the sun distracted me
I had two classes today. After my first class, I had a leisurely lunch outside with my Asian girl posse and then went to meet up with another girl to talk about a Saturday event I'm helping out (I know, i need to stop committing myself to stuff!). I had about 5 minutes to get to my 2pm class so I ran (just like high school!) to the 4th floor to find my class. I wasn't familiar with that floor of the public policy bldg so I wandered around a bit. I finally found the room, but when I looked in the window, I saw a class still going on inside. I stood out there for a minute, then I pulled out my folder to look at my schedule.

Crap. I thought my class class was at 2pm. When I checked my schedule it said the class actually started at 1pm. Oops. Awkward. Normally walking into classes late is not a big deal. But today was the first day (when the prof goes over important details about the course) and this class was not a class in my graduate department so the professor might not be very sympathetic. On top of this, the class was a really really small seminar that runs for 3 hours. I managed to slink into class as a girl was walking out, however everyone stared at me, including the professor, who was in full on lecture mode. I sat down next to a girl who whispered to me "THIS is a public policy class" with a tone of "You're probably in the wrong class missy". I whispered back "I know" and promptly found another seat closer to the back of the class, tripping over other people on my way back. Oops, my bad. After lecture, I went up to the professor and apologized. He seemed cool about it, though. I also told him I was an urban planning grad student which he seemed to like. Apparently there seems to be some kind of 1-2 student urban planning quota he likes to fill in each class. I was thinking about dropping this class, but it looks like I will stay in it since he now knows my face. Yay for me and urban planning.

urban planning nerdiness
I'm celebrating my last free evening before spring quarter begins. Minsoo is already heading toward finals and I'm just gearing up to kick ass on yet another quarter.

I spent a few days last week doing wedding stuff up north and managed to squeeze in a little "nerd time" with my urban planning buddies. We took a tour of Chinatown and met briefly with the tenderl0in neighborhood development center to get some info. The Chinatown tour was awesome -- instead of being filled with the usual stuff about where to get the best back scratcher and char siu baos, we got to see SRO low-income senior apartments, ghetto housing projects, the "new and improved" alleyways, hear about tenant rights protests and learn the story about those cool crosswalks and the four-way stops for pedestrians. It was Chinatown, planning style. We were giddy nerds walking through the streets of San Francisco after the tour. We also went down to the 'loin, where we walked by some guys who mumbled "You Chinese, Japanese, Korean (insert unintelligible slur here)". It's weird how segregated the city is, especially since it's so small. Anyway, I am once again blessed to be in an academic program with people who actually care about improving communities and enjoy the same nerdiness as me. I also appreciate the pseudo-family we have amongst the Asians. Nerds Unite!

It's really hard to plan a wedding and be the all-involved student. I am finding myself pretty frustrated with wanting to take advantage of the grad school opportunities while trying to take care of myself and plan the wedding. Ugh. There are definitely good days and bad days. It's sort of bad when the things that seemed like "work" is the wedding-related stuff and the "fun" is the school stuff.

daily transit report
It makes sense that I should update my comings and goings as the blog is titled "Wai-Ling in transit"....

Today:
Went to campus and turned in my final project --- yay, I'm done with winter quarter! I also picked up my yummy loan check. The guy at the counter gave me a funny look when he examined my drivers license. It felt great. Lately no one has questioned the disparity between my DL and my current "Look" which means that yes, indeed, I have morphed into my 16-year-old self.

Went to minsoo's place and watched 3 hours of Al1as. Vaughn's dad and evil orphanage woman and nadia -- whoa. Also, the guy who played Frank, his dad's friend, is an instructor in our department and someone I say hi to on a regular basis. Ha!

Was supposed to meet up with old crazy roommate(see 00-01)/high school friend and another high school friend who is in town for a physics conference (yes, PHYSICS) for a chill evening. However physics friend was staying downtown and wanted to go to theStandard... the upscale bar that is apparently so cool their sign is upside down. Ooooh. So I went home to pretty myself up, met up with old crazy roommate for dinner before heading to downtown. We waiting in line for like 15-20 minutes out in the cold until I decided that we couldn't "waste the pretty" (my new favorite line from my new favorite book) waiting in line behind some lame-ass republicans complaining about how homeless people should help themselves (I am freakin' not kidding, is it 2005?). So we headed back to the hotel bar (a hotel that was being picketed by labor a few months ago - ack!) and had a drink. I spent the next couple of hours nursing a huge glass of merlot and debating the validity of organized religion and had to somewhat defend it, even though it has been lame recently (i.e. the crappy republicans co-opting the religious right -- YES I SAID IT FOR MY REP. FRIENDS. It's true, you know it. Hannah, back me up here). It was very exhausting and at the same time very exhilarating to have a real conversation with real friends about real stuff.

Anyway, now I'm back. It's late. Sorry this is practically intelligible and very biased. Actually, I'm not sorry. If you are offended -- SUCK IT! It's my blog. Don't read it. There, I said it. Oooh that feels good.

only 25%???

You Are 25% Normal (Occasionally Normal)

You sure do march to your own beat... But you're so weird, people wonder if it's a beat at all You think on a totally different wavelength And it's often a chore to get people to understand you

How Normal Are You?

I am done with my GIS project!!

YES.

ain't nobody dope as me, i'm just so fresh so clean
know you think i'm so sexy, i'm just so fresh so clean

ain't nobody dope as me, i'm just so fresh so clean
i love when you stare at me i'm just so fresh so clean

i just did the running man.

the end of the quarter is near
and i'm doing the usual studying. Phew, I'm tired. I have (yet another) new roommate. So far, he's a great roommate. He's clean, studies hard and I've even caught him washing my dishes. Awesome. He's in the running for my best roommate ever. No joke. I know, I know, it's been less than a month, but I can usually tell if a roommate is going to work out within the first few weeks. So far, so good. I will report later on.

I can't wait for spring break. I'll be up in the bay area, doing the wedding thing and hopefully meeting up with my classmates for some Asian Am non-profit stuff. Ugh & Yeah! (Ugh for the wedding stuff, Yeah! for the Asian Am stuff)

he's just n0t that int0 y0u
This is the phrase that I've always wanted to say to my friends (and wished my friends said to me) when asked for advice about a guy. Apparently there's a book out based on that s.a.t.c. episode where carrie's bf blurts this nugget o wisdom out while the girls are trying to figure out why one of their dates never called back. This book looks awesome. I know, I know, I'm not single, but it looks like one of those tell-it-like-it-is books that you wish you had when you're hanging out with the girls. I haven't read it, but the bits and piece I've read through the reviews looks like it has some pretty good advice.

Take the first page, for example:
Ch 1: He's just not into you if he's not asking you out (wai-ling: "preach it brother!")
sub-heading: Because if he likes you, he will ask you out

Excerpt: "I hate to tell you, but that whole 'I don't want to ruin the friendship' excuse is a racket...And please don't tell me he's just 'scared'. The only thing he's scared of --and I say this with a lot of love -- is how not attracted to you he is."

Oh dude, such truth. I may just pick it up so I can have sermon up in here!

bleeding dude at starbucks.
Tonight, I spent an exciting evening at a random starbucks in LA with the Chious. Toward the end of the night, a guy walks up to Eric and asks to borrow his phone. I was busy working on my computer at another table so I wasn't really paying attention. I looked up as Eric was dialing the numbers and I thought, hm, that's funny, he should just let the guy dial himself. Then I looked at the guy and did a double take --- the guy was bleeding pretty profusely. It looked like he had some kind of neck injury. Shirley handed him some napkins to wipe up the blood as the dude talked on the phone. Everyone sitting at the tables near us is staring at the guy. Bleeding dude spent a few minutes on Eric's phone, drops of blood falling on the ground near our tables, then leaves. Creepy. I kept trying not stare at him, but I couldn't help but look at this guy bleeding a few feet away from us. All the possible scenarios raced through my head. Was he in a fight? Was it a gang fight? Was he being attacked or the attacker? Was he by himself when he was attacked? Is someone still after him? Is his injury gun-inflicted?

Anyway, the weird scene of the dude bleeding at starbucks creeped me out. I drove away and got kinda distracted. I ended up taking the long way home and decided to drive through Beverly Hills and the nicer part of town, trying to shake off the weirdness of seeing the bleeding dude. I definitely could never be a doctor (although even Eric was weirded out by the situation). I am weak sauce.

yummy
i had my two favorite ice cream flavors today -- pumpkin and green tea! not at the same time. they were serving up pumpkin at the campus coffeehouse and i had some green tea gelato at home after my long day. my stomach isn't feeling too hot, but it's a risk worth taking.

[commercial break: oohhh today is international women's day. celebrate being a woman or any women in your life! keep working for justice, equality and peace my sisters! for all you loser men out there, go out and get a good one. stop sitting on your ass. you know who you are.]

fresh and meaty
...describes my weekend. It's also the name of a burger joint in south central that I went to today with my co-workers. The name makes me giggle.

I ate a lot of meat this weekend. From my two trips to all-you-can-eat korean bbq to the fat burger i ate today, i'm feeling a little bit anti-meat. It's weird when you burb and you still kinda taste the meal you ate a few nights ago. Nas-tay.

They finally paved the road outside my apt. It was gravely and filled with potholes for weeks because they tried to pave it a month ago and only got as far as tearing up the street before the floods came. There's a smooth layer of fresh pavement. Mmmm, fresh tar.

My acne is letting up. Maybe it's because yesterday was my half birthday. Yes, I'm now 26 and a half.

*two seconds after i posted this, i looked in the mirror and saw a large red mark on my forehead. gggrrrr!!*

too much coffee...
... but some really good times. Unha/Couscous/Kristina is in town so we went for some yummy korean bbq. Yes, if you just read my last post, you'll see that I went out for all-you-can-eat-makes-your-clothes-stinky korean bbq with Dave earlier this week. I think I will stop eating meat for a little while. Anyway, afterward, we went back to the Chious for some coffee. Now it's almost 2am and I'm totally awake. Good times with good friends. Note to self: no coffee after dinner.

