Tiny monkey at shrine in LopburiUsual drill, human pictures on facebook, non-human on flickr.
Enjoy!
Saturday, May 24, 2008
More Pictures!
Tiny monkey at shrine in LopburiUsual drill, human pictures on facebook, non-human on flickr.
Enjoy!
Sunday, May 18, 2008
Ahhhh Taipei...
I was almost cursing myself, because when I opened up the blogger page and saw everything was in Mandarin, I had flash backs to way back when EVERYTHING on blogger was coded in Mandering so I didn't know what button I was pressing. But thankfully, the buttons are in the English, so never fear! This shall be published today!
Still no photos to shut you visual people up about my essays, sorry, they will come once I hit Thailand.
I've been here in the Taipei airport for about half and hour and I've already scarfed down a bowl of chicken & corn congee topped with shredded dry pork, a bowl of stir fried noodles and a taro bun.
Apparently I was hungry.
I got on the plane a little after 1 a.m. put my bag into overhead (I cringed when I found out my awesome bag was too big to fit under the seat in front of me), sat down, and PASSED OUT. I didn't wake up fully until 8 hours later. I vaguely remember the take off, too noisey, so I went back to sleep. I missed dinner, and there weren't any movies to watch, so I did the whole, "excuse me while I squeeze past you to get my laptop out of the overhead bin, and then squeeze back past you, all the while trying not to drop my heavy laptop on the sleeping person in front of you" thing. I want my luxuries of technology, but I also cherish my window seat.
Anyway, worked on the computer, did the whole thing again while putting back the laptop, stayed up long enough to watch 'I'm Not There', something of a Bob Dylan biopic, but because it was split up into so many characters, and I didn't have any knowledge of Bob Dylan to help me along, I was thoroughly confused.
Onto more eating.
Still no photos to shut you visual people up about my essays, sorry, they will come once I hit Thailand.
I've been here in the Taipei airport for about half and hour and I've already scarfed down a bowl of chicken & corn congee topped with shredded dry pork, a bowl of stir fried noodles and a taro bun.
Apparently I was hungry.
I got on the plane a little after 1 a.m. put my bag into overhead (I cringed when I found out my awesome bag was too big to fit under the seat in front of me), sat down, and PASSED OUT. I didn't wake up fully until 8 hours later. I vaguely remember the take off, too noisey, so I went back to sleep. I missed dinner, and there weren't any movies to watch, so I did the whole, "excuse me while I squeeze past you to get my laptop out of the overhead bin, and then squeeze back past you, all the while trying not to drop my heavy laptop on the sleeping person in front of you" thing. I want my luxuries of technology, but I also cherish my window seat.
Anyway, worked on the computer, did the whole thing again while putting back the laptop, stayed up long enough to watch 'I'm Not There', something of a Bob Dylan biopic, but because it was split up into so many characters, and I didn't have any knowledge of Bob Dylan to help me along, I was thoroughly confused.
Onto more eating.
Saturday, May 17, 2008
Traveling Once Again!
You know I was SO CLOSE to packing my camera in my carry on. But my bag was bulging as it was with my laptop, charger, mouse, notes, book, toiletries, cookies, external hard drive (if I [perish the thought] lost that item with checked baggage, I would lose my brain] and travel items that right before I left my apartment I trimmed off the fat (i.e. my camera, iPod, etc.)
The kicker is that I got a new(er) laptop the other day, and it has an SD slot in the side. So I could have snapped a photo, taken the memory card out, stuck it the computer and had the picture uploaded to blogger for you to look at.
Now that I've typed that out, I realise that it's probably a good thing that I don't have my camera because my blogger and flickr would both have pictures of my empty noodle cup, my empty green tea cup, a tiny bottle of water and cellophane wrapper. I wouldn't want to invade the privacy of fellow lounge-goers by snapping their picture just for your entertainment.
Anyway, I'm off to Thailand for a month to hang out with the whole fam, work on my thesis and have fun in Thailand during the rainy season (my favorite season!)
I will post again once I hit down in Taipei.
'Til then!
The kicker is that I got a new(er) laptop the other day, and it has an SD slot in the side. So I could have snapped a photo, taken the memory card out, stuck it the computer and had the picture uploaded to blogger for you to look at.
Now that I've typed that out, I realise that it's probably a good thing that I don't have my camera because my blogger and flickr would both have pictures of my empty noodle cup, my empty green tea cup, a tiny bottle of water and cellophane wrapper. I wouldn't want to invade the privacy of fellow lounge-goers by snapping their picture just for your entertainment.
Anyway, I'm off to Thailand for a month to hang out with the whole fam, work on my thesis and have fun in Thailand during the rainy season (my favorite season!)
I will post again once I hit down in Taipei.
'Til then!
Tuesday, May 13, 2008
Totally. Utterly. Random.
It's 11:31 a.m. on a Tuesday, I have a final presentation tonight, but I really want to write a post about my choice of favorite movies. Call it procrastination. Call it laziness. I call it cathartic - come one, compare writing to moving around lines in CAD - or now, the upgrade to moving around polygons in Viz.
