Soul" and stopped after the first chapter. It was lame. Just some guy rambling on about what I can only describe as a religion he made up.

7 days 'til Mexico.

Pack rat

Just finished Cloud Atlas. Fun to read with endearing characters, I miss some of them. But overall the book is very tiring and mind-boggling. My mind needs to rest now. Going to check out Prisoner of Trebekistan tomorrow. Currently listening to the opera Manon from YouTube, it's so beautiful it hurts. Hurts, I tells ya. Hurts as much as realizing "Firefly" (the TV show) isn't real.

I am the biggest pack rat. Considering the fact that I've moved 11 times in the past 11 years, if you count each year packing up all my stuff before the summer and moving into a new dorm room in the fall. Yet, I still have "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest" from 10th grade. I loved that book. That's why I still have it. It went into the boxes and came back out 10 times. More shockingly, I realized I still have a lipstick I bought in the 6th grade. It survived my cross-continental move before 10th grade, until now. It was during a time when frosted light pink lipstick was THE thing. The only place in HK I could find the "right" shade was the estee lauder counter, so I splurged, after thinking about it for a long time. Of course, it looks ridiculous by today's fashion, especially on non-white skintones. I think I finally threw it out a few weeks ago, or did I?

I have a problem. But I'm getting better. I hardly buy anything nowadays except during our quarterly shopping spree at the outlet mall 50 minutes away. And by "spree"... well, it's an overstatement. Anyway, most of my elective spending is on voice lessons and other singing-related items, such as books, CDs, pitch pipe (I've graduated from the pitch fork), etc. But I digress. I am emotionally less attached to stuff, which I think is a healthier but somehow sad, like I care less now. Bygones are bygones? The memories live in my mind and not in objects? Something like that.

As a side note, my favorite lip gloss right now (because lipstick is so eight years ago) is one that V. Li gave me about 3 years ago that's Urban Decay. Oddly, I was inspired by one of Lindsay Lohan's pre-glaze-eyed red-carpet appearances in which she has dark hair, a fabulous navy dress, and a bright but not garish pink lip. I'm not delusional, I matched it to the lipgloss from V. Li and it looks great on me!

Dean

I've been obsessively following Hurricane Dean on TV and online (lots of maps), because I, my husband, Tim, and Busta just booked a fun-filled trip to Tulum, Mexico, for mid-Sept. I don't want to seem super insensitive, but I really hope there will not be a lot of damage where we are going. They are saying Category 5. They are talking about the paths (below) with certainty. Having lived in Florida for 1.5 years, let me tell you, around northern Florida where I lived during that time, not once was the projected path or hurricane category accurate. So I am just hoping that this one will turn into something much smaller instead of their predicted 5.


As of this post, this is the projected wind damage for the area:



As you can see, Tulum is predicted to be right on the cusp between orange and yellow.

line crime!

This summer has so far been a summer of a very VERY large number of very well-reviewed movies, such as Sicko, Knocked Up, Simpsons Movie, Hairspray, Ratatouille, Rescue Dawn, and some decently reviewed ones, such as Die Hard 4, Harry Potter 5, Spider Man 3, Pirates 3, Ocean's 13 (that's a 3), Transformers. Just thought I'd point that out.

We went to see Bourne 3 today (and Simpsons). This movie is very well-reviewed. I would say that I enjoyed it most this summer. I pretty much like all the Bourne movies. I remember after seeing the second one with Tim, when we came out he said it was pretty lame, and I was like, I thought it was pretty awesome. Heeheehoohoo. That song they play right before the credits start rolling always makes me smile.

However, Bourne 3 committed a line crime in my mind (pretty slick huh) that I am so sick of. It's when there's a high-up person, usually a cop or director of a government agency, yelling orders at the people working for him/her, and he/she says "I need that information yesterday!" or "I want it on my desk fifteen minutes ago!" UGH... not only is it an impossibe demand, which just makes the person sound idiotic and tyrannical (when the character is not), but who on earth actually talks like that in real life? Not that I've ever been around a similar person or situation, but I bet they don't talk like that.

[Other than that, I also hope the line "I threw up in my mouth a little," which has come in vogue in the past few years, will die.]

Bourne was just fun spying and punching and MacGuyver-ing. My experience was further enhanced by the couple sitting behind me. The guy announced out loud every new city Bourne went to, even when it was written on the screen. I wasn't annoyed but rather amused; although I initially thought he was doing it because his companion was illiterate or something, but turns out he is just one big show-off. The woman "woo"ed after every long bit of hands-on combat, but it was funny during this really intense scene (hint, it ends in a bathroom), she would gasp and "oooh!" and "woah," which made me LOL. What was unusual was after that scene, people in the audience audibly went Oh my god. Bourne rocks.

A Few Things

1. This cool article in Time Magazine about icebergs that makes me happy. It's really short, check it out!

2. Hilary Clinton for President!

3. I got a call today, my super crappy audition resulted in a chorus position. [Makes me strongly question the quality of the chorus.] I accepted and am happy. I once swore I would never work for free unless for charity; but there's a reason artists are starving.

4. So far intrigued by Cloud Atlas, 60 pages in.

5. So far undefeated this season against my husband on the tennis court.

6. Can't type, have to either origami or brush teeth. Byes.

7. OK last thing. Steve was here last weekend and this is the message I got after we dropped him off at the airport early: "Guess what, I took an earlier flight to nyc but half way through wehad 'fuel' problems and returned to ohare. Then we had to take a newflight to JFK instead. Now I'm getting in at 2am, much later than theoriginal. Funny how things work out."