AAAAAGGGGGHHHHHH. It's about 4.5 months until the wedding. CAN YOU BELIEVE IT? I'm freaking out. There's so much to do. It's driving me crazy. I'll fill you in on a little secret. I've created a new blog to cover my wedding stuff, since it must be soooo boring to read about it all the time. badasskungfubride.blogspot.com. Beware, it's dedicated to my wedding rants, enter at your own risk. You've been warned.

it's 12:05 and i'm tired. but here's an update:
- midterms and project suck! one more to go tomorrow.
- still have 16-year-old acne. ew.
- faf... sucks! the financial aid form was due today! so i did it in the morning at work and kinda guessed on the numbers. you don't really have to do it exact because you can always adjust it. after doing the form, though, i realized that my taxes are going to be a beast and a half. grrr.
- speaking of boring math... davidhan, human calculator and third member of my posse is here --- YAY! the old crew is back -- me, minsoo and dave -- and also messy! yay for us!
- went out with school friends on tuesday night for my friend mary's b-day. it ended up being an all asian posse, but it was cool. they got to meet my angryasianfiance. i think one of them was pretty "star" struck. haha!
- my new roommate has moved in. he's cool. hopefully not psychotic. he's very clean and not gross like my other boy roommates. I broke my vow never to room with males until I'm married. This guy was the only candidate that I knew and since I could probably kick his ass in a brawl, I thought, eh, let's try it again.
- went to look at suits/tuxes at a shop this weekend. sales girl was so unhelpful. decided not to go with the matching cumberbund/vest/tie/hankerchief in fuchia/red/stripes/sparkles/you get the picture. KISS - keep it simple stupid.
- was able to introduce my classmate to BubbRub -- whistles go woo woo!! it's only in the morning.
- ligers story still makes me laugh. i just think about it and it makes me laugh.
- i'm sooooo full. spent time with three of my favorite korean items: bbq, beer and minsoo. ew, that was cheesy. sorry. ooooohhh and i had green tea ice cream. is this heaven?
- blllllllarrrrrrrggggggggg. that was the sound my stomach is going to make tomorrow morning when it realizes what i've done.

Ligers in Simi Valley???
... Or at least that was one of the possibilities, according to a guy from the park service. I heard the story on npr (go to their website and search for simi valley) and busted out laughing in the car on my way to school. Hi-laarrrrious. Apparently ligers are real. Who knew?

I just spent 12 disgusting hours in the computer lab at school. I had a GIS project due so I missed my classed and hid in the lab with my classmates, frantically trying to get it done. I thought I was almost done last night, however I showed the TA my project and he said I needed to add another map. I would have broken down had it not been for the fact that I was surrounded by my Asian gang, I mean, posse. They were working feverishly so I didn't feel alone. One of the girls was still working on her project while people were presenting their projects. It was crazy. Anyway, I'm done with my two main midterms. I have one more project due next week... and then finals. Wow, this quarter has flown by.

Also, maybe it's stress, but I am battling a never-ending case of 16-year-old acne. People think look young now, not because I'm short or dress like a kid, but because of the revival of adolescent hormones. It's gross >:( I just want normal 26-year-old skin!!

i don't want to be a hater, but...
There's this guy in my class who kinda creeps me out. I've noticed that he is very good friends with the Asian females in our class. He is white. I don't think I've seen him with anyone else except for the Asian women. He sat next to me in class tonight for the second time in a row. There's always another Asian woman sitting on the other side of him, so I just assume that he's sitting here because he's friends with the other girl. He's very friendly toward me and I feel weird for feeling weird about him, but it's weird, right? I think I'm like the only Asian girl who hasn't befriended him. I think I'm avoiding building a relationship with him based on principle, because the guy is really nice. Wow, I'm a horrible, horrible person.

...I am a hater.

rooster, you suck
It is the year of the rooster, an apparently "bad" year to get married.

Because of this, I am refusing to celebrate Chinese new year. I think I already failed to do the many traditions attached to the new year so I guess if the bad luck comes, it comes.

It sort of annoys me, though. Like I don't have enough to worry about without people telling me that this is a bad year to get married. I don't mean to make this a big deal, but I'm in no mood to hear this. I've already expressed my desire to elope several times this month.

Wedding planning is sometimes fun. But most of the time, I think it's sort of like being in expectation hell.

reconnecting with the outside world
I think I've been writing some pretty self-absorbed posts lately. My whining gets old, so I guess I should move on to more interesting topics.

I've been interning at a community organizing group in South (Central) LA. I know, I know, I'm working in the "ghetto". It's actually kinda safe because there is nothing going on there. No real retail, no real jobs, nothing. Anyway, I attended a community leaders meeting a few weeks ago and got to meet the people who live in the area and other economically challenged areas in LA. I'm normally stuck in the office doing research so it was great to meet the people who go out and make the change happen. I had a great time. One of the members was this old man named Juan, whom I paired up with during our ice breaker activity. He didn't speak much English and I understood very little Spanish. It didn't matter, because he still talked my ear off about how long he'd been involved with the organization and other details that were completely lost on me. At the end of our introductions, he grabs both of my hands and starts shaking them and smiling at me. This small gesture made me feel really welcome. It was weird because I felt like I stood out so much among this group of leaders. My ethnicity, my age (it was mostly older people), being a new intern and even my class status made me feel different. Despite my obvious differences, everyone was so friendly and welcoming. One older Spanish-speaking woman asked what I was and when I told her I was Chinese, she hugged me and began rattling off some story relating to this fact. It was great to be at this meeting, even though at the time I was totally sick. I was reminded of why I am interesting in doing the work I do... the people. One of the downsides about being in school again is that I feel sort of out of touch with the outside world. This meeting helped me reconnect.

my computer is back. i hope it doesn't break again.
i'm getting better, which is good.
i have a lot of work.
my internship is going well.
that is all.

sooooo.....
sick. I caught a gross cold from a wedding-planning-related stress-out session, a classmate who kept coughing my way and the coldest computer lab known to man (aka my school's lab). Ugh.

computer update. The old one is back but i'm too sick to go down to RB to get it. ugh.

rant about stupid computer and BB
I am writing on a "borrowed" laptop from BestBuy. My little S0ny is once again in the shop. This is frustrating not only because one of my classes is 100% computer-based and I haven't had my computer for more than like 5 days this month, but also because I've been getting the run around from the beginning... Not only did the store not fix the computer the first time I sent it in (the weekend before Finals), but the second time they had it, they took it for 3 weeks and failed to notify me that it was completed by the second week. I waited an extra week for my computer until I finally called the 1-800 number. A few days after I got it back, the computer wouldn't start. I brought it back and they started it and said I had viruses. I went home, reinstalled the anti-virus and it didn't do a whole lot. This is when I noticed that 1. My keyboard was warped and curved up by the delete key, 2. my touchpad clicked the mouse everytime i pressed the space bar or typed any keys near the bottom, and 3. my power adapter was dying. I was up in LA so I went to another BB to get a power adapted and was told that I had to call the 1-800 number. Okay. I called the number this morning and they told me that I needed to go into the store. Hm. So I went to another BB and they said they had to put in a work order and THEN I could call the number. Unfortunately they couldn't put in an order because my old order (you know, when my computer was in the shop for 3 weeks) was still "active". Instead, I would have to go down to the store by my parents' house and get them to close it because they don't do it over the phone. So I drive down to my parents' house, pick up my mom so she can give me some moral support, then go to BB 30 minutes before it closes to demand they give me a new computer. Of course they don't, because they won't replace until the 4th time you bring it into be serviced. The guy says that I can "buy" an open box laptop and then return it for a full refund when the computer is fixed. Uh, okay. So this is what I did. Yes, if you had the patience to read all of this crap, you must be as frustrated as I am right now. GRRRRRRRRRR!!! I'm just glad that I did some of my classwork this weekend instead of waiting until the week. I guess I know by now that worse case scenarios can happen.

Anyway, at least I have a computer. Minsoo says to look on the bright side: At least I'm one more service order closer to getting a replacement.

some good stuff and some things to think about
Today was my 11-hours-at-school day. I came home AFTER scrubs was already finish (boo!) and watched some bad tv with my roommate. However, I happened to catch the Da1ly show and guess who was on... Jim Wallis, editor of Sojourners -- my FAVORITE magazine. I couldn't believe my eyes. Wallis has a new book out and I guess he was doing his plug on the DS, which is awesome since I love the DS and Jon Stewart (another so-dorky-but-so-smart-and-therefore-so-cute tv personality). They totally had some good chemistry, too. I wanted to cheer everytime Wallis answered a question. Sometimes I feel like he says almost exactly what I'm thinking about in terms of faith and politics. Anyway, after a long day, it was nice to end it with the J0n Stewart and Jim Wallis, two of my favorite smart men.

Lately, the whole tsunami aid thing has been bothering me. There just wasn't something right about the whole aid situation. I mean, yes, it's a tragedy and there are countless lives lost. It's a horrible disaster and I'm glad people are helping out financially and the stars are showing up to sing a few songs on a telethon. Still, I couldn't articulate my discomfort. However, here's an article about the disparity between the US aid provided to tsunami victims in Asia and the lack of aid provided to African countries (like Sudan) who have or are currently experiencing genocide. This is what I've been trying to say... We need to help out those in need, but how come we don't do it all the time? Why are some disasters more worthy of attention than others? Do we need catastrophic natural disasters to bring us to the point of caring about human suffering? Why do we not stand united when entire races of people are being murdered by other people? I am not saying the tsunami is not worthy of the aid it's been given, but what about the other atrocities happening around the globe? Are those dying children less worthy?

http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/commentary/la-oe-george16jan16,1,1100605.story?coll=la-news-comment-opinions&ctrack=1&cset=true

yay for the sun
The weather was beautiful this weekend! Unfortunately, I spent the weekend trying to figure out a huge computer assignment I had due tomorrow. I know, it's week two and already I have tons of work. Anyway, I spent 10 hours stuck inside doing the dumb computer assignment (no, my computer isn't fixed yet, I'm borrowing my parents') today instead of enjoying the weather outside. My only consolation was the warm breeze wafting into my apartment from our sliding glass door. I don't think I've opened that door since September. Anyway, it's January and it's warm enough to wear flip flops. Once again, gotta love So Cal.

boo computer!
I'm going on my second week minus my laptop and it's killing me. One of my classes is a computer-based class and so I'm basically screwed as I haven't completed the 7 chapters of work I have due Tuesday. On top of this, I just broke my backup CD that I created the first time my computer died. This is totally my fault, though. Minsoo complains constantly about the way I treat CDs. This is notable because 1. I am usually pretty good about taking care of my things, almost anal, and 2. Minsoo NEVER ever complains about my habits. I know that I'm careless, but I've never broken a CD... until just now when I broke the most valuable CD I have. Ugh. Let's just hope that my computer gets fixed without wiping out the hard drive.

