TV and Movies and Stuff...

Hunger Games

2010-10-20T22:59:00.000-07:00

I told myself that I would update my blog regularly but I guess that's not happening. It's gotten really busy at work so I just haven't had the time. But anyhoo...I have a spare moment before I head off to bed so I will talk about ...Hunger Games.

I've just finished the first 2 books in the Hunger Games trilogy, and my goodness, they were good. It's a shame that there are only 3 books in this series because I could read them forever. They are super easy to read (since they are intended for a young adult audience) so they were a welcome break after just finishing The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. I've just started reading Mockingjay, the 3rd book in the Hunger Games series. This whole series has been difficult to read for the pure fact that once you start, it's hard to put down. I've had to wait until i've had long blocks of time over the weekend to just plow though the books. Reading a chapter here and there while on the metro just doesn't cut it.

So here is a brief synopsis of the trilogy. I'm assuming it takes place far into the future (It doens't really ever give a time frame) where the North America is no longer the divided into the 3 countries as we know it today. It is now called Panem, a country made up of 12 districts, ruled by a dictatorship government who pretty much keep all the districts living in poverty. Every year, the goverment chooses one boy and one girl (ages 12-18) from each district to participate in the Hunger Games where all 24 children must fight to the death until there is only one standing. This brutal event is to serve as a reminder that the Capitol is in control and there's nothing anyone can do about it. Or at least not until Katniss Everdeen volunteers herself for the Hunger Games to replace her little sister who was orignally selected.

Suzanne Collins, the author, is an excellent writer and it really is so easy to picture how the Hunger Games look like through her words. The story is action packed from beginning to end and once you pick it up and you won't be able to put the book down. I'm glad that the books have been picked up to be made into movies. It'll be awesome to see these characters brought to life.

OMG I finished a book that's not Harry Potter!

2010-10-04T09:50:00.000-07:00

AND...it was actually meant for adults! So I just finished The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, and I gotta say, since the last few books I read was either Harry Potter or Twilight, I was not prepared for the graphic nature of this book. The story included rape, incest, pedophilia, animal sacrifice, and murder...things that make Voldemort look like a gentle puppy.

The story is about an editor of a popular Swedish magazine, Mikael Blomkvist, who is accused and convicted of libel. The media attention he receives puts him on the radar of an old industry tycoon (Henrik Vangar) who hires him to investigate the disappearance of niece, which occurred 40 years ago. In the process of his investigation, Blomkvist uncovers many secrets of the Vangar family, which puts his own life at risk.

For the most part, I enjoyed the book. It starts really slow with the first few chapters more about Blomkvist's legal troubles than anything else. The actual murder mystery doesn't begin until like 100 pages in. But once it got started, it was an enjoyable read...up until the mystery was solved. You'd think that'd be where the book ends, but alas, no... Blomkvist's legal trouble needed to be resolved which took entirely too long and isn't very interesting.

I'd definitely recommend this book. Just remember that you must stick through the first few chapters. I'm going to wait a bit before continuing onto the next book of this series. I'm going to give Hunger Games a try. Apparently it's all the rage these days.

Modern Family - The MUCH ANTICIPATED GAY KISS!!!!

2010-09-30T09:35:00.000-07:00

Fresh off its big Emmy win, Modern Family is continuing its smart hilarity heading into the 2nd season. This show is just so damn funny. I love comedies that don't rely on over-the-top outlandish characters to get laughs. The comedy of Modern Family completely relies on the cleverness of the dialogue and the excellent delivery of the dialogue by the terrific cast.

This week's episode featured the much hyped and talked about gay kiss between Mitch and Cameron. Apparently there was an uproar that it's weird for a committed gay couple not to show any affection. Although I agree that a gay couple should be able to show affection on TV just like any other couple, I don't think it needs to be made into such a big deal. I think the writers handled it wonderfully. The kiss occurred without much pomp and circumstance, just a small peck in the background. The episode focused around Mitch being unable to be affectionate because his father (Ed O'Neill) never showed affection to him while growing up. The last time he kissed his son was when Mitch was 12. The attention was all on Ed O'Neill kissing Mitch instead of Mitch and Cam. When the Mitch and Cam kiss finally happened, it was just a sweet little casual kiss just like any other couple. I'm glad it wasn't this big moment with sappy music and slow motion. A gay kiss shouldn't be a big deal and bravo to Modern Family for handling in the best way possible. Kudos!

The Old Stuff

2010-09-29T10:03:00.000-07:00

So here's my recap about the returning shows that I've been keeping up with: 90210, Gossip Girl, How I Met Your Mother, Big Bang Theory, Desperate Housewives, Brothers and Sisters, Grey's Anatomy, Glee, and Vampire Diaries. I don't think I'll get to them all but we'll see how far I get before getting interrupted at work. :)

Glee
Let's start with Glee since it just aired last night so it's fresh in mind. I loves me some Brittany S. Pears. Next to Sue Sylvester, Brittany has the best one liners in each episode and I love how they're always peppered in randomly and in moderation. Last night's episode, although filled with quippy lines from our beloved Brittany, I feel to get the full impact of her witty Brittany-isms, they need to occur sporadically and randomly so that they take you off guard. Nevertheless, each time Brittany opened her mouth, which was a lot this episode, I LOL'd. The musical numbers were a bit of a let down. Instead of just recreating Britney's music videos, I would've much rather them incorporate the music like they usually do, as part of their rehearsals or woven into the plot. As much as I love episodes that are jam packed with random musical numbers, I also enjoy it when there is actual plot development and we learn more about each of the characters. But in any case, based on the first 2 episodes of the season, Glee has gotten off to a good start for its sophomore season. I hope to see more episodes like the first half of season 1 where the dialogue was funnier and the musical numbers were better and less random.

Vampire Diaries
So how hot is evil Elena aka Katherine? Vampire Diaries is a rare gem in the CW collection of shows. Not only does this show have the hottest cast on television, it also has substance. Pop culture has been oversaturized with vampires lately with the whole Twilight phenomenom and True Blood. But with vampires that look this good, I don't mind at all. Vampire Diaries doesn't really offer anything new in the whole Vampire/Werewolf lore, but the stories that are presented exciting and suspenseful. There really isn't a villain in the series (other than Katherine) and she didn't really show up until this season. Even Damon, the not-as-nice vampire brother, has a soft spot and isn't all bad. I'm glad they're introducing werewolves this season. What's a good vampire story without werewolves? I'm excited to see how they're going to put vampire vs werewolf and definitely looking forward to seeing more of Tyler Lockwood's arms.

Desperate Housewives
Casting Vanessa Williams as the new housewife was brilliant. Although I never watched Ugly Betty, I hear she can play quite the villainess and that's exactly what Wisteria Lane needs. Other than Katherine (Dana Delaney), I haven't really been fond of the other housewives that have been brought in. Their story lines fell flat and never really made you care about what happened to them. Based on the first episode, this season is really shaping up to be one of the best seasons for this show.

Brothers and Sisters
Brothers and Sisters is one of those sleeper shows that you don't really hear a lot about, but is so damn good. It's probably in my list of top 3 shows. The writing is so consistently good filled with smart dialogue that makes you laugh and cry. The dynamic within the Walker family is so great that it makes you want to be a Walker. This season picks up one year after the tragic car crash that ended the last season. The family, for the most part, has healed. Kitty is forced to pull the plug on Robert after being in a coma for a year. Sarah is closing the deal on Narrow Lakes and is about to make the family a boat load of money ($55 million!). Justin went off to war again and now has returned as a much wiser and more mature Justin. Kevin has spent the year working on pro bono cases and is on the verge of taking in a wayward teen with his partner Scotty. If you don't watch this show already, Netflix the first 4 or 5 seasons! It's really a great show and you will not regret it!

Alright i think that's all the time i have right now.....more to come.

