I’ve been meaning to write about something like this - perhaps geared more towards face-to-face communication rather than handwriting alone, but nevertheless, something like this - for a while now, but like most of my more substantial writings, the idea has just been sitting in my Drafts box, untouched like a corpse in a grave.
When I saw that my friend, Eric, had written such a compelling piece on it, I couldn’t help but wish to share on here. Happy reading, and I hope this sparks some thoughts and new resolutions.
In a world where everything is going electronic (texts, email, blogs, chats, facebook, twitter, etc.), our words are become more impersonal. Think about it, these words I am typing may be coming from my mind, but the way it’s communicated is impersonal. I’m not even going to discuss the problem that maybe my account is hacked and someone else is typing this, or maybe that someone else has edited my writing. Even without those problems, the font is standardized and not who I am. Even if I can bold, italicize, underline, or strikethrough, you can’t truly feel the sincerity behind my words. This medium forces us to conform to the system. A typed note could just be copy/pasted and sent to multiple people…
Good job, Eric.
And now, to add a couple lines as additional thoughts:
Handwritten notes, phone calls, face-to-face time. It’s all the same concept. They may be “old-fashioned,” but sometimes old-fashioned is the best way of doing things. 有時候一通電話 就可以讓人滿足. 可能是我對冷冰冰的簡訊麻痺了.
Late night realization.
I will never be able to truly handle lengthy long-distance relationships, regardless of type, because at some point, everything for me will just fizzle out and flatten like the bubbles in an uncorked bottle of champagne. And it’ll mostly be due to my lack of enthusiasm for long-distance communication methods.
Communication. Sometimes I really fail at it. Other times, it’s not even called failing, because “failing” only happens with “trying.”
Jan 21
Crisis fucking averted.
Some drivers don’t deserve their licenses to drive at all. Nor should they be allowed to purchase nice cars. It is because of such people that I almost died today as a product of collateral damage.
Cruising on the 405 today at 80mph, I suddenly noticed a ritzy coupe cut dangerously swift and close (without signal lights) in front of the sedan ahead of me. I’m assuming the sedan driver was severely startled since that vehicle suddenly braked hard, forcing me to deflect quickly to the left carpool lane to avoid a collision.
Everything just happened in a flash. Hell, I dont even remember the make of the car or the color of the car that was in front of me.
Thank god there were not that many cars.
Thank god there was no one in the carpool lane.
Thank god for the three-second rule.
Thank god for luck.
Jan 16
This was what was assigned in class today. It was like we were back in high school for cryin’ out loud
Assignment: Please share one thing you’re good at. Insulting people Lying Coming up with excuses Coming up with PLAUSIBLE excuses Facebook Twitter Making my Tumblr look pretty Mentally bullying others Verbally bullying Making good arguments FuckballswhatshouldIwriteIamnotgoodatanythingIamjustameanperson Being weird and being very opinionated when I want to be.
Assignment: Please share one thing you’re NOT good at. Math.
Jan 01
Happy 2013!
May this year be filled with good food, good company, good wisdom, good clothes, good fun, good accomplishments, and good life!
Dec 21
Birthday.
Happy birthday to one of the strongest, bravest, and most intuitive woman I know. This is the woman who left behind her home, family, familiarity, and a 少奶奶life in Taiwan to pursue the married life in California, where she knew no one nor the English language, and even helped my dad reconstruct a driveway whilst pregnant, but through all the obstacles that she encountered, she never let anything hinder her spirits. She’s always been extremely selfless, putting all others before her and ensuring that my sister and I obtain the best upbringing that we can get. Hardships seem to follow her, and I can’t list them all, but she has always found a way to make ends meet. It’s not my birthday to make a wish, but I do wish that one day, I can make her extremely proud. Happy birthday mummy!
Dec 19
City folks.
The good thing about Tumblr is that it promotes diversity. It also allows one’s personality to seep through with the function of the “Ask” box.
