Small Doses of Rationale

Snakes

2009-09-10T23:10:00.000-07:00

I'm really loving snake jewelry at the moment... strange? Or cool!?!?!?!?! I saw a "snake" ring at Club Monaco last weekend and I've been thinking about it ever since. Guess where I'll be going this weekend! :) Anyways, I also saw this Elizabeth and James (the Olsen twins' brand!). This one is a bit pricier... even though it's on SALE. Hmmm...

Zombies? Seriously?

2009-08-26T19:07:00.000-07:00

I never thought I'd say this, but I can't wait to see this zombie movie...

Happy Mid-Summer!

2009-07-20T22:39:00.000-07:00

My calendar tells me that today is July 20th. JULY 20!@#%&$#@!!&&*#@! It's almost amazing how fast time flies when you're having... fun? Maybe a better saying is that time flies when you're wandering aimlessly through life. I'm tempted to add "a life without meaning", but that's just depressing.

On a lighter note, the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale began last Friday. This really equates to the happiest time of the year for me. I don't know why, but there is nothing more satisfying than a sale. I made a few executive purchases --- a leather jacket, new gym shoes, and paparazzi-proof sunglasses.

As always, I'm featuring a "must-have" item of the month here:

When I think of mice, I usually think of disgusting greasy creatures that live in sewers and raid trash cans for food scraps. But, move over Mickey Mouse, this Marc Jacobs keychain is as cute as can be. Who wouldn't love to carry their keys on it? And hello! Look at the bowtie attached... how classy! Thoughts?

Baggg

2009-04-16T21:27:00.000-07:00

I've always had a slight obsession with bags. Slight being an understatement. Here is my pick for "must-have" for this spring:

Picture courtesy of shopbop.com

Amazing, right? It's the Diane von Furstenberg Roberta Wrap Bag... only $600.00. Sigh.

A.I. Again

2009-04-08T22:09:00.000-07:00

Ok... how overdue was Scott MacIntrye's exit on American Idol tonight? I'd say VERY. He is just so dull. Is he like a hundred years old? He acts it. So, thank goodness. We can now move on with the real contestants.

And how about that Adam Lambert and Mad World? Best. Performance. Ever. I wasn't a believer until now.

SWOON

2009-04-07T19:07:00.001-07:00

Have I found you, flightless bird...

Uneventful

2009-04-01T20:41:00.000-07:00

Life has been pretty uneventful lately. It's time to liven things up. 2009 Q2 should fare better.

;)

I'm Alive!

2009-03-10T22:21:00.000-07:00

Just ridiculously sleep deprived... and lazy. Gone are the days of watching Jon & Kate Plus 8 and Oprah reruns in the wee hours of the night. Sigh. I miss the bum life. Oh well, I got a new job. One that makes me wake up when it's still dark outside. So lame. I'm even drinking coffee. Before you know it, I might have to drink 3 or 4 cups to get through the day! What has the world come to?

Alright, enough of the boring stuff, let's talk Idol! Who watched the Top 13?!!??!?! This is the first and only season that I've actually decided to watch. It's pretty exciting. No wonder it's so hyped up. Haha. I'm jumping on the bandwagon a little late, but I'm still joining the party, ok? My current faves... Danny (adorable), Anoop (adorable x 2), Kris (so cuuute), and shockingly, Adam Lambert (minus the creepy glitter part). I wonder who's getting kicked off manana. And what is the surprise twist? Hmmm. My prediction is that the judges will get to "save" someone from elimination. And probably Jorge and Anoop will have gotten the least amount of votes. I'm going to vote for Anoop at least 10 more times before I go to sleep. What can I say, I'm a dedicated fan.

:D

I'm Survived

2009-02-20T10:13:00.000-08:00

So, the whole wisdom teeth extraction ordeal is not as bad as I made it out to be. I'm up and awake and not dying (thanks to my new BFF, Vicodin...). My doctor did an incredible job because I'm ok and only slightly swollen (chipmunk-y)! Being put under was crazy --- I literally don't remember anything! Awesome! I slept basically all day yesterday and last night, so I'm rather well-rested right now. I'm still taking painkillers and other meds, so today will be another day of taking it easy. No arguments there.

In any case, anyone nervous about oral surgery, I can assure you that it really is no biggie. :)

FML

2009-02-18T22:41:00.000-08:00

In case you've been hiding under a rock for the past month, www.fmylife.com is currently the best time waster ever. Hilarious, but also kinda sad. Excellent!

Anyways, when I went to the dentist a week or so ago, they convinced me that I FINALLY needed to get my wisdom teeth extracted. I've been avoiding this for years. Literally. And it's come back to haunt me. Talking to most people, it seems like I'm the last person ever to get this done. Sigh. And I'm scared. But, I'm going to do it. Tomorrow. Wish me luck. And don't worry, they're putting me under.

Happy Valentine's Day

2009-02-14T22:32:00.000-08:00

How did you celebrate?

Chris took me to the California Academy of Sciences, which I've been dying to visit since it reopened. It was pretty fantastic, except that Claude, the famous albino alligator was out "sick". Besides being utterly too crowded, I had a good time exploring the exhibits and learning about rainforests, aquatic animals, and other science-y things. My favorite was the blue whale fossil (although it wasn't quite as impressive as the blue whale replica at the Natural History Museum in the NYC) and I learned a thing or two about the history of life on Earth. We had lunch at the Academy Cafe, which turned out to be quite tasty. It wasn't your average amusement park food, but made-to-order goodies. At night, Chris took me to One Market... a Michelin ONE STAR restaurant. Haha. He's attempting to eat as many Michelin recommended restaurants as possible. The food was good... nothing spectacular like Michael Mina though. ;) My stomach wasn't feeling well, so I don't have detailed reviews this time. Because of that plus the rain, we just called it a night after that. All in all, a pretty good Valentine's Day.

Treats

2009-02-04T11:42:00.001-08:00

With the constant news of layoffs and stocks plummeting, the recession is starting to make me rethink my lifestyle. It's time to budget and cut costs wherever possible. So, one of my goals is to dine out less. I've been eating a lot of leftovers and trying to make the most of the groceries that we do buy. It's not bad so far. I made Rice Krispies Treats two weeks in a row now because I bought a big box of Rice Krispies cereal (on sale) and a bag of small marshmallows (also on sale). This produced 2 batches of Treats! And I can't stop eating them. They're addicting! Who said that saving money had to be boring and dull! Baking stuff and getting to eat it is pretty cool especially since it didn't cost an arm and a leg.

P.S. Does anyone remember the Rice Krispies Treat CEREAL? Oh-my-goodness. I'm going to try pouring milk over my Rice Krispies Treats for breakfast. WOOT!

Super Bowwwl

2009-02-01T23:47:00.000-08:00

What a game! Sorry to all the Cards fans and supporters (me included) that were hoping for an interesting upset. But, kudos to Big Benny for keeping it together at the last 2 minutes. Pretty amazing. I'm sure football enthusiasts were doubly amazed.

What I love most about the Super Bowl is the party and the food. Chris and I were really looking forward to WINGS and drove around for an extra 30 minutes looking for a KFC. We failed. Sad day. Instead we had to settle for McDonald's and Chicken McNuggets. Blah. But, yay for junk food.

Oh and here's the cake that Stef baked me:

Thanks Stef! :)

Project Numero Uno

2009-01-28T12:14:00.000-08:00

My learn to knit classes have ended and I am now ready to conquer the world of knitting. Ok, not really, but I'm going to try. I officially picked out my first project today --- a black scarf made with Baby Alpaca yarn (it's the soft kind). The pattern shouldn't be very hard... although I have to cast on 64 stitches!!! Nerd speak! I love it! I'm hoping to display my fabulous finished product here in a few weeks. Just you wait and see!

History In The Making

2009-01-20T11:01:00.000-08:00

"On this day, we gather because we have chosen hope over fear, unity of purpose over conflict and discord." -President Barack Obama

♫ Show Me What I'm Looking - Carolina Liar

2009-01-12T18:53:00.000-08:00

Wait, I'm wrong
Should've done better than this
Please, I'll be strong
I'm finding it hard to resist

So show me what I'm looking for

Save me, I'm lost
Oh Lord, I've been waiting for you
Save me from being confused
Show me what I'm looking for
Show me what I'm looking for
Oh Lord

Don't let go
I've wanted this far too long
Mistakes become regrets
I've learned to love abuse
Please show me what I'm looking for

Save me, I'm lost
Oh Lord, I've been waiting for you
I'll pay any cost
Save me from being confused
Show me what I'm looking for
Show me what I'm looking for
Oh Lord

Show me what I'm looking for
Show me what I'm looking for
Show me what I'm looking for

Save me, I'm lost
Oh Lord, I've been waiting for you
I'll pay any cost
To save me from being confused
Wait, I'm wrong
I can't do better than this
I'll pay any cost
Save me from being confused

Show me what I'm looking for
Show me what I'm looking for
Show me what I'm looking for
Show me what I'm looking for
Oh Lord

Stupid Haircut

2009-01-09T16:49:00.000-08:00

Every time I get a haircut, I always regret it. It's always too short, too many layers, to uneven. Do you think it's because I'm not used to the change or because all haircuts need time to grow out a little before looking more... natural?

I give up. I got another stupid haircut. No pictures. Stupid.

Knitting 101

2009-01-08T19:49:00.000-08:00

I've been trying to learn how to knit since 2006... I think. I bought a book, I borrowed my mom's knitting needles, I found yarn. All in all, a worthy attempted. But if you've ever knitted before, you'll know that it's no easy feat especially to get started. I basically gave up after two minutes of trying to decipher the ridiculous pictures from the book.

So, when I was perusing through TeachStreet, I came across some knitting classes in my hood. The only way to learn really IS to sit next to an old(er) lady and watch! I'm working on the beginner's stitch (I forgot what it's called), casting on (?), and binding (?). I need to get the terminology down ASAP.

Twilight

2009-01-06T13:39:00.000-08:00

I woke up before 6:30am this morning to get ready, drive to BART, and walk to the Rene C. Davidson Courthouse in Oakland. Why??? To perform my civic duty... of jury service. On the form that they mail you, they tell you not to be late and to arrive at 8am. They even bold this. So, what happens when you arrive? You sit there... for hours... literally. GOODNESS! Luckily, I was super smart and I came equipped with Twilight, the so-proclaimed "Best Book of the Year". I started it a few days ago, but I wasn't that impressed. Bella is kinda whiny. And I didn't really care about the boring town of Forks. But, that was before. Before I (and every other female who has ever read the book) fell in love with Edward. OMG, can he BE any hotter? I now HAVE TO see the movie. I'll even go alone if I must. And I'm only halfway through the book! Alright, can't talk... must READ! Bye!