Anyway, boo for computer woes! Gah!

long day
On Tuesdays I have 8.5 hours of class and am on campus for almost 11 hours. It's ridiculous. On top of the crazy long day, my last class doesn't end until 9pm -- when Scrubs is on tv! It takes me about 20 minutes to get home and I don't have a VCR! What to do... what to do...

I have to take a really useless professional development seminar as part of my internship. I think it might be helpful for those recent grads trying to negotiate the "working world", but for those of us with more experience, it's kinda insulting. Anyway, at the beginning of class one of my classmates asked me where I was interning. When I told him, he says to me: "Bastard! I KNEW you would get [insert name of organization]. Oh man! I mean, congratulations... that's cool." Another classmate was listening and was like, "Oh, YOU got it?" I laughed and was sort of affirmed but felt sort of weird about it. I feel good that I got one of the "coveted" internships, but it's sorta weird to get such strong responses. I also feel like I need to do really well in the internship so that I can live up to the hype. It was weird to be called a bastard, but in a good way.

Vegetable of evil
Minsoo, messy, the Chious and I went to eat dinner at a Thai place that boasts a "Thai Elvis". I'm not kidding. Anyway, I was looking forward to some good food and weird karaoke-like singing because it would make for a interesting blog entry. However, this experienced was usurped by what I will now refer to as the "vegetable of evil." Two bites into my meal, I bit into the MOST FEROCIOUS PEPPER I have ever tasted in my life. I was drinking some yummy sour and spicy soup when I mistook the "vegetable of evil" as a harmless green bean. The soup was a little bit spicy and oddly sour so I ate the "vegetable of evil" assuming it would dull the flavor a bit. Oh my goodness. I couldn't figure out why the soup became so spicy as I crunched into the bean. I almost swallowed the bean, but then realized something was terribly wrong. When I finally spit it out, I saw the little seeds and put two and two together. I am probably the most weak sauce when it comes to spicy food so it was really painful.

I hope that I either swallowed the rest of the spicy remnants or spit it out. My throat feels sort of sore and my tongue does not feel so hot either. Why do hot chili peppers look like green beans? Why? Why? Anyway, singing Thai Elvis became sort of background noise to the taste of burning in my mouth. So sad.

tooth
I went back to the dentist to get a filling and ended up getting a crown instead! Ugh. Not only is a crown totally expensive, but it's a major procedure. My teeth feel funny right now. This is not a good thing.

grrrr
I am writing from my parents' computer. My other computer died -- AGAIN!! I am so mad. Once again, it's perfect timing. Classes start tomorrow.

oooh two posts for the price of one
so po'
Once again, I cannot afford the 'or. It's so sad and shameful. I spent a long time on the phone with my bank as they explained why I'm so poor. It was depressing. At one point, the guy on the phone tries to strike up a conversation with me. I was so depressed that I couldn't even engage in a normal convo. And as I think about it now, I sorta think he might have been trying to do some Asian-bonding or something. Here's sort of how it went:
bank guy: so let's go through your recent transactions.
me: uhhh, okay...
bank guy: [going over the transactions one by one] so hold on a minute, let me pull up the rest of your records
me: yeah, um, okay...
bank guy: so can I ask you, what ethnicity is your last name?
me: uh... Chinese
bank guy: do you speak mandarin? Cantonese?
me: uh... no, not really. wish I spoke Cantonese better... uh... [still sort of shell shocked from my lack of funds.]
bank guy: Oh, because my mom speaks...[blah blah blah some Asian languages blah blah blah] and I go with her instead of my dad [blah blah blah Asian food blah blah blah]
me: [silence.]
bank guy: so let me pull up your records.

So I guess I wasn't very nice, but I was so preoccupied and nervous about my brokeness. Looking back at it, this also creeped me out because the guy went over all of my bank info and then wanted to connect with me. Hey buddy, you just saw how broke I am, please, let me have a few moments of silence to commemorate my lost funds. We've already connected, bank guy. Anyway, I'm ringing in the new year broke. Yay for me. Can we register for dolla billz?

new years eve
is one of the most overrated holidays. It sucks because everyone asks each other about NYE plans, but no one ever seems to have any really concrete plans. So then, there is an assumption that everyone must have holiday plans, which I never seems to have. My holiday has consisted of driving from SJ to LA with the 'rents. I also just spent a couple of excruciating hours at my cousin's house, trying to ignore the tension that permeated the house. Icky family conflict put me in a horrible mood. So now I'm sitting here, in my kitchen, waiting for my apple cider to chill (we gave the last bottle of wine to my cousin so now I'm left here at home without drink), watching tv. Another year gone.

Merry Christmas!
I don't think I spent enough time this season reflecting on the goodness of Christ's birth. Hm. Anyway, right now I'm trying to block out my mom's voice by playing minsoo's Christmas mix from 2002 or 01. The Lakers are playing the Heat, Shaq got kicked out of the game and they're in overtime. I think Miami won because my mom is going mm-mm, in that non-approving mom-way.

I'm going up to Northern Cal next week to do a whole mess of wedding stuff: picking up my dress (!!), registering, having my BMs try on their dresses, checking out some Cheongsams in Chinatown, seeing photographers... phew! I'm tired just thinking about it.

Have a great day celebrating!

grades are in
hee hee hee hee hee.... I'm having a nerdy "little 9-year-old girl with big glasses who likes summers because she can join the library book club" moment. Not that I've ever *ahem* had this moment or anything.

why I love "1nside the Actor's Studio" on Brav0 and ZackBraff(not together, separate, but still loved):
The Simps0ns are on. Not the animated characters, but the actors that do the voices on the show -- in their character's voices. Hi-larious. Hank Azar1a is doing the voice of Apu now.

ZB's Christmas post on his GS blog is Hi-larious. His final greeting: "Just say no, stay in school, and nobody puts baby in the corner, Peace and Love, ZB" His new year's resolutions include "laughing at babies who are late walkers." Oh the sarcasm makes me swoon. I have a new crush that I can add to my "nerdy movie stars that are funny and smart" list. Move over J1mmyFallon.

*sigh*
Yes, the quarter is over. I worked hard, met some cool people and learned some cool stuff. I also found my long-forgotten high school nerd persona. Yes people, the overachieving study nerd is BACK in full effect. I've rediscovered the art of studying, an activity I used to reserve only for reading week when I was at NU.

Anyway, a few celebrations are in order:
1. My computer is back and doing alright. Yay! (too bad it died the week before finals)
2. I'm going to pick up my wedding dress in 8 short days - Yes!
3. I got an internship for the winter at an awesome progressive non-profit. Oh sooo cool, you have no idea. Probably the coolest organization I've worked for.
4. The quarter is over.
5. It's freakin' WARM - like 80 degrees. And it's December 20th.
6. I slept for like 11 hours last night. Sleep rocks.

I am in a good mood.... today. *finally*

one of those weeks
Final number 2 is over... I just spent over 9 hours finished up a group project due tomorrow... I have a paper and another final AND an internship fair on Friday. I can't believe it's only Tuesday. I'm so tired. Monday's final only took me 4 hours (we could stay 8 if we wanted) and today's final was the hardest but I managed to leave not feeling too bad about myself. Our groups project kicks butt so I'm feeling pretty good about stuff in general, but I am feeling the burn. I don't think I've ever had such a productive finals week, but I am sooooo exhausted. Just waiting for Saturday.

the worst day ever
Okay, so I'm exaggerating. Sort of.
Today I turned on my computer and got nothing. No sound, no whirring, nada. It was plugged in, the green light told me the power was surging through the battery, yet my little computer did not fire up. I went to Best Buy (yay for 3-year warranties) and they told me that they'd have to send it out to be fixed... for 2-3 weeks.

Um, hi it's freakin' finals week next week. I have a data for a group project and a group memo on my freakin' hard drive.

This is when I brokedown and cried at Best Buy. Not my finest moment, but you know what? I'm sort of used to crying in front of strangers. It's kinda cathartic. I also went home and cried on the shoulder of my dad, which I haven't done since I was like 5.

My cousin is an IT director so I drove to his work and he took my computer apart and helped me back up part of my hard drive. Laurence saved my ass, not unlike how superchoong saved minsoo's awhile back.

My computer is now in the hands of BB, my school-related data is backed up and my parents loaned me their laptop. It's okay, it's okay.

Thanks to minsoo who, once again, sees me at my worst and still manages to want to walk this journey with me.

Bring on finals. Nothing like a crisis to remind me that I am not in control, even though I try so hard to be.

urban planning relates to real life
My prof has a parking meter in his office. No,really, he does. I went in for office hours and it was sitting on his desk. I think I am going to burn a copy of the meter song and attach it to my last assignment. If he likes it, maybe he will consider it a little "extra credit" *wink wink*. Hey it doesn't hurt to try.