The New Stuff

2010-09-25T23:44:00.000-07:00

Nikita

Just three episodes into the season, my prediction is that Nikita is here to stay. Maggie Q has finally found herself a vehicle to show off all of her...assets. Nikita brings me back to the good old days of Alias. I love watching shows with badass chicks kicking ass and Nikita definitely delivers.

For those of you who don't know the show's premise, Maggie Q plays Nikita, a women out for revenge after the secret government agency she works for (The Division) kills her fiancee. She is now hellbent on taking The Division down and has a partner (Lyndsey Fonseca) on the inside to help her do it. The show also stars Shane West and Melinda Clarke and airs on the CW on Thursdays at 9pm.

Hellcats

So, this is another one of those guilty pleasure type shows. But then again, I think all the shows I watch are guilty pleasures. Hellcats has yet to impress me, but I'm going to keep at it hoping it gets better. For a show about competitive college cheerleading, it really needs to have witty dialogue in order to succeed...that and hot people. So far, it has neither. Aly Milchalka and Ashley Tisdale are not hot enough to keep viewers interested, but I guess that ship has sailed. So if it's not going to have ultra hotness, then they need to step up the writing. Smart dialogue and humor can save the show...so hopefully it will get better. And cast some hotter people. Take a page out of the book called Vampire Diaries. Hellcats is on the CW on Wednesday at 9pm.

The Event

There's only been one episode of the Event, and I'm already hooked. The show so far is a little impossible to explain. A plane is involved, some prisoners being held by the US Government for an unknown reason, and a woman is kidnapped from a cruise ship, and her father is the one flying the aforementioned plane into a hotel where the President of the United States is staying. The premiere episode introduced a lot of elements and provided a very good set up for the season. My only hope is that it does that it doesn't turn into another Lost, or else I will have to abandon it after 2 seasons also. The Event in on NBC Mondays at 9pm.

Hawaii Five-0

Surprisingly good. I never watched the original...it was a little before my time. Basically, it's just a typical cop show. It just takes place in Hawaii. Grace Park is pretty hot (although she needs to do something about her hair) as is Alex O'Loughlin. Having hot people is pretty much a prerequisite for a show based in Hawaii since undoubtedly there will be many scenes with people in swimsuits. The show provides good drama and keeps up the suspense with a good pace. I normally don't like CBS dramas, but I think I can definitely get on board with this one. Hawaii Five-0 is on Mondays at 10pm on CBS.

A New Beginning...

2010-09-24T22:04:00.000-07:00

So apparently, the last time I posted on this blog was my birthday last year. I just had another birthday last week so I guess it's time to revisit this blog. My last attempt at a blog was pretty short lived partly due to the fact that my life is pretty boring and I have nothing to write about. This time around, I'm not going to focus on the happenings of my life and rather put the focus on the numerous movies and TV shows that I watch. Now that the fall TV season has returned, I should have plenty of material.

Coming up next: My commentary on some of the new shows airing this season that I've decided to add to my ever growing list of shows. Namely, Hellcats, Nikita, Hawaii Five-0, and The Event...

The Master Cleanse

2009-09-15T23:20:00.001-07:00

So...today is my 28th birthday and I decided that I would torture myself by starting the 10 day master cleanse, aka the Lemonade Diet. I don't know what i was thinking because it's Day 1 and i'm already regretting it. But I must persevere!

So I started the day making my 2 liters of lemonade mixture, and went to work. Then i find out that i used waaaaay too much cayenne pepper so my lemonade tastes like spicy crap. SO my first day on the cleanse did not go well. Hopefully tomorrow will be better when I actually make the lemonade correctly. It's going to be a looong and hellish 10 days...

2009-06-03T11:49:00.001-07:00

Zemantaa> will be giving away $6000 (split) to the five charities who get blogged about the most before June 6. Please help us reblog and spread the word about Wokai!

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Wokai delivers an internet microfinance platform that allows individuals to provide Chinese microentrepreneurs with loan capital. Our organization acts as an intermediary in this process, transferring funds from contributors abroad to microentrepreneurs in China through our field partners.

Who does Wokai support?

A typical Wokai microentrepeneur is a female rural inhabitant, living on less than $1/day. Her microfinance loan, ranging from $150-$300 dollars, provides her with the capital to start a small business. Her business varies by location, raising sheep in a rural grassland or operating a small fruit stand in a city center.

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This blog post is part of Zemanta's "Blogging For a Cause" campaign to raise awareness and funds for worthy causes that bloggers care about.

2009-05-26T11:29:00.000-07:00

had a great 3 day weekend at vegas. saw lion king the stage show for the 2nd time and it's still great.

sad day for california. it's a shame that in the 21st century, certain populations are still fighting for civil rights.

movie roundup:
star trek so far best movie of the summer
terminator was ok. never been a huge fan of the franchise, but it was action packed.

2009-05-05T08:46:00.001-07:00

i guess it's been a while since i've posted. let's see...what's been going on...?

work has been pretty crazy for the past few weeks. the senior managers were all freakin out and really creating unnecessary drama and stress at work. ppl need to calm the eff down. now that May 1 has past, everything should be slowing down until we we start work on continuing students. joy.

i am in desperate need of a new job. i'm so done with this place. someone hire me.

in other developments, i went condo shopping the other day. we saw an awesome 3 bedroom 2 bathroom condo right by USC. there's some sort of assistance program that could possibly make it very affordable, but we shall see. i've run into too many hurdles to get my hopes up about this.

movie update:
x-men origins: wolverine - slightly disappointing...could've been better
17 again - drippy cheese
fast and furious - good for what it was

scuz, ry, and i have once again started our summer movie pool. my picks for the top 5 are:

1. Transformers 2
2. Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince
3. Up
4. X-men Origins: Wolverine
5. Star Trek

Now after seeing Wolverine and hearing so much about Star Trek, i might be regretting my choices...

2009-03-27T09:37:00.000-07:00

so on Monday...I went to the fancy shmancy restaurant CUT, one of Wolfgang Puck's restaurants. Their specialty is the 100% Japanese Wagyu style steak...so that's what we got...at $160 per steak. I gotta say...it did not live up to expectations. Although, $160 is a lot to live up to. Although it was quite the delicious steak, towards the end, it just got a bit too fatty and greasy for my taste. I definitely won't be paying that much for a steak again. The best part of the meal was the appetizers. We got bone marrow flan and tuna tartare which were amazing. Sadly, I may have to put a temporary end to my fancy dining experiences. They're making quite the big dent in the paycheck.

2009-03-23T08:56:00.001-07:00

So, I went camping at Yosemite this weekend for Mr. Jose's birthday. It was quite the adventure. We got there at about 4pm on friday and discovered that the Curry Village tents we stayed at wasn't exactly what some would call "roughing it." The tents were quite spacious and could sleep 4 ppl comfortably. Instead of cots, there beds complete with sheets, pillows, and blankets. And they even provided towels. The tents were also heated which was nice because it got downright cold.

It pretty much rained all of Saturday, but we didn't let that dampen our spirits. We couldn't grill any of the food we brought but we still managed to hike in the very cold rain up to Vernon falls. It was beautiful. It was only a 3 mile hike, but seriously it felt like the longest 3 miles since it was mostly up hill and stairs. I always think hiking is an awesome idea, but when I'm actually on the hike, I'm pretty much dreading every minute of it and wanting it to end. But when it's actually over, I'm glad I did it and feel very accomplished.

We woke up Sunday morning to find the area covered in snow. We had a brief moment of panic when someone told us that all the roads were closed and we would have to stay another night. but turns out that person was wrong and we were able to leave quite easily and without having to spend $70 on chains.

It was a very fun trip. It's been a while since i've seen snow fall and it was pretty darn amazing.

oh and happy birthday jose! :)

No day but today!

