Sometimes being rude is not the worst thing, people

This year I am determined to be One Who Does Her Visiting Teaching. (For non-LDS friends, this is a church program where we are assigned a couple of people from our congregation to visit each month.) It's not in a "we're watching you and if you don't have enough gingham or Americana decorations in your living room then we're turning you in" way, but more of a "Hey, let's become friends so that when you need help after your seventh child is born I'll know about it and can bring nourishing cream-of-MSG-based casseroles to your home." Visiting Teaching is a little bit more fun among singles, I think, because lots of times what our sweet sisters really need is a night of chocolate, SLAs, and someone to tell them why that boy really was not even good enough for them and probably has a raging self-abuse problem, which is why she totally dodged a bullet and should actually be feeling very fortunate right now.

Anyway. Visiting Teaching. I am going to do it. I went to see one of the girls on my new route this past Sunday. She owns a nice townhome a few blocks away from me. I asked if she lives alone and she said that she used to have roommates but after a really bad experience she doesn't anymore. And never will again. In life. One example of The Badness was when her last roommate, who was insane and had an insane family, went out of town, gave a key to her felon sister, and told the sister she could stay there. My friend told the girl she could not stay, but she did anyway. For 3 weeks. Why my friend did not call the cops 3 minutes into THAT little scene is beyond me.

This is why I think the Young Women program would do well to add assertiveness training to its weekly activities. Please notice that I did not say "passive aggressiveness training" because that particular quality seems to cultivate itself quite well already and is possibly somehow spread through the water in the LDS chapel drinking fountains. But a bit of "Why we don't let people turn our homes into drug trafficking centers and risk waking up one morning to an empty house and a pair of missing kidneys" lessons would not go amiss, I think.

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Say what you will about terrorists . . .

But I think we can learn a thing or two from them when it comes to wage negotiation. Can't you just see it?

Job Offerer Person: We will give you A amount.

Terrorist: No. I will take C amount.

JOP: What about B amount?

Terrorist: Aaaaaaaand the price just went up to D. Wanna waste my time some more?

JOP: Wait, that's not how it's supposed----

Terrorist: ---Also? You'll be receiving a severed arm in the mail. Best wishes.

They say that women especially have a hard time with negotiating and asking for more. Whereas for men it doesn't feel like this emotionally taxing, risky behavior. One reason I've heard for why men make more that women (even if they have the same job) is that when men get a job offer they're far more likely to raise the offer by a few percentage points.

Ladies, we need to buck up. Remember: WWATD?

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Oh. My. Gosh.

Do any of you remember this commercial? Because I absolutely do. I wanted these things almost as much as I wanted a Horse of my Very Own.

Does anyone else think that the French grape girl might be Reese Witherspoon?

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President Hinckley passes away

Last night text messages and emails flew around to report that President Hinckley died at home. He was 97 years old.

I'll miss him, even though I know we were lucky to have him with us as long as we did. I was 15 when he became the President of the Church, and so many wonderful things have happened under his leadership. We have many more temples around the world now (including the one in Alaska), and programs to encourage education for members in developing countries. He was willing to go out and speak with the media about who we are and what we believe, and to form good relationships with leaders of other faiths and organizations. He traveled the world to meet with members of the Church. President Hinckley seemed so tireless that it was easy to forget how old he was. And it was always wonderful to hear him speak--he was sharp as a tack, optimistic, funny, and loving.

From the beginning he encouraged us to "try a little harder to be a little better" as Christians, family members, and neighbors.

"My beloved associates, far more of us need to awake and arouse our faculties to an awareness of the great everlasting truths of the gospel of Jesus Christ. Each of us can do a little better than we have been doing. We can be a little more kind. We can be a little more merciful. We can be a little more forgiving. We can put behind us our weaknesses of the past, and go forth with new energy and increased resolution to improve the world about us, in our homes, in our places of employment, in our social activities." (Gordon B. Hinckley, “We Have a Work to Do,” Ensign, May 1995, 87)

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Drudgery and reminiscence

I was out today with my mom to Orchard to do some shopping. I gotten myself a pair of seemingly comfortable shoes and had a hair cut, although it was more of a trim than an actual change of hairstyle.

Vanity matters aside, while I was out in town this afternoon, I saw many uniform-donning students out having fun with their classmates after school, especially on such a bad, moody day like Monday. I am acutely reminded of how much I miss school. I know. I contradict myself very easily. I used to loathe the process of going to school and being in uniforms, all the angst, non-conformity and jazz. Just being out of that system, and in the reality for a mere span of 2 odd months had already made me reminisce about the days being within it, I am doomed for full fledged adulthood. Haha. But really, life back then was much easier to deal with. You just have to go to school, open up your mind for a stream of information to retain and bear with the dull schedule of the school abit, and one school year will be gone. How very easy! Next, uniforms. First, they are relatively comfortable and definitely more airy than usual civilian clothes. Bah, I just miss the experience of entering LT5 on a nice morning, knowing I will learn something awesome after the lecture and getting entertained by either Mdm Anion (GP) or Mdm Sadiaah (Econs), both of which are great lecturers, I now realised! Here's an extract of what happened in one of the more memorable lectures;

Mdm Anion's 2007 AQ Lecture:
*students given a lecture exercise to attempt on the spot"
Mdm Anion: I know, you people [us, students] come from Third World countries ah! Cannot afford foolscrap paper! So I, kindheartedly, allowed some space on the paper for you to write on."
Me: Hehe, haha! Amusing. *follows to finish the exercise quicker than others*