I follow a total of 174 blogs on Tumblr. Many of them utilize the “Ask” feature and post their answers to people’s questions/comments on their Tumblr pages, thereby riddling my dashboard with a lot of unnecessary and boring text. But it also allows me to catch a glimpse into these bloggers’ personalities. And I’ve come to notice something that seems to be trending: Big city folks have the big-city-syndrome.
I don’t think that’s an actual thing, as I’m pretty sure I just made it up. But whatever you wish to call it, this way of thinking is present and apparently quite common. Big-city-syndrome occurs when a resident of a large, famous city (such as Los Angeles, New York City, London, Tokyo… you get the point) becomes so proud of his/her hometown that he/she becomes narrow-minded about smaller towns. The following are all actual remarks I have seen on Tumblr or even heard in real life, some altered slightly for the sake of clarity.
“Queens? That’s not NYC! Stop saying you’re from the city!”
“People say Leeds is like London. I don’t get it. Nothing can compare to London. I mean, it’s LONDON.”
“You’re from Tainan? Omg you’re such a countryboy.”
“Anywhere in Taiwan that’s not Taipei is rural.”
“Manhattan girls know fashion. You’re obviously not from Manhattan.”
“God ew, you’re from Orange County? You must be a Romney supporter.”
“If you’re Asian and not from San Diego, then I feel sorry for you. You have not tasted real Mexican food.”
“Torrance isn’t part of LA.”
All of the above statements are NOT TRUE. Queens is part of New York City. Residing in London just means you have the money; it doesn’t make you the fabbest person on Earth. Just because Taipei is the capital and is surrounded in a basin full of markings of a city, it is not THE only city in Taiwan, and it definitely does not mean ALL other towns in the country are rural (albeit some towns are indeed rural to the extreme). Manhattan/NYC is famous for being a fashion capital, but that doesn’t mean everyone else from other places is a complete goon when it comes to clothes and trends. Orange County may be famous for its conservatist residents, but that doesn’t mean everyone from Orange County is a hard-core Republican. I’ve seen a few Obama bumper stickers here and there. Granted, San Diego is in very close proximity to the border, and I’m not fan of Mexican food, but I am pretty damn sure other towns boast legit Mexican cuisine too. And lastly, really? Torrance is part of Los Angeles County and shares the same area code as Beverly Hills, Bel Air, Brentwood, and Pacific Palisades, amongst others.
Seriously, you city folks with the big-city-syndrome need to knock some sense into yourselves. Travel the world, explore foreign cities and cultures, and educate yourself. Nobody likes a city snob.
Dec 17
Mid-season finale of HIMYM was beautiful. It was seriously one of the most beautiful finales I have ever watched. It released so many emotions within me and I just wept and wept and wept.
It reminded me of the reasons why I watch the show and why I love it. It reminded me the meaning behind love and friendship. And it reminded me that my years as an English major undergrad analyzing literature did not go to waste, as I realized that Ted’s building acts as a symbol: It represents the group’s lives. At first, it was merely a dream, but now, it has become a blessed reality. For Ted, the building is his architectural vision; he has dreamed of contributing to the New York skyline for years. For Marshall and Lily, the building represents Marvin and parenthood. And for Barney and Robin, it represents their second (more serious) try at a relationship - marriage.
And to close off, here’s a major tear-jerker quote of the night:
“A word in defense of making an ass of yourself: it’s underrated. 8 years ago, I made an ass of myself chasing after you and I made an ass of myself chasing after you a bunch of times since then. I have no regrets, because it led me to something I wouldn’t trade for the world. It led to you being my friend.”
Dec 14
Newtown, Connecticut
I didn’t realize the news of the Sandy Hook Elementary shootings until I went onto LA Times this morning after showering and was greeted with huge black headlines that seemed to shoot a numbing electrical charge within my entire body: “27 killed in Connecticut school shooting.”
Well, needless to say, not exactly the best way to start off one’s morning.
