Over a week ago, I took advantage of a break in crappy weather on a Thursday afternoon and went climbing with my little sis at Carderock. Shortly after setting up the line, rockclimbers materialized out of nowhere and virtually tied up every nook, crack, and face on the C&O Canal. What was even more surprising, was they all knew eachother. And they were very friendly and willing to share their lines. Potomac Appalachian Trail Club. There really isn't any information on the website, but they have a loose informal rockclimbing group that heads out to Carderock every Wednesday afternoon.
I was a trial member of PATC back when I first came home for the summer from college. None of my high school friends were around so I decided to make new ones. Through the net I came across PATC and went to one of their meetings. There I met five people who never actually joined the club but we ended up organizing white water rafting, camping, and climbing excursions. One PATC thing we ended up doing was a cabin building/camping trip. One hot August weekend I hewed logs the old fashioned way, using the tools our pioneering forefathers did (no power tools, sorry gearheads), and swung an axe. I was incredibly sore from that weekend, but it was fun. I was one of two girls, and we felt like we had just stumbled upon the Old Boy's version of boy scouts. Rather than drinking beer in the evenings, they sipped brandy, and drank boxed wine, with claims to livelihood ranging from stock broker to grandfather. It was positively surreal returning to civilization.
Bust out of the city, your age group and era, check 'em out.
Saturday, June 04, 2005
follow-up
I take back what I said earlier ... the Griffin iTrip sucks. Instead for twice as much I bought the Monster iCarPlay Wireless Transmitter. The sound is still not wonderful but it's better than the distortion I got on the iTrip. Also it's nice to be able to change the transmitter frequency in the car, rather than plugging into one's laptop (seems a bit difficult to do while driving). Overall, I can live with the sound quality, it still beats lugging my over 200+ CDs down to my car and searching through them for the song I want to hear (much less the album and artist).
sit on this!
Am I totally tacky for picking this scheme for my futon cover??? It feels like fur ... so nice, so bachelor-ette ... and such a twist to my otherwise not exciting apartment. I suppose I can sell it on craiglist if I hate it ...
beautiful
Night it was ... and kinda interesting ... I smelled Friday evening all around me ... the men's cologne in the elevator, the phantom of the social smoker in my hallway. After calling all my friends who lived near this city for one night on the town on my last weekend before enduring work for the next three weekends, I was in the mood to dance. These were the excuses I got:
"I gotta wake up at 5 AM to run 7 miles!" (alright props to you guys I know you'll whip ass),
"I'm going to the Spoon concert at 9:30 Club ... its sold out" (well at least somebody's getting out)
"We're at Soussa smoking a pipe, come" (I want to dance dammit),
"Eating thai, going to bed soon" (dance???),
"I have to work tomorrow" (okay, I feel your pain, that'll be my excuse for the next weeks),
"I'm still on a bus hours away from DC, but I'm staying in Northern VA tonight" (I fear for you)
"I just got back from happy hour and I'm sick" (yea, cuddle up with your dog ...)
and really the list goes on, most of the time I got voicemail ...
So what's a girl to do? Pop in her contacts, scrub her armpits, curl her hair, squish into her skinny jeans and hail a cab to an address she's not quite sure of ...
Agua Ardiente was where I headed, and IT WAS FUN!!! I ordered a cosmopolitan, chatted with two nice strangers, ran into an old co-worker, and remembered how to dance.
"I gotta wake up at 5 AM to run 7 miles!" (alright props to you guys I know you'll whip ass),
"I'm going to the Spoon concert at 9:30 Club ... its sold out" (well at least somebody's getting out)
"We're at Soussa smoking a pipe, come" (I want to dance dammit),
"Eating thai, going to bed soon" (dance???),
"I have to work tomorrow" (okay, I feel your pain, that'll be my excuse for the next weeks),
"I'm still on a bus hours away from DC, but I'm staying in Northern VA tonight" (I fear for you)
"I just got back from happy hour and I'm sick" (yea, cuddle up with your dog ...)
and really the list goes on, most of the time I got voicemail ...
So what's a girl to do? Pop in her contacts, scrub her armpits, curl her hair, squish into her skinny jeans and hail a cab to an address she's not quite sure of ...
Agua Ardiente was where I headed, and IT WAS FUN!!! I ordered a cosmopolitan, chatted with two nice strangers, ran into an old co-worker, and remembered how to dance.
Friday, June 03, 2005
gyno
I'm dreading it, the usual check up, and I'm supposed to be there in a little over an hour. Nevermind battling through the Alexandria late rush hour traffic, or swerving around bicyclists and delivery trucks wontonly placed on major thoroughfares, but the thought of those ... stirrups, that crazy light, some person you barely know peering into your private innards ... don't get me started. I'm trying to think of excuses not to go, like ... umm ... I'm menstruating today (I know y'all needed to know that). But something in my memory from my last visit saying that a 24 hour cancellation period is required or I will be charged the amount of the visit? Or was it $25? I think I'd rather go running than go to the gyno ... and I loathe running ... but being outside and running somehow makes it okay, unless one of the quacks at the rehab/homeless shelter near me start talking to me like I'm an airline attendant (yes happened before). Ugh.
Update: So umm, yeah menstruating does get you off the hook (duh! took my asking the receptionist to find that out). Anyway, gave me an excuse to stop by Hecht's for pretty crystal barware on sale and Pier 1 for candles.
Update: So umm, yeah menstruating does get you off the hook (duh! took my asking the receptionist to find that out). Anyway, gave me an excuse to stop by Hecht's for pretty crystal barware on sale and Pier 1 for candles.