2009-03-09T08:43:00.001-07:00

I watched Rent for the 3rd time this weekend at the Pantages, and i LOVED it. It was awesome being able to see it with two of the original cast members. The whole cast (with the exception of Maureen) was amazing and we had awesome seats so we were able to see every detail. season tix to the pantages has definitely been worth it so far.

2009-03-04T08:23:00.000-08:00

Sooo....the Teng household FINALLY has a working dryer. For years, I have lived with only a washer, one that we have had for at least 20 years. But we made do. However, my sister and I were tired of having to use a barely working dryer and then having to hang dry our clothes. It would take DAYS to finish a load of laundry.

So last November, Black Friday, we took advantage of the sales and bought a washer/dryer combo. But, since it was dirt cheap, it was back ordered and wouldn't be available until February. Fine. We lived without it for this long, what's another 2 months. So February 1 rolls around, and we get the machines. Washer works fine, but the dryer doesn't work. It doesn't heat up and the cycle stops after a few minutes. So we call Sears to have them come fix it. They couldn't fix it and said we needed to order a part or get a replacement. Order the part was faster so we went that route. Got the part, repairman came and said he still couldn't fix it and that we needed to get a replacement machine...which would take another 2 weeks. Ugh..so fine...we got a replacement. STILL didn't work. Repairman came again and said it's because the electric outlet was faulty and needed to fix that. Sooo we called the electrician and he fixed the outlet and FINALLY on Feb 28, we have a working dryer. FINALLY!!

2009-02-04T14:38:00.000-08:00

If you haven't taken advantage of DineLA's restaurant week (www.dinela.com/restaurantweek), i HIGHLY recommend it. It's a great way to go to a usually too expensive restaurant at a somewhat reasonable price. Sure, 35-45 bucks is still a lot of money, but the amount of food you get and the quality is way worth the occasional splurge.

So far, I have dined at Ruth's Chris in Pasadena, The Restaurant at the Standard, and Katsuya in Glendale. Ruth's Chris definitely gives a lot of food in the 3 course meal. I was stuffed by the end of it. The Restaurant at the Standard was ...standard. It wasn't anything too special, but still good. Katsuya was amazingly surprising. I tend to not find Japanese food very satisfying, but Katsuya gave quite a bit of food and it was delicious.

Tomorrow night I will be going to Zucca, an Italian restaurant in downtown LA, and on Friday I will be going to Ruth's Chris again, but this time in Beverly Hills. Can't wait!

2009-01-31T16:32:00.000-08:00

karma.

i had an interview on friday. right before my interview, i spilled coffee on my white shirt.

2009-01-28T13:49:00.000-08:00

so...the dean mentioned in the previous post spilled coffee on herself while in my office. i'm not gonna lie...i kinda enjoyed it.

2009-01-27T21:44:00.001-08:00

so...i've made some progress on my new years resolutions. i have officially stopped hiding. next on my agenday...find a new job. i'm making some progress on this front too. i have an interview on friday for a job that's pretty similar to what i'm doing now, but pays more which will be nice.

now for a brief rant. i found out from my boss today that the dean wants him to write me up for a small little mistake i made. the ONLY reason the dean is mad is because it made her look bad. i'm not just angry about being written up. i'm all for owning up to my mistakes, but really...this is so not a big deal. she is being very petty and her methods at reprimanding her staff does nothing for morale. even my boss thinks it's overboard, but he can't not write me up. this incident happened 3 weeks ago, and he hasn't written me up yet because he's hoping she'll just get over it. LAME....just another reason to find a new job sooner.

2009-01-07T08:34:00.001-08:00

So it's that season where all the movie studios are pushing their oscar worthy movies. so here's a brief rundown of the ones i've seen.

the curious case of benjamin button - very long but a good story and well acted.
slumdog millionaire - kept me awake even though i was half asleep by the end of the previews. it was surpisingly good.
milk - very interesting to learn the story about the first elected gay official. it's kinda sad that the same arguments were used for prop 8 as were used for prop 6. except prop 8 actually passed. so i guess we took a step back in the fight for equality.
seven pounds - interesting plot but a bit too slow
the spirit - i know this isn't one of the award movies, but i did watch it and it sucked.

2009-01-01T16:12:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year all! It's hard to believe it's already 2009. 2008 was a pretty eventful year. Some highlights:

- finally completing my masters degree
- the untimely passing of my uncle
- May 16
- NASPA conference at Boston
- FSA conference in Vegas
- visiting Farouk at Washington DC
- November 22
- Hawaii for Claudia's Wedding

I don't think I've ever visited so many places in a single year. I'm hoping 2009 will be just as eventful if not more so. For the first time, I'm actually going to set some concrete resolutions that I will make a genuine effort at trying to complete.

1. Find a new job
2. Move out
3. Stop hiding

I'm very much looking forward to 2009, especially if I am able to stick to my resolutions.

2008-12-24T01:34:00.000-08:00

Just got back from Hawaii. It's not easy coming back from 80 degree weather to 50 degree weather. When did it get so cold in California? Normally I wouldn't mind, since I love cold weather, but i like being prepared for it. I had to go directly from the airport to work and i was not dressed appropriately. But anyway, on to my summary of Hawaii...

I'm probably going to forget some stuff but I'll try my best.

Day 1
Landed at around 1pm, visited the happy now married couple at their apartment and then walked around Waikiki and had dinner at Senor Frog's.

Day 2
Hiked up to Diamond Head Crater. Lounged on the beach and then went to the Rehearsal Dinner. After rehearsal, went to have drinks at random bars.

Day 3
Snorkeled at Hanauma Bay and almost drowned. Went to Paradise Cove luau at night and ate too much and was forced to dance hula on stage.

Day 4
Wedding Day. Had tons of food at Zippy's, Waiola's, some dessert place. Went to my first Catholic wedding. It was definitely very interesting participating in a ceremony where i'm not at all affiliated with the religion. I was asked to do a short reading explaining a cord cermony in traditional hispanic weddings. after the wedding, we partied it up at the reception.

Day 5
Went to the Dole Plantation and completed the world's largest maze in less than an hour. Then went to north shore and had some excellent shrimp from Giovanni's. Dinner at a burger place and then drinks.

Day 6
Hiked up some weird trail and then went to Jackass Ginger and swam in a lake then visited Pali Lookout. Final meal in hawaii and then caught a redeye flight back to LA. Goodbye Hawaii :(

Thanks to Kristin for bringing us to all the cool places, especially the food!

2008-12-15T15:11:00.001-08:00

damn this looks good

X-MEN ORIGINS: WOLVERINE HD

2008-12-11T16:39:00.001-08:00

happy december y'all! it's finally starting to get a bit chilly. although i think it was still about 80 degrees today. it's supposed to get colder this weekend. woot.

spent last week in vegas. it was nice getting to spend a week away from the office and still get paid. too bad it's only once in a blue moon.

work has been super busy this week. can't wait for hawaii next week. woohoo!

2008-11-24T22:26:00.000-08:00

Ok i've decided that i'm going to stop titling my posts because coming up with creative titles is just too much work and i'm not all that creative.

anyhooo, so i saw twilight last night. as in most cases, the book was better. although i think the casting was ok, i felt like some of the lines weren't delivered well enough. much of the dialogue was taken straight from the book; however i didn't get the cheesiness from the book as i did when i from the movie. the lines just weren't delivered that well.

but other than that, the movie was decent. it stayed true to the book for the most part. i'm glad that the new moon has been greenlit. i need something to replace harry potter. although this doesn't even come close.

in other news...it's a 2.5 day work week!!! woots! and then a nice long weekend and then off to a conference in vegas all next week! woots.

To be with you...

2008-11-19T09:55:00.000-08:00

So i'm kinda diggin some of the songs on the David Archuleta album. Yes i realize he's a 17 year old boy. But he can sing.