1 Down, 364 to Go...

2009-01-01T23:48:00.000-08:00

This year's NYE, a few friends and I headed out to a party at Circa, a trendy Marina eatery (the chef was a contestant on Top Chef!). Our pre-party attempts were partially successfully, but completely voided after a long walk in the freezing cold to take the bus (free for the night!) to our destination. I've long heard that there are not enough cabs in SF and we were the victims this night. Circa was mad crowded, and while our party had reserved the upstairs part of the restaurant/lounge, it was still jam-packed with girls in skimpy dresses and glitter make-up and guys decked out in suits, vests, tuxedos (???). The rest of the night is a blur. The countdown was pretty typical. It caught me by surprise because all of a sudden, it was "5, 4, 3, 2, 1, haaappyyy neeewww yeeeaaar!" And then it was 2009. Weird. Afterward, some people got sick, some people got tired, and I was in bed by 2:00am.

I woke up the next morning feeling slightly groggy, but otherwise in good shape. Pizza, wings, and soda cured whatever hangoverness that I had. Yesss!!! It was nice to relax most of the day. We went out to dinner later for my parents' Anniversary. That was nice too. All in all, it was a good start to 2009. :)

Happy New Year!

2008-12-31T23:50:00.000-08:00

Wishing you a wonderful 2009 filled with laughter, health, and success.

Let's all attempt to keep our resolutions! Mine is to be more financially aware. Well, that's one of them. :)

Merry Christmas!

2008-12-25T17:32:00.001-08:00

Hope everyone is having a joy-filled holiday with family and friends! Be safe and eat lots!!!

Adorable

2008-12-05T10:15:00.000-08:00

Is this not the cutest animal you've EVER seen in your entire life??? This is Martha Stewart's new puppy, Genghis Khan. He's a Chow Chow. But, I think he's part bear... teddy bear!

Partay

2008-11-18T22:43:00.000-08:00

A big thanks to everyone that made it out to Rye on Saturday night! Hope you had a drunken blast like I did!

Two Five

2008-11-14T22:36:00.000-08:00

I got everything that I wished for this year. Not to mention, a pretty awesome dinner courtesy of Chris. I mean, what's not to like about a TRIO of chocolate desserts??? I especially love the panna cotta.

Are We Human? Or Are We Dancer?

2008-11-12T21:43:00.001-08:00

The week has been pretty difficult and I have a feeling it might be getting worse, but I'm trying to rid myself of pessimism and take this as an opportunity for another fresh start. So, what now? I have a few ideas. It's just a matter of having the courage to do it.

My sign is vital. My hands are cold. And I'm on my knees, looking for the answer. - The Killers

"Change has come to America"

2008-11-04T21:01:00.000-08:00

Congratulations, President-elect Barack Obama! Yes. We. Did.

Seattle Fantastic

2008-11-02T21:40:00.000-08:00

In Light of the Recent Economic Turmoil

2008-10-17T08:27:00.000-07:00

"Be fearful when others are greedy, and be greedy when others are fearful." - Warren Buffet

A Really Bad Day

2008-10-13T22:27:00.001-07:00

I guess it's the way the cookie crumbles.

Can't Wait...

2008-09-21T21:38:00.000-07:00

to watch what The Office has in store for us this season.

This is from PostSecret. It's not MY secret. I just thought it was funny. I guess I would rather see Jim and Pam together than a lot of things.

Bummer Summer

2008-09-07T12:37:00.000-07:00

Man... it's already September!??!!??!!!?! What an unbelievably mundane life I lead. I barely took advantage of summer this year. No dramatic vacations. No beach parties. No fun stories to tell. Sad.

Hey now... I can't help that work still has a death grip on my schedule. And this coming week is going to be a psychotic. College recruiting is gearing up for this fall and this next week, we (not me, perse) are going to 2 career fairs. I'm sending 3 people to UIUC Tuesday to Thursday. And I will be attending the Cal Career Fair on Thursday! So, am I ready? No! No, I am not! I'm the only person working on the logistics for these events and I haven't yet prepared all of our "marketing" materials!!! Since this is the first time that our company is participating in fall recruiting at any colleges, I basically have to invent the wheel here. So, it's kinda of a lot of pressure. Not to mention, grand expectations.

Ok, enough about work... it's giving me a panic attack already. Everything else is a-ok. I'm hoping to visit LA, Las Vegas, and Seattle in the next couple of months. Then, I'm going to plan next year's big trip to Thailand. These are lofty goals of mine and if I publicize them, I might actually reach them. In the meantime, I'm going to eat like I've never eaten before. Ever since I started working in SF and Chris moved to the city also, we've been having a undeniably awesome time trying new restaurants and foods. Highlights from the past month: Bissap Baobab, Chloe's Cafe, Pork Store Cafe, Range, Espetus Churrascaria, etc. Yum, yum, and more yum. Foodie 4 lyfe.

Well well, I think this has been an adequate update given that I've been missed for over a month. Take care and I promise to update more frequently. Perhaps I'll give a day by day recount of the chaos of this next week.

Cute, No?

2008-08-06T15:21:00.001-07:00

I often like to share items that I discover while shopping at work. Here's another! This Marc By Marc Jacobs Scripted Bracelet is adorable!!!

Happy Birthday to the Dark Lord!

2008-07-08T22:57:00.000-07:00

AKA Youngy Park

Introducing...

2008-06-21T14:36:00.000-07:00

This is the newest addition to my parking space. :-)

Ok... this is just a model. The real one is black and gorgeous! I need to take more pictures.

The SF Experience

2008-06-15T16:14:00.000-07:00

I've always wanted to live in a huge city. I also hate huge city quirks --- like noises and small living spaces. But, I am starting to think the fun and convenience outweigh those little annoyances. I spent the weekend... or half the weekend enjoying the city lifestyle. Chris just moved to Glen Park and it is literally a short BART ride away from FUN. Haha.

Anyways, I had a relatively drunk-filled Friday and Saturday. I went to happy hour with some coworkers. That's always fun. I wished I stayed longer, but someone was hungry. Ahem. We were too lazy to do anything exciting after drinks and Mexican food. What a bummer. On Saturday, I met up with Jen and George and Lany for brunch (yes, my favoritest meal ever) in random cafe in Redwood City. It was nice that it was right off the waterfront, but the man behind the register was a crazy person.

George: "I'd like American cheese"
Crazy person: "American is people, not cheese"

That's an excerpt from a conversation with the crazy person. Haha. I had eggs benedict, but instead of ham or Canadian bacon, it came with CRAB. Yum. How much do you love crab? Not even close to how much I love it. Yummy. After lunch, I took Chris to Costco so that he could stock up on turkey burgers, Grey Goose, and Nutella. I am not joking that he bought all of those things (and more) in bulk. And he's the only one he's buying for.

At night, we took BART to Montgomery and made the long (or some think reasonably short) trek to North Beach. We had dinner at Figaro, which was nice Italian food with a side of terrible service. Then, we met up with Lany and Anna at a random dessert and coffee shop for chocolate cake and cappucinos before heading to Rogue Ale Brewhouse. I was very disappointed that they ran out of the hazelnut beer. And even more disappointed that all the drinks that the bartender recommended were terrible. Jen, Stef, and Jason joined us and after a little while, we decided to head over to Sip. We ended the night with at least 3 rounds in shots and a final hurray to Lany turning the big 25.

The best part of the night... was that all of us drank like no tomorrow and then Chris and I cabbed it back to Glen Park for $20. Money well spent.

Happy Father's Day today and bring on the week. GAAAH.

Do a Good Deed

2008-06-11T17:54:00.001-07:00

Boston was Fantastical

2008-06-10T22:11:00.000-07:00

Congrats Chrissy!

I'm Yours

2008-06-03T08:23:00.000-07:00

Union Street Fair

2008-06-01T11:02:00.000-07:00

I celebrated the first of June (aka SUMMER) at the lovely Union Street Fair. Held in the Marina, it was a mad house. Imagine Frat Row at Cal on a Game Day... same exact people and craze. I guess this is where those people go when they grow up. So weird.

Anyways, I had a pretty good time. We mostly walked around, ate food, judged people... the usual. Then, met up with some coworkers at fancy backyard. Ate some more, hung out with drunks, did weird logic puzzles... again, the usual. Pretty fun and relaxed.

I guess in true fashion of the weekend, I'm too chill to write anymore about this. Peace.

Bored

2008-05-25T11:53:00.001-07:00

Kobe! Is this real?

Chris' Last Day at Google

2008-05-23T13:56:00.000-07:00

I guess it's the end of an era. Haha. A very short era. I know I left Google about 6 months ago, but Chris was still there. That meant that I still benefited from the perks from time to time. Now, as Chris ventures out to the real world, it's seriously over. No more fond Google meals. No more trips to the immense Googleplex. No more oooh-ing and aaah-ing about cool Google events or meeting famous people. So long good life!

I LOVE NORDSTROM

2008-05-21T21:19:00.000-07:00

I am practically obsessed with Nordstrom. I love love love it! Anyways, the Women's Half Yearly Sale started today and of course, I got up at 6am to be at the store by 7am. WOOT! Unfortunately, I wasn't that impressed with the selection, but who can blame them? Bad economy = ugly clothes. It's a fact. My mom told me and I'm pretty sure she's lived through a few bad economic times. Anyways, I got a pair of Enzo Angiolini gladiator sandals for $59.90! Suuuper cute! I was a little skeptical of the trend, but I'm starting to embrace it... just in time for summer! This means that I need to get timely pedicures too. Yikes. But, that's all I got in the morning and I went to work a bit disappointed.

So, at lunch, my coworker and I decided to skip eating (who needs that when you can SHOP) and walk to Union Square's Nordstrom. She wasn't too happy with the clothing and shoe selection. Neither was I. But, then we stumbled upon the Designer Handbags department and overheard the salesperson telling a lady that some of the bags were going to be on sale! Well, lucky for us because we both found precious Marc Jacobs bags. They were 40% off!!! We hit the shopping jackpot!!! ANYways, I'll take a picture of the bag as soon as it arrives. We couldn't take it home since it was just a "presale". But, when I get it, I'll definitely put up some adorable pics! Haha... it's like a pet or a baby... precious and adorable. Ok, I found it online, but I got it in ivory and it looks much cuter than shown here.

Well, that made my day. Now I can work happy. With something to look forward to!

TV is My Comfort Food

2008-05-20T21:53:00.000-07:00

I've been having a really hard time keeping up with all my favorite TV shows!!! But, so far, I've been following Grey's Anatomy and The Office pretty regularly. Other than that... I'm completely out of the loop. I watched the season finale of House last night. I had no idea what the storyline was, but it was definitely the saddest episode of any show I've ever seen on TV. Did you watch? And if so, don't you agree? Amber wasn't so horrible after all! Waaahhhhh. I want to start watching the old seasons of House now. I'm also caught up on Lipstick Jungle (from nbc.com, of course) and I hate to admit that I actually like it. I want to know what happens next!!!

Sigh... so little time for TV. I'm attempting to tackle Gossip Girl now!

Beach Bum

2008-05-15T14:13:00.000-07:00

OMG IT'S SO FREAKIN' HOT!