Wednesday, June 01, 2005
The Five-Bedroom, Six-Figure Rootless Life
From this NYT article ... I'm trying very hard not to just post articles on this site without any explanation, but despite being like 7 pages long or something, I was totally engrossed. Maybe this is what's wrong with America. Screwing your family for the sake of moving up. Mrs. Links whines about the long commutes, disrupting her kid's educations, and then she acquiesces to her husband's corporate shenanigans. I did a fair amount of moving when I was a kid, and besides the divorce, it's always been singly one of the most common traumatic things a kid can go through. I went from one school to the next, unsure of my place, and usually ending up the butt everyone's jokes ... shout out to my other brown 'smelly indian' friend (if you read this) who ended up being the rectum during an elementary school science class section ...
Screw it, if you're making 6 figures, why the f* can't you stay where you are? I don't make nearly as much money and I'm an uber happy urbanite in DC, where nothing is more than a mile away.
Screw it, if you're making 6 figures, why the f* can't you stay where you are? I don't make nearly as much money and I'm an uber happy urbanite in DC, where nothing is more than a mile away.
anatomy
ahem ... this will be one of my more soul-baring (we'll see), disgustingly honest (probably not) and revealing (for me) posts ... the anatomy of a hook up? Is there an expiration date? Is it ever, gotta be within a year or forget it? And what's even stranger, that after all this time has passed, you two are the same people, looking for the same things ... one in denial? the other afraid? What does one think when after three years and a failed relationship, an old sexual ghost from the past rings you in the middle of the night, someone who's voice you haven't heard in over two years, to ask how you are doing?
We watched my favorite movie (every guy loves this title--but it is a tragic story: Kama Sutra: A Tale of Love). I still found him hopelessly attractive after three years, the slender dancer's/martial artist's physique, the lilt in his speech, the way he would casually put his arm around me, and how when I talked about the few times we had before, his eyes would light up with remembrance. His thin glasses, preppy look, height next to me, and goofiness ... how we tip toed around on the roof because the contractors had forgotten to lock the door, with a bottle of Spanish wine between us ... me every now and then having to discourage his impetuous male urge to throw stones into the windows across the street and at birds perched near us, hoping for a crumb from these afternoon rooftop picnicers?
When he left, startled by the hour at 9 in the evening, he said I ought to visit my 'friend' in his town, two hours away... no it wasn't a direct invitation for anything, and then he cruised out my door ... hungry I ordered chinese.
So this ended up being all three of things I mentioned, and sometimes I wonder do I give up even before I give it a chance?
We watched my favorite movie (every guy loves this title--but it is a tragic story: Kama Sutra: A Tale of Love). I still found him hopelessly attractive after three years, the slender dancer's/martial artist's physique, the lilt in his speech, the way he would casually put his arm around me, and how when I talked about the few times we had before, his eyes would light up with remembrance. His thin glasses, preppy look, height next to me, and goofiness ... how we tip toed around on the roof because the contractors had forgotten to lock the door, with a bottle of Spanish wine between us ... me every now and then having to discourage his impetuous male urge to throw stones into the windows across the street and at birds perched near us, hoping for a crumb from these afternoon rooftop picnicers?
When he left, startled by the hour at 9 in the evening, he said I ought to visit my 'friend' in his town, two hours away... no it wasn't a direct invitation for anything, and then he cruised out my door ... hungry I ordered chinese.
So this ended up being all three of things I mentioned, and sometimes I wonder do I give up even before I give it a chance?
Monday, May 30, 2005
hometown plug
Starting this Thursday is Herndon Festival 2005. I remember once telling a friend that I had to go to Herndon Festival with one group of friends on Thursday night, another group on Friday night, go with my little brother on Saturday morning for the carnival rides, see the fireworks that evening with friends and on Sunday go see the crafts show with my mom and sis ... yeah it's one of those things. Other years I've been handing out flyers for HK Lee's Taekwondo Academy (haha, I have to write another post about this website) during the Business expo ... Herndon is the town my parents brought me home to from Fairfax Hospital and it's where I've lived a majority of my life. Sometimes I greet the festival's arrival with trepidation. Inevitably my entire high school class shows up ... sometimes its not so great, like when we all end up at Carpool and I look dorky with glasses, watching all the high school cool kids play pool and ignore me like they did back then. Other years its been gratifying, like seeing those popular girls who peaked too early, pregnant and chubby, in dead-end jobs, college drop-outs. It's the annual reunion for everyone.
This year I'm just not impressed with the bands. Carbon Leaf and Pat McGee band were some of the names this festival drew in the past, but this year the headliner is a U2 cover band, ugh. Anyway, I guess that's what I'll be doing one of the days this weekend ... they have my absolute favorite, so rare ... sweet potato fries!!
This year I'm just not impressed with the bands. Carbon Leaf and Pat McGee band were some of the names this festival drew in the past, but this year the headliner is a U2 cover band, ugh. Anyway, I guess that's what I'll be doing one of the days this weekend ... they have my absolute favorite, so rare ... sweet potato fries!!
Friday, May 27, 2005
Doc fest time!
AFI's Silver DOC's festival runs from 14-19 June (only five days?). Anyway, I'm luckily not working because of my odd hours so I'll happily attend some of the showings, particularly on Wednesday when I have that odd day off. I have to admit, I'm disappointed by their lack of adventure film documentaries, the Banff Film Festival only whetted my thirst for some more reality-based edge-of-your-seat gripping gutsy outdoors films. You would think that having the Discovery Channel co-sponsor this event there would be more nature type documentaries but there are some promising ones:
Romantico
Darwin's Nightmare
Favela Rising
Three of Hearts
Bob Smith-USA
Anyone want to go see?