But what bothered me the most was not the fact that another shooting took place, or that it took place in an elementary school, of all places, or that this essentially was the epitome of inhumanity. What bothered me the most was that while I was ignorantly and blissfully lounging in bed and enjoying my free Friday morning after finals/work week, pandemonium, panic, and death were wreaking havoc on the opposite coast. While I was enjoying myself and accomplishing no productive thing at all, people were getting injured, gasping their last breaths, dying upon impact, and losing beloved family members.
I know this happens quite often, given the chaos in the Middle East and the fact that every 3.6 seconds, someone dies of hunger, just to name two examples. But for some reason, today’s incident really made me feel like bug shit.
Dec 13
Another stepping stone reached.
11:43 A.M.
Every Thursday at this exact moment, I’d be eating my lunch while keeping an eye on the clock. 15 minutes later, I’d be getting ready to leave for my internship.
However, today is different. As the fall quarter comes to a close, I find, to my surprise, that time passed faster than I had anticipated, and my internship term too came to a close.
Every time I complete something I had committed a lot of time and energy to, I always end up feeling bittersweet, and that is exactly how I feel at the moment as I type this post out with a sleepy puppy vying for some seat space behind me.
I won’t go into detail about my internship, as I like to keep some anonymity on here, but those who are familiar with my life know I go every Wednesday 8AM-5PM and Thursdays for another four hours and I complain about heading to the office all the time (and the 9 hours I sit on Wednesdays because I work through my lunch hour like a sad, good worker). But despite all my grumblings, I did actually like the (nonpaying) job. It partially tapped into interests, and I learned a lot about the industry, the city, APA style, and more about myself. I even mastered the basics of navigating a Mac desktop.
If you know me, you may have heard me dub my various working experiences as “stepping stones” to my future career. And this is exactly that - a stepping stone, a stepping stone conquered. People probably don’t celebrate the conclusion of their internships, but I toast to myself. Cheers to me for nailing the interview. I pat myself on the back for waking up at ungodly hours every Wednesday and risk the build-up of adipose tissue and CELLULITE on my ass from sitting all day (with the exception of bathroom breaks). Huzzuh to me for seeing this job through despite knowing that my gas tank weeps every week I drive there and that I’m essentially supplying free labor at my own expense.
Now that I’m nearing graduation, I’ve come to realize that my time for internships is running out, especially since most internships related to my field are nonpaying. Screw being bittersweet; I need to get a firm grip on life. Internships are meant to be short-term, and I should revel in that before I find myself slammed with a long-term job commitment that I may not necessarily enjoy.
Expression.
I’m happy to say that I can now express myself through a new tumblr outlet - a photo blog especially reserved for my photos that turn out well. Of course, I’m no photography connoisseur, but I do know what looks pretty. And thus, I introduce to you www.ilikeprettyphotographs.tumblr.com
It will contain all of the pictures I take and edit. No reblogs from other sites. Unlike Facebook, this page will allow me to consolidate all of my better-looking photos from my camera into one location, rather than multiple Facebook albums, crammed with other inadequate photos.
I now have five outlets for self-expression: my Facebook, Twitter (BEST THING EVER), photo-reblog tumblr (SECOND BEST THING EVER), this writing tumblr, and pretty pictures.
Dec 11
Everytime I see a picture of Cara Delevingne, I just want to punch her.
OK, I should be nicer and rephrase that.
Everytime I see a picture where Cara Delevingne is making a ghastly face (which is pretty much 8 out of 10 photos), I just want to punch her.
I love her last name and (sometimes) her fashion sense, but what really ticks me off is that she feels the urge to make the ugliest faces at the camera all the time. Honestly, you’re goofy. That’s your personality. I get that. But need you scar my mind every time I come across your photograph?
For example-
Cara has the potential to be beautiful, but instead, she chooses to exert her model and socialite status via her “comical” facial expressions.
Dear Cara: See how beautiful and mature you can look if you choose to act like it? I do wonder if you understand that the photos of your “goofy” expressions do not showcase you as a very attractive person. Please stop. Personality can be displayed via conversations too, you know. Your photos will just end up making every baby in the world cry.
Dec 05
Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show 2012
Of course I would spew out something on this subject. It was inevitable, given my despise towards mindless bandwagoning. And my love for Victoria’s Secret.