I've been alone so many nights now,
And I've been waitin' for the stars to fall.
I keep holdin' out for what I don't know
To be with you, just to be with you.

So here I am staring at the moon tonight,
Wondering how you look in this light.
Maybe you're somewhere thinkin' about me too.
To be with you, there's nothing I wouldn't do.

And I can't imagine two worlds spinnin' apart
Come together eventually..

OMG!

2008-11-14T14:12:00.000-08:00

OMG SO GOOD!!

Random Ramblings

2008-11-11T14:24:00.000-08:00

So...a lot has happened this I last posted. We elected a new President (finally!). California decided that it's going to make discrimination ok in the state constitution. I won't go further into this because I feel like there has already been so much rhetoric and debate about this issue, and really what more can I say that hasn't already been said. It's just sad to realize a large percentage of the people who voted for prop 8 are those who have been victims of discrimination themselves. but enough about that.

One of my dear staff members is leaving and getting married this month. Although I am nothing but happy for her, this does leave me in the predicament of losing an excellent employee. At first the problem was just finding someone who isn't an idiot and can do the job sufficiently. But now I can't hire anyone at all as USC has just imposed a hiring freeze across the university until June 2009. Great. So now I'm down one staff member which means my work load is going to increase...by a lot.

This hiring freeze also affects my own job finding prospects. I know I have been saying for years that I'm going to leave financial aid. And i really think that time has come and I was going to start really applying for jobs after the new year. I was thinking that if I wanted to begin my career in advising, the easiest thing would be to get an advising position at USC, get some experience and then move to another university. But now with this hiring freeze, that doesn't seem feasible. I might have to just try to get a job at another university without any advising experience which might prove to be difficult. We shall see.

I suppose that's all that's been going on. Oh, can I just mention how angry I am at the economy for making plane ticket prices go down. I bought tix to hawaii for $766 back in August thinking that they'll just keep getting more expensive. But no...since the economy has gone down the crapper, and gas prices have plummeted, the cost of my same exact flight is now $272 cheaper. UGH!

Ok, now that is all. Oh, and go see Changeling. It's good.

happy halloweenie!

2008-11-03T08:50:00.001-08:00

I don't feel like i've gotten to properly celebrate halloween in years and years. with halloween finally being on a friday, it was time to let loose. the last few days have been pretty crazy and i got about 10 hours of sleep total from thursday night to saturday night.

the fun started with a cobra starship concert on thursday night at the house of blues and then headed out to a bar. friday we celebrated halloween at work and then went to a halloween party at night. saturday i recuperated a bit and watched the cal game on tv. Go bears! then at night went out with some friends and got slightly intoxicated. sunday, went to watch spring awakening (thanks scuz!). I think i would've enjoyed it a lot more if i hadn't been struggling to stay awake. i might have to watch it again. but it was a great weekend!

Twilight scene!

2008-10-28T08:26:00.001-07:00

Since I'm forced to wait until July for the next Harry Potter movie, i'll have to make do with Twilight, in theaters November 21!.

Yay movies!

2008-10-27T10:33:00.000-07:00

So I've made up for my recent movie drought by watching 4 movies in the past week or so. Here's a brief rundown!

Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist - very good movie. cute.

High School Musical 3: Senior Year - I suppose it was pretty good.

Max Payne - eh... I kinda dozed off in the beginning. nothing really special.

Rocknrolla - Very typical Guy Ritchie. Had its funny moments.

Eagle Eye - Pretty good. Action packed throughout the whole movie. The plot is kinda eh.

In other news...I had a pretty good weekend. My weekend started on Friday. I decided to take the day off to take my car in for a service which ended costing me $1100. That part was not so good. I'm pretty sure I got ripped off, but nothing much I can do about it. I don't know squat about cars but my car did need fixing. it was driving weird.

Saturday, spent the day with coworker friends shopping and gallavanting about town.

Sunday, watched a couple movies and bought my halloween costume. i'm going to be an army guy. scary i know.

fun weekend, probably could've gotten more sleep, but oh well.

Twilight Trailer

2008-10-14T08:34:00.001-07:00

If you haven't read the Twilight series by Stephenie Meyer, I would highly recommend it. Although it's no Harry Potter, it's very well written and the story is pretty good. I'm very much looking forward to the movie, although the trailer makes it seem kinda low budget. The sequels need to get picked up by a major studio..

D.C.

2008-09-29T18:55:00.000-07:00

Soo i just spent the weekend in our nation's capital. It was a fantastic trip and I got to explore the city. Thanks Farouk for showing me around all weekend!

Thursday: Flew in and had grabbed dinner at Pot Belly's.

Friday: Toured the White House in the morning. Really not as impressive as I thought it would be. Then went to the Museum of Natural History, brunch at Heidi's, the Archives, Ford's Theater, the house where Lincoln died, ate some pho, went to the zoo. Dinner at The Front Page where 200 ppl gathered at the bar to watch the presidential debate. Only in DC...

Saturday: All about the memorials. Washington Monument, Jefferson Memorial, FDR Memorial, WWII Memorial, Lincoln Memorial, Vietnam War memorial, Arlington Cementary for Kennedy's gravesite, Pentagon 9/11 Memorial,then shopping. Dinner at Thaiphoon.

Sunday: Capitol Hill to see the Capitol and the Supreme Court building. Then more shopping. Went to the Portrait Gallery and saw the Georgia O'Keeffe and Ansel Adams exhibit. Chinatown...convinced Farouk to get an iphone only just a tad too late. I expect a text from your iphone next week! Lunch at Banana Cafe. Dinner at Matchbox.

And now I am at home resting up. We did so much walking this weekend. My feet are still hurting. Pictures will be posted on facebook!

Vacations!

2008-09-22T10:40:00.000-07:00

I had a blast of a weekend up in SF. I love love love the bay area. The weather is awesome. On Saturday, we stopped by Berkeley and got top dog fix. Soooo delicious. Walked around campus a bit and then went back to the city and walked around more. At night we went to some ghetto hip hop club that was a tad scary. Fights were breaking out left and right and as we were leaving there was a gun shot. Crazy stuff! Once we got back to the apartment, we saw a loser drunk driver crash into a parked car. He was arrested so all is well. A very eventful evening. Sunday was just a chill day. Walked around the city some more and then went home. Got back at about 12:30 and now i'm exhausted at work.

On Thursday, I'm going to DC! Woohoo...I don't know what i was thinking when I booked an 8am flight...but oh well. I just looked up the weather and just my look, rain all 3 days i'm there. Fantastic. Why does your city hate me Farouk?

Fri
Sep 26

Showers
72°
64°
40%

72°F
Sat
Sep 27

Showers
74°
64°
40%

74°F
Sun
Sep 28

Few Showers
76°
60°
30%

Oh Tina and Amy...

2008-09-15T13:23:00.000-07:00

Ok, SNL still has the ability to be funny...

http://www.popeater.com/television/article/fey-shines-phelps-wobbles-on-snl/173107?icid=100214839x1209319712x1200566833%20

oh sweet television

2008-09-09T10:52:00.000-07:00

the fall TV season has officially started and it's off to pretty good start. I've dropped a couple shows, but I still feel like there is way too much watch...especially on Mondays. I would love to pick Lost and Smallville back up, but I'm too far behind on those. So here's my lineup!

Sunday

Desperate Housewives

Brothers and Sisters (maybe)

Monday

Gossip Girl/Sarah Connor Chronicles

Prison Break

Heroes

Tuesday

90210

Fringe

Wednesday

Nothing!

Thursday

Grey's Anatomy

Private Practice

I love TV :)

happy labor day!

2008-09-01T22:21:00.000-07:00

Three day weekends are fantastic. Those people in Utah have the right idea when they implemented 4 day work weeks. I feel like I got in the perfect amount of fun and relaxation that I'm actually not sad that I have to work tomorrow morning.