Mdm Sadiaah's International Economics lecture 1:
Mdm Sadiaah: "... [sniped for brevity] governments cannot always opt for this policy, because they have as many opportunity costs as the number of pigeon holes in the staff room..." *tries her very best to keep a straight face for a few seconds, then burst into a fit of Sadiaahesque laughter*
Me: Wtf was that?! LOL! *tried to contain my hysterical laughter within myself*

Mdm Sadiaah's International Economics lecture 2:
Mdm Sadiaah: "XXX [student's name], if I catch you talking/sleeping one more time! I will make sure you go outside and buy 20 burgers, sit down and eat, I tell you!" *points at the not-at-all-disraught student, trying to keep a serious face to no avail, then ruptures into her signature laughter once more*
Me: LOL! Oh that sounds like a great example of the demand curve! Haha!

One highlight of my stay at Serangoon Junior College was last year's National Day/Thanksgiving (in a non-american way) concert. That was the bestestestest school concert I have ever, ever, attended. Everything was planned and performed by the teachers, students weren't informed about any performance details at all. Everyone was in utter suspense of what is about to happen. Anyway, not even one slight glitch in the equipments, sound, or whatever. It was just 2 hours of smooth great entertainment. I swear I never laughed so hard in a school compound. =D The introduction was already absolute ownage. It goes like this;

Emcee: "SRJCians, please rise for the arrival of the Guest of Honour."
*students, in their usual expectations of some old fogey School Advisory Chairman to show up, got up, not suspecting anything to differ this time*
* Star Wars' Imperial March tune started playing*
Me, in my mind: Oh, what the heck are they doing now?! *looks in the direction of the isle*
Holy smokes. There was Darth Vader sauntering in, complete with his signature breathing sound. The rest was history. =D The effort to go to school at night that day was not wasted. Heh.
Another epic scene was during the skit performed by the English Department. This scene was from the famous Shakespeare play of Hamlet, I believe. Mdm Anion threw in many many GP puns in her lines, sparing nobody a chance not to laugh. It was "... why do you always do this? Another absolute proposition!" and "To what extent was your love to him?" Abit forced now I think back, but it was remained very entertaining in my memories. =)

I went back on the first day of school this year, looked at the Staff board. Didn't see Mdm Anion's picture there, didn't see my J2 maths tutor - Mr Lee's picture. I am in sympathy of the future batches of SRJCians who will, regrettably, miss out on great lectures given by Mdm Anion. Too bad! And, Mr Lee was just a nice teacher who will stand beside you and guide you gently, even when you might be exceedingly weak in maths, like myself. Lol.

So much about year 2 in JC. There's one scene from J1 that is rather fond to me, it happened in one of the first few Chinese classes in 2006.

Ivan (I wonder how is he now): “老师，你是不是要我们写作文啊？
Mdm Loh: "我那么笨吗？第一堂课就要你们写作文害自己吐血？“
哈哈！

Bah. I miss drawing benzene rings. I miss counting chiral carbons. I miss getting pissed at maths. I miss feeling like a smart motherfucker at Biology classes. I miss that "Mixed Vegetables Rice" stall. I miss visiting Decknique.net at the computer lab. I miss GoodNews Cafe and their 1 dollar Tea. I miss drawing economics diagrams. I miss the times in lectures when people's desks fall and cause their belongings to scatter all around the floor and subsequently hearing them say, "SH-I-I-TT!" I miss trying my best to evade PE. I miss so many things. Contradictions. Contradictions.

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You could send me this if you want

My sister Jenny sent me this today after seeing it at Design Mom and of course I love it.


I'd kind of forgotten about the whole Valentine's Day thing. Am pretty sure I won't be getting wined and dined that night, which is fine, since I don't even drink. If I do anything special it will likely involve other women, romantic comedies, and ice cream. Maybe I'll do the VS Pajama Party for real. That would be special, I bet. I would be sure to film it and put it up here for anthropological purposes.

I've moved past the whole bitter Singles Awareness Day phase, and I think it's better to either ignore VD entirely or, as I've discussed before, go back to the way it was when we were kids and it was fun for everyone.

One of my best Valentine's Days ever was a few years ago where my singles ward in Provo sponsored a "Secret Valentine" activity. Everyone who wanted to play signed up, and then the week before VD you were given someone's name (could be a boy, could be a girl). On Valentine's Day everyone received a little something from the person who got their name. It was so much fun because all day you had the thrill of knowing that something good was coming. A boy down the road got my roommate's name but then went above and beyond by delivering small potted flowers to all of us in the apartment. At the end of the day our kitchen table was full of flowers, candy, nice notes, black lace teddies, and every good thing. That's the way to do it, I think.

(card by Kit Allen)

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As I start braiding my hair into dreadlocks

Just read the book Plenty: One Man, One Woman and a Raucous Year of Eating Locally by Alisa Smith and J.B. Mackinnon, the people behind the 100 Mile Diet website.