As you may or may not know, the 2012 Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show aired last night on CBS. And since the show features beautiful lingerie-clad models strutting down the runway, it comes as no surprise that everyone and their mothers (including me) seemed to be talking about it yesterday. This is normal. It’s not like Victoria’s Secret is really what the name suggests – a secret. But what ticked me off was that people started talking about VS and judging the show like they really knew about it, when in reality, all they truly know about VS are their panty and bra sizes.
I saw the following italics on my Facebook newsfeed this morning, and you could say that this piece of horrible Facebook status is what prompted me to write out this entry today, rather than starting it and leaving it unfinished and forgotten in my ‘Drafts’ box forever.
“Victoria’s Secret show was missing November in the Calendar Girls’ section. That’s awkward. I guess they didn’t think we’d notice they skipped from October to December…. But we did.”
Um, okay. Before you post something that embarrassing on your status, you should probably have done your research before you started praising yourself for being so aware and smart. Just to clear this up once and for all, Victoria’s Secret did not make a mistake. They did not skip November.
Let’s backtrack a bit, just to get everyone on the same page.
The fashion show is taped a month before it airs on television. It is taped twice in one day – once for VS family, friends, and A-list celebrities, and once for the media. Then, the editing team goes and combines the footage from both tapings, and the end result is what you see on television.
In the ‘Calendar Girls’ section, November was represented by Karlie Kloss, who wore a large Native American headdress (which, I must admit, I really liked). Unfortunately, when photos from the tapings were released, some people threw giant hissy-fits over the headdress and complained of taking offense at it, thus forcing VS to issue an apology and cut that particular footage out from being aired on television. This is why you see Behati as October and then Barbara as December with no November in the middle. Victoria’s Secret did not make a mistake, so stop pretending to be all-knowing and condescending.
Seriously, let’s make this super clear: just because you shop at Victoria’s Secret does not mean you are knowledgeable about Victoria’s Secret and the fashion show. Just because you can identify Adriana Lima and some of the other girls does not mean you are knowledgeable about Victoria’s Secret and the fashion show. Just because you fantasize about Miranda Kerr in your dreams does not mean you are knowledgeable about Victoria’s Secret and the fashion show. I get it, Victoria’s Secret was the buzz of the night yesterday, and people have the annoying tendency to jump on the conversation wagon, but please get your facts straight before you start word-vomiting your opinions that are based on wrong assumptions and surface-observation.
Oh, and I predict that the stores this weekend will be flooded with girls influenced by the VSFS. I must say, whoever came up with the idea of the VS annual fashion show back in 1995 was a genius. It is such a smart marketing tool! Thank god VS is mainly known for its underwear though; I know that I’m probably walking around with matching bras and panties as the girls and the cougar grannies next to me, but as long as I can’t see it and think about it, it doesn’t particularly bother me. But god, I hate bandwagoners. Go away!
10 Thoughts on VSFS 2012
As always, it was amazing. Was it as amazing as the older shows? No. You might already know why I absolutely love the VSFS and why I have religiously watched it every year ever since high school, so I won’t elaborate much on that. But, I shall share my complaints (and other thoughts) on last night’s fashion show. In no particular order, here are 10 of my thoughts.
VS seems to have changed its direction on model castings. In the past, the models embodied a more fierce and sexy appeal (see Tyra, Gisele, and Karolina), but with the recent years, VS has appeared to forego the original model vision (see Cameron, Hillary, Maud). Many of the walking models now lack the sexiness and fierceness that the originals displayed and are awkward and bland on the runway.
VS is more liberal with distributing wings now. In the past, wings were exclusive only to the Angels, but with the recent shows, you see regular models wearing wings on the runway (see Karlie and Magdalena).
As much as I love Cara’s last name, I find her and her eyebrows annoying.
Can people stop bagging on Adriana? Yes, she admittedly didn’t look as slim as she did in the past shows, but this woman gave birth EIGHT WEEKS before the VSFS taping. She worked hard to get her body back in runway-shape and it’s amazing that she accomplished it. If you can look like her eight weeks after giving birth, you can complain about how she “didn’t look good” last night.