I am consuming specialty green tea drinks like a maniac. Dehydrated is not a good state to be in... especially in a heatwave. I'm working from home today to "spare the air". My commute is ridiculous and I am allowed one traffic/public transportation/hour commute day each week or so. I usually like to be in the office because it lets me actually TALK to the people I need information from. But, once in a while, working from home lets me re-focus my priorities. However, I'm not sure if today was the best day to stay home. I don't have A/C!!! I can also hear the shrieks of happiness and joy from all the kids and/or bums at the pool. I'm so jealous. Too bad my wireless internet doesn't reach that far or else I'd also be lounging like a beach bum.

Hopefully, this awesome summer weather will stay for the weekend. That'd be nice. Please?

Tuna or Turkey

2008-05-14T15:57:00.000-07:00

I about eat a sandwich from Toaster Oven every day. Ok, it's really about 3 times a week, but it's a lot. My coworker, Annemarie, and I are kind of obsessed with the sandwiches there. So, today, our boss decided to buy the entire team lunch. We ordered a total of 6 sandwiches and of course, I got my usual, turkey with avocado. Yum! If you don't know what Toaster Oven is, it's like a better, toastier, fresher version of Quizno's!

All of us were sitting at the table, chatting and eating. I took one bite out of my sandwich and didn't notice anything strange. My neighbor was eating a tuna sandwich, so I assumed the fishy smell was coming from his sandwich. Then, I looked down and saw that MY SANDWICH WASN'T TURKEY, BUT TUNA!!! Ewww... tuna with avocado is gross times 10.

The sad part is that I didn't really notice from my first bite. I guess I can't really tell the difference between the two. My taste buds are WACK.

Desperate Times

2008-05-13T11:42:00.001-07:00

Do you want to work at hi5? This applies to engineers only. Thanks. TELL YOUR FRIENDS, YOUR FOES, ANYONE!!!

About hi5

• One of the world’s largest social networks
• 80+ million registered members
• 44+ million unique monthly visitors
• Currently available in over 23 languages
• One of the top 20 most-trafficked websites worldwide
• The #1 social network in 26 nations across Europe, Latin America, the Caribbean, Asia and Africa
• A founding adopter of OpenSocial
• Headquartered in San Francisco, California

Although our work is viewed and used every day by millions of people across the globe, the company is small (currently under 100 employees) and privately held. It’s a fun, bright, fast-paced and collaborative place to work.

Located in downtown San Francisco, hi5 is just steps from major public transit lines, including BART and Muni.

Email me at cwong (at) hi5.com!!!

Green Monday

2008-05-12T20:34:00.000-07:00

Mondays suck because I never feel fully rested after waking up in the morning. It must be because I got too much sleep over the weekend and my body wasn't tired Sunday night. Anyways, the end result is a grumpy person, angry at the world. Be scared.

Well, I'm trying to eat vegetarian once a week. I chose Mondays. My diet has been really poor lately. I'm definitely not getting enough greens. So, hopefully, at least once a week, I'll eat more leafy yummy greens. Yay. For example, at lunch today, I got a nice little salad from Mixt Greens. No chicken or steak or salmon. Just mixed greens, cucumbers, carrots, avocados, tomatoes, and a low-fat honey mustard vinaigrette. I didn't really like the dressing. Wrong choice. For dinner, I made myself a nice spinach and mushroom scramble! I even ate a whole wheat english muffin!!! Yum. I had BRINNER. I think I'll have a piece of fruit for dessert. Yay! I hope I can keep this up.

Hello week.

Winter in May

2008-05-06T20:38:00.000-07:00

Why is it freeeeezing outside? I actually wore a turtleneck sweater today. :( I guess working in the city means winter clothes all year round. Sadness.

I saw a lady in tall white go-go boots during lunch hour foot traffic. She was also wearing a badge, so I take it she worked nearby. I applaud her for her courage to wear a costume from Austin Powers to work.

I'm so judgmental. I'll stop now.

Mommy!

2008-05-04T22:59:00.000-07:00

Mother's Day is next Sunday. What should I get my mom??? I called my brother and he's predictably going to piggy-back on my gift. I bet my dad will do the same. Boys...

Beer Beer Birthday Beer

2008-04-30T09:44:00.000-07:00

I started this blog last year with an entry about Beer Fest. So naturally, I have to blog about this year's best thing ever!!!

Ok. It wasn't as crazy (i.e. ridiculous, mind-blowing, life-changing) as last years. Boo.

But, we still all got drunk and acted crazy. Yay.

I introduced Chris and Flora and Lany (and many others) to the awesomeness of Beer Fest. Yay.

We were so hungry that we were only focused on EATING (and not DRINKING) at the beginning of the night. Boo.

A lot of friends and coworkers just happened to be there also, so it was fun seeing a lot of different people. Yay.

We only stayed out till like midnight. Boo.

Chris was so drunk that he can't remember most of the night. Yay and happy birthday, Chris!

Neither Chris nor I were hungover on Sunday. Double yay.

Here's a picture of the cool group that got in line super early:

All in all, it was still great fun. I wish every weekend were Beer Fest weekend. Haha. Ok, maybe not. We'd probably die.

Anyways, on Sunday, Chris and I woke up pretty early and took a nice stroll around the Marina, got Jamba Juice, and waited for Flora and co. They decided to picnic at the park near the water, so we went to Safeway and got goodies and sat on a park bench. It was a really nice day to be outside, plus there was a boat parade! Afterwards, Chris and I took Flora and Derrick to the airport and headed home. We DID end up watching Forgetting Sarah Marshall later and it was pretty good, but definitely not as funny as 40 Year Old Virgin or Superbad. I love Marshall from HIMYM though. The night ended with a modest birthday dinner of Taiwanese noodles and green onion pancake at Cupertino Village. Awesome.

A Case of the Mondays

2008-04-14T23:19:00.000-07:00

I could not get out of bed this morning for the life of me. I ended up missing my normal train and had to take a later one. And first thing that I did when I got to the office was make myself a nice big cup of coffee.

This might seem normal to the outsider, but most people who know me know that I never drink coffee. It usually makes me crazy and then causes hangover-like symptoms to my body within a few hours. I try my best to stay away from the stuff, but today, I could not resist. I suppose this is what people refer for as 'a case of the Mondays'.

The day seemed to hate me right back. My mind was off in another world. I couldn't focus for the life of me. Instead, I thought about how I had imagined my life to be and how wildly different the reality is from that. Then, I thought about the future. I mean, if I'm imagining my life in the future to be a certain way... doesn't my track record of predictions mean that it'll be wildly different than anything that I'm even imagining? Confusing, yes. Reassuring, no.

Is this another one of those moments where I freak out and then get over it quickly? Probably. Let's reassess tomorrow. But, right now, life seems to suck.

And before I go, let me ask you, do old habits really die hard? It's something I've been thinking about all day and I can't seem to reach any logical answer. What do you think?

Back Pains

2008-04-13T11:11:00.000-07:00

I'm a young person trapped in an old woman's body!!! Yesterday, I'm pretty sure I threw out my lower back. It hurts to bend it in any way. I can barely go to the bathroom without making a huge fuss. Damn. This sucks.

So, it's a beautiful weekend and I'm stuck laying around. I DID venture out and took a nice little walk. It was crazy warm. I guess summer is around the corner! Awesome! But, what does summer mean to us adults? Nothing. There is no summer vacation, no summer break, not even summer school (easier than regular school). It's still work 24/7. Pathetic.

Well, enjoy Sunday and more importantly, enjoy the sun!

Bruschetta

2008-04-04T23:41:00.000-07:00

What on earth am I doing at home on a Friday night? Hmmm???

Lately, I've been spending quite a few Friday nights at home... alone. Yes, I'm a loser. Or just a really tired person who is tired of driving to have a good time. I'm just too lazy! I guess this might mean that I need to move to the city (or any city for that matter). I mean, I'd go to a bar or something if it was 5 minutes or less away. I, no longer, go to lengths for alcohol. Instead, alcohol is only cool if it's convenient! Oh how times have changed!

Well, I'm not that big of a loser. I went to happy hour with some coworkers (actually a lot of coworkers) for a bit after work today. I had a light beer --- don't want to get TOO crazy in front of the boss. Yikes! I met up with Stef, Jen, and George in San Mateo at a nice little restaurant called 3rd Street and Vine. They had all these different kinds of bruschetta, it was crazy! One for any mood you're in! Perfect! I especially loved the proscuitto with some sweet olive stuff and the mozzarella and tomato one (caprese?). It was also some kind of wine/jazz bar, so we had live music and lots of alcoholic choices. However, I just got another beer. Haha... classy, right? Then, after dinner, we went to Golden Island Cafe for HK desserts! I made a poor decision to get the hot Almond Powder drink. It was very powdery at the bottom. Eeek! And now, I'm home!

I know some people are out in P.A. or downtown SJ or even at some house party in Sunnyvale. But, you know what I want to do right this second??? Lie in bed and watch one of my favorite shows. Sigh. This is the life.

Goodnight!

Zombie Week

2008-04-03T20:38:00.000-07:00

I'm been walking around like a zombie all week. What's the matter with me? I think it's more than a lack of sleep. Hmmm... I've been trying to sleep at 11pm every night. That means it's more like midnight. Even so, I wake up at 7am, so that's about 7 hours of sleep. That's enough, right? So, maybe it's my diet. But, I've been eating breakfast! I guess I need more vegetables. Ok, I'll try that for next week. Ok, what about stress??? I always over-worry everything. I need to stop worrying and start doing or at least strategizing. Yes! That's the plan. Let's hope that next week will be Energizer Bunny Week.

Only Fools Rush In

2008-04-01T00:41:00.000-07:00

Great song.

It's April. Three months down. Nine more to go. Let's change the world.

Jabbawockeez!!!

2008-03-28T11:51:00.000-07:00

Over the past few weeks, I have fallen in love with the Jabbawockeez!!! They are nothing short of amazing. And they're the reason that America's Best Dance Crew is so popular!!! Anyways, that's what I did last night --- you couldn't get my eyes away from the tube.

And Top Chef on Wednesday... seriously, CORN DOGS? Gross. I hate corn dogs. They remind me of school lunches in elementary school. Yes, they were soggy then too. So, I can see why "Papa Souffle" got kicked off. Sucka.

Well, that sums up my free time for the week. I basically just watched TV all week long. I'm such a bum.

Sleep

2008-03-26T15:50:00.000-07:00

I am so tired. And there is only one thing on my mind... SLEEP. Last night at 9 o'clock, I was ready to jump into bed and call it a night. I was told that it would be seemingly loser-ish to do so. Instead, I chose a different route. I watched TV for a bit and subsequently fell asleep on the couch at a little past 10. I woke up around 11 and was quick to jump into bed. This morning, I woke up groggier than usual. Why oh why...

Well, prior to my sleep zombie state, I did manage to watch the latest episode of HIMYM with Britney as the guest star. She should really stick to singing because she kinda sucks as an actor. But, I guess she didn't suck for a crazy person.

And tonight is TOP CHEF NIGHT!!! Discussion about it tmrw!!!

High Five???