Onto the descriptions, in whatever order I put them in on my facebook page...
Meatballs
This movie was made in 1979 and I honestly can't tell you why I love it so much because 1. I never went to summer camp, so it's not like there the nostalgic factor; 2. I wasn't born, raised, anywhere near the 70's, so I really can't look back on that era and sigh with memories; 3. There's nothing particularly amazing about the movie itself.
I guess it's the combination of dreamy music, strange characters, and the fact that I ended watching this multiple times on HBO Asia during high school and now it's just a go-to movie that's relaxing and not "deep" or "though provoking", I can just watch it while I'm working or when I'm having a particularly stressful day (which happens alot nowadays) and it's just all good in the neighborhood.
The Love Letter
Oh this is another movie I watched many times over during high school, just because it was on. but also, I'm so in love with the stupid location of the movie. This deceptively small seaside town, with lots of nature, a summer rush and a community that knows each other is a sort-of dream I have for my future, and these people have it. The main character runs a bookstore, has a complicated life and a strange attitude. All the supporting characters pitch in, some famous, some not, and all of them do the movie good. This is another movie that I can just have playing the background because I've watched it enough to know what's happening without being in the same room. I liked the music so much I bought the soundtrack.
You've Got Mail
This is the third and last movie in the series of I-can-watch-it-forever-without-a-care series, I fell in love with this movie during high school and of course, the damn scenery and soundtrack play a large role in that. One of the main characters owns a bookstore (I didn't realize this theme until this very moment) and it's the whole tiny mom and pop vs. the big superstore deal, but there's love, misery, happiness, and cuteness, and I likey. So suck it.
Hot Fuzz
I have to laugh when I think of this movie, because it's funny, suspenseful and British. The dry humour speaks to me, makes me happy, but I can't watch this movie to many times, the suspense lingers and makes me feel uneasy. But you should watch it if you haven't.
Death at a Funeral
Another British dark comedy, I initially watched it because Alan Tudyk is in it, he was hilarious in '28 Days' so I had to watch him again. It turned out that everyone in the movie was hilarious is that horribly awkward dry humour way. It makes you cringe so much your face starts to ache but it's absolutely hilarious, so much that when I watched it on the plane, the person sitting next to me made a comment about how funny it must have been since I was awkwardly doubling over in my limited space. A must see for sarcasm lovers.
Waitress
Oh the bittersweetness of it all. I've watched this movie three times and I could watch it again, even though it's so incredibly heart breaking. And being the person I am, when I watched it for the first time I had to find out all the trivia behind it, and once I did, for the first time, I regretted it. The director was murdered in real life, and she's in the movie, as is her two year old daughter, so the movie has an air of sadness tied to it. But it's still a great movie to watch, well done and Nathan Fillion does such an amazing job in his whole awkwardness. Of course Keri Russell did a great job in developing a character that cheats, lies, hides but in such a way that you feel it's completely within her right to do it.
Iron Man
The newest addition to my list, this movie was so kick ass, funny, and I absolutely adore RDJr.'s interaction with his robots. You must see this movie, it's gotten great reviews for a reason.
Onto the descriptions, in whatever order I put them in on my facebook page...
Meatballs
This movie was made in 1979 and I honestly can't tell you why I love it so much because 1. I never went to summer camp, so it's not like there the nostalgic factor; 2. I wasn't born, raised, anywhere near the 70's, so I really can't look back on that era and sigh with memories; 3. There's nothing particularly amazing about the movie itself.
I guess it's the combination of dreamy music, strange characters, and the fact that I ended watching this multiple times on HBO Asia during high school and now it's just a go-to movie that's relaxing and not "deep" or "though provoking", I can just watch it while I'm working or when I'm having a particularly stressful day (which happens alot nowadays) and it's just all good in the neighborhood.
The Love Letter
Oh this is another movie I watched many times over during high school, just because it was on. but also, I'm so in love with the stupid location of the movie. This deceptively small seaside town, with lots of nature, a summer rush and a community that knows each other is a sort-of dream I have for my future, and these people have it. The main character runs a bookstore, has a complicated life and a strange attitude. All the supporting characters pitch in, some famous, some not, and all of them do the movie good. This is another movie that I can just have playing the background because I've watched it enough to know what's happening without being in the same room. I liked the music so much I bought the soundtrack.
You've Got Mail
This is the third and last movie in the series of I-can-watch-it-forever-without-a-care series, I fell in love with this movie during high school and of course, the damn scenery and soundtrack play a large role in that. One of the main characters owns a bookstore (I didn't realize this theme until this very moment) and it's the whole tiny mom and pop vs. the big superstore deal, but there's love, misery, happiness, and cuteness, and I likey. So suck it.
