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!