Romantico
Darwin's Nightmare
Favela Rising
Three of Hearts
Bob Smith-USA
Anyone want to go see?
Tuesday, May 24, 2005
film
I'm a girl who likes to photograph and I've posted some of my pix from Cancun. Unfortunately, to my dismay, they're a bit washed out. I forgot to take them out of my bag when it went through the X-Ray at the airport ...ugh ... it makes a difference. I know I should stop being a neo-luddite in-love with my antiquated film SLR and get a digital camera ....
ridiculous
At Senor Frogs, an establishment that caters to the young foolhardy spring breakers and beach weekers from the States ... in cancun ... that's as silly as I got.
Caribbean Foot
Hehe, actually on a Cancun beach. Believe it or not, the red flags were up and down the beach, dissuading most swimmers. Personally I think people are wimps! They need to check out the mid-Atlantic surf!
Garrafon
They ruined it by making it into a sculpture garden and paving it. Wouldn't it have been nicer with just the peninsula jutting into the sea? Garrafon is highly overrated. We saw maybe two fish when snorkeling, its probably better to snorkel off the beach.
Need a Lift?
Golf carts besides mopeds and bicycles are the preferred mode of transportation on the island.
Villa Vera
Our accomodations, every evening I took a dip in that pool, especially after a day at the beach, when I was waiting for my mom and sister to get out of the shower.
Isla Mujeres!
This is the view that greeted us on the ride from our hotel to town for dinner, we didn't quite make it to the beach when we arrived, but we did catch a pretty sunset over the bahia.
blog=graduate school credit?
Is it possible? I got this e-mail from my lovely graduate institution which continually tries to out do its neighboring federal bureaucracies in red tape and generally exceeding large amounts of consumer 'estimated burden' when it comes to student services:
Interested in studying How to Report U.S. Foreign Policy in Washington, DC?
The U.S. Foreign Policy Institute is offering both undergraduates and graduates the opportunity to take a 1 credit course in Summer 2005 on the relationship between foreign policy and the media. Graduate students can count this course as a skills class.
Reporting US Foreign Policy:
Students will attend sessions covering the complex relationship between the media and U.S. Foreign Policy, undertake site visits and improve their technical skills while producing a piece on U.S. foreign policy, such as a short TV report, a radio story, a blog or a newspaper article. Among the issues covered in these sessions by GW faculty and journalists will be:
Government attempts to manage the news cycle & media resistance
First Amendment issues: leaked information and use of classified documents
Global reporting of U.S. foreign policy
The influence of blogs, Internet sites and NGOs in breaking stories
Investigative journalism: sources, networks and methodologies
U.S. Foreign policy in the field: Interpreting U.S. diplomacy beyond the 'staged pageant'
Reporting U.S. foreign policy from war zones
Students will also undertake site visits including:
The State Department daily press briefing
Al Jazeera
The BBC
CNN
In addition to substantive sessions and site visits, students will enhance their media tradecraft by attending sessions on producing and editing and individually working with a journalist mentor to prepare a piece on U.S. Foreign Policy. Studio and editing time (and assistance with technology) will be available for those who need it.
For more information and an application form, please log onto the USFPI website at www.gwu.edu/~usfpi .
Now wouldn't that be rad? I'm sure if I actually did this, I would scare away the few readers I have and somehow get myself fired from work.
Interested in studying How to Report U.S. Foreign Policy in Washington, DC?
The U.S. Foreign Policy Institute is offering both undergraduates and graduates the opportunity to take a 1 credit course in Summer 2005 on the relationship between foreign policy and the media. Graduate students can count this course as a skills class.
Reporting US Foreign Policy:
Students will attend sessions covering the complex relationship between the media and U.S. Foreign Policy, undertake site visits and improve their technical skills while producing a piece on U.S. foreign policy, such as a short TV report, a radio story, a blog or a newspaper article. Among the issues covered in these sessions by GW faculty and journalists will be:
Government attempts to manage the news cycle & media resistance
First Amendment issues: leaked information and use of classified documents
Global reporting of U.S. foreign policy
The influence of blogs, Internet sites and NGOs in breaking stories
Investigative journalism: sources, networks and methodologies
U.S. Foreign policy in the field: Interpreting U.S. diplomacy beyond the 'staged pageant'
Reporting U.S. foreign policy from war zones
Students will also undertake site visits including:
The State Department daily press briefing
Al Jazeera
The BBC
CNN
In addition to substantive sessions and site visits, students will enhance their media tradecraft by attending sessions on producing and editing and individually working with a journalist mentor to prepare a piece on U.S. Foreign Policy. Studio and editing time (and assistance with technology) will be available for those who need it.
For more information and an application form, please log onto the USFPI website at www.gwu.edu/~usfpi .
Now wouldn't that be rad? I'm sure if I actually did this, I would scare away the few readers I have and somehow get myself fired from work.
Sunday, May 22, 2005
The Beautiful Mather Gorge
Little Sis climbing, Mike belaying, Jon and Meredith lounging, and another friendly stranger lounging beside us.
awkward
I had a date with a boy a friend tried to set me up with. The second time we met he saw me dancing like a crazy at The Black Cat, during one of Selector Seth's Notorious events. It's okay to dance like a nut at Notorious or Mousetrap events at the Black Cat because this is a crew of people who were dancing to these songs alone in their bedrooms ... and uh 15 years later were still dancing like it, just now in public. Thus, it was fairly easy for him to impress me with his moonwalk. Finally, he asked me out over e-mail and said 'okay.'