Hot Fuzz
I have to laugh when I think of this movie, because it's funny, suspenseful and British. The dry humour speaks to me, makes me happy, but I can't watch this movie to many times, the suspense lingers and makes me feel uneasy. But you should watch it if you haven't.
Death at a Funeral
Another British dark comedy, I initially watched it because Alan Tudyk is in it, he was hilarious in '28 Days' so I had to watch him again. It turned out that everyone in the movie was hilarious is that horribly awkward dry humour way. It makes you cringe so much your face starts to ache but it's absolutely hilarious, so much that when I watched it on the plane, the person sitting next to me made a comment about how funny it must have been since I was awkwardly doubling over in my limited space. A must see for sarcasm lovers.
Waitress
Oh the bittersweetness of it all. I've watched this movie three times and I could watch it again, even though it's so incredibly heart breaking. And being the person I am, when I watched it for the first time I had to find out all the trivia behind it, and once I did, for the first time, I regretted it. The director was murdered in real life, and she's in the movie, as is her two year old daughter, so the movie has an air of sadness tied to it. But it's still a great movie to watch, well done and Nathan Fillion does such an amazing job in his whole awkwardness. Of course Keri Russell did a great job in developing a character that cheats, lies, hides but in such a way that you feel it's completely within her right to do it.
Iron Man
The newest addition to my list, this movie was so kick ass, funny, and I absolutely adore RDJr.'s interaction with his robots. You must see this movie, it's gotten great reviews for a reason.
Saturday, May 10, 2008
Friday, May 09, 2008
Battlecry
I have seriously been embroiled in some battling since January. And finally, last week, I won.
Let me (of course) start from the beginning.
This past January I started noticing that I wasn't receiving all of my calls. In fact, I wasn't receiving some of my calls, the voice mails those calls would have, or text messages people sent me. Not good for business. So I called to inquire.
This was basically the pattern:
-The problem would occur
-I would call the phone company
-They would assure me the would try to find a remedy
-I would believe them
And so the cycle kept going on and on until finally in the beginning of April I called and wanted some answers. They told me they were sending me a new phone. What they actually did was sign me up for a NEW two year contract. At that point I had been having problems for three months, who in their right mind would sign up for two more years of shit? One of the reasons I was being so co-operative was because I knew my contract as up in August, so I figured I would keep using their service until then, and then move on.
But nope, they signed me up, DIDN'T TELL ME, so that when I called next week, I found out, was totally shocked, started crying on the phone and was pretty darned near hysterical. Not good times.
I was at the end of my rope, I had no idea what to do, they were basically calling me a liar, I was trying to figure out who to talk to, how to talk to them, how to resolve the whole issue. I almost totally gave up, and was resigned to paying $200+ to get out of this ridiculous contract when I started Googling information about contracts.
The best information I got was to file complaints with the Better Business Bureau, Federal Trade Commission and Federal Communications Commission. Which I did. The BBB contacted the company, who in turn contacted me and gave me the option of continuing to troubleshoot the problem or send back the new phone they sent me and have the cancellation fee waived. Only an absolutely insane person would have picked anything but the latter.
So finally I am free, receiving all my calls and happily with another carrier.
Oh yeah, and a MONTH after they signed me up for that b.s. two year contract, I received a letter stating that the action had been done. Complete and utter fuck up. What a waste of almost three years of loyal patronage.
Let me (of course) start from the beginning.
This past January I started noticing that I wasn't receiving all of my calls. In fact, I wasn't receiving some of my calls, the voice mails those calls would have, or text messages people sent me. Not good for business. So I called to inquire.
This was basically the pattern:
-The problem would occur
-I would call the phone company
-They would assure me the would try to find a remedy
-I would believe them
And so the cycle kept going on and on until finally in the beginning of April I called and wanted some answers. They told me they were sending me a new phone. What they actually did was sign me up for a NEW two year contract. At that point I had been having problems for three months, who in their right mind would sign up for two more years of shit? One of the reasons I was being so co-operative was because I knew my contract as up in August, so I figured I would keep using their service until then, and then move on.
But nope, they signed me up, DIDN'T TELL ME, so that when I called next week, I found out, was totally shocked, started crying on the phone and was pretty darned near hysterical. Not good times.
I was at the end of my rope, I had no idea what to do, they were basically calling me a liar, I was trying to figure out who to talk to, how to talk to them, how to resolve the whole issue. I almost totally gave up, and was resigned to paying $200+ to get out of this ridiculous contract when I started Googling information about contracts.
The best information I got was to file complaints with the Better Business Bureau, Federal Trade Commission and Federal Communications Commission. Which I did. The BBB contacted the company, who in turn contacted me and gave me the option of continuing to troubleshoot the problem or send back the new phone they sent me and have the cancellation fee waived. Only an absolutely insane person would have picked anything but the latter.
So finally I am free, receiving all my calls and happily with another carrier.
Oh yeah, and a MONTH after they signed me up for that b.s. two year contract, I received a letter stating that the action had been done. Complete and utter fuck up. What a waste of almost three years of loyal patronage.
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