It's about a couple in Vancouver who decided to eat only foods produced within a 100 mile radius for one year. And they were way hard core about it, too (no sugar, no chocolate, etc). It was a good read, and not just because they talked about food pretty much the whole time. If a book is about food, it's almost guaranteed to be a winner with me. And lately if it's about local food then it's even better. You remember how much I loved Barbara Kingsolver's Animal, Vegetable, Miracle. The thing that hits me about these books is how well these people are eating. Yes, they have to do more work and more research and maybe pay more money. And they make choices that I will possibly never make (like the chocolate thing). But man. It just sounds so, soooo good.

Am also slowly getting through Michael Pollan's The Omnivore's Dilemma. Have told myself I have to finish it before I can start on his new In Defense of Food: An Eater's Manifesto.

The other day I read a few pages of Omnivore's Dilemma before bed and came to a paragraph that made my mind explode, but in a good way. Pollan stayed a week at Polyface Farm in Virginia, following around the owner, Joel Salatin, to see how his operation works. At one point they talk about how organic food (or sustainable food, or local food, or whatever) is seen as elitist and only affordable for the rich. And then Salatin said this:

“. . . whenever I hear people say clean food is expensive, I tell them it’s actually the cheapest food you can buy. That always gets their attention. Then I explain that with our food all of the costs are figured into the price. Society is not bearing the cost of water pollution, of antibiotic resistance, of food-borne illness, of crop subsidies, of subsidized oil and water—of all the hidden costs to the environment and to the taxpayer that make cheap food seem cheap. No thinking person will tell you they don’t care about all that. I tell them the choice is simple: You can buy honestly priced food or you can buy irresponsibly priced food.” (p.243)

The more I thought about it, the more this made sense. There are costs to running down to Wal-Mart to get whatever is cheapest. We just won’t necessarily be paying them at the register.

Instead we pay them in the form of taxes to subsidize farmers who are paid to produce more corn than we can ever use.

We pay with the pollutants in our water from all the nitrogen fertilizer needed to grow that much corn year after year on the same bits of land.

We pay with the extra calories in all of our processed foods (thank you, high-fructose corn syrup).

We pay in the form of medical bills for obesity-related illnesses, Type II Diabetes, and heart disease.

We pay with the e. coli in our spinach and the mad cow disease in our beef and every other time our food is tainted in some way (results of large-scale production practices).

We pay with the lack of nutritional value in our foods.

We pay when we have no local food options left because they’ve all been muscled out.

We pay when the farmers (or would-be farmers) in our communities fail because there isn’t enough demand for local goods.

We pay with the needless burning of fossil fuels required to transport foods in from thousands of miles away—foods that could be (and possibly are) grown in our own towns.

Does anyone else think this is crazy? But even so, it's hard to decide to pay more now and go to the extra work of finding non-mass-produced food sources. Especially when money is tight and a cheaper alternative is right in front of us. And when we're so unconnected from the big picture of what's behind our food, and where we'll be if things keep going the way they are.

Michael Pollan acknowledges this and says that as the system stands in our country, with “cheap industrial food” being heavily subsidized, many Americans don’t feel they can afford to buy non-industrial food. But, he makes this very good point, I think:

“As a society we Americans spend only a fraction of our disposable income feeding ourselves—about a tenth, down from a fifth in the 1950s. Americans today spend less on food, as a percentage of disposable income, than any other industrialized nation, and probably less than any people in the history of the world. This suggests that there are many of us who could afford to spend more on food if we chose to. After all, it isn’t only the elite who in recent years have found an extra fifty or one hundred dollars each month to spend on cell phones (now owned by more than half the U.S. population, children included) or television, which close to 90 percent of all U.S. households now pay for. Another formerly free good that more than half of us happily pay for today is water. So is the unwillingness to pay more for food really a matter of affordability or priority?” (p.243)

Does anyone else have any thoughts about this stuff? Catfights are fine as long as you leave my mom out of it.

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Matchmaker, matchmaker, make meeee a match

This morning on the way to work I started listening to a podcast of NPR's This American Life. Which, remember that one time when y'all gave me all your best podcast ideas? So much fun. I've added like 35 to try out. My life is now better and more complete.

Anyway. This American Life. It's about matchmaking today, and it began with an interview where a girl recapped a disastrous blind date that one of her very good guy friends arranged for her. The guy turned up hours late and completely stoned. It was not a good date, and she was left wondering exactly what must be wrong with her that her best friend thought that a late, cheap, stoned guy was the best she deserved.

Come to find out, her friend chose this guy because he seemed clean-cut, and her friend thought he might be a good change from the "rough guys" she seems to generally go for. She had no idea that he felt that way about her dating history. Which is where the host talked about how tricky a matchmaking thing is, because you can end up betraying a lot about what you really think about your friends by the people you try to set them up with. The matchmaker is actually risking more than the matchmakee.

This makes me want to look back on my own set ups to see what my friends must really think about me, as shown by their set-up picks:

I am witty and sarcastic (quite true)

I am smart (also true)

I am nice (sometimes, I hope)

I'm okay with being a rebound girl (not true, and I still have not completely let my friends off the hook for that one)

I do not believe good conversation is important (untrue)

I deserve to be lied to and set up with a guy who will take me to Souper Salad and then ignore me (never true)

I'm sure there are more, but I can't think of them at the moment. On the whole I've been lucky. Sure, I've gone on dates where we haven't clicked, but I could see where my friends were coming from and why they thought there could be a possibility. There have only been a couple of times where I've thought, "Seriously? This guy??"

So. What do your friends really think about you and your choices? I'm sure you've got some amazing things to share.

