Mondays usually suck but today was a thoroughly bad Monday.
I opened up my work email box this morning to find that a grant proposal I had submitted was rejected. Then, later on in the afternoon, I found another grant proposal rejection letter in my in-box. Well, it wasn't so much a rejection letter ("Thank you for your application, however because of the number of applications we are unable to award you a grant....") as it was a mass "Congratulations" email blast for the organizations who had been given a grant. So I had to read the whole email and look for our name on the list, hoping that it was my organization they were congratulating. Unfortunately it was not. It felt like I had tried out for high school jazz band and they posted the list and I didn't make it, even though my jazz piano skillz were so excellent (just an example, though, uh not based on real life).
To make me "feel better" my Exec Dir decided to make a joke about how apparently it's just a myth that my department is supposed to earn our org money, ha ha. I gave her a look that said "you suck bitch" while she tried to hug me and make it all better. I just crossed my arms.
On top of this, I saw a big ass cockroach on the ceiling of the conference room when I was having a meeting. I know they are stalking me, I know it.
And of course, to end my bad day....tonight my friend called me up to hang out so I went over to her house thinking that it would cheer me up. I was already in a cranky mood, so I ended up getting into a tense conversation with another girl who was at my friends' house about how "ching chong ching chong" jokes are not funny (she is not asian) and, in fact, racist and offensive to me. She thought "accents" were always funny, R0sie0's joke about DannyDev1to was hilarious and in general ching chong jokes are really funny and so what's the big deal? Comedians are supposed to make fun of people. My head almost exploded. If you know me, you know how little tolerance I have for stuff like this (prob the reason why minsoo and I get along so well). So my bad mood did not help. I almost walked out, but I was eating Chocolate ice cream and I hadn't finished yet.
Today was like a slap in the face reminder that the weekend was over.
6/16/2008
6/15/2008
wildcat gathering, east coast style
We just got back from a short trip to "the 'Shire" as minsoo calls it. Our college pal got married so we headed to the east coast to celebrate and reunite with our old friends.
And just a little extra for you all, spotted in the hotel parking lot:
We also got to meet our friends new twins. The last time we "saw them" they were inside our friend's belly. They are adorable! They're fraternal and also have distinct personalities already. I'm sad that they live in Boston, because if they lived in LA, auntie wai-ling and uncle minsoo would be hanging out all the time with the little ladies... and of course, with their parents. :)
It was also awesome to hang out with the ladies -- I miss them! It's crazy to think that I've known them for almost 12 years. Luckily, we all haven't aged that much since undergrad (I think.) Maybe I'll post some old pics later on, but for now, here are the ladies, with the new little ladies...
I think that the dress I'm wearing makes me look like I have a tummy. Boo for trendy baggy dresses (so comfortable, though).Minsoo also reunited with his freshman year roommate. Yay Andrew!
And just a little extra for you all, spotted in the hotel parking lot:
6/13/2008
off for the weekend
Heading off to New Hampshire for a wedding. I'm super excited to see friends, especially our friends' young twin girls. We've watched them grow by monitoring their blog, so it'll be nice to finally meet them in person.
It's early. I'm tired. Gotta catch a flight!
It's early. I'm tired. Gotta catch a flight!
6/12/2008
"you're not cool" - 5-year-old matthew at bethel
So today, I went to a w0rkf0rce 'n' ec0n0m1c development conference and guess who was there?? OMG, It was rockstar economist JSachs! He's like the only economist that hangs out with bono! He was giving the lunchtime plenary talk and I was totally freaking out! I know, how cool is that?
Okay, so it's not cool. It's totally nerdy. And you know what's nerdier? Because I knew that he'd be at the conference, I brought my copy of his book so that he could sign it after his talk (even though he was hocking a new book).
This was the most exciting thing I did today. I need a vacation.
Okay, so it's not cool. It's totally nerdy. And you know what's nerdier? Because I knew that he'd be at the conference, I brought my copy of his book so that he could sign it after his talk (even though he was hocking a new book).
This was the most exciting thing I did today. I need a vacation.
6/11/2008
gas prices part 2 & daily blogging
After yesterday's gas violation, I went to this website called 1osange1esgaspr1ces to find out if there are any cheaper stations near my place. The cheapest gas is about 30 cents/gal cheaper than what I paid yesterday... which seems like a lot until you really think about it. For 10-11 gallons, it really only adds up to saving about $3, which means that I would still end up paying $50 for gas, which is still ridiculous.
I used to scour my neighborhood for the lowest priced station, but finding a station where you only pay $50 instead of $53 is still highway robbery. I'd rather take those 5 minutes doing something worthwhile...