I went to another prof's office (I was makin' the rounds) and it turns out her sons went to my rival high school and her cousin was one of my club advisors. Small world, sort of. I don't think I've talked about high school rivalry since I graduated from high school. It's weird being near home, where people actually know your 'hood. Speaking of the 'hood, this little house a few doors down from my parents' place sold for 1.5 mill buckaroos. Can you believe it??? Housing prices are ridiculous. A lot of my classmates are studying "affordable housing," as if it's an ancient concept. I guess it is in this area.

wow, i'm probably the only one that thinks this is hilarious. how sad.
My applied econ prof makes us write responses to the weekly readings and post them to a general message board that everyone reads. Tonight is the last time I can post a response, but right now I'm so brain dead that I can't think of anything appropriate. The last time I wrote notes late at night I refer to that "p1mp my ride" show... not quite an academic piece.

The only urban planning related thing that i can think of right now are the lyrics to a funky song that minsoo made me listen to... it's called "money in the meter"... why does this relate to urban planning? My prof constantly talks about parking meters and parking lots and the evils of the automobile (this is la, after all). I think he thinks cars are the work of the devil and that we as planners should work at making drivers pay for the real costs they impose on our streets and air. I'm beginning to believe him. Anyway, when I first heard this song, I thought it was the funky version of my prof's lectures... for those of you not familiar with this piece, here's a sample:
"put your money in the meter, stay for a little while, (stay, stay....)
i know just how to treat you, know how to make you smile,
put your money in the meter, stay for a little while (stay, stay...)
i ain't here to cheat you, you know that ain't my style..."

I think this song is about a booty call, but if you take it literally....
The song makes me laugh because I keep imagining my 60 year old white prof getting down and funky with the song. He loves metered parking so I am convinced this is his anthem. I'm considering burning a copy of the song and giving it to him. I'm delirious. I need to sleep.

put your money in the meter... stay for a little while.... (stay! stay!)

i need winter break.

why being sick on Thanksgiving sucks: An essay by wai-ling
[warning: post is filled with complaints.]
Being sick on Thanksgiving sucks for many reasons. However, I would like to focus on why being sick during the Thanksgiving holiday is even worse, for me at least. Holidays are family times when you eat until you think about throwing up. Sometimes this overindulging is a good thing. However, the throwing up part is not. I say this because the real tragedy of being sick this holiday season was enjoying my pumpkin pie and then... um, not enjoying it, if you get my drift. In case you haven't been reading or haven't been around me in years, you might not know my obsession with the orange vegetable (fruit?) that is THE PUMPKIN. I love the pie, the ice cream, the sorbet, the bread, the jamba shake... I could go on. In conclusion, I think that being sick sucks in general, but being sick during the most important dessert holiday of the year is possibly one of the worse things, second only to war, AIDS, starvation and Bush in office. The end.

happy thanksgiving.
i'm sick. no thank you minsoo. i feel like crap.

apartment disaster deja vu
I came home tonight and had a Deja Vu moment. Well, sort of. After a marathon study session at the Chious, I came home and noticed IT. A big wet spot on my ceiling and a corresponding spot on the wall just above the floor.

Yes, a watermark on my ceiling. Hm, remind you of anything? Unfortunately, the concept of water leaking from my ceiling and onto my shoe rack (which was, coincidently, the very same spot that the water cascaded through my ceiling just under two years ago) brought back horrible memories of the fire department, hysterical crying and asbestos. I called the 24-hour maintenance line and asked them to send someone over. Aw hell no. Not again. The maintenance girl came over and told me that someone will come by tomorrow morning. Um, that was not helpful at all. I'm kinda nervous about this considering the fact that there's some droplets of water in the outlet below the watermark.

I keep telling myself that there's no way history would repeat itself, right? I mean those type of disasters aren't common occurences, right? Right? RIGHT?!

studying has opened up a whole new world
My first quarter of grad school is almost over and I am starting to feel the burn. I'm tired all the time, starting to fall asleep during classes, worrying about all of the projects that are due. You think I'm complaining, right. Actually, school is pretty dope. I keep telling Paula how amazing it is... when you actually study. I think I studied a total of 2 weeks per quarter in undergrad. I'm really enjoying being fully engaged all quarter. I am still behind, still stressed about assignments, but it's all under control. I sort of wish I didn't have to plan a wedding right now because I'm actually enjoying academia and I wish I could be more involved in school stuff.

Anyway, I'm tired and I can't wait for winter break! Whew... in the meantime, still scouting out BM dresses and having mild breakdowns about wedding crap. Who knew I could think about color schemes for months on end and not come up with anything? Weddings, schmeddings.

On a funny note, one of my classmates found out that Angry AM is my fiance. He was like, 'whoa, that guy is famous! I read his page everyday!' He was rather impressed, which made me feel a little weird. Proud, but sorta weird. My classmate also "warned" me that his girl friends were "jocking" (by the way, I'm still not totally clear on this definition) minsoo at a conference he went to a few weeks ago. I told him to spread it around that AAM is TAKEN!

less political stuff for you weak-hearted (just kidding)
I saw the second Bridget J movie last night with paula han, jt and susan shaw. It was like a seeing the first one again, only this time Bridget goes to Thailand (insert Thai prostitute stereotype here)! It was funny and cute and I generally had a good time (except for the Thailand part), but I still like the first one better. Just to make sure, I watched it last night, after I got back from the movie. And then I watched it this afternoon, you know, just to make sure. I recommend watching the second one if you loved the first one or if you haven't watched the first one in awhile, because it's pretty similar. I loved the second book that this sequel is based on, but it was such a crazy story that didn't translate well to the movie.

I need to see Garden State because the soundtrack rocks. That Zero 7 song was used in another indy film starring two roommates and a pair of nunchucks... hmmm.

Pumpkin season is almost over. :(

Wedding planning sucks sometimes (and lately all the freakin' time), but hearing about friends and families' engagements are awesome --- 2 more next year, including my cousin's wedding in HAWAII! I am so there.

dial up
i am using dial up right now. this is all i can type... too... slow...
4-day weekend coming up! If I can get by tomorrow without the prof calling on me...

not sure about being moded, but sorta felt like it
Today I was talking to our department advisor with a classmate of mine and all of a sudden, they start talking about some event my classmate attended. As I stood and listened politely (feeling very out of the loop) suddenly it dawns on me: I know what they're talking about. They're talking about the scholarship I didn't get because of, ahem, my little outburst of emotions. And then I remember that I knew this chick got the scholarship (we're both Asian and in the UP school, total "demographic twins" only she worked for a senator's office and knows the freakin' president of the organization giving out the scholarship).

She was talking about the fancy (read: Issac Hayes and Angela Bassett were there) event honoring the recipients. DANG IT. So I felt awkward because I'm listening to them talk about a scholarship I didn't get and I'm wondering if they knew I was one of the finalists but I don't know how to insert myself into the conversation and ask about what they're talking about. If I do, what the hell do I say?
Scenario A:"Oh yeah, I didn't get that scholarship" (insert nervous laugh here) which would probably stop the conversation? Or...
Scenario B: Do I do a little recap of my crying session where I pound on the table and tell 'em what pisses me off? Or...
Scenario C: Or do I just stand there and feel crappy about myself?

Yes, of course I chose option C. [Option D would have involved me shouting "NO FAIR YOU GOT SCHOLARSHIP!" And stomping away like a 2 year old. So mature and professional!]

Anyway, it made me feel a little moded. It's like standing there next to someone who got something you didn't because you messed up and then you get to listen to them talk about how cool it was. Oh wait, it wasn't just "like" I was standing there... I WAS standing there.

Once again, another Monday, another vent.

I am a sucker for Extreme Makeover: Home Edition. The show gives me tingles inside that almost make me forget about the sad state of our nation. Other than the fact that abc and the other sponsors are making a killing off of ratings and advertisements, it warms my heart to see something so positive. I watch it every Sunday night and without fail am drawn to tears of happiness. Minsoo and Messy laugh at me, but who wouldn't cry? You have no heart if you don't at least get misty eyed when those families see their house for the first time. It gives me a little urban planning moment when people really react to the built environment around them. Anyway, I thought I'd shoot the breeze about tv so that this one post wouldn't only be about our sad sad state of public affairs.

Special shout out to those, especially minsoo, messy and hannah yu , who remind me that i'm not the only one who cares about this crap. It's nice to log on and see some good opinions. No offense to those who write about their trips, etc. but dang it, sometimes you need a little time on the soapbox. Props to hannah who keeps it real in the DC rice fields.

I'm glad I believe in Jesus because even though Nov 2nd was a sad, sad day, there's still hope in Him.

is the word "co-opted" too strong a term?
Overheard at school: "There were two main groups that were supposed to help decide the election: the youth and the evangelical Christians. What happened to the youth?" Hearing this kicked my ass like no other. Despite the fact that I am no longer in the MTV demographic, I still consider myself down with those who heeded the "Vote or Die" message from P-Diddy. However, I also consider myself an "Evangelical Christian." Or do I? I am proud to be part of the contingent who went to the polls to vote their "morals". However, I am appalled that I am in the minority 25% of this group who did not vote for Bush. I am sickened that faith has been so warped in this election and this past administration. It offends me that someone has co-opted my faith. I'm not saying that Christians need to vote Democratic, green or even Peace and Freedom. I'm just saying that voting your faith is not as black and white as it's painted out to be. If you feel that God is neither a republican nor a democrat, go to www.sojo.net. It's for Christians who believe their faith is about social justice and doing Jesus's work, regardless of party affiliation.

addendum
Vote for Kerry. Especially if you're in one of the 9 battleground states. I actually don't think I know anyone in the swing states. Vote for Kerry even if you consider yourself "conservative" whatever that means... I'm not even sure I'm that "liberal"). It's okay, I won't tell. Kerry is actually pretty conservative too. Vote for Kerry even if you've always voted Republican. Dems don't bite. A little motivational story: my dad is a staunch republican and last year's election he voted for Nader. You too, can vote outside the party lines. If anyone knows my Dad you know that he's not super liberal. In fact, he listens to (gasp!) talk radio on the AM dial. If my dad can do it, so can you!