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One more reason to hate big trucks

Can someone tell me what it is about a wide road that makes people want to speed?

Never mind that the posted speed limit is 25 mph, and never mind that the road passes right in front of an elementary school and a library. It's a wonder we don't have kids and mommies and strollers being scattered like bowling pins every day. People see that wide stretch of road and somehow mistake it for an Interstate.

This is why whenever I see the cops pulling someone over on that road my cold shriveled heart is made glad.

ps. In case this post really doesn't elicit a strong response from you, go check out Cicada's blog for a story that will make your eyes bleed.

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Amusing

Yesterday, Alden asked me to give him 4 numbers to buy 4D (a kind of number-based lottery betting thing in Singapore, for foreigners here). I, without an hesitation, gave him this - 3567, not thinking it meant anything.

Today, he called me up. The first prize number is 3527. Oh my god damned fucking Wotan, one wrong number, otherwise, he'd have won 300 odd dollars out of the $2 bet he placed. Ack, ack, ack. Anyway, that proved that my ESP skills are not bad at all, having foresaw 3 out of 4 digits correctly. I can't help it. I am psychic.

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Natural selection existed for a REASON

Namely, to kill off the weak and/or stupid. Now, I'm glad we've made strides in keeping around the weak. As a 4-week early baby, my chances probably would not have been so good without a few medical advances. Of course, that's also when people thought using salad tongs to deliver babies was a rill good idea. Every time my sunglasses pinch too tightly above my ears it drives me crazy, and is probably my body's way of remembering the trauma of forceps.

The stupid, though? I think the stupid might benefit from a little Darwin-style wake-up call. Like the people who run around wearing flip-flops, in January, in the snow, when it's 4 degrees outside. What is that even about? Has their mind just decided to ignore what few survival mechanisms their body still has? It's called Respecting the Elements, people.

Now, I realize that the rules of seasonal fashion are in a state of flux. I'm hearing that the "no white after Labor Day" rule has now been relaxed. White is okay now, apparently, so long as it's paired with other seasonally appropriate items, like close-toed shoes or boots, heavier tops and jackets, and other things which indicate that the wearer does realize that it's December and not June. The rule does not mean that you're meant to dress like you're on your way to a luau.

When I see girls shuffling through snowdrifts on their way to church, squealing when snow gets inside their espadrilles and when the snowy wind blows their short linen skirts all around their goosebumped legs, I never feel bad for them. Wanna know why? Because those girls are making poor, poor choices.

I'm not even trying to be a style snob here. I am being a common sense snob. I mean, it's really nice that we spend so much time in these temperature-controlled environments, but I think people forget the part where the climate/weather is this real thing, and it's tougher than we are. Cars break down. Heaters act up. Stuff happens. And then there you are, standing there in your hemp shoes in a blizzard, looking stupid and getting frostbite.

So please. Let's all remember: to every thing there is a season. And right now, that season is winter and adequate clothing. Your hemp shoes and sheer tops will be there waiting for you in May. And I won't be rolling my eyes at you then, either.

In the wild, there is no health care. In the wild, health care is, "Ow, I hurt my leg. I can't run. A lion eats me. I'm dead." Well, I'm not dead. I'm the lion. You're dead.

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Reminding me why I don't live in Alaska

For the last day or so we've been doing that fun thing called "freezing to death on account of it's zero degrees outside."

Now, snow I don't mind. I like snow. I don't like driving in snow, but I like the principle of snow, and the way it makes everything look white and beautiful and soft. I like the way it makes sure that in the spring our reservoirs are full. I can even be happy for the people who choose to engage in foolish and/or suicidal endeavors like snowboarding. Those people are thrilled by the snow and hey, as long as they don't try to drag me off the side of a cliff then power to 'em.

The cold? The cold I mind so very much. It's not even right. The inside of my nose was not meant to freeze like this. Nor were my pinkies meant to turn white, then black, and then fall off. Not that they've done that yet but I'm sure it's not far off.

Have I mentioned that I'm going to Hawaii? Because I am. Let's hope I have some toes left by the time I get there.

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How to be an aristocratic invalid

Will need to call upon the wisdom of the collective, here. A friend of mine (who I know through my sister Jenny but who I have resisted poaching because I'm just nice like that, Jenny) has just been put on bedrest because of pregnancy complications. And she's already bored out of her mind. So we're trying to come up with things that she can do to keep from going insane. Here is what I would do if I were on bedrest.

Work on my list of SLAs--I still need to see Bleak House, Daniel Deronda, He Knew He Was Right, and Middlemarch. And then watch North and South and Persuasion a few more times for the hotness.

Blog lots more.

Call up work every day, ask how things are going, and then interrupt whoever is speaking with a loud "SUCKAAAAHHS!" and then hang up, giggling.

Nap a lot.

Read chick lit until my brain melts.

Knit, because then I would have something to show for all that sitting around. Plus, knitting is hip now.

Cross stitch. I realize that cross stitching is not hip anymore. But I used to do it all the time when I was in junior high (while listening to the Les Miserables and Phantom of the Opera soundtracks, because I'm cool like that). It is very relaxing, I think.

Create a little home office on my lap, like this one from Real Simple. Because then you can be Busy and Important in bed.