My weekend got off to an early start. I took Friday morning off work for an interview at UCLA. I went back to work after, but we got off at 2pm. That night I went with Scuz to a Jack Johnson concert in Irvine. Awesome concert. Excellent chicken kabob.

On Saturday, I pretty much just relaxed. At night, went to the Hollywood Bowl for a John Williams concert. He's a genius but I'm bitter that he never plays the Jurassic Park theme.

On Sunday, went shopping at the Citadel with a coworker and then did some reading. I finished Breaking Dawn which is the last book of the Twilight series. It's an excellent series, but nothing compared to Harry Potter. Speaking of Harry Potter, at night, went to Hollywood Bowl again where we listened to scores from WB movies...one of which was Harry Potter :)

And finally, Monday...today we spent the day at the Cabazon outlets where I spent way too much money. Then went to Claim Jumpers for Happy Hour. Good times.

Ugh go away.

2008-08-25T08:28:00.000-07:00

The school year has officially begun. And it sucks. The last couple weeks at work have been super hectic and now that the students are back, it's just going to get worse. The 7:35am tram from union station to campus is usually empty but today it was jam packed and i was barely able to squeeze in. Go away students!! or at least stop taking public transit!!

There is one thing that will be kind of nice this year. I finally don't have to worry about classes. Although this isn't really a change from the past few months, I am supremely glad I am done with school. Forever. Well at least for now.

My weekend was pretty laid back. All I did on Saturday was eat, eat, and eat some more. Throw in an arboretum concert somewhere in there. Sunday was pretty uneventful. Hung out with coworkers, played some guitar hero, and applied for a couple jobs. I finally started my job search. I hate hate hate the job search process. It's so utterly depressing, especially in the current climate. I guess we'll just see what happens. I suppose I should be glad I at least have a job while I search for a new one.

Weekend Update!

2008-08-11T09:47:00.000-07:00

Oh how I enjoy my weekends. The past few weeks at work have been pretty crazy and it's only going to get worse as the first week of class approaches. It was nice to not have anywhere to go on Friday night. I was able to just unwind at home while watching the amazing opening ceremony for the Olympics. I went to bed at midnight which is pretty unheard of for Friday night.

On Saturday, I watched the Mummy 3 (which is not good...) and then watched the CalPhil perform some awesome movie scores at the arboretum. I love the outdoor concerts they have at the arboretum. It's so close and parking isn't a hassle.

Sunday, i spent the day with some coworker friends and then went to the Hollywood Bowl to watch Les Mis in concert with Scuz. There is really no other musical that can compare to the music of Les Mis. The music is so powerful and moving. I've seen it at least seven times and it never gets old.

So that was my weekend. Relaxing concerts and quality time with friends. Life is good.

birthdays everywhere!

2008-08-05T12:57:00.001-07:00

So this past weekend was the weekend of birthdays. Apparently, everyone and their mom was born sometime this past week. Basically my weekend consisted attending bday dinners and celebrations. Tons of money was spent on booze and food. Man i'm never gonna be able to move out at this rate...

oh wells.

To know the future, return to the past..

2008-07-30T08:26:00.001-07:00

Finally! the Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince teaser!!

Enjoy!

Song of the moment

2008-07-29T09:56:00.000-07:00

Well it kind of hurts when the kind of words you write

Kind of turn themselves into knives

And don't mind my nerve you can call it fiction

'Cause I like being submerged in your contradictions dear

'Cause here we are, here we are

Vegasssssssssssssssssssss

2008-07-28T13:14:00.000-07:00

After taking a much needed day off and going to Vegas for the weekend, I feel like I need another day off.

On Friday, I spent way too much money at the Primm outlets, but that's ok cuz I won all the money I spent during a ridiculous streak of blackjacks and awesome Pai Gow hands. Then went to the Mix lounge over at Mandalay. I have decided that I am against paying for a cover to go to a place that is basically just a bar. We're already paying an arm and a leg for drinks...is it really necessary to gouge us just to get in to the damn place?

Saturday...lost almost everything I had won the day before in black jack and texas hold em. And then spent almost $100 on dinner. But that's ok because that was the best rib eye steak ever. Then went clubbing at the Bank at Bellagio. Surprisingly easy to get in and FREE! Then paid another $25 for the ghost bar.

Sunday...went home exhausted. I got probably a total of 6 hours of solid sleep the whole weekend. And now I am dragging at work even though I went to bed early. zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz.

For you, a thousand times over

2008-07-23T22:30:00.001-07:00

So, I finished reading The Kite Runner today. That makes 5 books since I've started taking the metro! woohoo go me! I didn't know if the The Kite Runner would be my cup of tea. I tend to like fantasy books or stuff that's high in suspense, but I was looking for stuff to read and people kept recommending it to me, so I figured why the hell not. Man, am I glad I read it. It's a terrific book although highly depressing in certain parts. Although it wasn't action packed or anything, it still kept my attention which is hard to do since I've never been much of a reader. But anyway, if you haven't read it, I highly recommend it. The next book on my shelf is The Road by Cormac McCarthy.

It takes my pain away!!

2008-07-21T18:15:00.000-07:00

This weekend I went to see Jimmy Eat World at the Avalon. I've been waiting all summer for this concert and it was awesome. There's nothing like watching them perform Pain live. And the Avalon is a nice venue.

And then on Sunday went to watch the Dark Knight. I think i would've enjoyed it more had i not only gotten 5 hours of sleep the night before. It was a good movie, but too long to hold my attention in sucha sleepy state. Although I did not fall asleep, i was dozing off at points. I might have to watch it again.

Feels like burning!

2008-07-14T11:08:00.000-07:00

Weekends are never long enough. I normally like to spend my weekend just relaxing, but I didn't get to do much of that, but that's ok.

Friday night, I met up with Mr. Farouk, my college roommate. It's been at least three years since I've seen that guy so it was nice to catch up. If you're reading this Farouk, i WILL visit you in DC before the year ends.

Saturday was actually a pretty chill day. At night went with Scuz and Brian to the Arboretum and watched the Calphil perform Andrew Lloyd Webber and Puccini songs. Would've been a great concert if it weren't for the sudden thunderstorm.

Sunday, I woke up ass early to go kayaking in Malibu. It was really fun and really exhausting and I got massively sun burned on my legs. Now I hurt. Afterwards, went to see Hellboy 2, which....isn't really good. I wasn't really a fan of the first one, but the previews made the 2nd one look much better than it really was. Damn the marketing geniuses. It could've been that i was just too tired to care about what was happening in the movie. But yea...i wasn't impressed.

Now it's back to Monday and work blows.

Hot Hot Heat indeed...

2008-06-30T11:26:00.001-07:00

On Friday I went to the Hot Hot Heat concert at the Roxy. I'm starting to enjoy these really tiny venues that are standing room only. It's quite different from sitting far away in the larger venues. Although, I think I almost passed out at the Roxy since it was packed and there was basically NO ventilation or AC.

I'm glad I got to see Hot Hot Heat again. I missed them when they opened at the Foozer concert. They are really good live and played most of their good songs.

Next on the agenda: We are Scientists, and then JIMMY! woots

Living on a budget..

2008-06-18T21:05:00.000-07:00

Ok, so I've decided that I need to put myself on a budget. If I'm ever going to move out and buy my own house, I'm going need to be a bit more frugal with my spending. This is the 2 month in a row where my credit card bill has topped $1600. Granted that some of it was buying stuff like concert tickets that people will pay me back for, but still...that's a lot of money to be spending on my meager salary.