I just erased my serious and passionate arguments for and against the candidates, because I know that most of you have already made up your mind. I definitely have strong opinions so I'll just stop there. Vote your conscience. No matter what happens we all need to pray hard.

everybody's doing it...
Tuesday is election day. I know there are a lot of apathetic people out there, especially young Asian Ams. Please pass the word along to your friends to go vote. Even if all they do is fill in the bubble for president, it still counts. I know there's a lot to vote for. I spent hours with some friends going over all of those dumb, sketchy propositions and I still wasn't sure how to vote.

Public Service Announcement: If you get there and they don't have your name down or something like that, you can request a provisional ballot. This way, your vote will still count and they'll figure it out later. (I've done this before) It's your constitutional right!

Also, if someone asks you to take a survey, do it. I'm going to be one of those surveyers.

Vote. It's exciting. I want to sound all open-minded and understanding, but seriously, I will be disappointed if you don't. People in other countries would die for the chance to vote in open elections. I'm sure there will be a long line, but it's worth it. Ooh I'm so excited, I'm so excited.... I'm so.... scared.

election time!
One of the local news stations was "reporting" (I use this term lightly) that the upcoming election is so controversial people are afraid to talk about politics in public. I know that this topic is thought of as highly taboo at places like job interviews, formal gatherings and sorority rush, however, I think it's LAME that the media thinks a "politics is taboo" story is actually news. Come on, that's the oldest cope-out in the books. I feel like it perpetuates the "I'm staying out of it" mentality that causes many people not vote, citing reasons like "I don't like either of the candidates". Dude, ONE of those stinkers is gonna impact our lives, whether it be through taxes or war. There are other candidates on the ballot, go vote for them and tell the government you think these candidates suck. I want to rant more, but I'll stop and let Hannah do it because she's better at it.

Hey, if someone asks you to take a survey as you're exiting the polling place, do it. I'll be at one of the polling places surveying so think about me when you say yes.

I just got my rock the Asian vote t-shirt... got a couple of positive comments (even from non-Asians!).

Also, a mini-celebration -- got a good grade on my first grad school paper! I also get to waive a mandatory (but non-credit) writing class that all masters students have to take. Yay for less class.

for lack of a better blog topic
i am a band ... not really. But if I was, this quiz says I'd be:

You're in touch with the world, and you have a very
strong opinion on things like politics and war.
Even if you do end up changing your image in
the future, most of us will still like you.

What band from the 80s are you?
brought to you by Quizilla

ripped a new one (sort of)
I think I'm sort of weak sauce when it comes to speaking up in class. This is probably one of the main reasons why law school was never an option for me (even though I think some lawyers can really make a difference in this world, more so than urban planners). Today the professor picked on my reading response (which we have to post each week on a class website) to basically diss my proposal. I made some idealistic suggestions and some wrong assertions and he called them "laughable." He even asked another student about something I wrote and she laughed out loud, just to prove the point. Ouch. One of the girls tried to defend me, but by then I felt like hiding under a rock. I'm sure most people would brush it aside, but dude, I'm still bruised from the whole experience. I'm sure no one in the class will remember this, but class participation is a huge fear of mine, no joke. I can speak in front of large groups, give trainings to groups every week, but participating in class discussions are a huge weird phobia. I'm sure you're all saying "then why are you in school again?" Yes, that is a good question. I feel like crap.

Don't mind my complaining, just needed to get it out.

why is my life so action-packed?
Another exciting evening... I spent the evening at a starbucks with Shirls and her neighbor "studying" (read: talking in front of our open books). Procrastinating with friends, just like the old days. We were all Korean-Chinese couples so we were comparing the cultural differences. Gave me a lot to think about.

Side note: it's really stormy out... lightning and thunder... scary!! It's pouring!! Crazy. Isn't it too early in the season to be raining?

maxing and relaxing
It's the end of week two and my first paper of the season is finished! The next one is due next week. I celebrated today by not studying, but I feel sort of guilty. I don't think I started studying until at least week two of the quarter in undergrad. NU really let me slide through the cracks.

Went "Chinese dress shopping" aka driving-around-san-gabriel-looking-at-sketchy-chinese-dress-stores today. I'm glad my parents aren't stuck on Chinese vendors -- those cheesy wedding photos are too much. The posed, foggy shots in the oh-so scenic garden doesn't work for me. They actually sort of scare me. The photos make everyone look really white and ghost-like. Creepy. After today's excursion I know where NOT to go for wedding stuff. I'm also convinced that I can not only make my own Cheongsam, but my bridesmaids dresses as well. I know I can't sew, but dude, it angers me that I'm knowingly leading my loved ones into wasteful spending.

I'm sitting here on a Friday night watching TGIF on channel 7. I haven't done that since the Perfect Strangers, Full House and Family Matters days. I think I'm going to go out hunting for pumpkin ice cream.

my advisor blues...
I've been having a difficult time tracking down my graduate advisor. Today he totally stood me up because he got stuck in a meeting. I felt sort of rejected. Luckily, I saw my "nice white girl friends" as I was entering the computer lab and their sympathy made me feel better. I really enjoy my grad school pals. I feel sort of un-diverse because my favorite group are the angry asians with the cool glasses. I think there are about 4-5 of us A.A.s with those dark glasses. There are actually two other girls that are about my height and sort of tan like me. One is Vietnamese, the other is Thai. I think I found my angry pan-asian american girl posse.

On another note: It's pumpkin ice cream season. I'm going to have to retire green tea for the rest of the season.

I found a wireless signal in my apartment tonight!

elimination
I've been really disturbed by an advertisement that I've seen posted around my neighborhood: "Accent elimination: speak American standard". Why does an accent have to be "eliminated"? It seems to imply that accents are bad and that there is a need to get rid of an accent. What kinda messed up xenophobic attitude is that? I'm sure some might think I'm overreacting, but whatever -- That's racist! My mom took English classes when she was younger to minimize her accent because she was afraid she wouldn't get a good teaching job if she didn't. When I was younger, my friends used to be "impressed" because my mom's English was so good that she sounds like a white woman. At the time I was like, yeah, she's cool. If I was to respond now, I'd be like, you think just because my mom's Chinese she can't speak English properly? That's racist!

Accents are cool. I wish I had a cool one, like my roommate Frenchie. I think it would be hotter to have a British or Australian one. I think accents increase the "hotness" factor (hotness can be described using the following example: Michael Vartan is hot even though he doesn't have an accent). If I had an accent, I think I'd be more bold and talk more in class because I know that even if I didn't say anything intelligent, people would think, "Wow, I want to listen that Asian British chick talk all the time." My 12-year-old valley girl accent just doesn't cut it. I suppose I could develop an affectation. I'm really horrible at accents in general, so I'm sure I'd sound like a linguistic nightmare.

It's the end of week one and I already have two papers due --- ack!!!

...NO...
I feel dumber after listening to Bush speak at tonight's debates. I'm glad I don't watch a lot of his tv appearances because his speaking ability reminds me of the scene in Happy Gilmore when Shooter McGavin says to Happy,"I eat piece of s*** you for breakfast" and then Happy asks, "You eat s*** for breakfast??" Shooter can only reply with a lame second of silence and a flat "NO."

Bush = Shooter.

Today was my first day of class. My classmates have already confided in me which students annoy them: The wise-ass older student who thinks he's really funny and the prissy fake white-washed Latina. It's going to be an interesting quarter.

summer is officially over
The reality of school sunk in this morning at 9am when I arrived at the math/econ review and was promptly presented with a 2 hour math exam. Blah. Lucky for me, I'd been reviewing some math concepts I never thought I'd use again (p.s. who actually uses logarithms in daily life? please show yourself... i thought so... NO ONE!). It was like a high school moment after the test when I stood in the hallway and began comparing notes with the other students ("What did you get for???) All I need is my heavy backpack and I'll all set. Grad school, get ready, high-school wai-ling is BACK IN ACTION.

The afternoon econ section was crazy because half of the class are econ whizzes and the other half have no idea what is going on. I am partially clueless, but not totally challenged, thank goodness. At one point, a guy raises his hand in frustration and says "I'm sorry, I just don't understand. I can't even formulate a question to ask, because I don't even know what is going on right now." I felt really bad for him. I think a lot of the other students felt bad too. One awesome thing about this program: The people seem really nice and willing to help each other. It made me all fuzzy inside.

Anyway, I'm boring you. I know it. Wedding... then school. No more crazy roommating stories (just yet, anyway)... no more crazy work rants.

Once again... in transit.

am something of a genius in the bouquet-making department as well
I am ridiculously proud of myself. As part of my "not-getting-ripped-off" wedding campaign, I decided to try and make my own bouquet as well as potential bridesmaids bouquets. Yesterday afternoon I went to Costco, picked up a $13 bunch of roses, some floral tape from Michaels, and set to work. Check it out (the roses opened up more today so it looks even fuller than in this pic, taken last night!):


my 16-rose bouquet!

Cathy
... Is my new favorite comic strip. She and I are leading parallel lives, both planning our weddings. (Yes, I know she's a cartoon.)

Check this cartoon out: http://www.uclick.com/client/sea/ca/2004/09/09/index.html

We have the same fiance! http://www.uclick.com/client/sea/ca/2004/09/10/index.html

Many of our recent conversations have followed this same pattern: http://www.uclick.com/client/sea/ca/2004/09/11/index.html

I am a bridal lunatic.

$315 oil change
A simple free oil change, that's all I wanted. I went to the dealership at 7am this morning and was first in line to get my quickie oil change, a complementary one for being a first-time customer. I waited an hour until the mechanics actually started working and when they looked at my car, they found that the drain bolt had stripped the thingie (so technical, I know) on the oil pan. They tried to put some kind of stuff on it to make it better, but it needed to be replaced. UGH! Once again, spending money I didn't have. My dad (who went with me) was not pleased when I told him I used to get my oil changes at the local jiffy lube. Yeah, my fault. At the same time, I could not help thinking that the dealership was ripping me off. Grrr.