Write. I could finally start writing that novel. Of course, there's no telling what kind of a novel might come from a bed-ridden, stir-crazy person. Would have to take that into consideration. I could write my life story, which would enthrall the masses. Oh! Or I could work on family history--start interviewing family members on the phone and getting all their great stories and writing them up. If I were a mommy person, I could work on journals for my kids. Or I might get into the world of fan fiction and start writing stories about the love Horatio and I share.

Listen to language CDs.

Figure out how to roll my r-r-r-r-r-rs.

Listen to Audiobooks. And speaking of, Librarian Chick has put together an amazing list of free book and audio book sites. I'd also use Net Library--my library, along with all other UT libraries, has a subscription. Just call your local library and ask them for their Pioneer access code. You can download thousands and thousands of audiobooks and ebooks to your computer or MP3 player for free (not iPod compatible, though, which is kind of stupid).

Learn the guitar by watching instructional videos on YouTube.

Develop an addiction to opiates, like many fashionable lady invalids used to do.

That's all I have at the moment, but it's enough to make me want to get myself bed-ridden. Anyone have any other good ideas?

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Nineteen. 19. 十九. XIX.

I am nineteen now. People would ask me about my resolutions. I have a few, I shall post them here. I think I am combining my 2008 resolutions together with my birthday's, makes things easier, I guess. It's also a guideline for how 2008 should be like, because a life without school is pretty aimless, unless you self-impose something. Some of the resolutions might seem ambitious, some idealistic, some just plain dull. Without reservations, here are they:

• Getting into University with ease, into the course of my choice, which is Biological Sciences. But fate has been long sealed for this.
  
• Decent and satisfying social life, which will take some effort on my part.
• Attend Vajrayana Buddhism course, get a certificate, then probably work towards a Lama status. But the latter is a long term thing.
  
• Read more, bestow myself more knowledge, wisdom and depth.
• German Language Class
  
• Work = money = better life (according to the GDP/GNP argument, which is biased)
• Get myself a freaking proper goth outfit, for Odin's sake.
  
• Write more, I just need right amount of muse.
  
• Get away from Singapore for awhile. Need a different atmosphere even if it's only for 3 days and 2 nights.
  
• Watch more films, so I can finally say more "Yes" when Kevin askes me about films.
• May all around me be happy, enjoy peace and have fruitful endeavours.
  

Other than that, I went to the Greek Masterpieces Exhibition by Lourve today at the National Museum. It's well worth the S$4 I spent on the admission ticket. Great experience, to see the exhibits that are probably hundreds of years old, all the way from France, Lourve. The fact that it's probably once a lifetime thing for people 3 generations before and after mine made it really neat. I urge people who want to have a more delicate time this weekend to pay the museum a visit, you are will be well treated with the exhibits. Enough advertisements. After the visit, I must say I don't exactly favour the Ancient Greek society and how they function. Just think of a society where women held little/no say, sports are excessively emphasised *hint: conformity*, and the overwhelming frequency of war and unrest, and the militaristic patriarchal structure of the society. I am not in much favour of their nonsensical take on religion too, they are polythetistic, that's alright, but they did nothing to enrich their spiritual lives but to do blind sacrifices to their patron-deity, like wtf? Bleh. I would only give them credit for having Socrates, Plato and Aristotle as their citizens, and all other Greek playwriters/historians. Otherwise, the language is pretty nice to look deeper into, it's quite nice to observe how they are integrated into the English language and mathematical notations of today.Socrates, Σωκράτης.
470BC to 399 BC (unfortunately, due to his valour in the name of his so-called heretical ideas)
Butt-Ugly but who cares?! He rocks, more than you, anyway. =)

Then I went to meet up with Kevin for a short chat session at Orchard, then to watch my sister's performance at the Esplanade.

Wooo, it's 1.30am, I should go. Night!

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My year in cities

Found this little meme online and decided to give it a go. Just to twist the knife I did 2006 as well. You list all the cities where you stayed at least one night. I'm cheating and listing towns, because sometimes I just felt like staying in a town/campsite/darling farmhouse on the moors where I can beat the windows and bellow for Cathy to come haunt me. Which is my right.

Anyway.

2006:
Provo, UT
Loughborough, UK
Leicester, UK
Newchapel, Surrey, England
Castleton, Derbyshire, UK
Keswick, Cumbria, UK
Hawnby, North Yorkshire, UK
Maspalomas, Canary Islands, Spain
Prague, Czech Republic
Preston, UK
Eagle River, AK

Aaaaand then we have this.

2007
L****, UT
Alexandria, VA
Port Orchard, WA
Cedar City, UT

Yeah.

2007? Kinda sucked. It's a really good thing that Alexandria, Port Orchard, and Cedar City are on that list, since that's probably all that kept me from just wandering out into a poop-smelling cow pasture during a snowstorm and letting the elements take me. Really, really need to make sure that 2008 is better. I've got Hawaii on the list now but not much else. I think a lineup like this would be pretty good:

2008
Honolulu, HI
Poipu, HI
Cedar City, UT
Eagle River, AK (when coolboy comes home from his mission in July)
Dubrovnik, Croatia
Santorini, Greece
London, UK
Paris, France

Really. Is that too much to ask?

If anyone wants to put their 2007 list up in the comments section please feel free! Or, if thinking about your 2007 makes you want to sob loudly at your desk, not that I know anyone like that, your desired 2008 list would be great too. I could use some more ideas.

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Nineteen Tomorrow

I am turning 19 tomorrow, and I seriously don't feel a fucking thing. Odd.