On that note, minsoo and I talked about blogging everyday (minus traveling weekends) in solidarity with hannah, who is studying hard for the bar exam. While blogging does nothing to help her with bar classes, we think it might be a good temporary distraction. I don't promise that every day will be interesting, but I do promise that there will be something on this page everyday (minus traveling weekends) until Hannah opens up a can of whoop ass on the bar exam.
I used to scour my neighborhood for the lowest priced station, but finding a station where you only pay $50 instead of $53 is still highway robbery. I'd rather take those 5 minutes doing something worthwhile...
On that note, minsoo and I talked about blogging everyday (minus traveling weekends) in solidarity with hannah, who is studying hard for the bar exam. While blogging does nothing to help her with bar classes, we think it might be a good temporary distraction. I don't promise that every day will be interesting, but I do promise that there will be something on this page everyday (minus traveling weekends) until Hannah opens up a can of whoop ass on the bar exam.
6/10/2008
Obligatory gas prices suck post
I waited until I was running on fumes before I filled up gas. I drive a civic ex. I paid $53.27 for a tank of gas this morning. Yikes.
6/09/2008
book therapy
I had a horrible day, which turned around when I entered the bookstore this evening and saw Dav1dSedar1s' new book! MeTa1kPretty1Day (one of his older books) is the most hilarious book I have ever read and one of my favorite books. I highly recommend it.
Being at the bookstore reminded me of how I once wanted to be a librarian. I'm not kidding. Did you know that you have to have a master's degree in library sciences to be a librarian? I think I would be a rad librarian. I think I'd like to work in the map collections or the electronic data section. If I worked as a librarian, then maybe I could be the coolest person at my workplace (like someone I know). Boo-yeah.
Being at the bookstore reminded me of how I once wanted to be a librarian. I'm not kidding. Did you know that you have to have a master's degree in library sciences to be a librarian? I think I would be a rad librarian. I think I'd like to work in the map collections or the electronic data section. If I worked as a librarian, then maybe I could be the coolest person at my workplace (like someone I know). Boo-yeah.
6/05/2008
our small group is a bad influence
Minsoo & I are in a married couples small group at church. Even though a "married couples" group sounds horribly boring and straight out of a scene from bridgetj's diary ("smug marrieds"), the group rocks my face off because the people are all cool and normal. Anyway, I digress. Our group met up for dinner last night at a Mexican restaurant instead of bible study. We were told that a new couple was going to join us to check out our group so we were told by the couple that organizes our group to "be on our best behavior."
We ordered margaritas and coronas while we waited for the new couple and looked at the menus. When they arrived, I was thinking to myself, wow they look young. They were actually not married, but very recently engaged -- and recent college graduates. Oh man.
So I think they were surprised at the fact that we're all oldies (last night I was the youngest person) but also that we were drinking (gasp, Christians drinking!). I'm sure that since they're recently graduated but getting married that they might be a tad bit more conservative than the rest of us.
I'm not sure if they're going to be joining us regularly and honestly, I'm not sure how I feel about having such a young engaged couple joining us. I think we might be a bad influence on them. I would also hate to scare the girl with stories of what married like is really like. She still has that "I found a guy who makes my heart sparkle" look. (Hannah, that reference was for you.)
We ordered margaritas and coronas while we waited for the new couple and looked at the menus. When they arrived, I was thinking to myself, wow they look young. They were actually not married, but very recently engaged -- and recent college graduates. Oh man.
So I think they were surprised at the fact that we're all oldies (last night I was the youngest person) but also that we were drinking (gasp, Christians drinking!). I'm sure that since they're recently graduated but getting married that they might be a tad bit more conservative than the rest of us.
I'm not sure if they're going to be joining us regularly and honestly, I'm not sure how I feel about having such a young engaged couple joining us. I think we might be a bad influence on them. I would also hate to scare the girl with stories of what married like is really like. She still has that "I found a guy who makes my heart sparkle" look. (Hannah, that reference was for you.)
6/02/2008
fun photos
Instead of a deep post about tv, my job or our crazy neighbors, here are some fun photos...
The NU crew
The sisters:
Fun times.
It's minsoo's 30th!
The NU crew
The sisters:
Fun times.
5/19/2008
not profound, just a blog
When I sit down to blog, I usually have several things running around in my head that I want to write down. For example right now I'm thinking about the people in the area near Chengdu and feeling sad, the great weekend I had in the bay area, and trying to hold my breath because minsoo's farts have permeated every inch of the apartment.