No harm in an actual date. We met at Gazuza's for cocktails ... he told me how he called in sick to work that day ... I was convinced he still might not be feeling well given by his occasional cough. Then I suggested we go to Cafe Citron, which on a non-weekend evening is crammed with people who are experts at salsa and merengue dancing. Cute as always, he tried to mimick them, but whenever he twirled me around, he would accidently knock my elbow into someone's head or I'd get pushed back into a petite person. Accusing me of having set low dancing expectations at The Black Cat, he said I brought him to Cafe Citron to test him where almost everyone knew how to keep a beat with their feet. He walked me home ... and then came the awkward part.
I know by then, he wasn't for me, but it appeared he had decided that I was worth checking out a second time. So he leaned in for a kiss, aiming for my mouth, anticipating that, I moved my head to the right, in hopes it would land on my left cheek, he seems to have been watching me because what then ensued for that half second was him chasing my mouth. I won, and his kiss landed on my cheek and nowhere near my mouth. To seal it, I kissed his other cheek like all the internationals at Cafe Citron do ... we can be friends but that's it.
No harm in an actual date. We met at Gazuza's for cocktails ... he told me how he called in sick to work that day ... I was convinced he still might not be feeling well given by his occasional cough. Then I suggested we go to Cafe Citron, which on a non-weekend evening is crammed with people who are experts at salsa and merengue dancing. Cute as always, he tried to mimick them, but whenever he twirled me around, he would accidently knock my elbow into someone's head or I'd get pushed back into a petite person. Accusing me of having set low dancing expectations at The Black Cat, he said I brought him to Cafe Citron to test him where almost everyone knew how to keep a beat with their feet. He walked me home ... and then came the awkward part.
I know by then, he wasn't for me, but it appeared he had decided that I was worth checking out a second time. So he leaned in for a kiss, aiming for my mouth, anticipating that, I moved my head to the right, in hopes it would land on my left cheek, he seems to have been watching me because what then ensued for that half second was him chasing my mouth. I won, and his kiss landed on my cheek and nowhere near my mouth. To seal it, I kissed his other cheek like all the internationals at Cafe Citron do ... we can be friends but that's it.
Friday, May 20, 2005
dorkass
Yar, so Julie alerted me to this, I can't help it. I have an inner geek that's still hopeful that I can watch all three of my extended series DVD's of Lord of the Rings in one sitting. It's a Star Wars personality test! And apparently I'm a perfect candidate to morph into something evil and loathesome ... sigh, now you know the truth.
Thursday, May 19, 2005
hate it or love it
Personally I liked it, Candace Bushnell's Trading Up. Yes, it's sad to say that I'm obsessed enough with the Sex & the City HBO series that I'm willing to read a novel by the author who's books spun into a commercial success. I was actually quite happy during my vacation that I was not required to read fun articles like Francis Fukuyama's "The Neoconservative Movement" or P.R. Kumaraswamy's "India and Israel: Emerging Partnership" and instead sink into "Sex and the Single Mom: Hollywood's Wild Child Grows up Just a Little--Angelina Jolie speaks out on Brad and Jen, Dating a Woman, and Sex as a Single Mom" in Vanity Fair and Melissa Bank's The Girl's Guide to Hunting and Fishing.
Anyway here's my stab at reviewing Bushnell's novel. After reading her first book on which the infamous tv series was based, I was convinced I liked the shows better than her writing. Her books are filled with morbidly despicable characters. Trading Up is no exception, except that it has a plot line, and weirdly enough had me turning the pages waiting for the main character's comeuppance. Basically the book is about an aging manipulative Victoria's Secret model named Janey and her schemes to get to her perceived 'top' of the NYC social heap ... marrying a guy who'll buy her a 30 million dollar apartment like her best friend or become the head of a Hollywood studio, like another party attender. Strangely enough, no matter how much I'm horrified by Bushnell's character's machinations and twisted view of the world I realized a tiny piece of me resonated with Janey's character. She's ambitious, and she won't let much get in the way. Unlike me or maybe you, she doesn't really know what she wants, but sometimes like you and me, she wants what everyone else one has that she doesn't. Possibly the most interesting thing about the novel is that it does not end in Janey's demise, instead, she opens up another world for herself which is pretty miraculous after her short-lived delegation to the bottom of the NYC social heap ... there I spoiled the ending. That's what reviews do anyway.
Anyway here's my stab at reviewing Bushnell's novel. After reading her first book on which the infamous tv series was based, I was convinced I liked the shows better than her writing. Her books are filled with morbidly despicable characters. Trading Up is no exception, except that it has a plot line, and weirdly enough had me turning the pages waiting for the main character's comeuppance. Basically the book is about an aging manipulative Victoria's Secret model named Janey and her schemes to get to her perceived 'top' of the NYC social heap ... marrying a guy who'll buy her a 30 million dollar apartment like her best friend or become the head of a Hollywood studio, like another party attender. Strangely enough, no matter how much I'm horrified by Bushnell's character's machinations and twisted view of the world I realized a tiny piece of me resonated with Janey's character. She's ambitious, and she won't let much get in the way. Unlike me or maybe you, she doesn't really know what she wants, but sometimes like you and me, she wants what everyone else one has that she doesn't. Possibly the most interesting thing about the novel is that it does not end in Janey's demise, instead, she opens up another world for herself which is pretty miraculous after her short-lived delegation to the bottom of the NYC social heap ... there I spoiled the ending. That's what reviews do anyway.
iguana
Are everywhere on Isla Mujeres, which is the island my mother, sister and I stayed. I would go into depth about what the island was like, but I took plenty of pictures, so hopefully those will be posted soon (think about three weeks). People rave about Cancun, and I only spent one day there, and it was nice ... but felt more like an extension of the United States ... But Isla Mujeres was nicely off the beaten path. Definitely more laid back, less expensive, .... fewer US Americans. Apparently its where the Mexicans and other Latin Americans go for a vacation. The waters of Playa Norte (beach) are much more placid, unlike Cancun, where the Caribbean Sea pounds the crushed lime sand (although not as furiously as the Atlantic Ocean on the shore--where the wrong move will send you face first into the sand).