Anyway, I finally got to watch Secretary in full instead of bits and pieces from Youtube. It made me went awww for Lee Halloway and so tender towards Sir E. Edward Grey. When the show ended, I was feeling so proud of Lee Halloway. Now I somewhat know how is it like to be a top, to see a bottom's devotion and dedication, it's just so breathe-taking. So lethal to the soft vulnerable insides of the top. The movie is meant to be black comedy, but I think this meant alot to those in The Lifestyle. Thank you for making such a show, Stephen Sondhiem. =)

"Look, we can't do this 24 hours a day, seven days a week."
"Why not?"

Now, back to dull reality. I got a job at POSB Compass Point outlet, to manage the Chinese New Year crowd and crap, I'm not in a mood to explain mundane things. Haha.


If you haven't gotten me my 19th birthday, don't panic. You have some time more still. I can wait. :P Heh.

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Never thought I would say these words

But Masterpiece Theatre is so high up on my craplist right now.

Last night I watched Persuasion, which you will remember I've been looking forward to since about the 5th of EVER. I had a couple of girlfriends over, there was hot chocolate, cookies, a somewhat-mangled peach tart, and every good thing.

Things started well enough, but about halfway through Spitfire (who watched the YouTube version with me, squinting at my laptop, back in April) commented that things certainly seemed to be moving forward quickly. I said that yeah, since the movie is only about 90 minutes they kind of had to do that. But then I realized that we'd missed a scene--the one where Captain Wentworth is standing on the Cobb in the rain in Lyme Regis (don't ask me why people think it's fun to go walk in the rain and the wind like that). Anyway, he's talking with his buddy about how much he still loves Anne and what an idiot he's been. So he decides to go win her back. And they have a man hug, and it's precious. Totally not there.

Then I realized that some scenes felt a bit shorter than I remember them being. And I started thinking, "Hey, wasn't there a part where . . .? " a lot.

But then, then. We come to The Big Moment at the end with The Big Kiss.

It was cut twice to make it shorter.

Which is when I very nearly tore off my own head and threw it at the TV screen. I have no words to even express how I feel about that. Only inarticulate screeches and violent gestures.

Come ON, people! It was a short movie to begin with! What's up with the editing? Is it because of Gillian Anderson's incredibly lame intro? Did they need to make time for that? You do not CUT a lovely scene of Reconciliation and Longing and Kissing for Gillian Flipping Check Out My New Madonna Accent Anderson! You don't! Ever!

So. Here's what's gonna happen. The DVD is being released tomorrow. I've preordered a copy for the library, and it should come in on Thursday or Friday. I will take it home and watch it. If my scenes are not back where they're supposed to be, I will kill everyone. And then I'll purchase a UK version, get my b-in-law to strip the region coding, and watch that instead. And if the Digital Millennium Copyright Act people come after me, I'll just show them the two versions. Then they'll understand, and they'll probably ask me to burn them a copy.

To see the REAL last 7 minutes of the movie, complete with every last second of bosom-heaving, go here. No knowing how long the clip will be up, though!

Either way, MP is getting a strongly-worded letter from me about the hack job. And possibly a flaming sack filled with dog poop.

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Memories

I was really bored out of my skull searching of things to watch over at Youtube, then one thing popped up in my mind, my childhood favourite cartoon - Oggy and the Cockroaches. Youtubed it. A great sense of nostlagia and a floodgate of fond memories back in my primary school days came back. I think I was influenced by my primary school friend, it was either Benjamin or Pierre. I got a stronger feeling it was Pierre. Pierre was such a badass motherfucker, to my very impressionable child mind back then. He influenced me into watching Stickdeath, wrestling and having a liking for sinister laughters. I could still remember that day after lunch break before Higher Chinese class when I walked up alone to the hall on the second level. As I walked in, Pierre brisked in my opposite direction and did a Stone Cold Stunner on me, totally unphased and uninformed. I went BAM!, what the fuck has just fucking happened?! The next thing I know I was lying on the paraquet floor, looking up at him. I got up, reorientated myself, wanted to ask what the fuck is wrong with him. To my least expectations, he gave me another Stunner. BAM! That's it. Then after, I became the boys' wrestling matches' referee and I became their buddy.

I always blamed (thanked, to be precise) him for whatever I am now, he ultimately started all the dark, unconventional stuff in me. I wonder how he is doing now. Would love to meet up with him very much, anyway.

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As if I didn't have enough politics to deal with

Between City/Library negotiations and my own constant maneuvering towards Queen of the World status, I haven't had much time for the presidential hooplah. Plus they've been talking about and running for the '08 election since approximately 1974 so if I'd paid any notice I'm sure I would be burned out on it by now. My sister Jenny raises a good point though--since these people have been canvassing nonstop for years now, who is doing their actual jobs? Wise words, o sister mine.

I imagine I'll have to start paying attention soon. I played one of those candidate match games a little while back and came up with someone I'd never ever heard of. So, yeah. Best get in the know.

I'm not voting for Mitt Romney, though, in case anyone was wondering. Yes, the 2002 Salt Lake City Winter Olympics were very smooth and well done--thank the heavens above, since I was living in the area at the time and was sure it was going to be two weeks of a BYU football game day times 10 million right out my front door. So I thank Mitt for that. But I doubt I'll agree with his politics, and he doesn't seem capable of keeping his story straight.