Speaking of concerts...i LOVE going to concerts...there's nothing like watching a band you love perform live. But i really should cut down. So far I've seen only seen Orion Experience, Robyn, and Kanye and I'm going to see Death Cab, Hot Hot Heat, We Are Scientists, Jimmy Eat World, and Coldplay. And on top of that, i'll be going to see the Cal Phil thoughout the summer as well as 5 concerts at the Hollywood Bowl. AND i've also bought season tickets for Pantages in 2009 and that was quite the chunk of change. If you total all that up, it's gotta be well over $1000 that i've spent on concerts and shows alone.

Sooo hence the budget. I'm hoping I can survive on a monthly budget of $300 for food, $175 for entertainment, $500 for car/insurance, and $100 on random expenses. If i can stick to it, i should be able to save a decent amount each month. We'll see how long this lasts......

i'm obsessed with you

2008-06-10T21:15:00.000-07:00

I went to the Orion Experience concert the other day. I gotta say, I dig this band. It's not something I typically like but they're quite good. Their songs are fun and upbeat. Give it a listen!

flashback to the 90s

2008-05-21T11:30:00.000-07:00

So my coworker friends talked me into going to a Robyn concert this weekend. I had no idea she was still singing, but what the heck, it was only $5 through Goldstar events. I had a pretty good time considering I didn't know any of her songs. Plus we saw Perez Hilton and took a picture with him.

I finished a book!

2008-05-21T09:20:00.000-07:00

....that doesn't have the words "Harry" and "Potter" in the title! Ever since I quit wow, I've been wanting to do some reading to occupy my new found time, but I never really got around to it. Now that I'm taking public transportation (yes I made the commitment and got rid of my parking permit), I have been given the gift of time and actually finished reading a book that isn't school related and not written by J.K. Rowling. Although, I did become interested in reading the book after seeing it recommended on Mugglenet. Wow I'm such a nerd.

The book is called Twilight and it's a series written by Stephanie Meyer about a girl who falls in love with a vampire. It's very Buffy and Angel minus the slayer part. The first book in the series was quite good but girly. Most of the book was about the two falling in love and nothing violent happens until the end. I just ordered the next two books in the series but while I wait for those to arrive, I am reading The Ruins, recommended by Scuz.

Toss toss!

2008-05-16T09:38:00.000-07:00

Ah....it's good to be home on a Friday. Thank you USC for holding Commencement on Friday no matter how inconvenient it is for the attendees.

I finally saw Wicked the Musical last night and it was quite good. Gotta love Goldstar Events for providing discounted tix. The musical had quite a few good songs:

Defying Gravity
Popular
I'm Not That Girl
As Long As Your Mine
The Wizard and I
What Is This Feeling?
For Good

I also saw Mamma Mia! the other day which wasn't bad. I've never been a fan of ABBA, but it's pretty amazing how they were able to string all their songs into a story. It's a fun musical to watch and I'll definitely be watching the movie version. It's a good thing I didn't hate it though...since I have to watch it again next year. Woots for season tickets to the Pantages!

go metro!

2008-05-14T21:30:00.000-07:00

So I recently decided to try out the public transportation system by taking the subway and bus to work. I was very paranoid that I would screw something up like get on the wrong bus. Although I managed to get on all the right buses and trains, I missed my stop so it took me an extra 15 min. And then I find out that I didn't need to take the bus at all because USC has a tram that goes to and from Union Station.

I think I'll try to keep this up and cancel my parking permit. Although it actually takes longer than just driving, it's a HUGE money saver. Let's see how long I can last with this...

damn rain

2008-05-07T08:13:00.000-07:00

fan-freaking-tastic. the first time i get a car wash in like a year and now it's raining. mother f-er!

Happy Cinco de Mayo

2008-05-05T10:04:00.000-07:00

Awesome weekend! BBQ'd at Scuz's and the food was delicious. Carne asada and cluck....mmmmmm...and the pico de gallo we made was excellent. go us!

then watched iron man! pretty good.

finally washed my car and gave my room a massive cleaning. dont think my room has ever been this clean.

DONE FOREVER!

2008-04-29T10:12:00.002-07:00

I AM OFFICIALLY DONE WITH CLASS FOR THE REST OF MY LIFE!!!

Harder better faster STRONGER

2008-04-22T14:36:00.000-07:00

So I gotta admit...I was never the hugest fan of Kanye West; however he puts on one hell of a one man show. I went to his Glow in the Dark tour concert last night a the Nokia Theater and I was quite impressed. His set was pretty much just him rapping on stage in front of an awesome back drop. No visible band and no back up dancers. He had enough energy to keep the crowd on their feet and entertained for the full 1.5 hours. It was basically just song after song since he didn't stop to really talk to the crowd, which was nice because that would've slowed down the pace.

I also gotta download Lupe Fiasco's albums. His set was pretty good. I could've done without N.E.RD. and Rihanna was eh eh eh. Nothing special about her set. She's not attractive, her dancers weren't good and her songs are just ok.

I wish the concert wasn't on a Monday since it didn't end until after midnight and now i'm exhausted at work. BOOOO!

Summer Movie Madness 2008!

2008-04-18T08:21:00.000-07:00

Well, it's that time of year again. The annual bet between me, Scuz, and RY on which movies will be the top 5 domestic grossers of the summer. With a $60 pot on the line, we're not talking about some chump change! But anyway, here are our picks!

Me:
1. Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull
2. The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian
3. Wall-E
4. The Dark Knight
5. Iron Man

RY:
1) Narnia 2
2) Indiana Jones 4
3) Dark Knight
4) The Incredible Hulk
5) Wall-E

Scuz:
1. Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull
2. The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian
3. Wall-E
4. The Dark Knight
5. Hancock

As you can see, mine and susie's are pretty much identical with the exception of the 5th slot. Personally, I don't think RY stands a chance, but we shall see. Go Iron Man!

In Memoriam

2008-04-15T20:03:00.000-07:00

I just got back from New York after attending my uncle's funeral. It's the first funeral (thank goodness) that I have ever been to so I really have no basis for comparison, but damn my uncle knew a lot of people. The viewing had to be spreadout into 4 sessions over 2 days with a service during the last session. I only attended the sessions on the 2nd day, but I would estimate that there were probably around 400 ppl total who attended the viewings. At the last session with the service there were about 100 seats and they were all taken and the room was filled with people standing for the 1.5 hour service.

I learned a lot about my uncle over the past few days and it's sad it had to happen posthumously for him. I really wish that I had spent more time with him. Attending his funeral really made me think about what my funeral would be like if I dropped dead at this very moment (morbid thought, I know). First of all, can I say I led a fulfilling life? Definitely not. Granted that my uncle was twice my age, but still by the time he was my age I'm sure he had accomplished a lot more. Not only was a he a successful lawyer, he was a partner in three companies, president of an asian leadership organization in New York, had a HUGE guitar collection, had a passion for cars and motorcycles, avid skier, and a family man. I'm sure the list goes on.

At the actual service, there were probably about 150 people in attendance. How many people would attend my funeral? Aside from my family, I'd say probably about 20 to 30 people would show up, MAYBE 40. 150 people just seems amazing. Of the 150 people, about 10 or 15 of them spoke. People ranging from childhood friends to high school classmates to current business partners. All of them echoed each other and spoke about my uncle's generosity and willingness to help out those he cared about. It was obvious that my uncle touched a lot of people throughout his life and those people really wanted to thank him for all he's done.

My uncle is survived by my aunt and my two cousins. My heart truly goes out to them. I can't even imagine what it would be like to lose my father, especially at the ages of 16 and 19. Watching my aunt bring them up to the viewing for them to see their father for the first time since he passed was the most heartbreaking sight ever. There was literally not a dry eye in the house. I wish my aunt and cousins the best as they go through this difficult time, and Uncle Irwin, I hope to accomplish half of what you accomplished throughout your life. Rest in peace, Uncle.