I really did not like how they edited the show this year. It seemed more focused on the guest-singers rather than on the models and set decorations. This year, there was way too much emphasis on the performers. Each of them did two songs; Bruno Mars crowded Barbara Fiahlo’s walk; there was too much air-time on Bruno Mars’s face; Rihanna walked too much with the girls; Bieber’s dance was awkwardly placed in the middle of the Pink segment.
As much as I am apathetic about Rihanna, she had a great walk. It sort of reminded me of Tyra’s walk. She walked better than half of the models on the runway (see Lily).
I wish there had been more emphasis on the fantasy bra this year. I honestly felt bad for Alessandra, who waited 11 years to be selected to wear it. Sure, she wore the fantasy bra, but Cameron’s outfit was worth more than the fantasy bra. Alessandra didn’t even open or close the ‘Angels in Bloom’ segment. She was just oddly placed in it, and if you looked away for a minute, you would have completely missed her walk. There was no video blurb that was completely dedicated to the fantasy bra.
Erin was amazing. I never really was a fan of hers, but after seeing her open the ‘Calendar Girls’ segment last night, I like her a lot more now. This particular footage showed that she had to open without her hat, which you could tell she really loved and wanted to wear. Her hair was messed up and it was apparent that she was stressed and was uncertain, but she pulled it all together and still did an amazing walk.
The newcomers that I really like: Elsa, Barbara, Shanina, and Magda (just to clarify, by “newcomers,” I mean those who haven’t received much attention in previous years. Shanina, Elsa, and Magda have all walked before but never garnered much attention). As much as I hate to see Adriana, Alessandra, and Miranda go in the coming years, I do see potential in these four girls becoming future Angels.
Miranda. Always perfect. No one can argue.
Favorite outfits from last night –
(obviously, my favorite segment was ‘Silver Screen Angels’)
Despite all my complaints, I am excitedly awaiting the 2013 VSFS!
Nov 14
Ed Sheeran and music videos
English singer-songwriter Ed Sheeran may be known primarily in the U.S. for his debut single “The A Team” and for his collaboration with Taylor Swift on a track from her recent album, but he is also brilliant when it comes to visually conveying his music in the form of music videos.
I discovered Sheeran’s music before “The A Team” became famous and overplayed in California, and his talent just struck me speechless. He may not necessarily be the best looker I have seen, but his acoustics and lyrics touch the heart, and now, after seeing his recent music video of “Give Me Love,” I hold even more respect for this English ginger.
Music videos should never just regurgitate the lyrics, nor should they revolve around a completely different and random concept. Instead, they should convey the meaning of the song in a creative and thought-provoking way.
Sheeran contemplates the meaning of giving and receiving love in the “Give Me Love” music video. With the lyrics describing a plea for love, as the title suggests, one could have assumed that Sheeran’s video falls victim to the typical boy-meets-girl-boy-falls-in-love setting, given the pattern of a dearth of high-quality MVs we see today. Instead, Sheeran chooses to expand his creativity and reveal a whole new interpretation on the lyrics. He casts a distressed female character as the main focus of attention, who, in her effort to seek insight into her existence, takes on the role of a modern-day cupid, shooting young men and women around her with her arrows of love. Ultimately, however, her role becomes damaging to herself as she starts to crave the love that she allows others to experience, and her inability to find that love forces her to fire a self-inflicting arrow. The haunting chords of “Give Me Love,” paired with this storyline, leaves behind an inexorably heaviness within the viewer.
I feel like my usual scornful voice has been absent in this posting, so here is one to end my thoughts: I don’t understand artists who put out music videos that don’t even relate to their songs. It is such a waste of money and effort and is a repellent stain on the art of music. Those who put out such music videos should not even be considered “artists.” Sometimes, I just feel inexplicably sad about the quality of today’s “good” music.
Nov 12
Sometimes, I don’t know how to act around specific individuals because I don’t know what lies they may have heard about me.