So I'm worried that it's going to end up being a bit like this:

(Image from Cafepress--thanks to Cicada and Squirrel Boy)

Plus, I already know how it's going to go. Years from now I'll be in Europe, sunning myself somewhere lovely while a bronzed youth brings me slushy fruit drinks. As soon as people recognize my accent they'll start talking to me how much they hate our President. Because this is what always happens. They will either hold me personally responsible, or they will smile benevolently and tell me that it's okay--they're sure I didn't vote for him/her. I will think back on this moment and say, "Hey. I had to pick someone."

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Who says stealing Valium isn't a good idea?

You'll be happy to hear that I've come down somewhat from the get-impregnated-as-only-feasible-solution-to-job-quandary freakout. Still don't know exactly what I want or what I'm going to do, but no longer feel like phoning up K-Fed. Which, as I'm sure pretty much everyone out there will agree, is a positive step.

I even almost got a good night's sleep last night. It's been snowing nonstop since Saturday, and my dear landlord decided to see to our driveway for the first time since I've lived here. Unfortunately, he chose last night at 11:45, right underneath my window, as the optimum time. Which, yeah, I possibly would have made a different choice. Bit hard to fall asleep to the sweet strains of a lawn mower eating a cat.

Don't have anything funny to share today, so I hope these clips will add a bit of sparkle to your Wednesdays.



(Note: following clip contains profanity, but not, like, f-bomb profanity)

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Say hello to my little friend

I have already discussed the part where I'm not cool enough to own an iPod. But my sweet mother decided that I needed one of these things for Christmas, now that both she and my dad have one.

Am now well on my way to being cool. Have moved my stuff into iTunes, and will buy get a car adapter so I can once and for all thumb my nose at the redneck propaganda masquerading as radio channels and start listening to what I want to listen to, thank you very much.

Am also discovering the fascinating world of podcasts. Which always used to make me think of Pod People. And, really, still does. I imagine all these pale, sluggy people huddled in their dark bomb shelters receiving broadcasts from the Powers That Be about when the time will come for them to rise up and take over the world. If any of them are reading this, here's my word of advice: When the Rising Up occurs, I'd avoid the Mormon homes. It may seem like a good idea, what with the masses of food storage and the general niceness, but lots of them keep shotguns with their Potato Pearls. I, myself, do not keep loaded weapons in my pantry, but I also don't have much food in there. So you should probably skip me too.

So far I've subscribed to:

Grammar Girls' Quick and Dirty Tips for Better Writing

NPR's Kitchen Window

Lonely Planet's Travel Stories

Does anyone have any favorites that I should check out?

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Two Zero Zero Eight

It has been a while since I entered something, I observed. Yeah, I lack the creative drive to post something remotely interesting to entertain the readers here ever since the year of 2008 arrived.

Why? Because I am formally known as an adult now, no more concession fares whenever I travel. Which suck alot, each trip to town area would cost my Ez Link around $1.90 to $2, a vast difference from the student's rate of a mere $0.75. I am a victim of price discrimination. Fuck. Not only that, reality is thrown right in my face, the essentiality of a job and a perpetual sense of stagnanation and dullness or ''sianness'' in simple laypeople's term. Everywhere you go, you feel the monetary pressures on you. Suffocating sensation, I feel imprisoned. For eight more months, I will be bombarded around this feeling of sianness and this cruel reality, while I hope to resume my status as a student in university shortly after. Speaking of which, I am not at all confident I would score well good enough to enter the faculty I desire - School of Biological Sciences. Blah. *fingers crossed* Sigh. In conclusion, I cannot imagine how full fledged working adults think, they must be so intellectually uninspired and devoid. Everything would be about money, working for the superiors to see, office politics, trying to stay afloat, trying to pay for all the unneeded debts that the government/society created, then dying an unrecognised death. I pity them, only to know I will step into that path soon, sigh. It always sucks to see the truth.

Reality aside, I went for Felicity's chalet at Changi last weekend. It's rather enjoyable, and nice to see people you haven't met since the JC madness which started in 2006. Changi is really a nice and tranquil place, too bad we didn't go to the beach, due to a previous mishap in 2002 of which one of us saw something that aren't supposed to be there. A few of us went up the long flight of stairs up to Old Changi Hospital which is allegedly haunted, only managed to stay around the exterior of the building for a few minutes then we left unfortunately. I felt really peaceful there instead of feeling anything fishy, although I have to admit that place feels exceptionally cold. Anyway, thanks Felicity for that nice weekend! =D

On an unrelated note, it's only 8 more days to my 19th birthday. How time ravagedly passed by. 19! One more year to the 20. Old fuck. Jaspas said he's looking forward to his 20th, he says it's good because he will have power. I refute by saying the overwhelming responsibilities will outweigh the power. Maybe it's just a thing that rich well-off people will feel. They won't ever need to really worry about life. Money = overseas studies, less urgency for a job, more opportunities and the list goes on. I sometimes think money is the worst invention next to guns, such a serious unrelenting form of discrimination it is. Poor people are fucked to their next generation, motherfucking vicious cycle. I am grim, I know. Once again, it sucks to know the truth.