Boston: Day 4, 5, 6, 7, ....290582050

2008-03-13T15:40:00.000-07:00

Day 4: Sunday began with a trip to Bodega, a shoe store in Boston. It's not just any shoe store. Apparently there's this whole underground shoe culture that I was completely unaware. Bodega has contracts with major shoe companies where they get specially designed shoes that are rare and can only be found in certain parts of the country. So it's pretty much shoes with funk colors and fabrics. The coolest part of the shoe store is that the front of it is like a mini mart. There's a Snapple Machine in the store that opens up (either automatically or the guy in the mini mart opens it) and leads to the shoe store in the back. It's like secret hideout for shoes...so awesome. After we all bought some shoes, we headed over to the Barking Crab where we again ate too much.

That evening I went to a social with past and present students from my masters program. Ate some free appetizers and chatted with some ppl. Then met up with Susie to eat at Chicago Uno Grill.

Day 5: Monday morning, I actually made it to a conference session at 9am. After the session, went with Susie to see Haaaarvard and MIT. I gotta say, I wasn't all that impressed with Harvard's campus. It's really small and all the buildings look the same. Perhaps it looks better when the grass and trees are alive or when covered in snow. We didn't make it to the business school which apparently is the nice part. MIT's campus is ugly although I didn't really expect it to be nice. The campus looks really depressing. I suppose ppl really just go there for the academics and not much else...

The rest of the Boston trip was pretty uneventful. I went to a few more conference sessions but didn't really go out much to see the city. We had pretty much walked the whole city in a few days and there wasn't much to see. By Tuesday, I was ready to go home....but not back to work. But all in all, Boston is a very nice, chill city. I like how it's not super busy like NYC. The food was amazing, but a little pricey, as evidenced by my empty wallet. Next year, the conference will be in Seattle. I need to find a new job that will pay for me to go...or perhaps just find a job in Seattle!

Boston: Day 2 and 3

2008-03-08T21:27:00.000-08:00

Day 2: I don't think I've ever walked so much in one day in my life. Susie, Andrea, and I started off the morning by walking over to the Cheers bar and had some appetizers and beers. Then we walked to Faneuil Hall and then over to the aquarium where we watched the Deep Sea IMAX3D show. Then we walked to the USS Constitution. We pretty much walked all of the Freedom Trail and then some. After the USS Constitution we walked back to the aquarium area and at dinner at Legal Sea Foods. That was some good eatin'. I dropped over $100 bucks on dinner but it was so worth it. We got a bottle of wine, had an appetizer sampler that was delicious, and then I had the surf turf which included an 8oz filet mignon and a 1.5 lb lobster. MMMMMM MMM GOOD. After dinner we headed over to the Black Rose which is supposedly the best Irish Pub and some drinks. Then we met up with some of my student affairs people at the hotel bar where we had crappy $15 Irish car bombs. All in all, good times, but my feet ached like crazy.

Day 3: Today we went to the Sam Adams Brewery which was pretty cool. It was a free tour and they give you samples of 3 different beers and you get a free souvenir glass. Then we went and stuffed ourselves at the Fanieul Hall Marketplace. There is SO much good food there. I ate a pastrami sandwich AND a polish kielbasa while Susie and Andrea shared a lobster salad sandwich, a side of teriyaki chicken, a swordfish skewer, soups, and a potato ball thing. After that we headed over to the aquarium and actually walked around inside. You can't go anywhere with Susie without staying at the local aquarium for a few hours. We were exhausted after that so we went back to the hotel to nap. Then we went to Finale, this bougie dessert place which was kinda eh. Then we went to Gypsy Bar and had a drink. I retired early and Susie and Andrea are currently at some Glow in the Dark pub.

The end.

Boston: Day 1

2008-03-06T19:17:00.000-08:00

Well, so far Boston is a pretty nice city. Not as cold as I thought it would be but still pretty darn cold.

I landed last night at about 10pm. I got to the hotel and walked around the city looking for some food. Then I tried to get some sleep cuz I had a couple friends fly in at 7am. When they arrived we went to get breakfast and then they napped while I tried to do the job placement thing at the conference. I don't think I'll be finding a new job anytime soon. :(

After napping for most of the day, we went walking around Boston for 5 hours. Went to the bar that inspired the TV show Cheers and then went to Faneuil Marketplace for dinner. Now I am back at the hotel and getting some work done.

I can't wait to try Boston seafood!!! WOOOOTS!

OSCARS BOOOO!

2008-02-25T10:51:00.001-08:00

Oscar voters are lame. Or perhaps I'm just not smart enough to see the brilliance behind No Country for Old Men. Everyone was raving about how it must've been so difficult for Javier Bardem to play such a demented killer. Honestly, give anyone that creepy haircut and they can play someone who goes around shooting ppl and not show any emotion about it.

Anyhoo, so over the weekend, I watched Vantage Point. It was alright. The audience was frustrated at how the movie kept repeating the same 15 minutes from a different perspective. I didn't really mind it because each time something new was revealed, and there was a enough suspense to keep it interesting. Much better than stupid No Country for Old Men.

3 day weekends rule.

2008-02-19T13:41:00.000-08:00

If only every weekend were 3 days. I don't think I've enjoyed a weekend so much. I didn't even do anything that was extraordinarily special. Watched a few movies, did laundry, hung out with people. Oh wait, I did go to Pink's which was pure heaven. After waiting in line for 1.5 hours, those hot dogs were the best thing I've tasted in a long time. Pastrami + Polish Sausage = Win. And watching a coworker smother her face in sour cream and chili was pretty priceless. Who knew there were people out there who eat more messily than I do.

Anyoo, as for the movies, here's a brief rundown:

Definitely, Maybe - Not bad for a chick flick. Definitely had its moments.
Spiderwick Chronicles - I have to admit, this was better than the first Harry Potter movie...but will it be better than the book? I doubt.
Jumper - Much better than people made it out to be. Sure the acting sucked, but the story wasn't bad and the action scenes were pretty cool.

That pretty much sums up the weekend. Now I shall enjoy the residual effects of the 3 day weekend....the 4 day work week!

Happy New Year!

2008-02-05T11:07:00.000-08:00

Yes I realize I am a bit late ...or am I? Happy Chinese New Year! I haven't really been keeping this blog thing up to date, but whatever. Work has been crazy busy so far this year and I haven't really had time to slack off, sadly.

I've had some work drama that has caused me to hate this place even more, but it has since been resolved. Basically, I'm supposed to go to Boston for a conference in March that the office is paying for. I got a budget approved for the conference back in September which included hotel, airfaire, transportation, food, and conference registration. And about two weeks ago, my boss tells me that the office can't cover it anymore because the money just "isn't there." Obviously, I panic a little because I can't afford to spend a week in Boston on the crappy salary that I get paid. But anyway, to make a long story short, I had a meeting with the dean and miraculously, she found the money to be able to cover my airfare and hotel. Although it's not what I had originally planned, I am ok with paying for the rest of it. Beggars can't be choosers, especially when the main purpose of this conference is to find a new job.

So that is what has been happening in my life. Oh and btw, I don't understand why No Country for Old Men is getting SO MUCH Oscar buzz. It's NOT a good movie. I hate when there is so much praise for movies like this because it's obviously only praise for the sake of seeming hip and indie. Javier Bardem's acting was nothing special. Anyone can be stoney-faced and reticent. LAME.

ok that is all.

I love Christmas!

2007-12-21T09:39:00.000-08:00

Oh how I love Christmas. And it's not because of the gifts or holiday cheer nor the celebration of the birth of Christ. It's because I get a full week of no work. A full week of not having to deal crappy LA traffic. A full week of not having to deal with idiotic people who don't know how to do their jobs. A full week of not having to wake up at 7am. Oh sweet sweet Christmas.

On a side note, a big congratulations to JC and Glo on their new baby boy!

Tis the Season!

