Here's a motivational way to bring in the new year: commencement speech by Steve Jobs (CEO of Apple & Pixar) at Stanford University...
Cheers to a new year!
Thursday, December 31, 2009
Tuesday, December 29, 2009
Reunions
Had a really fun night with some old friends... and realized that so much has changed, yet the personality of our relationships have stayed the same. It's a really good feeling, knowing that there are some things that you could steadily depend on.
I am, for the most part, a terrible friend. I'm too lazy to text people about how they've been, forget birthdays, am unsentimental about gifts (both giving and receiving), cannot for the life of me remember to call people up to meet up when they're home, and just an all-around sucky person at maintaining friendships, especially long-distance ones.
Which is why I've been so blessed with people that would do all those things for me. That know, despite the fact that I'm an airhead and forget things and am too unthoughtful to call them up, that I really do in fact still care for them and want to know how they're doing. And, best of all, they're the kind of people that wouldn't hold it against me because they just take it for who I am. Although I see them a couple times a year, they probably will know me better than most of the people I see every day.
Cheers to this little ragtag gang of dorky kids from suburban New Jersey.
Friday, December 25, 2009
Thursday, December 24, 2009
Why is it that I'm the hungriest...
when I'm at home?! currently starving and operating under an unusual time table. I wish I'd brought some of that italian-sausage-and-garlic pasta home. I'm really starting to get a handle for this cooking thing... I need to start collecting healthy recipes for next semester! Or else, I'll be living off hotdog/sunnysideup eggs on ramen. Not exactly the ideal weight loss plan.
To my future self: if I ever feel like this world is not worth the shittiness, remember this vid. If nothing else, it'll make your heart melt just a little. For about a second.
Merry Xmas Eve! Maybe it'll actually feel like the holidays when I wake up.
Wednesday, December 23, 2009
Saturday, December 19, 2009
The great classics of our time
...sadly, will not be in books or passed through word of mouth. The great classics that will define our generation, the stories that will touch and move us and our kids, and will be dissected in language arts classes or whatever is the equivalent in the future, are in the movies that we watch, that are more similar to traditional literature than we think.
Literature, I think, is supposed to embody some timeless theme, have the ability to change people's perspectives or at least think twice about humanity, and do so artfully, with careful and deliberate direction. And what's more, it must be popular. It must be commonly accessible and interesting enough to the public to make a definitive impact.
Literature, I think, is supposed to embody some timeless theme, have the ability to change people's perspectives or at least think twice about humanity, and do so artfully, with careful and deliberate direction. And what's more, it must be popular. It must be commonly accessible and interesting enough to the public to make a definitive impact.
Avatar, in my opinion, is one of those pieces of rare literature. It's a love story embedded in war, a satirical criticism of human sin and society not unlike G. Orwell.
Even if you don't believe that movies could be literature, I would highly encourage anyone to watch this movie. At the very least, it is nothing if not entertaining.
Friday, December 18, 2009
差不多4点。。。
还没睡。。。
~~~~~
Its almost xmas-time, and I still have yet to complete ANY of my shopping. Wondering if there's going to be any chrimbo cheer in the Lee household this year, or if things will escalate again. Missing my paternal extended family... The quirky uncles and the clever conversations with my cousins. It's weird, how one side of my family might as well be white, while the other can barely process English.
I'm thinking of the Christmases back in Hong Kong, when the buildings that line up squished against each other in Central show off their perennial displays, hundreds of feet of lights depicting snowflakes or reindeer or candy canes (in a city, mind you, that neither receives any snow nor sells candy canes to my knowledge - I used to wonder why people revered walking sticks so much) that seem to stretch endlessly into the hazy grey night sky as I used to crane my neck to stare at them out the car window driving through the district. My mom would dress me and the sis up in matching ugly green velvet holiday dresses with equally ugly velvet hairbands that itched, and poinsettias flooded the lobbies of every apartment highrise and commercial building and mall entrance. Pacific Mall, with its gigantic signature flowerpots I used to imagine emptying and hiding in if there ever was an invasion of any sort (I had an overactive imagination and a neurotic fear of everything as a kid) would house perfectly triangular christmas trees, the only evergreens I'd ever seen until I was 5 and moved to the States. Everyone wore huge parkas and down-filled jackets as though it were below freezing, although in tropical Hong Kong the weather never really typically dipped below 40; my mom wore her signature furs on visits to the family. The harbour glimmered with the extra million watts of light that made the city shine. My dad would hustle everyone (grandparents, nannies, brother, sister, mom, and himself) into our brown van that could proudly house six squished adults and three preschool children, and we'd drive to the far end of the fishing port on the far side of the island famous for its gigantic shrimp, and we'd eat pure seafood for christmas dinner.
That was 16 years ago.
I wonder what christmases in other households are like. Are they glazed with frost and holiday sweaters and christmas lights, like in the commercials? Do they use the dining room and dust out their crystal glasses and silverware? Do their cousins wreak havoc on the dog and family really gather around to sing christmas songs? It doesn't sound like much fun, but it must be nice to have family traditions, cheeseball ones and all.
One day I'll create my own traditions, but I haven't got much creativity for them now. I'll wait for my future self to figure it out.
~~~~~
Its almost xmas-time, and I still have yet to complete ANY of my shopping. Wondering if there's going to be any chrimbo cheer in the Lee household this year, or if things will escalate again. Missing my paternal extended family... The quirky uncles and the clever conversations with my cousins. It's weird, how one side of my family might as well be white, while the other can barely process English.
I'm thinking of the Christmases back in Hong Kong, when the buildings that line up squished against each other in Central show off their perennial displays, hundreds of feet of lights depicting snowflakes or reindeer or candy canes (in a city, mind you, that neither receives any snow nor sells candy canes to my knowledge - I used to wonder why people revered walking sticks so much) that seem to stretch endlessly into the hazy grey night sky as I used to crane my neck to stare at them out the car window driving through the district. My mom would dress me and the sis up in matching ugly green velvet holiday dresses with equally ugly velvet hairbands that itched, and poinsettias flooded the lobbies of every apartment highrise and commercial building and mall entrance. Pacific Mall, with its gigantic signature flowerpots I used to imagine emptying and hiding in if there ever was an invasion of any sort (I had an overactive imagination and a neurotic fear of everything as a kid) would house perfectly triangular christmas trees, the only evergreens I'd ever seen until I was 5 and moved to the States. Everyone wore huge parkas and down-filled jackets as though it were below freezing, although in tropical Hong Kong the weather never really typically dipped below 40; my mom wore her signature furs on visits to the family. The harbour glimmered with the extra million watts of light that made the city shine. My dad would hustle everyone (grandparents, nannies, brother, sister, mom, and himself) into our brown van that could proudly house six squished adults and three preschool children, and we'd drive to the far end of the fishing port on the far side of the island famous for its gigantic shrimp, and we'd eat pure seafood for christmas dinner.
That was 16 years ago.
I wonder what christmases in other households are like. Are they glazed with frost and holiday sweaters and christmas lights, like in the commercials? Do they use the dining room and dust out their crystal glasses and silverware? Do their cousins wreak havoc on the dog and family really gather around to sing christmas songs? It doesn't sound like much fun, but it must be nice to have family traditions, cheeseball ones and all.
One day I'll create my own traditions, but I haven't got much creativity for them now. I'll wait for my future self to figure it out.
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