Most days it was 90 degrees, by the afternoon you were cooking in the shade. I found that Mexican people there are super friendly, very helpful, and polite ... contrary to the perceptions I got in high school (where english was taught as a second language to a large migrant population). My experience living in Herndon has mostly been that of being shoved into by a group of adolescent hispanic boys so they could cop a feel or be whistled at when going anywhere. But remarkably I found these people to be very honest and very nice. Made me think it wouldn't be such a bad idea to retire in Mexico!
aeropuerto
The post-holiday blues are setting in. I think I dreamed Cancun, the past five days of lying limpidly in the sweltering Caribbean sun, wading in tropical temperature waters, and watching my skin turn darker by the hour. Yesterday morning, I was lazily floating on my back in that pool! Eight hours later I'm back in overcast DC and all I can think about is drowning my post-holiday blues in some sangria at a Clarendon bar. Somehow I made into work today at 5 AM and somehow the Nathan's hotdog I ate at the Ft. Lauderdale airport didn't make a unseemly reappearance. Now that airlines don't serve meals as much, airports must do something about food! The whole time while I was at the airport I craved sushi.
I think it would be neat if this blog could really turn more into a travel blog. A few weeks ago I took the Foreign Service Oral Exam and passed! It was a two sided deal though, I passed, but I'm on the 'eligible hires' list; which is a 'dynamic' list of potential people for a 'conditional offer' (which actually means nothing until you're actually reporting to duty with all your paperwork and your SF 50 signed off for government service). With my score, it's unlikely I'll ever get a conditional offer. But wouldn't that be cool? If this was a travel blog about the day in the life of foreign service officer? Oh well. I certainly wish I had the flexibility and money to take off on frequent overseas adventures. Anyway, I'm just blathering on, not really explaining what I did in Cancun. I'm getting the pictures done the old-fashioned way, so maybe in two weeks I'll post the ones I like the best, and hopefully still remember the stories behind them, but by then I'm sure this city would've crushed my memories of those carefree blissful days to stressed and burned out mush.
Thursday, May 12, 2005
oh sarah
Tonight I got to see her (yes crappy mobile pix of the screen--the zoom is not exactly spectacular on a phone) ... and there were so many things I thought of saying about her but now none of them seem to quite fit.
She writes love songs like no one else, a way that's genuine and performs them like she wrote them yesterday; "Ice Cream" for example:
Your love is better than ice cream/Better than anything else that I've tried ...
Your love is better than chocolate/Better than anything else that I've tried
She's a woman who's been after my heart since I was in 7th grade listening to her songs on my little black Magnavox boombox ...
or "I Will Remember You"
I'm so tired but I can't sleep/Standin' on the edge of something much too deep
It's funny how we feel so much but we cannot say a word/We are screaming inside
But we can't be heard
But I will remember you/Will you remember me?
Don't let your life pass you by/Weep not for the memories
I'm so afraid to love you/But more afraid to lose
Clinging to a past that doesn't let me choose/Once there was a darkness
Deep and endless night/You gave me everything you had/Oh you gave me light
Every song on "Fumbling Towards Ecstacy" and "Surfacing" are ones that have a memory attached to them ... a middle school best friend, a high school crush, a college love, a long lonely drive in the middle of the night ...
The girl understands my relationship anxieties like no one else-- self-deprecating, painfully emotionally honest, longing, desire, and frustration ... I almost feel like I'm debasing her performance if I say I liked seeing her more at Merriweather ... Sarah is so organic ... it was awesome sitting in a lush green field under the stars last summer watching her perform. She managed to get everyone up standing and dancing even though the concert venue was the ill-disguised basketball stadium of GMU's Patriot Center.
Monday, May 09, 2005
ezralite
Well once again, one my favorite live acts is swinging around the nation's capitol ... and I get to work (big fat tears). But just so you don't miss out, tix are only $10 for their show:
6.10.05 Fairfax, VA
Fairfax Government Center
Doors: 6PM (approx.)
BTE: 9:30PM (approx.)
Tickets: $10
Tickets on Sale 5.16.05
ALL ages
On another note, one Naomi got to hang out with the lead singer, hottie Kevin Griffin (another big fat tear drop--at my missed opportunity).
6.10.05 Fairfax, VA
Fairfax Government Center
Doors: 6PM (approx.)
BTE: 9:30PM (approx.)
Tickets: $10
Tickets on Sale 5.16.05
ALL ages
On another note, one Naomi got to hang out with the lead singer, hottie Kevin Griffin (another big fat tear drop--at my missed opportunity).
decemberists
After reading Tom's review, I was happy that I had sold my tickets on Craigslist to a cute stranger I met on K & 18th St. He seemed quite thrilled that I was willing to let go of them at their original price ... apparently I was nuts because the show had sold out and other people were selling them for twice as much. Well I had my sister's graduation to attend, and once I listened to their music again, I realized it might have been too mellow a show for me ... although bands have surprised me before ... I've hated many a band to only fall in love with them after hearing them in concert (aka Kula Shaker, Squirrel Nut Zippers, Wyclef, Green Day, and some others). Ah well, apparently one show I was not to miss (and did) was the Audioslave show, starring my high school crush, Chris Cornell. Apparently the band played Soundgarden and Rage Against the Machine songs... sigh, now that would've been cathartic.