2008-03-24T16:40:00.000-07:00

I am sooo sorry for not blogging/posting/updating for the past month... errr... months!!! I absolutely cannot fathom the fact that it is SPRING and the end of March. I mean, how weird was it that Easter was yesterday. Crazy!!!

Anyways, I guess I have readers... errr... reader? Hehe. So, I'll try my best to be a more active blogger.

Well, I guess the biggest change in my life lately is WORK. Yes, I'm working. I've been working. And I think I'm over working. Like, I'm just over it. I bet you're thinking, what in @#$^$%#$@ is wrong with her??? I find myself thinking that also. Well, it's mostly because the transition into a new job is always hard and stressful especially to learn all the new things and to adjust to the new culture/people/processes/etc. Hopefully, in time, I'll feel a little less overwhelmed.

Oh... I guess I forgot to mention WHERE and WHAT I'm doing now. Ooops. I'm now at hi5.com, the 3rd largest social networking site --- mostly with an international user-base. And I'm doing what I did before --- recruiting engineers!!! We're a much smaller company than I'm used to, which is nice to experience the start-up feel. But, I'm enjoying it and learning a lot. As always, I have to make a sales pitch. If you know anyone interested in working here, please please PLEASE let me know. I'll make you cookies.

Back to work... and I promise to update a couple (or a few) more times this week!

It's February!

2008-02-01T21:38:00.000-08:00

Sorry to say that I have nothing new to report. I'm surprised at how quickly this week (not to mention this month) has gone by. And now, it's February!

It's going to be a busy month. Super Tuesday is coming up. Chinese New Year is next week! And then it's V-Day. And then it's Leap Year Day! Haha. Ok, I made that last one up, but we have a February 29th this year! How exciting!

I'm trying to make a more conscious effort to actually do things. Are you with me?

Rain Rain Go Away

2008-01-28T20:46:00.000-08:00

Why is there so much rain?

Well, even though there was a huge winter storm, this weekend turned out to be quite eventful. :-)

Let's see... I will talk about the most important thing first, which is FOOD. So, Koi Garden (the offspring of the oh-so-famous-and-popular Koi Palace in Daly City) has finally opened in Dublin! Yes, I kid you not. There is now a semi-famous (and pretty darn delicious) Chinese restaurant in Dublin, California! I had been itching to try it since my parents were raving about it. So, last Thursday, I drove up to have dim sum with my parents. I was definitely not disappointed. It is surely the fanciest dim sum place that I've ever been to in the Bay Area and it was seriously comparable to Hong Kong! They had all the normal favorites like ha gow, siu mai, etc. But, they also have more creative dishes also. We tried a flakly fried mushroom pastry thing. It reminded me of the fried taro pastry thing. And it was delicious! What else stood out was the dessert! We had the fried round donut thing coated with sugar. It was the best donut that I've ever had and I don't even like donuts that much. I highly recommend it. The only thing that sucks (other than the drive to D-town) is that it's pricey. Think expensive and times that by 10. But, it's still worth going to. I hear that on the weekends, it's about a 2 hour wait! Just like the more famous Koi Palace. Sigh.

Anyways, moving on with the weekend. Friday was pretty spontaneous. Sarah randomly asked me to join her for dinner at supperclub in SF. And since I love food and I've never been to supperclub (but people talk about it incessantly), I decided to go. Good thing I did because it was a lot of fun. I mean, it really is a whole experience. Basically, everyone eats at the same time and the same food. It was 3 courses and everyone is on a bed. Yes, I said bed with white linens and big fluffy pillows. You sit and eat on the beds. Along with dinner, there is also entertainment. Music, singers, dancers, acrobats, you name it! So, it took us about 3 hours just to get through dinner! I'd recommend it for people who like swanky restaurants/bars/clubs. It's very Paris Hilton. And it's one of those places that make for a memorable night. Afterwards, I met up with Flora and friends at their hotel by the Wharf. Her flight was delayed like 5 hours, so she got in a little before midnight! We hung out for a bit and then I called it a night.

The rain went away for the little bit on Saturday. And Flora went to Napa! I decided against going (mostly because I didn't want to drive), so I ended up not doing much of anything. I drove up to the city (again) to have dinner with Christina and Pam at Ponzu. Two thumbs down for the restaurant. I'm not going to say much about it because it does not excite me to. At all. We did our Christmas gift exchange. Better late than never! Well, after dinner, I met up with Chris and other Googlers at Gravity in the Marina. It wasn't as packed as it normally is and I saw a lot of old coworkers that I miss dearly. Fun times especially since the boyfriend was DRUNK. Ridiculous. Seriously, he was dancing so crazy on the dance floor that he hit me twice (or more?) in the head without even realizing it. Lush! Haha. We left early to meet up with Flora and Lany (and others) at Bruno's in the Mission. GOOD TIMES. I miss the fam! Why can't we all just live within blocks of each other?!?!?! Boo. Well, I guess visiting each other frequently will just have to do. Cheers!

Annnnnd on Sunday, Chris and I went to the Warriors/Knicks game in Oakland. Chris cried when the Knicks lost by 2, but other than that, it was fun! Baron Davis has a booty! Hehe. And the really short guy on the Knicks is good. I forget his name, but Chris told me that he won the slam dunk contest last year or something. Woot!

Now, THAT was a long entry. :-)

Sad News

2008-01-22T15:02:00.000-08:00

It's really sad to hear news like Heath Ledger dies. I mean, last week, it was another washed up (sorry?) actor, Brad Renfro, who passed away. And it's always a drug overdose. It makes you think... these guys were in their late-20s. That's about as young as I am. It puts a lot of things in perspective.

Marc Jacobs Quilted Cecilia Bag

2008-01-21T18:17:00.000-08:00

Is it a beauty or what? And it's named after me. I'm Marc Jacobs' muse!!! Hehe... ok, maybe not. But it's still cool that I am associated with an awesomely chic bag. And I love bags!

I know I haven't updated in what seems like forever. I decided to end the drought with a post about one of my favorite pastimes... shopping! I have been doing much of the same lately. Nothing very interesting on my end, but I guess I can share the details on my past weekend. Sadly, I did not venture to Southern California with Lany. I guess this means that I have to plan a trip down there soon!

Anyways, I'll just share a few highlights from this weekend. Chris and I had dinner at Azie in the city to try the Dine About Town menu. It was pretty good. I'd recommend it! It's like Asian fusion-y, but a bit pricey. Everyone that we tried was well-made and flavorful. I finally got to hang out with Stef, Jen, and Anna, but very briefly at Mr. Smith's. I saw Cloverfield, which was good. Warning... don't go if you are going to get sick. Someone that I went with felt nauseous and did not enjoy the movie at all. Haha.

Well, today has been a bore. It's raining too hard to do anything fun. I've spent the day watching TV and playing Scrabble. Woot! Have a good week and I promise to blog more often!

A Brand New Year

2008-01-01T23:14:00.000-08:00

I wanted to wish everyone a very happy new year!!! It's 2008! Let's hope that this year is one that is filled with even more love, friendship, and happiness. Let the adventures (and memories) begin.

T Minus 2 Days

2007-12-19T22:29:00.000-08:00

I'm so overwhelmed with packing for my long trip --- visiting Hong Kong for almost 3 weeks! Craziness. I just keep thinking of things that I might need. But, I don't know if I'll need it. And it takes up a lot of space. Argh! What to do!?!??!

It's been a busy week of doing nothing. I actually hung out with Will and Lany on Monday... at Valley Fair! We shopped and ate at Nordstrom Cafe. I believe we've convinced Will of its greatness. Yay! Yesterday, I went to Oakland to help my mom pack up her office --- she's moving!!! And she fed me awesome Asian food that I used to eat all the time. I also had dinner with Priya and Phuong at night. Girl talk is always fun. And today, it's been chaos getting everything together for the trip. Sigh. Plus Chris left for NY! Booo.

More packing, scrambling to buy last minute presents and necessities, and hoping that I'll have everything ready by Friday morning. Yikes. Better get some sleep.

Melting Pot

2007-12-16T12:01:00.000-08:00

I've never had fondue in my life! So, last night's dinner at The Melting Pot in San Mateo was quite an experiences. We learned a number of things. First, fondue for dinner is a whole night ordeal. We were there for about 3 hours. We agreed that it's not a place to take a first date because if you don't have anything to talk about, you're literally going to be staring at each other for a few hours. Yikes. Secondly, cheese is really filling. It's suuuper heavy and rich. And I think it stuck to my insides the entire night. Gross. The main course was decent --- it's like hot pot, except you use skewers to cook things in wine and chicken broth! Yay! We had lobster, filet mignon, assorted veggies, other meats like sausage, chicken, beef, etc. Lastly, the best part of fondue (and if I ever go again, this is the only course I'll order) is dessert. We had dark chocolate with cookies and marshmallows!!! Sooo good. They give you a platter of strawberries, bananas, rice krispies, cake, and more goodness to dip dip dip in warm chocolate!!!

It was pretty fun since we had all never been there, but yeah... it was a long dinner. We also exchanged Secret Santa gifts! Woot! Stef was my Secret Santa and I was hers (this is the second year in a row that this has happened). Strange. After dinner, we headed up to Double Dutch in the Mission because that was where Anna was. It's a small hip hop bar that had a TV that played breakdancing competition footage, a showcase of sneakers, and wall of old school boom boxes. We had a few drinks before heading home EARLY as usual. Boy, we are getting too old to stay out past 1am. Haha. Really sad.

Our Very Own Holiday Party

Banana Cream Pie

2007-12-15T10:11:00.000-08:00

I had an odd craving for banana cream pie last night, so I convinced Stef and Young to go with me to Heidi's Pies in San Mateo. Mmm mmm delicious. I also like banana cream pie from Marie Callendar's. That might be the next stop.

So the past couple of days, I've been mooching off of Google. I got free lunches (not once, but twice this past week) and also a buncha free drinks! It's like I never left! Haha. We were saying how Google is a lot more fun when you don't work there, but get to reap the benefits. Oooh la la.

Tonight is our annual holiday party. Yeah, just one tradition that we started amongst friends. It's not affiliated with anything. Duh. We're going to The Melting Pot in San Mateo! It'll be my first fondue experience, so I'll update about it later (not to mention, yelping). Wooo hooo to it being almost Christmas.

Have a good weekend y'all!

Jessica Alba

2007-12-12T16:00:00.000-08:00

... is pregnant! That is the exciting news of the day. See? Yesterday, it was about finance. Today, it's celebrity news. I'm very well-rounded.

Yesterday, I went to Crossroads Trading Co. in San Jose and sold some of my old clothes. It was mostly clothes that are just taking up space in my closet because I never ever wear them. I made about $60! Nice! I also put my Michael Kors bag up at the store for consignment or something. It means if someone actually buys the purse, I get half of the selling price! Woot! This is how I'm making money now... I should start a used-stuff store too. Interesting thought.

Stef's parents came over last night also and invited me along for dinner. How exciting! We tried a restaurant in Cupertino Village that Mrs. Chin was not a fan of. It's so popular though. A lot of people eat there. I think it's cuisine from Northern China because they have this weird dish with cornbread. Yes, Chinese people who eat cornbread. Craziness. It was not that delicious, so maybe our palates are not aligned with the cuisine. In other words, we don't get it.