2007-12-14T09:51:00.001-08:00

Oops, I guess I haven't been the diligent blogger that I hoped I would be. Work has been super busy even though this is supposed to be our slow time. But anyway, nothing really interesting has been happening, but I do have a slightly amusing story.

So the other day, I went with some coworkers to shop for hideous Christmas sweaters to wear at our holiday party. While my coworker was purchasing her awful green sweater, her credit card wouldn't swipe because of some magnetic strip error. So the cashier takes her card and full on LICKS the card. Who does that?? Why in the world would you EVER lick a credit card, and someone else's credit card no less! It was one of those surreal moments that kinda just happen in slow motion. I just stood there and she licked a card and then had to look away because I was on the verge of busting out laughing.

So yea, that was my story. I ended up not buying a sweater because I wanted to check if my parents had one. And sure enough, my mom found a god awful black sweater with rows of santas and christmas trees adorned with little fake pearls for ornaments and little ribbons. It was spectacular and so embarrasing to wear. If only it was a contest to see who wore the most hideous sweater. I totally would've won. Oh well, at least I won a battery powered toothbrush from the raffle. yay.

Gobble Gobble!

2007-11-21T08:44:00.001-08:00

Happy Thanksgiving! I love this time of year. The holidays make me happy. It's the time of year where we eat lots of good food and get lots of time off work. Today, for example, I get off work at 1pm to kick off the long 4 day weekend. Four whole days of no work is awesome. It's a shame I'm still in school cuz I have to work on my final paper, but that's ok! no work! With each passing day, my desire to leave this place increases. But anyway, I hope everyone enjoys the weekend. It should prove to be a fun one. Annual Thanksgiving Drunken Fiesta! WOOOHOOO!

Completely Unnecessary!

2007-11-15T16:40:00.000-08:00

Sooo...tomorrow, we have this all day staff retreat/training at the Radisson Hotel. We were told that we could dress casual, and then we are informed that we can wear jeans as long as it's not with tennis shoes. Honestly, what is the point for us to wear dress shoes? I understand wanting us to dress up when we're in the office and have contact with students and/or parents. But when we're going to be out of the office without any contact with clients, what is the point? If you're going to let us wear jeans, does it really make a huge difference if we wear tennis shoes? Why dress up just for the sake of dressing up? The whole point of dressing up at work is to look presentable and professional for the people you are serving. Soo if we're not going to have contact with any of those people, why make us wear dress shoes? AND even if we do have some minimal contact with these people, they're not going to be like, OMG YOU'RE WEARING TENNIS SHOES! HOW DARE YOU!

this place is stupid.

You can't stop the beat!

2007-11-06T14:55:00.000-08:00

So I just got back from a weekend in New York. Many thanks Ms. Smileys for letting us crash at her place. Her roommates make me glad that I am not an i-banker.

We lived it up in New York and ate at some fancy shmancy restaurants and watched a couple shows.

Friday
When Wheelchair, Apricots, and I arrived early Friday morning we passed out at Smileys for a bit and then met up with Green Tea to eat pizza at the place that Peter Parker worked at in Spider-man 2. After spending the afternoon walking around in Central Park, we met up up with Smiley and her bf at this Korean restaurant near Koreatown. Much to our surprise, we were joined by marathon runner Justine, who we have not seen in literally years. It was really nice to catch up with her. After dinner, we went to a bar in Seaport near Wall Street, had a few drinks, and called it a night.

Saturday
We went to lunch at the Burger Joint at the Parker Meridian. It seemed like a really random place to have a hole-in-the-wall-ish type burger place, but it was really tasty. After that we walked around the MOMA for a couple hours. I am so not the artsy fartsy type and it is beyond me why a giant piece of square canvas painted completely white is considered art. Honestly...who couldn't do something like that? But it was cool seeing some famous artwork like Van Gogh's A Starry Night. At night, Scuz and I went to watch Grease. I've never watched the movie in its entirety but I thought the musical was ok. I shall have to download the soundtrack. After Grease, we met up with everyone else in St. Marks for the food and booze and some pomme frites. Tasty.

SundAy
Sunday was our fancy shmancy, livin' it up in style, day. We had brunch at the Blue Water Grille and then watched Hairspray, which was surprisingly good. After Hairspray, we ate dinner at Morimoto's which is the restaurant of some Iron Chef dude. I'm not usually a fan of super high class food because I don't tend to find the price worth it for the small quantities, but this place was quite delicious. We shared some really good appetizers and I had a kobe filet and hamachi salad for my entree. Everything tasted amazing and it made me wish I made enough money to eat like that everyday.

Monday
Didn't do much on our last day. We went to the Mac store and played with some computers and then ate lunch at the Gramercy Tavern, which was ok. I had an expensive pulled pork sandwich which was just eh. After that we went back to Smileys and packed up and got ready to go.

All in all, it was a very fun and pretty relaxing trip. It ended up being a lot more tame than I thought it would be. I thought for sure we'd end up needing another wheelchair or something, but alas, no. We had to settle for Scuz overflowing the toilet with kleenex.

I don't visit other states often, it's pretty much just New York and Vegas, but when I do, I always think about what it would be like living outside of California. The more I think about it, the more I want to venture out and just be on my own for a year or so. Although I don't know if I can be as brave as Green Tea and just go and see what happens, I definitely want to look for jobs outside of California just to see what it's like living in another state. And the more I think about it, the more I want this year to go by faster so that I can get my Masters and leave my job. I can't wait until I go to Boston in March and really begin my job search.

Big Apple

2007-11-01T12:24:00.000-07:00

Start spreading the news...
I'm leaving TODAAAAYYY
I want to be a part of it
NEW YORK, NEW YOOORK!

Woohoo! Taking the red eye out to NY today! I'm in desperate need of a vacation. It'll be really nice to get away from work and school for a few days. Hopefully I'll be able to get some rest in, but usually our vacations end up being more tiring than work. Still, it shall be good times.

Bad Dog!

2007-10-29T16:30:00.000-07:00

http://www.koreus.com/video/owned-chien.html

I saw the signs...

2007-10-26T16:38:00.000-07:00

So I don't really believe in astrology and all that mumbo jumbo, but I still find it interesting to read and see how accurate they really are. Check your own free astro chart and see if it's true!

http://alabe.com/freechart/

Mine's like half true...

"With your abundant energy, you enjoy being outdoors, and you should be attracted to physical exercise or to those forms of sport which can help you burn off some of that excess energy. "

That is definitely the opposite of me...

Food Dilemma

2007-10-26T12:47:00.001-07:00

Sometimes I actually miss dorm food and having a meal plan. Having to decide what I want to eat for lunch every is such a chore. I never crave anything. It was much easier to have what I ate everyday decided for me and already prepaid for. Life was so much simpler back then. I need to work somewhere that has a cafeteria. OR if only USC offered employee meal plans and not grossly over price them like they do with tuition. OR if only I wasn't too lazy to bring my lunch from home. Oh well, McDonalds again! Mmmm...chicken nuggets.

Stolen!

2007-10-24T16:54:00.000-07:00

Someone stole my name! http://freystyle.blogspot.com! No wonder I couldn't use that URL when i set up my blog!. freystyle is MY name! and she stole it just to post ONE measly entry. Give me back my name!

Inspiration

2007-10-23T11:55:00.000-07:00

So my buddies, Tubgirl and Mama Glo, have inspired me to blog again, even though I have nothing remotely interesting to write about, but whatever, if you're bored enough to be reading this right now, you'd probably find anything interesting! Work has slowed down quite a bit and I find myself needing something to occupy my time and distract myself from the drudgery that is my job. I'm not too sure how often I'll be updating this. I'm sure the newly revived novelty of blogging will wear off quickly. But until then, I will make you even more bored than you were before you started reading this! haha sucka!

Until next time, here's a Dilbert comic to keep you entertained.