Today I will talk about how I need to get a new cell phone. Apparently instead of text messages, I've been sending picture messages to people. When I called the phone company the tech people told me that this problems is common to my phone model... they also told me my warranty ran out last month. How convenient. So in the meantime, no text messaging. Normally, I would just ignore this broken feature but my coworkers have started texting me instead of calling me so I need to have an operational text messaging feature. Ah, this is such a boring post.
I think I've decided that we need to have parties more often. It seems as though people enjoy our shindigs and fun times are always had by all. I also like the parties because our bay area party crew represents.
I also appreciate our friends who post pics of their kids from far away (yes, you know who you are). I love seeing how they grow and getting to know them even if I can't be a proper auntie. Yay, keep doing it! I love it!
I'll end this post now. I think I'm going to have to tell a certain someone that farts mean it's time to poo.
Today I will talk about how I need to get a new cell phone. Apparently instead of text messages, I've been sending picture messages to people. When I called the phone company the tech people told me that this problems is common to my phone model... they also told me my warranty ran out last month. How convenient. So in the meantime, no text messaging. Normally, I would just ignore this broken feature but my coworkers have started texting me instead of calling me so I need to have an operational text messaging feature. Ah, this is such a boring post.
I think I've decided that we need to have parties more often. It seems as though people enjoy our shindigs and fun times are always had by all. I also like the parties because our bay area party crew represents.
I also appreciate our friends who post pics of their kids from far away (yes, you know who you are). I love seeing how they grow and getting to know them even if I can't be a proper auntie. Yay, keep doing it! I love it!
I'll end this post now. I think I'm going to have to tell a certain someone that farts mean it's time to poo.
5/13/2008
5/04/2008
no... sleep... 'till brooklyn?
This weekend was all about the LA APA film fest... saw some really excellent films and some semi-well known Asian celebrities. Don't worry, I played it cool.
I'm headed out to Baltimore this week to hang out with McNu1ty and Bunk and duff at charm city cakes*... Okay, okay, I'm going there for a conference. I don't even think I'll get to see the city at all. Boo.
I also have to get ready for minsoo's big b-day bash. Yes, 30! A lot of the San Jose crew are going to be hanging out so I have to get my apartment ready for a massive sleep over.
I'm tired just thinking about this week. I thought that April was hellish, but think I also overbooked myself for May. Oops. It turns out that every weekend this month is completely booked with events (birthday/graduation/wedding/film festival) and every week is booked with work deadlines. June doesn't look any clearer.
So far this year, I think sleeping is optional. If the past 4 months are any indication, I'm going to party like a rock star and work like a dog as I head into my 30s. Bring it on.
*For those of you who don't watch an obscene amount of tv, McNu1ty and Bunk are from thew1re and duff is from ace0fcakes on the f00dnetw0rk.
I'm headed out to Baltimore this week to hang out with McNu1ty and Bunk and duff at charm city cakes*... Okay, okay, I'm going there for a conference. I don't even think I'll get to see the city at all. Boo.
I also have to get ready for minsoo's big b-day bash. Yes, 30! A lot of the San Jose crew are going to be hanging out so I have to get my apartment ready for a massive sleep over.
I'm tired just thinking about this week. I thought that April was hellish, but think I also overbooked myself for May. Oops. It turns out that every weekend this month is completely booked with events (birthday/graduation/wedding/film festival) and every week is booked with work deadlines. June doesn't look any clearer.
So far this year, I think sleeping is optional. If the past 4 months are any indication, I'm going to party like a rock star and work like a dog as I head into my 30s. Bring it on.
*For those of you who don't watch an obscene amount of tv, McNu1ty and Bunk are from thew1re and duff is from ace0fcakes on the f00dnetw0rk.
4/28/2008
i think they're stalking me
I'm a part of the "count" team at church, which means that we count the offering at the end of service. After the offering is collected, we count it up in the attic/projection room above the cafeteria (we meet in a high school).
Last Sunday, when I was up in the attic counting with another girl, something flew onto my shoulder while I was counting. I brushed it away but it fell onto my sweater by my waist so I took another swat at it. While I was swatting it off my body I noticed that the thing that I was swatting off my body was a GIGANTIC COCKROACH. You know, the brown ones with the big shell... probably a cousin of the one that was in our apartment. FOUL.
I started screaming and so did the girl that I was with. We were scrambling around this 10x10 room screaming, all the while, the band is downstairs and everyone's singing and the roach is crawling around, taunting us. The money is just laying out on the table, meanwhile we were scrambling around the room trying to figure out what to do. I finally ran down the stairs and got our security guard to come up and kill it.
By this time, we were sweating (it was lik 90 degrees) and so exhausted that I hope we counted the offering correctly.