Anyways, today was hardly interesting. I have some errands to run and then I'm heading up for our monthly Santa Ramen night. We <3 <3 <3 that place. Yippeee!!!

Financial News

2007-12-11T11:16:00.000-08:00

Big news in finance --- the Fed is lowering interest rates by .25. Just thought that might be interesting to some readers. Oh, who am I kidding... I'm just really bored. This is the BREAKING NEWS!

Celebrity Sighting

2007-12-10T10:45:00.000-08:00

What I spent this past weekend doing was mostly... watch movies! Saw both the Oscar contender, No Country For Old Men and the controversial, The Golden Compass. I thought both of them were really good. I love the holiday movie season!

So, Friday night was really fun. Stef's coworkers, Bria and Christina, came over and we all made Vietnamese spring rolls! You know, the ones with shrimp and noodles and some greens that you dip in peanut sauce? I kinda just tagged along. My spring rolls didn't turn out that great because apparently I don't know how to do the burrito roll. Eeek. Side note: thanks Drew and all other friends that ditched me for the Google Holiday Party. I hear that it was fun. Jerks. Haha. After dinner and conversation, Chris and I went to Santana Row for desserts at the coffee/pastries place next to Straits. I had the Hazelnut cake. Yummm. I think I always get that one. And a Banana Hot Chocolate. I think I'll lose the banana next time. We made it to the 10:50pm showing of No Country for Old Men... the theater was surprisingly NOT empty! How come I thought it was so late? I guess I hung out past 10pm when I was in high school... or did I? The movie was violent and kinda scary. Chris said it's a lot like Fargo if that helps explain anything. I never saw Fargo, so this is irrelevant to me. IRRELEVANT! Haha.

Saturday was a blur. I slept in. Really late. I think I got out of bed around 11ish. Dang. Laziness takes over me. I headed up to SF in the late afternoon to go to H&M and Zara to return expensive winter clothes that I'm not going to wear. Instead, I bought more stuff from H&M. I'm so lame. BUT, I did see T.R. Knight (you know, George from Grey's Anatomy) on the street outside Macy's. I was almost dumbfounded. No one in my immediate company had any clue who he was, so I just let him pass. He's sooo pretty. Very clean cut and unsuspecting. If only he weren't gay... oh well. On the way back from SF, we stopped at Young's apartment for this Mayweather v. Hatton party. I don't really know anything about boxing, but it was fun to watch Mayweather knock the living daylights out of Hatton. MWAHAHA. I also ate a lot of Pizza Hut pizza and snacks. After the fight, some people decided to watch UFC. UFC is the bloodiest thing I've ever seen in my life. There was blood over the entire ring floor. And it's basically two buff guys beating the s!@# out of each other. Gross.

On Sunday, I, again, overslept (sorry Christy!) and was late for our double date with Christy and her Aaron!!! We brunched (!!!) at Country Inn Cafe in Santa Clara. I had the Hash Benedict and it was quite satisfying. I've been craving brunch food items for a while now since I'm not longer privy to the abundance of eggs and breakfast goods at Google. Yum yum yum. I love corned beef hash, so it was fun that it was like Eggs Benedict minus the ham. Afterwards, we were supposed to go see The Golden Compass with Christy (and Aaron, but mostly just Christy).
I had to pass because Chris couldn't go and it would be more weird that I went with two people who were supposed to be on a date, right? Haha. I'm gross. Well, it's ok because Chris went to see a bunch of apartments (since he's thinking of moving) and he felt bad that we missed the movie that we went to see it later at night. I thought it was cool. I love big fantasy movies like that (i.e. Harry Potter, Chronicles of Narnia, etc.), so it was really enjoyable. Meanwhile, Chris yawned through the whole thing and mentioned that he won't be watched any of the sequels. Hehe. Ok, so it's a little unrealistic... polar bears, witches, child-soul killing factory in the middle of nowhere. I still liked it and I can't wait for the sequels. This week, I'm going to finish the book... now that it's a little bit easier to understand the concepts. Seriously... I had no idea what "daemons" were until the movie!!!

♫ With You - Chris Brown

2007-12-08T13:43:00.000-08:00

I'm addicted to this song. ;-)

Burnt Cookies

2007-12-06T00:04:00.001-08:00

Yes, I bake cookies. But, they didn't turn out as expected tonight. Sad. It even set off the fire detector. Sad times 2.

It's already midweek and I've been semi-productive this week. Like yesterday... I got a bookshelf for my room. FINALLY! I mean, I did it all by myself. I carried it home from Ikea and built it... alone! Go me! The next project is to decorate the walls.

Alright, you got me. This isn't a very interesting update. I'll sign off now. Have a good Thursday!

December Blues

2007-12-02T20:15:00.000-08:00

I've heard somewhere that depression is more rampant this time of the year... and I can see why. It's December... the last month of the year. It really makes you reflect on what you've done (or not done) and what's in store for 2008. It's a lot to digest. I guess we all have a few more weeks to think about things...

Anyways, how was your weekend? Mine was quite pleasant. I was in SF both Friday and Saturday nights! Crazy to think that that was the norm a few years back and now it's like some amazing feat. Haha. Well, Friday night was both exciting and not. I ate dinner (Japanese takeout!!!) by myself and waited for George Such Chang to pick me up. He wasn't too late and I got to ride in his new SUV (hahahaha... "his"), so that was cool. We met up with Stef and Young to go to Lion's Pub in SF for Karan's 25th birthday celebration! The bar was out in the middle of nowhere and we found it without written directions! Anyways, it's a trendy little spot on Divisadero that serves a drink called the Greyhound. It's essentially fresh squeezed grapefruit juice (they do this in front of you) and Grey Goose! I think I had about 5-6 of these. They really don't taste like anything, but grapefruit juice! Plus, no sugar added, so it's a win-win-win? HAHAHA. The night ended with us at IHOP in Foster City. Nothing beats eggs in the middle of the night when you're buzzed/drunk.

Saturday was also fun. I met up with Phuong and Priya (I like to call them P&P without them knowing) for brunch... or just lunch. Giiirl talk is so much fun when you can make fun of boys that you all know. Mwahaha. Later in the day, I met up with so more Google friends at Malibu in Redwood City for go-kart racing, batting cages, and other random arcade games. It was the most fun that I've had in a while and really nice to hang out with cool people. I ended up being the slowest driver. Oh well. But, I did manage to hit a lot at the batting cages, even though I was at the slow pitch one. We decided to get dinner nearby afterwards and ended up in downtown Redwood City at a interesting place called Citrine. It really reminded a lot of us of Charlie's! Haha, but the food wasn't too bad. We also got Beard Papa's for dessert! Downtown Redwood City isn't too shabby. I got back to the apartment pretty late and had to rush to get up to where Stef and Jen were before heading up to SF again with them. We hit up (yes, I said "hit up") 2 parties --- the first one at Roe on Howard and then at Forty Four 3 (the old Velvet Lounge) in North Beach. Both of these parties were ones that I knew no one. The party at Roe was for Stef's coworker's birthday and at Forty Four 3, it was for Jen's coworker's birthday. I was just an innocent bystander. Haha. I got really tired early and wasn't much of a party animal. Ooops.

As for Sunday, it's the usual boring day. And it shall stay that way. Woot! So, the question is... what to do this week???

Too Much Time Off

2007-11-27T19:59:00.000-08:00

Can it be? I've been relaxing for the past 2+ weeks now. And it really feels longer than that. How strange that it was the exact opposite when I was working. Haha. I have a lot more free time now, but I still rarely update this blog. Sorry. Well, I guess now is a good time as ever to start being more proactive in posting! I know I did a quick Thanksgiving update the other day, but here is a more detailed recap of the holiday weekend.

We had a Mini-Thanksgiving at the apartment on Tuesday night and I cooked! Yes! Ok, so there was no turkey, but I made meatloaf and mashed potatoes! Awesome!!! Here's how it turned out:

Sorry that the picture is a little blurry, but you get the idea. It was MEEEATY meatloaf! People came over and there was wine. Ohhh good times.

I went home to Dublin (yes, Ireland... NOT) on Wednesday afternoon, hoping to beat traffic. I was partially successful. The traffic was only bad on 680N and it only took me about an hour. That's pretty reasonable considering that last year, it took me about 2 hours because I left at normal rush hour hour. I had long ago promised Christina that I'd go to Tommy T's with her that night. Why? To see comedian Dat Phan perform! This was my second time at one of his events and it was only slightly different. We had dinner and drinks there while waiting for the show to start. And for some reason, Christina thought it'd be funny to say it was my birthday so that I'd end up onstage, making a fool of myself. She did make that happen. I'll leave that story for another day. Or never. Anyways, Dat Phan wasn't bad, just a bit repetitive for me (and only me).

Early Thursday morning (AKA Thanksgiving), Christina and I went to Hacienda to continue our yearly tradition of watching a movie on Thanksgiving. We ended up seeing Enchanted and I have to say that I really enjoyed it. Yes, I know it's a movie for children, but it's also a love story for adults! I give it two enthusiastic thumbs up and would recommend every girl bring their boyfriend to see it. I tried to get Chris to see it, but he wouldn't have it. What a lucky girl I am. Haha... I kid.

Thanksgiving dinner was fun --- and mostly the same as I detailed in my previous post. Read that, again if you must.

Friday, Saturday, and Sunday were spent relaxing and with the family. I attempted to go shopping at 5am for the Black Friday sales, but I really didn't find anything worth buying. I don't really need to get Christmas presents for anyone. I mean, the people that I do intend to get gifts for, I have some ideas in mind already. So, I didn't buy much on Friday and actually went home around 9am. The rest of the day was really lazy. I lounged around the house with my brother and did other random stuff like play Mario Tennis on GameCube. We had dinner at Macau Cafe, a new Chinese place in Dublin... can you believe that there is an ASIAN mall in Dublin now? Asians are taking over. Ohhh yeah.

Saturday was just as dull. Chris and I ate buffet for lunch at Passage to India. It was pretty good, but it's like how I feel about Palace BBQ Buffet... I am now sick of Indian food for the rest of the year. We also went to Palo Alto and played with Chris' new Garmin GPS system! At night, we went to downtown San Jose and were serendipitously surprised that Christmas in the Park was going on. They turned downtown San Jose into a carnival with rides and food and lots of Christmas tree displays. So festive!

Now, Sunday was more exciting. I convinced Chris to go with me to the SF Auto Show. And I was dumb and thought there would be a lot of traffic, so we took BART from Milbrae to the city. What a bad idea... it took us extra long and there wasn't any noticeable traffic in SF. Lame. Back on topic, the event was really fun because you get to "sit" in the cars and play with the features. I'm now convinced that I need a new car. On the top of my list is the Prius because you really can't beat its efficient gas mileage. I also loved the new 2008 Honda Accord. It's sooo nice... reminds me of the Acura TL. I sat in it for like 10 minutes and it was love. LOVE! Now I need to work on getting loan and finding a good deal on a car... yikes.