The only thing that made me feel better was watching a video clip of Michelle Malkin getting the smack down on Hardball. That woman is INSANE.

nasty carpet and other jabaggetti
Tonight is the first night I am sleeping at my new apartment since I "moved" in. I've been sleeping in the den at my parents' house for the past week or so (minsoo and messy are my parents' new sons and thus occupy my sister and my bedrooms). I'm staying here because "French girl" aka "Frenchie" aka Carin arrived today straight from Paris. It'll be interesting to have a roommate I don't know... oh wait, I think I've done that once ... or twice .... or many times.

Some recent observations:
- My apartment has some nasty carpet. It's the type where you want to keep your shoes on. No matter how much you vacuum, it still feels sorta funky under your feet.
- I scanned through the resident names in my building. I would say 75-90% of the names are Asian. Ghettoized as usual.
- Frenchie is tall. I feel like a midget next to her.
- Driving on the freeways and LA roads in general is slowly turning me into a potty mouth. I need to work on this.
- The nasty apartment carpet is really bothering me. I need to write about it again. There's a funny stain in the middle of the "dining" area. What the crap is that? I think it was there even before my roommate (not frenchie, the one who's in Chile for 3 months) moved in a few years ago.
- I get a random wireless connection in my apartment! He he.
- We get free cable in our apartment. I am off my cable hiatus. TLC, I'm back! Did you miss me?

yay for labor day and random things that make me laugh
I am a banana!
My spoon is too big... my spoon is too big.
So shine a blah blah blah da bus rider...
Pork chop sandwiches!
I'm a computer... stop the downloading!
Perestroika
Frenchie

I am 26 today.

back at home
It's been almost a week since I made the move down to LA. I've been slowly unpacking, spending time in "the office" (aka my dining room aka the wireless computing hub where minsoo and messy hang out) and making the trek up the dreaded 405. Well, not exactly. I've decided to somewhat boycott the evil road by taking city streets up to West LA. It turns out that it take me about the same amount of time to get to my apartment from my house on city streets. Ha ha, 405, I got you.

Along with settling in, sleeping in, reading some books and hanging out with the boys, I've decided to follow sarah's lead and hold a garage sale to make up for my dwindling finances. Yay, I guess.

Guess what? I might not have to go to math camp, the refresher course that Urban Planning students take to pass their placement exams. It turns out that the admissions committee recommended this course for "certain" students and I guess I'm not one of them. I think I'll still need a refresher, but at least I won't have to pay money to spend the next two weeks in class.

My roommate is moving out of our place next week and a girl from France will be joining me in my apartment for 3 months. I will update you on this potential distaster.

That's it. Sort of random, I guess.

back home
So I'm here in LA... I spent this afternoon unpacking my apartment even though I will be spending most of the next week or so at my parents' house. I wish their house was closer to school. It's so nice here. It's cool having minsoo and messy at my house. It's more fun. I think our neighbors were a little weirded out when they arrived on the scene. It's a close knit community and we're one of the few Asian families on the block. They probably thought that the guys were cousins or new arrivals from the motherland. My next door neighbor thought that there was a whole group of guys staying here because David and Jason drove down with me last week. Bringin' some Nor Cal flava south.

Today I picked up some summer reading books. I felt like I was back in high school when I was an eager beaver student. Let the nerdiness begin.

more closure
This is it. My last official day here. I'll be returning this weekend to clean my apartment and tie up some loose ends, but this is it. Yes, and the reminiscing begins: Almost four years ago I drove up here in my little broke-down civic, with all of my possessions piled high, hoping for good things. Things haven't always been good, but God has always taken care of me despite it all. Returning to LA brings a lot of closure to many parts of my life. I want to go into it now, but it's late, I'm tired and, to be honest, I haven't processed it all yet.

So anyway, it's not "Good-bye, bay area," it's "I'll see you soon."

signing off from the bay area...

some closure
YAY!!! I bought it. If you don't know what "it" is, you need to read my recent posts. I've heard tons of horror stories about the whole process, so let's all just pray for a smooth delivery. Whew!

Packing is happening, but very slowly. I think I'm sort of rusty at it. I pack one bag or box and then I wander around my apartment, discontent with the messiness, until I give up and start surfing the web or watching Olympics. This process is fairly similar to the move-out process after college. My parents had to pack me up because all I did was putz around and reminsce while my family packed up my belongings.

Right now I'm fairly frustrated because nothing fits nicely into boxes anymore. Usually, everything has a box and/or are already packed and ready to make a quick exit. I guess it's gotten harder to make a quick exit. Does that mean I am actually used to living in northern California? Is all the gripping about no beach being replaced by memories of good times in the 'jo (pronouced "ho", my nickname for San Jose)? Better get packing.

more babble
Phew... what a crazy week. I spent 4 (count 'em 4) days straight of wedding dress craziness. Today, I think I found it... or at least, today I *think* it's THE dress. Tomorrow, who knows? I promise I'll stop talking about soon, I promise.

On another note, I had a fun time at my non-profit's fundraiser last night. We held a happy hour-type thing at a club downtown. It was fun to hang out with co-workers, people in the program and the usuals. Some of our board members and some of the people in the program bought me drinks to send me off, which was really nice. Ahem. Note to self: after a few too many beverages, I make a lot of "notes to self." Thanks to the Hahn/Hans (hee hee, we all brothers) for hanging out later.

Watched Princess Diaries 2. I would say it was a big waste of money, but I did a little bit of sister (in-law) bonding, so it was well worth it. Only for Hannah and Sarah.

4 more days until I move! The packing craziness begins.

i think i'm going wedding dress crazy... another rant
Today, I joined ebay. I haven't purchased anything (yet), however, I registered myself and even began to inquire about certain items (*cough wedding dresses cough*). I'm determined to get a good deal, even if drives me crazy.

Today, I also almost became a craigslist buyer. I went to try on a dress and actually liked it. I also really really liked the couple that was selling it. They were supercool and I almost wanted to buy it based on their coolness. They talked my ear off about wedding stuff and were totally sweet about giving me advice, even showing me their wedding photos.

On Wednesday I took the Yu sistas and the two Jesses (my sister and Hannah's old roomie) to the WEDDING GOWN SUPERSTORE. I say that in all caps because it just sounds large and very grand. It wasn't that large or grand (kinda ghetto), but I did get to try on a few gowns. Sarah was the lucky sister to help me put them on (jess conveniently passed on the duty -- what a great maid of honor) and the other girls gave me their critique from the weird "stage" they set up at the gown store. [note: I am writing this at 1am and there is a tow truck dropping off a car on the street. It is so loud. It is 1am for goodness sake!!]

Observation: There are a lot of REALLY UGLY wedding gowns out there.. and a lot of desperate people trying to sell their really ugly gowns.

wedding gown rant
Like most excited brides, one of the first things I did after I got engaged was hit the dress shops. At first, it was fun: Dressing up and then running home and printing out the photo of "The One" to show to my friends. Now, almost two months later, I'm already disillusioned and kinda burnt out. I spend way too much time on bridal websites, craigslist and flipping through bridal guides and mags looking at those white dresses. After awhile, they all blend together. Then my eyes roll back into my head and I start to mumble under my breath things like "hmmmm organza."

Dress shopping has become sort of heinous for several reasons:
1. The high probability of rip off: cheap dresses are sold for thousands of dollars to hungry brides, bridal shops price gouge like crazy and I've heard wayyyy too many horror stories about dresses gone wrong.
2. Trying on nasty dresses. I spent a horrendous afternoon with my mom trying on really dirty sample dresses at some really sketchy wedding shops. I'll spare you the details, I'll just say that I felt sort of slimy at the end of the day.
3. Too many choices. Beads, organza, satin, a-line, mermaid, sweep, cathedral, blah, blah, blah! Every time I went to a shop, I left wanting a different style dress. It also doesn't help that each dress store has a different selection and always claims they don't have the dress that I like but "can order it" for me. Did I say bridal shops are sketchy?

To sum it up, the whole process is whack. Does anyone know of a cheap seamstress or can teach me to sew?

I probably need to go on a wedding dress hiatus.

my icky big toe
Whew, I've been busy... sort of. I celebrated the anniversary of my car crash (and the one-year anniversary of no major personal disasters -- a big deal for me) on Friday by getting part of my toe-nail removed. Yummy. What started out as a pick-me-up pedicure 3 weeks ago, turned into the infected big toe from hell. I went to see my doctor on Friday and the nurse promptly informed me of my ingrown toenail and sent me to the minor injury clinic where the doctor dug into to remove the nasties. I have this fat bandage around my right toe and I have to soak it 3-4 times a day. Note to self: will save money and do my own pedicure for wedding.

Minsoo is leaving on Tuesday. I'll be joining him toward the end of the month. The countdown begins!

page 287
In the newest Ikea catalog. Notice the names written on the green wall. I'm not sure what the entire names are, but it's kind of uncanny, don'tcha think?

books that make me go hmm
It takes me a long time to go through really powerful books. I still haven't made it entirely through The Best Democracy Money Can Buy (so many amazing details that sometimes depresses me about the state of American politics), never finished Tuesdays With Morrie (cried too much) and still have not finished Knowing God (the IV-must-read). However, after about a year of on and off again reading, I'm almost done with Jonathan Kozol's Amazing Grace. It's a book describing one of the poorest neighborhoods in NY and in our country. It's so compelling, but I found myself stopping because my heart kept breaking.

When he's not recalling his meetings with community members, he's summing up his views on what's going on: "So as long as the most vulnerable people in our population are consigned to places that the rest of us will always shun and flee and view with fear, I am afraid that educational denial, medical and economic devastation, and aesthetic degradation will be virtually inevitable; and this, I am afraid, will be the case no matter what the individual or even shared achievements of small numbers of good human beings who are infused with the essential heroism of the people I have described. So as long as there are ghetto neighborhoods and ghetto hospitals and ghetto schools, I am convinced there will be ghetto desperation, ghetto violence, and ghetto fear because a ghetto itself is an evil and unnatural construction." - This is one of the passages which inspires me as I enter grad school. It's not just about building up communities -- it's about undoing oppression and following Jesus's footsteps.

yay for patty!
I went to patricia and mike's wedding this weekend in toledo, ohio. Toledo reminded me of a mini-Milwaukee which reminds me of a mini-Chicago. Eh, it's the midwest -- it's all the same. I can write this with boldness now that I'm not around my mid-west friends. I realize that I totally diss their 'hood all the time. I try to hold back when I see them, but it all just comes spewing out. I have too much California pride. I guess to be fair, I am equally as critical about California and probably more. Come on, we elected a stinkin' action hero as our governor!