60 cent tips
Are deserving of cab drivers who give unsolicitated advice while you're on the way to a movie in Georgetown. I've had my share of cab driver experiences in DC, and this is one that I was surprised not to have encountered earlier. Most cab drivers are very interested in talking to the girls they have to transport from point to point. One example being a guy who asked about girls going to gym and lifting weights, it was absolutely unheard of to him ... he had the attitude that the gym was for men and lesbians apparently. In another case, a cab driver offered to be my boyfriend and teach me Arabic.
This time I got an Iranian man who advised me that I had chosen the wrong type of graduate degree to pursue ... according to him, I should be pursuing law because that's where all the money is. Then he went on to tell me his family's woes, how all America cares is money and materialism, how he has a degree in electrical engineering, yet he's a cab driver ... and on and on. I can sympathize for a bit, but not when they start preaching to me ... he kept trying to convince me that money was the only way to go. My argument for pursuing a career I might find interesting or enjoy (like in the government) that may not fatten up my paycheck too much was apparently naive to him. Then he had to tell me about what a man-ho he was back in his younger days and how his sons are continuing the trend, he bragged about having an italian wife. Stuck in traffic with this guy I told him he could let me off and gave him my usual payment to cabbies, $7, then he told me it was two zones, thus $8.40. So I just gave him two dollars more and then walked the rest of the 3 blocks to the theater.
When I gave him the money, I heard the unclick of the car doors, which I've begun to notice when riding cabs these days. All of a sudden now, once I'm in a cab, I'm in prison, enduring the conversation of the cab driver, and when I reach my destination, it's not until I pay the fare that I hear the distinctive sound of the car unlocking. It makes me wonder, if the doors were locked by the driver, could I still let myself out???
This time I got an Iranian man who advised me that I had chosen the wrong type of graduate degree to pursue ... according to him, I should be pursuing law because that's where all the money is. Then he went on to tell me his family's woes, how all America cares is money and materialism, how he has a degree in electrical engineering, yet he's a cab driver ... and on and on. I can sympathize for a bit, but not when they start preaching to me ... he kept trying to convince me that money was the only way to go. My argument for pursuing a career I might find interesting or enjoy (like in the government) that may not fatten up my paycheck too much was apparently naive to him. Then he had to tell me about what a man-ho he was back in his younger days and how his sons are continuing the trend, he bragged about having an italian wife. Stuck in traffic with this guy I told him he could let me off and gave him my usual payment to cabbies, $7, then he told me it was two zones, thus $8.40. So I just gave him two dollars more and then walked the rest of the 3 blocks to the theater.
When I gave him the money, I heard the unclick of the car doors, which I've begun to notice when riding cabs these days. All of a sudden now, once I'm in a cab, I'm in prison, enduring the conversation of the cab driver, and when I reach my destination, it's not until I pay the fare that I hear the distinctive sound of the car unlocking. It makes me wonder, if the doors were locked by the driver, could I still let myself out???
suckas!
So look what I got to do on Monday morning when everyone was heading into work ... yep, climb ... although this is not an action shot of me, it does show both the routes I climbed this morning, one where the current climber is and another one up the face to the right of the crack on the left side of the picture. Well next time I'll remember to pull out my phone and snap some low res pix. Here I'm just in my awesome pose belaying with an oh-so flattering harness on. Shift work does have its pluses ...
Sunday, May 08, 2005
sunday
Now is a good time to express a rare moment: hating being in graduate school. It's going to be over 70 degrees outside, it's already sunny breezy with clear blue skies, people are brunch-ing al fresco all over my neighborhood, walking their dogs ... my friends are now climbing in the dramatically beautiful Mather Gorge (aka Great Falls), others are biking down peaceful green-winding trails ... and what are my plans ... complete a 10 page policy paper recommending US foreign policy towards Iran based on 4 different theories of international relations ... AAAAAaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaarghhhhhhhh!
Farghin' Freaking stupid grad school!!! Why do finals have to occur during beautiful days? Alas in less than a week I will be flying to Cancun, with not a worry in my head regarding graduate school ... but still ... wwwwahhhhhaaaaaaaaa!
Farghin' Freaking stupid grad school!!! Why do finals have to occur during beautiful days? Alas in less than a week I will be flying to Cancun, with not a worry in my head regarding graduate school ... but still ... wwwwahhhhhaaaaaaaaa!
buckets o blood
So last evening I had the opportunity to enjoy Ridley Scott's latest, Kingdom of Heaven. As usual one must enjoy Ridley's nod to the graphic gore of the East Asian cinema, particularly the splattering of blood, the slow, then fast motion of the war scenes (which looked eerily like out of Lord of the Rings--Peter Jackson has certainly set the standard for all war movies from now on), and the familiar opening of some snowy part of Europe in the dead of winter.
The scriptwriter also decided to make some commentary on man's pursuit for power in the name of religion, and making all things fair, treated the Islamic and Christian aspects of the movie with good balance. It's pretty funny, when the audience actually roots for Saladin to kill one of the major villains of the movie. Although the premise of the whole movie is pretty simplistic: one or two terribly greedy people in positions of power abuses their power for glory, not caring about the people they serve, and thus sow wars of devastating magnitude. I suppose if you are looking for allegory, besides a pretty enjoyable film, Scott does comment on current times as well. Personally, I could see it again for Orlando Bloom.