So there's that: a really detailed account of my life. This week is going by slowly as well. I spent all of Monday just catching up with random things and the rest of the week is up in the air! I am starting to feel the effects of being not busy. I feel lazy times 100. Ugh.

Happy Post-Thanksgiving!

2007-11-23T15:54:00.000-08:00

I hope everyone had an enjoyable Thanksgiving. I had a good one. We had 12 people at our house for a Chinese-American fusion Thanksgiving. Woot! Seriously, we had turkey and mashed potatoes. But, we also had pork chop rice and Portuguese curry! Haha. We also had a dessert sampler --- pumpkin pie, banana cream pie, and fruit tart! I love Thanksgiving. After dinner, we played some Taboo and watched The Incredibles.

The only bad part was that I forgot to take any pictures, so the only memory of the night I have will be in my mind and on this blog. Oh well.

♫ Swallowed In The Sea - Coldplay

2007-11-19T14:19:00.000-08:00

You cut me down a tree and brought it back to me
And that's what made me see where I was going wrong
You put me on a shelf and kept me for yourself
I can only blame myself, you can only blame me

And I could write a song, a hundred miles long
Well that's where I belong and you belong with me
And I could write it down or spread it all around
Get lost and then get found or swallowed in the sea

You put me on a line and hung me out to dry
And darling that's when I decided to go see you
You cut me down to size and opened up my eyes
Made me realize what I could not see

And I could write a book, the one they'll say that shook
The world and then it took, it took it back from me
And I could write it down or spread it all around
Get lost and then get found and you'll cme back to me
Not swallowed in the sea

And I could write a song, a hundred miles long
Well that's where I belong and you belong with me
The streets you're walking on, a thousand houses long
Well that's where I belong and you belong with me

Oh what good is it to live with nothing left to give
Forget but not forgive, not loving all you see
Are the streets you're walking on, a thousand houses long
Well that's where I belong and you belong with me
Not swallowed in the sea

You belong with me, not swallowed in the sea
Yeah you belong with me, not swallowed in the sea

What's Next

2007-11-18T10:02:00.000-08:00

Thank you all well-wishers! I didn't realize I had so many friends. Haha. But, Birthday Week 2007 is officially OVER. Now, let's go back to normalcy where I don't matter. Yay! Haha. All joking aside. It has been a tumultuous and boring week. I know those adjective hardly belong in the same sentence, but I think that it really describes my week well.

This past week was boring as hell. I never knew relaxing and taking a vacation from work could be so dull. I watched more TV and slept more than I ever did all... my life? No, that's a stretch, but definitely more than I can remember doing this past year. So, I'm very well-rested, but I also got sick... just a cold/cough. How is that possible? My body is acting up because I'm not busy!!! The germs finally take center stage. Haha. Awesome.

Ok, now a recap. Wednesday, I went home to the Dublin (Ireland, of course) and had a nice lunchy lunch with Christina at Abba Gourmet Cal-Italian Grill (yes, the longest restaurant name ever, but I remember because I yelped it... ohhh I'm cool). It was decent (but only 2 stars on Yelp, sorry): I had a tri tip sandwich and Christina had the BST --- bacon, sprouts, tomato, with a fried egg. Yum. And weird. If it sounds interesting, I'll take you. For the rest of the day, I lounged, relaxed, did laundry, etc. Come nighttime, my parents took me to our favorite local Japanese hangout, Tomo in Pleasanton. Food was delightful as usual. I mostly ate sushi and shared a tempura appetizer with my mom. Omg. I had blue fin tuna sushi and the fish practically melted in my mouth. Well worth the extra bucks! After dinner, we just went home to eat cake (yum!) and open presents (woot!). And that was the end of another anniversary of my birth. Sigh.

Skip Thursday and on to Friday. I had my first post-Google Google lunch! I hoarded as much food as I possibly could and it was fantastic! Hehe. I miss everyone sooo much!!! <3 <3 <3!!! Anyways, at night, Chris took me out to dinner for my birthday after a week-long power struggle. Haha. I kid. Maybe. Well, we went to Straits at Santana Row. The wait was a tad ridiculous, but we dealt with it and the food kinda made up for it. The service was slow, of course, but we ordered Roti, Potong Kari Ayam ( Sinaporean yellow curry with chicken, carrots, and potatoes), Origami Seabass (steamed fish with wine sauce), Chicken-flavored Rice and Molten Chocolate Cake for dessert! Yay! The food was pretty good. Let's just say we were pleased and satisfied. After dinner, we went to Sino for a bit, but it was loud and crowded and yeah... old people don't like environments like these. So, instead, we went to Blockbuster, rented Knocked Up (yes, I'm the last person on Earth to see it), and I fell asleep before it was over. NICE.

Saturday was a little more exciting. Chris and I went to see Beowulf in the afternoon. It was pretty good for a rated R cartoon! Haha. Angelina Jolie was very naked in it. And there was a lot of bloody violence. Especially for a cartoon. At night, I drove up to meet with Christina and Pam at Asia SF! What a surprise! We got bar seats, which were incidentally RIGHT in front for the "show". The food was good, but the girls/guys were really fun. They're completely into it and love the attention. Most of them had fake boobs, fake hair, and some fake butts! All in all, a good place to go for birthdays, bachelorette parties, and other semi-special events.

Ok, I'm tired of updating. The week is over. OVER. Now, let's get on with life. God, how depressing.

When A Door Closes...

2007-11-12T14:49:00.000-08:00

another one opens?

A lot has happened since I last blogged. Sorry. I know I disappointed my many many readers. But, it's been one thing after another after another... never ending. Until now.

Ok, for starters, my last day at Google was last Friday. I can't believe that I've been there for a year already! I'm made a ton of friends that I will miss dearly. Hopefully, I'll do my part and keep in touch with everybody. I actually already miss them... I guess that happens when you see people every day for months. Oh well. I guess now I will just have to spend more time talking to them online.

Anyways, on Friday, we started drinking champagne early in the morning. It was so festive. I think almost everyone came by and joined in on the fun. A group of us left work early and went to the lovely SportsPage for happy hour. It was nice that so many people showed up to say goodbye. Well, not goodbye, but see you less often than every day. :-( I think I will miss Billy and Phuong the most as they were my next cube neighbors. And now when I laugh aloud at home at a funny joke or something, no one will notice. After happy hour, we headed over to downtown Mountain View's Tied House for dinner. More beers! So much that I was too tired to go out afterwards. How old am I? Lesson: drinking champagne in the morning usually leads to a headache in the afternoon/night. Boo.

Saturday was almost the same story. Chris and I went to Valley Fair during the day, which was slightly a mistake because the mall is starting to get really packed nowadays. Parking was limited and the crowds of people was almost too much to bear. I'm going to stop going to the mall on the weekends. Instead, with my new free time, I will go to the mall on the weekdays. Aha! Later in the afternoon, Lany and Young came over early to watch the USC @ Cal game. We had a buncha "bar" snacks and watched as Cal lost yet another game. Lesson: Cal is a tease and will always be a tease. Heartbreaking.

Anyways, we went out to dinner at Maggiano's Little Italy in Santana Row to celebrate my upcoming birthday. I think it was sort of a mistake because we ate family-style. Calamari, spinach-artichoke dip, caesar salad, spinach salad, chicken parmesan, spaghetti with meatballs, salmon, rigatoni with chicken and mushroom, tiramisu, apple cobbler, AND a nice cake from Stef! I mean, there were 11 people and we stuffed our faces, but I still ended up with like 12 boxes of leftovers. So, I'm thinking it was a mistake because we went to V Bar afterwards and all of us were too full to drink and/or get drunk. Sad. We ended up back at the apartment because we were lazy and tired and mostly, full. Lesson: overeating is not conducive to partying. Puke. Haha, jk.

Sunday was pleasant. I did not wake up hungover. I woke up still full. Ridiculous. I spent most of the day just lounging around and cleaning. Those are 2 of my favorite pastimes. Yes, I said cleaning. I happen to be a neat freak... almost like Monica on Friends, not as psychotic though. However, Chris and I had dinner at Pho Saigon next to Cupertino Village last night and it has quickly become our new favorite Vietnamese restaurant. Well, for pho at least.

So, we're now at today... my first day of freedom. It's been well spent, doing what I have wanted to do for a long time now... nothing. I don't want to fall in a habit of being lazy, so today will be my only day of rest before I start doing things. Things like job searching, volunteering, studying for the GMATs, etc. Don't worry, I'll make time for watching DVDs and chatting online. :-)

One more week till Thanksgiving!!!

Can It Be?

2007-11-02T00:08:00.001-07:00

Is it November already?!!??! Yes, because we drank through October. Haha. No seriously. Yesterday was Halloween and because of that, we celebrated it Google-style with Googleween. This is just the biggest costume party that I've ever gone to... I would say that it was comparable to Castro! Here is a picture of the stage where the costume contest was held. I think I snapped this shot right when a big group of Googlers dressed as the Secret Service was up on stage...

Didn't I say it was a massive party? And most people were in costume!!! Some highlights... a human LAVA lamp, a Mii, lots of Marios and Luigis, Vanilla Ice, some Facebook pages, a nerd or two, Spider-Pig, SHarry Potter (!!!), etc. Oh yeah and there was someone dressed as Michael Vick with stuffed animal dogs as props. Lame. ;-)

Let me say that I had so much to drink at work during the day that I had to take a nap before going out later that night. We ended up at Pasha, a low-key Mediterranean joint for a private party. Very chill. The music was aiiite, so we got our dance on. The mime got drunk and threw up... many times. That was fun.

Well, time to say goodbye (until next year) to our costumes!

Haunted Hallow's Eve

2007-10-31T11:44:00.000-07:00

Happy Halloween everyone or rather have a HAUNTED Halloween! Haha. Most people in my office are dressed up today and Google is throwing a huge party this afternoon. YAY!

Well, last weekend was a success! Flora came and visited and we did fun things like play board games and watch TV. HAHA. I'm only half kidding. Friday, I picked Flora and Derrick up from the airport and brought them to Google, where we stayed for the entire afternoon. I gave them the tour and then we just sat around and talked until TGIF! I made them drink sangria with me and introduced them to other Googlers. Later, Derrick's friend, Tim, joined us for dinner at Amber India, which I've been meaning to try. Even though we waited almost an hour, the food was pretty delicious especially the Butter Chicken (very similar to Chicken Tikka Masala). I wanted to take Flora to Santana Row afterwards, but we were full and lazy. We played Catch Phrase and called it a night.

Saturday was more of an adventure. We woke up and ate an early lunch at The Counter at Santana Row before going to the Winchester Mystery House! So, it's not a spooky, haunted house, but it's just a weird house. The tour lasted more than an hour and we were told that we walked more than a mile. Craziness. Later on, we watched the pathetic Cal game at the local sports bar and headed up to SF in costume! We ended up at a house party and then walked the streets of SF, scouring for bars. We were at Holy Cow, then Icon. All in all, a completely wild night of crazy costumes. Don't make me show you a costume of GEO!!!