On another note, there's a lot to be done by the end of the month and I'm getting a little stressed. I think I'm just tired because I've been on 6 flights in the past few days (3 going, 3 returning). Yesterday I was on a plane or in an airport for over 12 hours. Nasty.

Anyway, I digress. Patty's wedding was so cute. I started crying 15 minutes into the ceremony. I don't know how I'm going to get through mine. Her reception was awesome because it was at a museum (think college formal). We all had a blast and it was great because her (and Mike's, I guess) personality was reflected in everything from the music (cheesy) to the table centerpieces (stuffed animals and botan rice candy). My friends and I put on the temporary tattoos we got in the candy boxes. Then we went on a simulated roller coaster ride. Wheeeee! It was like being a kid again. It was so cool to see Patty all married and stuff. I had a great time except for the fact that minsoo was not there. Yay for Patty and Mike! I remember telling Patty that I thought that her mate would be totally in love with her. After hearing the speeches and reading the novel aka the wedding program, this was the one quality about Mike that was very evident. Yay, just the way it should be.

i hate lactose and lactose hates me
I think I need to give up my green tea ice cream obsession. After Sunday night's indulgence, I felt horrible at work on Monday. I left work slightly early because I felt so bad. Why, oh why must you tempt me so, green tea goodness? 

My stomach felt better after I went for a mani-pedi with the girls from church. I've never been one to get my nails done, but I wanted to go and see what all the hoopla was about. Despite my horror at having some strange lady touch, scrub and dig at my feet, the whole spa pedicure thing was pretty nice. The whole process really relaxed me and even helped my quesy anti-ice-cream stomach. It's nice to get a little pampering once in a while.

This weekend: the last wedding of the summer! It's only July, but I feel like I've been to a lot of weddings this year. Minsoo and I are actually invited to two weddings this weekend so we're each going solo to one. Can't wait to hang out with the ladies this weekend.

i thought i'd lost you
Last week I searched for it in my freezer and couldn't find it, so I thought it was all gone. I couldn't remember finishing the sweet goodness off, but I didn't see an empty container in the trash (and I looked). I didn't want to blame my roommate, but I was perplexed because I am anal when it comes to the status of my green tea goodness.
 
Today my green tea ice cream showed up in the fridge, hidden on my roommate's side of the freezer, probably behind her frozen food that she'd finished yesterday. When I found it, I pumped my fist and whispered "yes!" to myself. This is a Godsend in so many ways. It's like 85 degrees in my apt so it totally hits the spot. I also just came back from ransacking my friends' wedding stuff (yay for married friends!) and am now trying not to stress about spending so much money on my wedding. I'm glad that Pastor Frank's sermon was on Martha and Mary. It was a great reminder that's it not about ME.
 
Anyway, green tea goodness, I thought I'd lost you. (I am eating it as a type this entry.)

waving my fist
Working in a women's clothing store is sometimes like living in a pre-feminism time warp. I left work today feeling disturbed about several things. Here is my rant:
- Seeing all of these sugar daddies buying clothes for their "ethnic" women. I noticed that most of these cash cows were white men and all of the women spoke minimal English. I also noticed that outfits they bought were in the "slutty skirt" category (see earlier post). Yes, I joke about wanting a sugar daddy, but seeing it in real life made me feel icky in a "Me love you long time" sorta way.
- Listening to my female co-workers discuss Hooters and potential employment at the establishment. I could feel the blood rushing to my face. What made me even madder was when I made an anti-hooters statement, they both rushed to its defense. Come on women, don't believe that it's okay to be a part of their offensive marketing ploy for only so-so chicken wings. Oh no, I can't even go there today.
- Overhearing a mom say to her daughter, "It'll cover up all of your PROBLEM areas." Retail: It's all about teaching young women to feel good about themselves.
 
Oh gosh, it makes me so mad. So mad. I know that the guys HATE listening to my rants about women's issues, but I can't stand it. There's so much internalized and socialized oppression that we don't even know what to believe about ourselves. It's so messed up.

glug glug
This the sound that is being created as I drown in wedding reception site HELL. Okay, I won't go there today...
 
On a more positive note, I just came back from an A's game. My co-workers had a "staff fun day" where we tailgated in the parking lot and then went to the game. Tailgating is FUN. I ate like 2 hot dogs, yummy salmon that my co-worker marinated and grilled, macaroni salad, cookies, cheeze its and a few too many alcoholic beverages. After the game, we watched some fireworks and then we returned to the parking lot for our post party, where I scarfed down another dog and some more alcohol and cheeze its. Yummy. Tailgating ROCKS. I feel sorta icky right now, but it's a good icky.

trying to keep it light
I'm slowly turning into a wedding planning beast. Lately, most of the conversations have diverted away from the normal topics (ex. Poo & other bodily functions, haters, racism, the heat, etc.) and inevitably returned to the "big day." To all my friends that I normally hang out with (okay, so it's mostly just ooj): sorry.

On a more positive wedding planning note, I'm enjoying creating over-the-top (and never gonna happen)wedding scenarios. Of my favorite are the following:
- Groomsmen dressed up as various superheroes (with Pastor Frank dressed up as Batman)
- Bridesmaids dressed up like care bears and then doing the "care bear stare" as we exit the church
- Scrapping the wedding party altogether and instead having a team of Kung Fu and Tae Kwon Do experts do some martials arts down the aisle to signify the joining of two cultures
- At the end of the ceremony, the Hong Kong and South Korean flags being released from the ceiling and the two anthems playing, one after another, as the guests file out
- A gong. 'Nuf said.
- Hiring cute little Chinese kids (aka my cousins) to set off those cheap fireworks that you buy in Chinatown as we exit the church.
- Buying those Chinatown bamboo back scratchers as favors

*clunk* [dragging out my soapbox]
I "finally" saw Fahrenheit 9/11. Most of my liberal friends had already jumped on the documentary when it first opened, but I was too busy "being Monica". Now that my wedding binder is organized and I've had my first breakdown, I was excited to escape debates about guest lists or wedding dress beading and watch a movie on something more important.

It was definitely a Michael Moore movie so there wasn't any objectivity, but it was pretty satifying to see everything you already knew about the presidency and the past 4 years wrapped up into 2 hours. Slam MM all you want, there are some undeniable facts that make me sooooo excited to vote W out of office this year. One of the craziest parts for me to watch was when the representatives stood up and protested the results of the election. Seeing those people of color trying to advocate for the disenfranchised made me so sad. And people say racism is still dead. Puh-lease. If you all don't like Michael Moore's style, read Greg Palast's The Best Democracy Money Can Buy. Moore steals a lot of info from Palast's reporting and Palast also takes stabs at revealing dem corruption too.

As much as it's frustrating to see that often our votes don't mean squat when scary politicians work their "magic", I have to believe that if we don't get involved, we're doing just as much harm. Let me quote Paulo Freire again: "Washing one's hands of the conflict between the powerful and the powerless means to side with the powerful, not to be neutral."

retail
Yesterday was my first day at my new part time gig: selling clothes. I'm working a few hours a week at a friend's store to make some extra money for my wedding. Realistically, this money will go toward paying off my credit cards from my sad income taxes and helping to pay rent at my LA pad (aka grad housing) and my Campbell digs.

A few high(read:low)lights from my two days of working at the store:
- Meeting one of the tallest Asian girls I've ever seen. She's like one of those tree people in Lord of the Rings. Her legs are so long that she walks as if a big wind might blow her over. She's also one of the slowest co-workers I've ever met.
- Having both of my co-workers (one of whom is 16) look at me in disbelief when they found out (in this order) 1. That I was getting married and 2. That I'm going to be 26 this year.
- The brief moment when I actually considering buying one of those trendy mini-skirts and those 80's netted "sweaters". I can't believe I'm giving into the fashion slave gods.
- Being told that I was "very good at what I do". At first I felt the pride swelling up inside me. Then I realized that I just spent 10 minutes trying to sell an old woman some slutty skirts.
- The tagging thingie is my new favorite organizing tool. I have to admit that I felt a rush after tagging those $12.99 dresses. I'm going to be a pro by August.

my weekend
We had the big parents meeting on Friday night. I was super nervous, but it seemed to go well. Overall, I think that both of our parents came away from the dinner feeling positive about one another. One of the most embarrassing parts of the evening was when my dad started talking to Minsoo's dad about the origins of their name. My dad insists that Minsoo's name indicates that their family was Chinese. In turn, Minsoo's dad mentioned that our name is often associated with Koreans. Gotta love the ethnic pride.

And once again, there was another engagement party. This time, Minsoo's parents threw the party. It was festive and the food was good, however, I could sense that there were some parents in attendance that are slightly anxious for their kids to tie the knot. The pressure is on everyone.

Tonight I had an impromptu BYOM (Bring your Own Meat) BBQ at my place. It was nice to have people over and just hang out. All of the wedding celebrations were tiring me out, so it was nice to have a non-wedding-related event. We watched friends on DVD, cooked up some meat (note to self: BBQing bacon is a grease fire waiting to happen) and later on, the boys played poker. Once again there was a lack of another female presence which was fine (I'm used to it now), but it was no fun to ask the guys during their game about reception locations. Once again, I ask: Where are my girls at? Ladies in Chicago, Los Angeles, D.C., Madison, Boston, Texas, etc.: I MISS YOU.

yet more wedding talk
It's July 1st... over one year until I plan on getting married (the date hasn't been set yet, but July is probably the month) and I'm already feeling slightly crazed by wedding stuff. It's not that I don't love planning (oh, you know i do), but the wedding industry is NUTS. Flowers, printed invites, party favors, colors, bridesmaids dresses... and MONEY. It's all about money. Don't get me wrong, I want my wedding to be beautiful and cool, but dude, am I going to have to spend my first born child's college fund to get there?