Now I'm wondering whether I have some kind of smell that attracts roaches... or whether they are drawn to the smell of fear.
Last Sunday, when I was up in the attic counting with another girl, something flew onto my shoulder while I was counting. I brushed it away but it fell onto my sweater by my waist so I took another swat at it. While I was swatting it off my body I noticed that the thing that I was swatting off my body was a GIGANTIC COCKROACH. You know, the brown ones with the big shell... probably a cousin of the one that was in our apartment. FOUL.
I started screaming and so did the girl that I was with. We were scrambling around this 10x10 room screaming, all the while, the band is downstairs and everyone's singing and the roach is crawling around, taunting us. The money is just laying out on the table, meanwhile we were scrambling around the room trying to figure out what to do. I finally ran down the stairs and got our security guard to come up and kill it.
By this time, we were sweating (it was lik 90 degrees) and so exhausted that I hope we counted the offering correctly.
Now I'm wondering whether I have some kind of smell that attracts roaches... or whether they are drawn to the smell of fear.
4/24/2008
the gr0ve: horrible and at the same time, not so bad...
I always take my out-of-town guests to the Gr0ve, but I really hate it because it's so LA (i.e. bad parking, trendy people make me feel ugly, too crowded, too expensive, too etc.)
It's funny that it takes a writer from NY times to describe exactly how I feel about this faux downtown mall thingie:
THE first time you go to the Grove, the immensely successful and completely fabricated commercial center in Los Angeles, you will try to hate it. But then you will watch the old-fashioned trolley passing by, or the dancing fountain as it splurts jovially to the cadence of a Sinatra song, and you will drop your snobby urban integrity and walk around consuming things in a mouth-breathing stupor just like everyone else...
The Grove is everything that is horrible and spectacular about our brand-saturated American lives. It’s a living version of every pretentious theory you may have read back in grad school: a facsimile of a space, a scripted zone, a generic city, a vituperative quote by Baudrillard or Deleuze. But it’s also totally great!
I think the fact that the writer speaks to a lot of things we talk about in urban planning really got to me.
Damn you gr0ve, how do you do it?
It's funny that it takes a writer from NY times to describe exactly how I feel about this faux downtown mall thingie:
THE first time you go to the Grove, the immensely successful and completely fabricated commercial center in Los Angeles, you will try to hate it. But then you will watch the old-fashioned trolley passing by, or the dancing fountain as it splurts jovially to the cadence of a Sinatra song, and you will drop your snobby urban integrity and walk around consuming things in a mouth-breathing stupor just like everyone else...
The Grove is everything that is horrible and spectacular about our brand-saturated American lives. It’s a living version of every pretentious theory you may have read back in grad school: a facsimile of a space, a scripted zone, a generic city, a vituperative quote by Baudrillard or Deleuze. But it’s also totally great!
I think the fact that the writer speaks to a lot of things we talk about in urban planning really got to me.
Damn you gr0ve, how do you do it?
4/21/2008
glug glug glug
That is the sound of me drowning in my work. All I have been doing lately is working, eating, dealing with cockroaches and sleeping -- in that order.
I'm starting to enter into the work stage when I'm asking myself: Do I still want to work here?
My boss is pregnant and leaving in a month. When she returns, she's being promoted. I, however, am not. Unfortunately not being promoted does not mean that I don't get more work. Most of her current projects are going to become mine. Boo.
Unfortunately, I really like the work my organization does, I just don't like the work that I am having to do now and the situation that I'm in now. I've been so burnt out in other jobs that I really want to prevent me from getting in the same situation....glug glug glug...
I'm starting to enter into the work stage when I'm asking myself: Do I still want to work here?
My boss is pregnant and leaving in a month. When she returns, she's being promoted. I, however, am not. Unfortunately not being promoted does not mean that I don't get more work. Most of her current projects are going to become mine. Boo.
Unfortunately, I really like the work my organization does, I just don't like the work that I am having to do now and the situation that I'm in now. I've been so burnt out in other jobs that I really want to prevent me from getting in the same situation....glug glug glug...
4/12/2008
cockroach terror
Last night I dropped Minsoo off at the airport for a flight to NYC and then returned home to find a BIG ASS Cockroach on my kitchen counter. It was one of those large brown ones with scaley brown backs and long antennae.
I was horrified because I was all alone, plus I was already exhausted from a really busy week and stressed out about speaking at a large work event today. I felt like it was some sort of spiritual battle. I called Minsoo but realized that I was all by myself.
So I called the friend that lives the closest to us: Nakji. Faithful friend Nakji was unable to killed the creature, but sprayed the area to keep it on its toes.