Sunday was pretty boring. We ate at PALACE Korean BBQ Buffet (for the 3rd time this month) and then we played Scene It at my apartment. I took Flora and Derrick to the airport later and that was the end of, yet another, albeit fun, weekend.

Drumroll, Please

2007-10-25T22:50:00.000-07:00

FLORA is finally coming to visit this weekend. She'll be staying with MOI! How exciting. This is the first time in 2+ years that Flora has been in the Bay Area. Craziness. Anyways, it should be an event-packed weekend. I'm picking Flora and Derrick up at San Jose Airport tomorrow at 2ish and then I'm taking them to Google! I swear that they came earlier just to see Google. I'll let them stick around while I finish my work up. Friday night agenda is South Bay. I think we're going to a party or two in the area. Nothing too crazy now. We have to save energy for the next day. So, Saturday, the plan is to hang out in SF. There are a few parties going on at night, so we'll be decked out in our costumes for that! And then, Sunday, we'll probably just stick around South Bay again. Maybe a little Valley Fair, some Santana Row before they take off to sucky SoCal again.

I'll update with many pictures (hopefully).

Mid-Week Blues

2007-10-24T22:13:00.000-07:00

It's Wednesday and I have a case of the mid-week blues. Bleh. Apparently, I look "tired and haggard", so maybe some sleep will do me some good. I just threw this picture because we're holding big mugs of beers and that usually cheers me up. That was from last week's Thursday (GASP!) night excursion to Dave & Buster's in Milpitas. A whole lotta fun... I miss those carefree nights.

Anyways, I'm approaching my last day at Google. It's coming at me fast, so I'm doing the whole job search thing again. I'm feeling rushed, but at the same time, I don't really need a job right away, so I should really chill out. No one is really hiring at this timIe in the year and when I do start, I'll have only a couple of weeks before I take off to HK!!! So, it'll be ok to take a month off then go on vacation. I just want to have a job by the time I get back!!! Help!!!

Abbreviated Matchbox

2007-10-22T21:14:00.000-07:00

Matchbox Twenty was at Google today!!! They talked about their new album and how they're using new technology to sell albums. Blah blah blah. But, they DID perform some good songs... acoustic versions of "Push" and "How Far We've Come"! I can't stop listening to them now...

Lazy Weekend

2007-10-21T13:12:00.000-07:00

I spent almost the entire weekend doing absolutely nothing. Nothing but relaxation at its finest. How lucky am I!!! I surprisingly stayed in Friday and Saturday night! Instead of partying, clubbing, drinking, socializing, etc., I went through a How I Met Your Mother Season 2 dvd marathon. Hehe. Sadly, I didn't finish yet because I just kept falling asleep really early. Slightly pathetic. Good news though, I was mildly productive this weekend.

Stef and Ruby let me tag along their dinner date at Cascal's in Mountain View. The best tapas place in the South Bay. No joke. We had sangria, but not normal boring red wine sangria, but SPARKLING wine sangria. It was seriously delicious and just tasted like fruit soda. Very very dangerous if you ask me. After dinner, we just came back to the apartment and watched Harry Potter on the Disney channel. Sidenote: did you hear that Dumbledore is GAY? That's awesome. I like how J.K. Rowling puts so much thought into her characters. I guess that explains a lot. I <3 Harry Potter!!! Anyways, when the movie ended around 11pm, I just got into bed with my laptop and HIMYM dvds and started to watching. It wasn't before long that I just passed out. Craziness.

On Saturday, I got up bright and early to drive to SF for my third attempt at getting a haircut at Oxenrose. Third time really is the charm and yes, I finally got a nice haircut. It's not drastic, so you might not even notice it. Fine with me. I was getting mad split ends and it was getting to thick and heavy to handle. Jenelle gave me some long layers and some movement. She was very nice and talked to me the entire time. A real talker. Haha. Afterwards, I met up with Christina and Pam for a short but sweet shopping excursion in Union Square before we hit up LaBelle Spa for massages! It was my first time and definitely very painful. I am even a bit sore today. I don't know if I am a massage person. I don't really like being touched (if I got a male masseuse, I would've freaked out and left) and I'm really ticklish, which my masseuse noticed right away. Pam's masseuse suggested that she do yoga to stretch out the knots in her back. I think that's all I need, is to do some yoga instead of having someone elbow in the back every so often. Yoga is probably more productive.

I got home around dinnertime and was starving. So, we went to Palace BBQ Buffet. It was about a 40 minute wait, but well worth it. I stuffed my face with my favorite Korean meats and now I will not have a Korean BBQ craving for the next month. YAY! So you can imagine that after dinner, I just had meat coma and was useless for the rest of the night.

There you have it... what an exciting weekend! It looks like Sunday will really just be an extension of Saturday night. That equals me napping all day. Hehe.

***Oooh, this post marks the most posts for the month of October since I started this blog! Excellent! See??? I do update this thing!***

Shopaholic at Work

2007-10-18T15:10:00.001-07:00

Is this not the most adorable dress EVER (by ever, I mean this season)!?! Should I buy it and wear it every day??? I think so.

Bubble Fest

2007-10-15T11:48:00.000-07:00

Were you at Oktoberfest this past weekend? Because you probably were. It was damn crowded. This was my first Oktoberfest experience and honestly, it didn't wow me. Now, there might never be another in the future. Sad. Well, we got up to SF around noonish and promptly got into the Fort Mason Center after waiting in line for 15 minutes. Because of the token system, it took us another 30 minutes to get some beers and some German hot dogs AKA bratwursts. We met up with so crazy people, namely Bill Umoff (who sits next to me daily in our cubicle of terror). There was a bit of German music and dancing, but mostly people (a younger crowd really) were standing on tables and drinking. It was just ok. I got really sleepy after drinking a beer. I almost wanted to put my head down on the table because I was tired, or really because I was a little bored. We left in the late afternoon and headed over to Union Square for a shopping good time.

Later that night, we met up with the Berkeley gang for Jen's birthday dinner at Osha on Embarcadero. It was pretty good Thai food, but terrible service. Go there if you enjoy being neglected during dinner. I'm serious. But I had a really good Thai Milk-tini. Yum. Speaking of alcohol, we got Jen drunk to the point she was yelling obscenities at strangers. Awesome. In case you don't know, Jen talks really loudly and honestly when she drinks a lot. Ask me and I'll maybe share some stories. We ended up at Bubble Lounge after dinner, which was suuuper crowded because I guess a lot of people were celebrating birthdays. It was too crowded to even get drinks. I think I drank 1 or 2 Bellinis. Yum again. And sooo bubbly-icious. I was sooo tired that we left around 1ish and I almost fell asleep at the wheel while driving back to Sunnytown.

I'm old and can't stay out too late. Tru dat.

"Bowling with Stanley" Night

2007-10-11T09:56:00.000-07:00

Last night was "Bowling with Stanley" night and I did not bowl with Stanley. Instead, I bowled with others and watched Stanley bowl. Haha. I played 2 games. The first, I got a low score in the 70s, but the second game, I got 108! I bowled over 100!!! Only rockstars do that. That must make me a rockstar. Ohhh yeah. For the record, Chris bowled in the 30s in the first game and maybe over 70, the second game. Mwaaahahahaha. I rule.

Hmmm... I need to take more pictures again. Proof is very necessary.

Caramel Latte May Equal Death

2007-10-10T17:47:00.000-07:00

Yesterday afternoon, I had a nice Caramel Latte. I also forgot there was a shot of espresso in that little killer. Within an hour, I was wired, like heart racing and short of breath. Then, I proceeded to feel nauseous, get a headache, and not much later, I crashed... mentally and physically. I felt better after eating a full dinner, but later at night, I could not sleep until 2:30am.

Lesson: espresso shots (or espresso shot for that matter) should not be ingested after noon. Lame.

"Never hope more than you work."

2007-10-07T16:24:00.000-07:00

I was the last person in the office on Friday. Why? Because work is life. And if you want a life, you must work for it. Sad, but true.

Anyways, Will came to visit on Friday night. So, we went out to dinner in downtown Mountain View. We didn't go anywhere special, just the usual bar/restaurant. The sucky thing was that the bar ran out of beer and all they had was Coors Light, Miller Light, or Heineken Light... something stupid like that. After dinner, Will crashed my apartment and infiltrated my new laptop. JUST LIKE OLD TIMES WHEN HE STOLE INTERNET FROM US. Hehe. Old habits die hard. After William left to hang out with Oakland, I headed over to Dan and Jeremy's where they were having a party where they duct tape 40s to your hands. Thank goodness I arrived late and everyone was too drunk to notice that I wasn't drinking. I stayed there for a bit and left before all the chaos ensued. I'm boring and went to be semi-early.

The next morning, I woke up semi-early (haha!) to drive to SF to get a haircut at one of my favorite salons, Oxenrose. Too bad I hit a bad accident on 101N and got to the city 40 minutes after my appointment time. It was also Fleet Week(end) and the city was majorly congested with over-eager tourists and my parents, who were dying to see the Blue Angels. I thought I could console myself by going shopping in Union Square, but I went home practically empty-handed. What a disappointment. Later, I broke not one, but two things: a bottle of bright pink nail polish on my bathroom floor and my cell phone on the sidewalk next to the gelato shop. Well, it's fine now: the nail polish in the trash and the cell phone with a battery jolt.

Chris and I had dinner at Cascal on Castro St. in Mountain View and it was reeeally good. I definitely recommend it. They have excellent sangria and delightful tapas. Yum. Afterwards, we met up with some people in the Mission (in SF). Lany finally came out of hiding after midnight and sat/drank with us till closing. He almost convinced me to eat a bacon-wrapped hot dog from a street vendor. It was pretty disgusting, but I imagine it to be delicious after a long night of drinking.

Need MSG

2007-10-05T14:23:00.000-07:00

I cooked dinner for myself last night and it was DELICIOUS. Ok, I'm joking. It was really bland. How do you make your food un-bland? Add salt? Add MSG? Minus taste buds? I really really really (I do mean really) need to take some cooking classes or something. Otherwise I would for sure die of starvation in the near future. Either that or I'd eat out a lot and be broke and fat. Two things that I don't want to be when I grow up.

Anyways, on Fridays, I like to bitch and moan about Grey's Anatomy and how it was such a terrible show last night. Yet, I will continue to watch it every week for the rest of the season. Today is no exception. I'm not a fan of the whole George and Izzie storyline. The "moment" they had last night was just awkward. Ehhh. And why is new girl/Meredith's sister so annoying? Stop staring at people. Freak. Haha. So, Meredith doesn't want to be with Derek because she thinks he'll leave her like her dad did? Issues. The issues are getting blander than usual, much like my cooking. Sad.