On another note, I just bought the "So I Married An Axe Murdered" DVD. It's a mid 90s film with Mike Myers. Ironically, in the same trip I also bought 3 bridal magazines. I didn't do it on purpose, but it's sort of weird, right?

MIA
I've been so busy with work that I've barely had time to sleep let alone enjoy being engaged (which rocks, by the way, I recommend it). I think I'm getting sick too! Grrr. I'm very much behind on my e-mail writing and updating my pals on the new happenings. Sorry everyone, I really want to connect with you all but work is kicking my butt. Today is the graduation for the Americorps program I work for and then I'll be heading off to LA to visit the 'rents as well as celebrate and show off my new fiance and check out a potential apartment for next year. Then I will come back here and celebrate with the youngest Yu who turned 21 today. Woo wee.

wedding talk
My cousin's wedding was last weekend in Vancouver. She's my age so I anticipated the usual, "So when's YOUR turn?" To which I'd respond "Waa-tah!" and whip out my newest accessory. However, I realized that my cousin would probably murder me for stealing her day (She's sort of scary so you don't mess with her), so I kept it on the down-low. I revealed it to a few of my cousins and of course the word spread like low grade wildfire. I prefaced my secret announcement with the obligatory "I don't want to steal her thunder, so shhhh" but the bride found out anyway. Luckily she mentioned it at the end of the wedding and seemed happy about it so I avoided her wrath. I think my cousins are actually more excited about my wedding than hers. Maybe it's because hers was a dry wedding and mine, well, let's just say mine will be A LOT of fun. ;)

On another note, I have purchased not one, not two but THREE (count 'em) THREE wedding magazines. I have only been engaged for a little over a week. The madness has begun...

Travel update: Chicago, Vancouver... now back to LA next weekend. I'm so tired.

Shirley and Eric's wedding...
... Was beautiful. Shirley was a gorgeous glowing and happy bride the whole way through. She was the last one on the dance floor, and just seemed to enjoy every moment. Eric looked great as well and was just beaming as well. I almost cried several time during the ceremony, however it was Lowell's singing that got me going. He sang during the parents' appreciation time, which is always the most emotional. There were also a few funny moments, mostly related to what messy d refers to as the "jumbotron". The big screen for the projector made it feel like we were at a sporting event... or a forest, depending on which scenery background appeared during the ceremony. Weird.

The wedding cake was yummy. Good choice guys! Strawberries, some kind of yogurt and cream. Mmmmm. The speeches by the siblings made me very teary. Nakji's song was awesome, too. Overall, loved it. Loved celebrating with friends, loved seeing my friends get married and be so incredibly happy. Loved knowing that I'll get to spend time with the happy couple in LA soon. Loved knowing that they knew about my exciting news and allowed us to share the weekend with them.

it happened
I don't want to rip off other peoples' blog material and be unoriginal (I know, it's not fun to read about the same thing on everyone's blog...), but I guess I have to repeat the news: I GOT ENGAGED! Yes, you may have heard it from the blog circuit, so I'm confirming the rumor. We arrived in Chicago on Friday night for Shirley and Eric's wedding around 8:15pm-ish. The "plan" was that Beans would arrive slightly earlier, pick up a rental car, pick us up and we would head to the hotel where they were staying. We'd drop off their stuff and book it to NU to drop off some food for minsoo's sis, then arrive at a bar to be reunited with our NU crew. That was the plan I was given. Minsoo had something else brewing. So here's the play-by-play:
* We arrive a few minutes earlier than Beans and decided to meet him at the car rental place to save time. However we missed the shuttle to the car rental place. After what seems like forever (all of the other rental car companies' shuttles had come and gone twice and we were still waiting at our terminal), we met up with Dean at the rental car place. He looked so tired. But that was part of the plan, wasn't it beans? I feel a few sprinkles and I notice minsoo does not look pleased.
* We arrive at the hotel and check-in. Beans pretends to be so tired he crashes on the bed, bag still slung over his shoulder. I think he is super-tired so I go and wash up and change and give him time to sleep before we see our pals.
* After trying to wake our sleeping friend, minsoo and I leave without him and head toward NU.
* After a series of wrong turns, speeding, running through toll booths and making illegal u-turns, we finally arrived at NU to drop off food for minsoo's sister Sarah. We get a call informing us that Sarah is up at north campus and we have to drive through campus to pick her up. By this time, I am really impatient with it all and at one point, got mad because of minsoo's insistence on driving on the freeway (and thus getting us lost) instead of taking Golf (the one street I KNOW goes straight to campus) all the way to school. The sky looks angry, but not a drop in sight.
* We drive down Sheridan, the main street through campus, and I get all nostalgic. He takes YET ANOTHER wrong turn and drive by the Garrett Seminary instead of the dorm area on north campus. I am thinking in my head, can't this guy get it right??
* We circle around and he parks by the little chapel. He wants to go see the garden. I'm like, okay, it's gonna rain though and Sarah's outside, it's late and she's alone. Shouldn't we call her? Also, our friends are waiting for us at the bar and after this drive, I need a drink. I'm a little suspicious now.
* We walk behind the chapel and I see some little tea lights on the path. I say out loud, "Wow candles, I wonder why they're here" or something lame like this. I am humoring him. I'm still not 100% sure what's going on...
* ...Until we get into the main garden area. The entire path is lit up with candles, leading toward the end of the garden where there's a stone bench-like set up. On the stone bench are tons and tons of white candles of different shapes and sizes. I can'te believe it. Minsoo drags me toward the bench and I keep saying "Oh no, oh no"... not that I'm unhappy, it's just that this is FREAKING UNBELIEVABLE.
* I start crying just past the sundial, halfway toward the bench because I say, "What's going on?" and minsoo says, "What do you think is going on?" I don't like that question!!! The sky is crazy... thunder and lightning and lots of clouds.
* We get to where the candles are, he speaks for a little bit and then gets down on one knee and proposed (in telling the story 20 minutes later to my friends, i totally forgot this part!). Yes, the water works are going. No, it is not raining, the water's coming from my eyes.
* The ring is beautiful. I'm crying. I call my family. Minsoo gets the video camera, his sister and her friends (who set up the whole deal) come running into the garden.

It was beautiful. Magical. So special. Besides getting engaged, the best part was being able to celebrate with our friends afterward. I showed up at the bar, waved my hand and the tables went crazy. It was so nice. It was what I wanted a proposal to be like. Thank you minsoo, it was so special. Dang it, now I'm gonna cry...

plans
Tomorrow I'm heading out to Chicago to catch up with friends. I will be invading Tricialae's place (see places i visit) so maybe we'll post our antics during the weekend. Happyleep and Couscous will be in attendance along with many other peeps. I guess this is sort of a useless post. Peace out. Talk to you when I get back.

i don't think crying will get me money for school
I'm back from an unexpected trip down to LA. On Wednesday, I received a message confirming my interview for a scholarship/internship program in LA on Saturday. Huh? Apparently they sent me an e-mail congratulating me on getting an interview for a scholarship and sent me all the info, but I didn't get it. Luckily Ooj wanted to drive down anyway, so we booked it down to LA on Friday afternoon/evening. Ooj got to talk sports with my mom (sidenote: I discovered that my Lakers-obssessed mom decided that having ESPN, ESPN2, Fox Sports, and all of the other sports channels wasn't enough for her so she subscribed to the NBA channel. Enough already mom!). Luckily he didn't see the alleged "Zoolander" photo of me as a baby. I'd never hear the end of it. We played a good game of 20 questions on our way home. Some of the answers included Samir from Office Space, Gareth from The Office, Carol Baik aka new baby and A.J. -- aka stank juice from pho place.

The scholarship interview itself was probably one of the weirdest experiences of this type that I've encountered. One minute, one of the interviewers is asking me questions and the next minute, I'm crying uncontrollably. It wasn't because he was being mean or giving me hard questions. I think it's a combination of me being confused about what he was trying to ask me and a combination of getting worked up talking passionately about the issues I care about. I did a fair amount of banging on the table and using the word "pissed" (only after the interview said it, though). I've been reflecting on it since Saturday afternoon and am still baffled as to why it took such an unexpected turn. Why am I such a freak?? I guess if I get the scholarship I'll know exactly why I got it... and if I don't get it, I'll know EXACTLY why I didn't.

Next weekend: Chicago! Can't wait to see my buddies.

yes, 4 years
It's 11:56 pm so I better finish this post before the date logs me on June 4. Today marks the 4-year anniversary of me and minsoo, partners in crime. Lately I've been getting a lot of "When are you getting married?" questions. Instead of the common, "I don't know, sometime soon" response, I've thought of a few potential (and more creative) responses:

A. None of your beeswax.
A. Give minsoo thousands of dollars and we'll get married whenever you want us to.
A. Hey, look over there, isn't that the guy from Alf?
A. Oh, I'm not really dating him. He just follows me around.
A. When everyone stops asking us when we're getting married.

So you can ask us when we're getting married, you just might get one of these responses. ;)

just work stuff
Just finished another 13 hour day. I don't mean to complain, but dude, I work a part time non-profit job, not a full-time high paying job! Tomorrow I'm going back for another one. We're in recruitment season so we're doing group interviews to pick out the people we think might be a good fit for our leadership development program. One part of our group exercises involved the "Next activity" aka the "Silent activity." We tell them that we're going to begin the "next activity" and then we leave and they have to figure out how to use that 10 minutes. Some people have gotten angry that we just left them with no direction and others didn't notice we were missing and kept chatting to their friends. It gives us an opportunity to see what people do when they aren't given direction. It's sort of messed up, to be honest.