Last night, I was so exhaused that after Nakji left, I became totally hysterical. I closed the door to my bedroom and put a towel up against the bottom in case the beast wanted to come after me. I text messaged Hannah in desperation:
Huge roach loose in apt
minsoo on plane to nyc
barricaded in rm
cant sleep
big speaking thing tomorrow have to wake up at 6
freaking out
A phone call from Hannah gave me with some perspective while I cried under the covers and prayed for sleep.
Today, I was almost glad to work so that I could escape cockroach island (aka my apartment). After work, I realized that I needed some back up. So I called my parents and asked them to help me clean up my apartment. I think they also wanted to make sure I was okay since I left a hysterical message on their answering machine at 12:30am last night.
My parents helped me clean and then we left to get coffee. When we returned, IT had returned.
My Dad complained that it was "so tiny" (yeah right) and promptly stepped on it, leaving a streak of messy remains.
And that was it.
My Dad killed the big bug. Just like when I was a kid. I guess sometimes a 29-year-old girl still needs her Dad.
PS The event went well. I did my thing. People wanted copies of my powerpoint, which I guess is a sign that my talk was relevant and useful. I got accosted by a few weirdo "policy" people, but overall, I think I was received well.
I was horrified because I was all alone, plus I was already exhausted from a really busy week and stressed out about speaking at a large work event today. I felt like it was some sort of spiritual battle. I called Minsoo but realized that I was all by myself.
So I called the friend that lives the closest to us: Nakji. Faithful friend Nakji was unable to killed the creature, but sprayed the area to keep it on its toes.
Last night, I was so exhaused that after Nakji left, I became totally hysterical. I closed the door to my bedroom and put a towel up against the bottom in case the beast wanted to come after me. I text messaged Hannah in desperation:
Huge roach loose in apt
minsoo on plane to nyc
barricaded in rm
cant sleep
big speaking thing tomorrow have to wake up at 6
freaking out
A phone call from Hannah gave me with some perspective while I cried under the covers and prayed for sleep.
Today, I was almost glad to work so that I could escape cockroach island (aka my apartment). After work, I realized that I needed some back up. So I called my parents and asked them to help me clean up my apartment. I think they also wanted to make sure I was okay since I left a hysterical message on their answering machine at 12:30am last night.
My parents helped me clean and then we left to get coffee. When we returned, IT had returned.
My Dad complained that it was "so tiny" (yeah right) and promptly stepped on it, leaving a streak of messy remains.
And that was it.
My Dad killed the big bug. Just like when I was a kid. I guess sometimes a 29-year-old girl still needs her Dad.
PS The event went well. I did my thing. People wanted copies of my powerpoint, which I guess is a sign that my talk was relevant and useful. I got accosted by a few weirdo "policy" people, but overall, I think I was received well.
4/08/2008
a career-defining moment? i hope not.
I got roped into being one of the speakers at an event on Saturday, which includes the second most powerful policy-maker in CA (the new assemb1y speaker) and the may0r of the sec0nd largest city in the country (yes, that would be LA). There's going to be anywhere from 200-400 people there.
I am also nervous because I've been really unmotivated at work and I'm not coming to the table with the best attitude. On top of that, I'm not the strongest public speaker.
Pray for me. I can't wait until it's over. I hope I don't suck too much.
I am also nervous because I've been really unmotivated at work and I'm not coming to the table with the best attitude. On top of that, I'm not the strongest public speaker.
Pray for me. I can't wait until it's over. I hope I don't suck too much.
4/06/2008
He doesn't want me to share this but...
Minsoo is this month's "role model" on our local Asian TV station. You can find the cheese-tastic clip on t0nylamf1lms dot com slash role underscore models dot htm. He he he...
4/01/2008
i gotta little bit o'seoul
... and then some...
Something's really funny. i'm not sure what it is.
At the dmz with ohmahnim and sistas hannah & sarah... 
Mixed drinks in a bag. yummy. that's minsoo's cousin and sista sarah.
Big hite...
I dream of hotteok
we think posing in front of the soldier is funny.
The trip was totally fun and crazy, full of food, laughing, "jhul", and chatty emo-nims. I had a blast.
Something's really funny. i'm not sure what it is.
At the dmz with ohmahnim and sistas hannah & sarah... 
Mixed drinks in a bag. yummy. that's minsoo's cousin and sista sarah.
Big hite...
I dream of hotteok
we think posing in front of the soldier is funny.
The trip was totally fun and crazy, full of food, laughing, "jhul", and chatty emo-nims. I had a blast.
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