New Laptop

2007-10-04T09:48:00.001-07:00

I don't think that I mentioned that I finally got a new laptop a week or so ago and it's my new favorite accessory. I love love LOVE it to death. It's both cute and functional --- the best of both worlds! I wanted a MacBook, but my HP is just as good. Hey... it's a Special Edition! Only bad thing is that it is loaded with Microsoft Vista and takes fooorever and a day to load when I turn it on. Other than that, I have no complaints yet. But, I mean, I don't use it for anything rigorous (i.e. programming, gaming, other crazy stuff). I just use it for the internet, storing some pictures, organizing my music library, and... actually, that's it. Yeah, I guess I really don't need that DUAL PROCESSOR. Mwahahaha.

Anyways, it's been kinda detrimental to my sleep because I just stay up later and later nowadays chatting and watching full episodes of TV shows that I missed. Like tonight, I'm going to watch Pushing Daisies and Private Practice and Gossip Girl that I missed last night due to the Top Chef Finale. Haha. I'm psycho. But, Hung prevailed and is THE Top Chef. Fancy knifework and cutthroat competitiveness wins the game. I need to learn from that.

Monday Night Cleaning?

2007-10-02T15:20:00.000-07:00

Having a roommate means you're rarely home alone, but yesterday night, I had the apartment all to myself. And surprisingly, I enjoyed myself. I made myself a nice little dinner, watched my TV shows, and best of all, CLEANED. I mopped the floors and by mopping, I mean I used the Swiffer. I vacuumed. I did laundry. WooHOO. I got a lot done. I also organized my desk and my closet. I think tonight I might even clean my bathroom! How exciting does that sound?!?!?!

Ok, enough. Before all my readers blacklist me and my blog, let's move on to a different topic. So, I lost the football pool again. This is twice in a row after having an amazing and bet-free first week. Dang. See, this is what happens when you're apprehensive to bet, you win. And when you try for the real thing, you'll always lose. It was a rough week. I picked 5 wins. But, so did Chris. Mwahahaha. Loser. I guess I'll keep playing $5 this coming week. Another $5 down the drain. I'm a gambling addict already.

Have a good Tuesday --- the week is slowly but surely approaching FRIDAY!

♫ Crash - Dave Matthews Band

2007-10-01T11:36:00.001-07:00

Had a nice quiet weekend before the start of October (which, btw, I'm freaking out about). I left work at 5pm exactly on Friday to catch an early showing of Eastern Promises. It was raw and violent. Quite expected. You'll like it if you like History of Violence, Viggo Mortensen, or movies about the Russian mob. I thought it had a decent story. I met up with Christina and Pam at Dessert Republic in San Mateo later that night for crepes, egg waffles, girl talk, etc. It was Christina's actual birthday. This just means I'm next. The next to turn 24!!! Cringe.

Saturday was a fun day. Chris and I had all-you-can-eat Korean BBQ at Palace on El Camino. I showed off my grilling skills. How awesome am I? We left smelling like smoke and played a round of 18-hole miniature golf. Guess who dominated? ME. Was there any doubt? MWAHAHAHA. We went to the Dave Matthews Band Concert that night at Shoreline. And although I really don't listen to a lot of DMB, it was a really fun concert. Sold out too! They did a lot of special effects with the lighting and a lot of instrumental/acoustic interludes. Oooh la la.

Sunday was the usual. I went back to Dublin meaning I ate Chinese food and napped on the couch all day. ALL DAY!!! Boring smoring. But, it was the last day of September so I was lazy.

Happy October! Halloween is just around the corner...

Too Much TV!!!

2007-09-27T23:30:00.000-07:00

All my favorite shows premiered this week!!! AHHH! TV overload!

I caught Grey's Anatomy earlier tonight. And since it was my favorite show from last season, I had HIGH expectations. I was a little disappointed --- spoiler here, so stop reading if you don't want me to ruin your life. I can't believe they included that story with the deer. Seriously? A deer!??!?! And now George is the annoying one, who keeps complaining about how life sucks for him. Gaaah. And why can't Meredith and McDreamy just stay together and live happily ever after!?!?!? I'm sick of it. 3 out of 5 stars. Tsk tsk. I expected more from you.

I still have to watch the Office --- I'm almost finished with Season 3, so that I can watch this season! It's on the same time as Grey's, so I might have to make an executive decision and stop watching Grey's completely. Well, I can always watch it online. Good call, Cecilia.

Shows to watch online: Heroes, The Office, Gossip Girl --- so far, just these.

Birthdays!

2007-09-24T10:28:00.001-07:00

So, my weekend was filled with going to different birthday events. Friday night was fantastic as it was Stef's 25th birthday!!! I held and impromptu preparty at our apartment and it turned out decent. Coworkers came over first and we drank rum, vodka, etc. while playing Wario Smooth Moves on the Wii. Then, Lany and Fabian came over!!! We all got decidedly really buzzed before hitting the bars in Palo Alto, mainly B412. The night is now a blur, but a lot of friends showed up and the drinks were a-flowing. Needless to say, the night was fun because everybody was drinking. =) =) =) Sorry for making you yak, Stef!!!

My favorite picture from Saturday night at Suede... (Pam is gesturing for you to "come here" --- hahahahaha). We were there celebrating Christina's birthday with a night of drinking, dancing, and . . . haha, who knows what else? It ended up just being the normal threesome plus Mandy (Christina's ex-coworker), but it was ok. We got bottle service --- Grey Goose! And a table! VIP baby! Christina and Pam partied hardy for the rest of us, who were still recovering from the night before. Ok, that was just me. Ooops. Hehe.

Lastly, on Sunday night, Pam and I took Christina and her family to dinner at Wente Vineyards. Dinner was delish as was the company. What a nice way to pamper ourselves. It was truly fine dining. To end the night, we ate Chinese bakery birthday cake, which is Christina's favorite! You know, the sponge-y soft cake with whipped cream and mixed fruit? It's so boring, but she likes it, so what can you do? You can only eat it too.

So, to kick start the week, here's the new The Fray video that is uber awesome.

P.S. George Hsu Chang was present at all festivities that were held this week. No, he was not sick like he always is.
P.P. S. I'm also a liar.

Aaarghhh

2007-09-19T16:04:00.000-07:00

Happy "Talk Like A Pirate" Day! I guess there is a day for anything.

Anyways, tomorrow night, we're having dinner for Stef's 25th birthday at Joy Sushi. Then, on Friday (her actual birthday), we're hitting up the bars in Palo Alto. Then, on Saturday, I'm off to the city, where Christina is celebrating her birthday at Suede. And finally, Sunday, we're having dinner for Christina's birthday.

Schedule is packed, no? I just want to chill. Is that too much to ask for?

Highlights from the Weekend

2007-09-17T10:19:00.000-07:00

Yes, it IS Monday and as usual, I am going to recap the weekend for you. I mean, what else is there to write about?

Friday night was probably the most random fun that I've had in a long time. We stopped at a apartment party for a little bit --- drank a little, beer-ponged a little, and watched a little American Psycho (not a movie for children... or me). Then met up with Stef, Jason (who's moving away to LA in a week), et al. at Blue Chalk in Palo Alto. It was mostly crowded, but good music and the alcohol was flowing. Yeah, I know it doesn't sound different than the typical bar/club night, but I had a really good time. It was fun group and most everyone was "outgoing" (AKA drunk).

On Saturday, Chris and I had dim sum at Dynasty in Cupertino. It was ehhh ok. I think I might still be sick of dim sum from my days at the Bank. Argh. Way to ruin my taste for dim sum forever. At night, we had dinner at Maki in Japantown. I had unagi and rice in a basket. It was sooo good. We also had dessert --- a green tea gelato and red bean crepe at Sophie's Crepes! Yuuum. We met up with Christina and Pam at Ana Mandera, which was uber lame. I'm never going there again. This is probably the third or fourth time there that I didn't have fun.

Sunday was my day of rest. I literally did nothing. Well, I had dinner with Stef and Jason. Oooh. Ok, it wasn't that exciting. We just went to a Mexican place on Castro. The burrito I ordered was humongous and I didn't finish. Yay for leftovers and dinner tonight!

This week is going to be a busy one. It's Stef's birthday on Friday and Christina's birthday party on Saturday. I'm exhausted just thinking about it.

Old Friend

2007-09-14T17:28:00.000-07:00

Lany has been coming up to the Bay quite a few times in a past couple of months. Last night, we went out to dinner at St. Stephen's Greens (of course we had to go to a place where they had beeeeer) and finally managed to catch up. It's so easy to lose touch with old friends, but never that hard to remember old times again. And what better way to do so then to do what we used to do. DRINK. Seriously, my liver is still recovering from senior year of college. We drank beers into the wee hours of the night (ok, it was late for a weeknight) and talked about life. How I miss those carefree and mindless days of college.

It'll be cool now that LanyOr will (hopefully) be moving up to join the NorCal crowd. Woot woot.

Twice

2007-09-12T10:19:00.000-07:00

I have gone to the gym TWICE this week already and it's only Wednesday morning. I'm so proud of myself that I decided to share this news with the entire world. Now, the next step will be to stop eating so much junk. Already this morning I ate scrambled egg whites and potatoes. I also drank one of those little bottles of DanActive yogurt. It has the little bacteria that helps your digestion. Ohhh yeah.

Gym again tonight? Possibly. I'm on a roll.

Should I Yelp?

2007-09-09T22:16:00.000-07:00

I had a nice quiet weekend. I didn't go out or do anything adventurous. Instead, I just stayed home and relaxed. It was nice, but I'm over it. And I'm ready for the upcoming weekends of birthdays galore!

So, it's back to the regular work week. Sigh. How exciting. Not.

Last week was pretty fun though. I went to an indie concert on Wednesday. Lany's cousin, Tim, performed at Rickshaw in SF and he was pretty awesome. Young and I were too tired to stay for the main act, Tempo No Tempo. Maybe next time... when we're not so old. I want to go to more concerts. Next up, Dave Matthews Band at the Shoreline Amphitheatre. Too bad I couldn't get tickets to see JIMMY EAT WORLD. That being said, anyone who can find decently priced tickets, I would be very willing to buy.

On Thursday, Stef, Geo, and I finally went to see Harry Potter 5. Was it surprising that we were the only ones in the theater? No. We're such ballers. I liked it, but I like all things Harry Potter, so I might be the wrong person to critique the movie. However, I definitely definitely definitely recommend the last book. I think I've blogged about this before. It's damn good. Read it now.

Then, on Friday, Karanvir finally came to visit and we had dinner at this cute little Italian place in downtown Sunnyvale (yes, Sunnyvale has a downtown) called Il Postale. Huuuge portions. I eat out so much now that I really want to start a Yelp account and start writing reviews for places. Sounds like a fantastic time waster. Woot. After dinner, Young took us to a VIP, a shady Korean bar in Santa Clara. Ok, it wasn't THAT shady. It was actually clean and they even checked our ids! I liked it because they had beer in soda liter bottles. Yes, the plastic kinds. And they also had yogurt soju, which didn't taste too much like alcohol. Awesome. Someone should have a birthday party there.

And there you have it, that's ALL I did. Nothing else happened. Funny how the weekend was the most boring. Ok, I'm going to start my Yelp account now. Peace.