The scriptwriter also decided to make some commentary on man's pursuit for power in the name of religion, and making all things fair, treated the Islamic and Christian aspects of the movie with good balance. It's pretty funny, when the audience actually roots for Saladin to kill one of the major villains of the movie. Although the premise of the whole movie is pretty simplistic: one or two terribly greedy people in positions of power abuses their power for glory, not caring about the people they serve, and thus sow wars of devastating magnitude. I suppose if you are looking for allegory, besides a pretty enjoyable film, Scott does comment on current times as well. Personally, I could see it again for Orlando Bloom.
commencement
My little sis graduated today, er yesterday morning!!!! I'm super proud of her ... with honors to, magna cum laude! As I froze my ass off in the JMU stadium, I decided that when selecting a commencement speaker, universities should NEVER choose politicians. At my graduate speech, we had VA State Governor Warner, who went on at length about the bills he was proposing in the state legislature, by that time, everyone was either taking a nap or chatting with old friends or on their cell. For my sister's graduation, they got Secretary of Treasury Snow, who at first seemed to sympathize with everyone about the terror of the commencement speaker, but then went onto praise Bush and Rumsfeld ... thanks buddy, I know you're still looking for a job after you turn in your resignation in 2008 but COME ON!!! Really, maybe I wouldn't mind if it's a 'retired' politician, like Madeleine Albright, Colin Powell, or my absolute favorite, Bill Clinton, otherwise I think they ought to stick to comedians and actors ... maybe I'm missing a bit of tradition here, that speaker's must be people who 'made it' but why make it painful??? Why? Why???
a situation
I'm trying to adjust to a sleep cycle ... tonight I was talked into going to Tequila Beach, a place who's reputation I put down there with Polly Esther's and Lulu's ... I swear, there were people there from Manassas or worse, The Plains (they have young people out there? still???). One thing that particularly strikes me is how one reader review in Wapo claimed that the bar is really cool because it doesn't have the 'usual DC garbage' ... excuse me???? DC garbage?? How about white trash garbage? Oops, sorry. I lasted for about 1 and 1/2 hours which is pretty good, thanks to one friend who insisted the DJ play a Bhangra mix. Geez, I know I'm considered a club snob, but I feel like my adoration of Black Cat and Cafe Citron temper out my outings to 1223, IndeBleu, Zaytinya, Jaleo, or Indique (which are really more eating establishments--I actually love to eat more than drink). And did I mention, IndeBleu has the most amazing 'lamb lollipops' aka uber succulant masala rubbed lamb chops for an appetizer? That Indique has the most amazing crab cakes, with a hint of Bombay spice? Also Zaytinya's has amazing lamb kefta? And a tasty Ouzotini? Also Jaleo's chorizo and vodka spiked sangria ... a girl's best pick me up on a lousy day.
Well the situation: Final due Wednesday for a class I'm failing ... and my friends are going climbing tomorrow!!!! I suppose if I wake up I'll make an effort to go, not fair!!!! Promise to work really hard Sunday night and Mon, Tues, and Wedn. morning.
Well the situation: Final due Wednesday for a class I'm failing ... and my friends are going climbing tomorrow!!!! I suppose if I wake up I'll make an effort to go, not fair!!!! Promise to work really hard Sunday night and Mon, Tues, and Wedn. morning.
Wednesday, May 04, 2005
theft
A tale from a friend who had joined me last Saturday night at Black Cat:
We get to the car @ 2am. I notice that there is no water on the window. Then I realize there is no window. Great. WE call police using a cell phone from a shop. Wait for police. Almost an hour goes by no sign. Stop other people on the streets to ask to borrow phone to call police. The 3rd attempt finally we meet someone letting us borrow phone. Again requested an officer to come and file report (insurance etc) It's almost been an hour. Lady says, no it's been 40 mins (apparently that's almost not an hour). Police car drives by at 3:40 am and I honk the car horn like mad and Ryan chases after the car. Car turns around and seeing not emergency tells us that another unit is on its way but he has another situation to deal with. Sigh. back in car waiting in rain and cold. Finally 4am a unit arrives and we give story. We get home at 5 or 6am to start dash of calling to cancel cards etc. We found out punks charged $60 on my friend's card for a metro. Nothing else so far. Next day I pick my other purse and realize. Oh. I don't bring my full> wallet when I go out so I have not lost any cards, and I cancelled them all for no reason the night before. Doh.
Visited cell co (Verizon) to let them know my cell was stolen. Spoke w/ rep, they say I will be responsible for any misc charges that occurred after it was stolen still. I was like what> How is that? I have a report. I'll be disputing this. I actually called my phone yesterday to check my voicemail. Guess who answers. None other than the guy who stole my card. How do I know? Here's conversation
*Ring, ring*
Thief: Hello?
Mei: Who's this?
Thief: Who's this? (pause) oh, oh. Is this your phone. Yeah. Well. I didn't break into your car (applause to the smart, who said you broke into my car? *I AM SO SMART, S-M-A-R-T. I MEAN S-M-A-R-T*) I bought it off this crackhead for $10. I'll tell you what I will sell it back to you for $15. (pause) cuz you know, I know this information is important to you so I can sell it to you for just like $5 more than I pay for it. And I know it's expensive to replace so you know I can sell it back to you for just $15. Come meet me at 9th & U.
Mei: Where is that
Thief: By Howard Univ. Just call me when you get here.
Mei. You have my phone (J-HOLE!)