Wait wait wait. Isn't a birthday supposed to be a joyous event? Ah yes. Readers, if you are in a mood to do some birthday shopping for the one behind this keyboard, I would appreciate the following items in your shopping inventory: Brian Herbert's Sandworms of Dune, new earphones, the receipe for Starbucks menu, more Lovecraftian madness, lower cost of living, the stopping of inflation, 42, Legalize Murder DVD, good A Level results, a student Ez Link card, peace, silence, something to do in 2008. I demand too much, I stop.

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Taking a personal health day

And by personal, I mean mental.

Last night was freaking out about my life on the phone to my sister Jen (and before that to Amyjane and then later to my parents and then after that to God, so, busy night) and brainstorming about ways in which I could just give up full-time employment all together. Not sure what it says about my current state that this was my first solution. (I had just seen Juno, though.)

Me: I should just go get pregnant and married and then I could quit my job.

Jen: People don't marry whores, though.

I think she's broken through some sort of humor barrier lately. I'm really, really proud. Now if you'll excuse me, this whore is off to rethink her career goals. And find a baby daddy.

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Overheard at my desk

From one 4-year old girl to another:

"Hey, can I just follow you around in here? Because I'm pretty sure I'm going to like you."

I think the dating world would be a lot easier if that kind of line worked for us. It doesn't, though.

Other things that would make the dating world an easier and less bloody and crippling place:

The suppression of the, "Feel free to treat me badly, mess with my head, and never, ever allow me to get over you" vibe which is emitted by many otherwise lovely and confident women.

The suppression of the radar which somehow enables loser men to, without error, pinpoint the aforementioned women as objects for their campaign of f-wittage.

The deletion of the social norm which says it's not right for me to stomp on the saco de toros of men I observe engaging in such behaviors.

If everyone knew instinctively which league they were in, and which members of the opposite sex were in the same league. This would save a lot of time, embarrassment, and pining.

If many LDS males did not insist on shooting several leagues above their own. It is unfortunate that many succeed at this simply due to the economics of scarcity. All this really does is encourage more fruitless dating while the girls who are in your league and would quite like to date you glower from the sidelines.

If women could stop the genetically hardwired compulsion to start planning the wedding, children, and retirement condo after one date.

If women could refrain from sinking into a depression if there is no second date.

If we could all stop assuming that people are on the same page that we are and that they surely understand every subtle hint we give out. Sometimes our pages exist only in the Book of Freaky.

If women and men could stop dating losers/commitmentphobes/addicts/cheaters under the mistaken assumption that even a loser is better than nothing. (Note: It isn't. Ever.)

I know I've missed some, so please feel free to add to the list.

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Because who wants cheap when you can have free?

If you're looking for free stuff now that you're in Christmas debt and everything, Lifehacker has put together their 2007 Guide to Free Software and Web Applications. It is the Internet's way of holding you close while feeding you chocolate and showing you pictures of Hot British Boyfriends and telling you how much it loves you.

Pretty much the most beautiful words in the English language to me are "Open Source." (The other most beautiful words are "I'm waiting for you by the fountains at Pemberley.") Open Source basically means "Fabulous thing that someone created and which they decided to offer for free rather than finding a way to patent it and take all your money and your soul."

Or, if that's not actually the kind of mood you're in, it's the Internet's way of allowing you to flip off The Man.

Anyway, you should go check out the link. Here are the categories of stuff they've pulled together:

Application Launchers
Backup Utilities
BitTorrent
Bookmarks
Calendar
Desktop Search
Disk Space Visualizers
DVD Rippers
File Syncing
Image Editing
Image Viewers/Managers
Instant Messenger
Macro Makers
Media Players
Password Managers/Helpers
PDF Readers/Writers/Editors
Personal Finance/Money Managers
Start Pages
Telephony Managers/Helpers
Text Editors
To-do List Managers
Virus Killers and Malware Cleaners
Web Clippings
Wikis
Zip File Extractors

I don't know about you people, but that list kind of has me breathing heavily. Has anyone here discovered an Absolutely Fabulous Free Thing online that they'd like to share with the rest of us?

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I am resolved

These are my actual Real New Year's resolutions

Step up scripture study and temple attendance. Which will help me become a wiser, kinder, more spiritual person who is perhaps less tempted to scream really foul words during traffic. Or when I accidentally stub my toe. Or, you know, when the last bite of ice cream falls on the ground. Trying, taxing stuff.

Start exercising again. Need to make a more concrete goal, there. Right now it's so I can be in nekkid shape for Hawaii--which gives me 2 months. Not that I plan to be nekkid in Hawaii. Much.

Start learning Spanish. Because as beautiful and sexy as The French most definitely is, it's not incredibly useful around here (naughty librarian seductions aside). We'll see if I can actually fit in a class this year or if I'll have to start out with tapes and such until my schedule gets more normal.

And then these are just Things I Want to Do This Year

Attend Utah Shakespearean Festival.

Buy only local produce this summer--and considering that I live in Aggie Town, this really should not be an impossible thing.

Can peaches with Desmama.

Freeze eggs before they start getting all cracked and linty.

Be more social--have yet to clarify this, but can already tell you it will not mean "Attend Ward Prayer and Ward FHE every single week," because I am not a machine, people, nor will it mean "Sign up for LDSPlanet." Because we've already seen where that can lead.

Build on the success of my knitted booties and move on to hats or socks.

Go on fun vacation with Mom and sisters in September/October.

Have a hot fling with Brit or nonsmoking European.

That's a pretty good start, right? What are some of yours?

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