Thief: right, well um.... Well you'll just have to use a payphone then when you get here.
Mei: Well, how would I recognize you.
Thief: I have dreds
MEi: Well that's not a lot of help. How tall are you? You'll see me, I have dreds
Mei: You're not the only w/ dreds you can give me a little bit more info. How tall are you?
Thief: 6'8" (holy crap)
Mei: ARe you wearing a jacket?
Thief: no I 'm not wearinga jacket.
MEi: then what type of shirt do you have
Thief: Army shirt
Mei: Ok well I'll see how I'll need to get there then
Then I frantically call police requesting to speak w/ the officer on my case and wanting to give them all this info thinking we can set this guy up and get my phone back! Ryan and I drive down to the police station. Wait around for 2 hrs as they all talk to each other. then finally, our officer says in short version "Look, I'll go with you if you want, but my concern is safety first. And this doesn't sit right with me. That location is a troublesome spot. Alot of people down there have guns. And do you really think you're getting your phones back for him making a profit of $5. I feel like this is a setup and he's going to have friends there to mug you. I think it's best if you let us do our job. I'll forward info to a detective. He'll call you in 3-4 days. You can give information to him. Most I can do now is go w/ you and ID guy. I can't arrest him becuz of issues w/ entrapment" yadda yadda etc
Mei: How long will all this take. To get warrant... basically we want to help get this guy caught and off the street
Officer: Honestly, it could take a year. *sigh* we walk back to my car. the one w/ the trashbag taped to the window. Drive home.
We get to the car @ 2am. I notice that there is no water on the window. Then I realize there is no window. Great. WE call police using a cell phone from a shop. Wait for police. Almost an hour goes by no sign. Stop other people on the streets to ask to borrow phone to call police. The 3rd attempt finally we meet someone letting us borrow phone. Again requested an officer to come and file report (insurance etc) It's almost been an hour. Lady says, no it's been 40 mins (apparently that's almost not an hour). Police car drives by at 3:40 am and I honk the car horn like mad and Ryan chases after the car. Car turns around and seeing not emergency tells us that another unit is on its way but he has another situation to deal with. Sigh. back in car waiting in rain and cold. Finally 4am a unit arrives and we give story. We get home at 5 or 6am to start dash of calling to cancel cards etc. We found out punks charged $60 on my friend's card for a metro. Nothing else so far. Next day I pick my other purse and realize. Oh. I don't bring my full> wallet when I go out so I have not lost any cards, and I cancelled them all for no reason the night before. Doh.
Visited cell co (Verizon) to let them know my cell was stolen. Spoke w/ rep, they say I will be responsible for any misc charges that occurred after it was stolen still. I was like what> How is that? I have a report. I'll be disputing this. I actually called my phone yesterday to check my voicemail. Guess who answers. None other than the guy who stole my card. How do I know? Here's conversation
*Ring, ring*
Thief: Hello?
Mei: Who's this?
Thief: Who's this? (pause) oh, oh. Is this your phone. Yeah. Well. I didn't break into your car (applause to the smart, who said you broke into my car? *I AM SO SMART, S-M-A-R-T. I MEAN S-M-A-R-T*) I bought it off this crackhead for $10. I'll tell you what I will sell it back to you for $15. (pause) cuz you know, I know this information is important to you so I can sell it to you for just like $5 more than I pay for it. And I know it's expensive to replace so you know I can sell it back to you for just $15. Come meet me at 9th & U.
Mei: Where is that
Thief: By Howard Univ. Just call me when you get here.
Mei. You have my phone (J-HOLE!)
Thief: right, well um.... Well you'll just have to use a payphone then when you get here.
Mei: Well, how would I recognize you.
Thief: I have dreds
MEi: Well that's not a lot of help. How tall are you? You'll see me, I have dreds
Mei: You're not the only w/ dreds you can give me a little bit more info. How tall are you?
Thief: 6'8" (holy crap)
Mei: ARe you wearing a jacket?
Thief: no I 'm not wearinga jacket.
MEi: then what type of shirt do you have
Thief: Army shirt
Mei: Ok well I'll see how I'll need to get there then
Then I frantically call police requesting to speak w/ the officer on my case and wanting to give them all this info thinking we can set this guy up and get my phone back! Ryan and I drive down to the police station. Wait around for 2 hrs as they all talk to each other. then finally, our officer says in short version "Look, I'll go with you if you want, but my concern is safety first. And this doesn't sit right with me. That location is a troublesome spot. Alot of people down there have guns. And do you really think you're getting your phones back for him making a profit of $5. I feel like this is a setup and he's going to have friends there to mug you. I think it's best if you let us do our job. I'll forward info to a detective. He'll call you in 3-4 days. You can give information to him. Most I can do now is go w/ you and ID guy. I can't arrest him becuz of issues w/ entrapment" yadda yadda etc
Mei: How long will all this take. To get warrant... basically we want to help get this guy caught and off the street
Officer: Honestly, it could take a year. *sigh* we walk back to my car. the one w/ the trashbag taped to the window. Drive home.
Monday, May 02, 2005
gearhead
Recently I've become one ... because for some reason I think its absolutely necessary to treat myself repeatedly to luxuries I really can't afford, particularly after failing or passing midterms/exams. So far my best purchase so far has been my 6 GB iPod mini. It's great, but like most headphones, I ripped them while exercising. So here comes my first product review. I bought Sony's high performance ear buds, which for $50 wasn't really cheap. They suck. Good sound, very very very BAD design. The lame-ass bird brain who designed it put the divider between the buds on the left side, so your left ear bud has a lot more weight on it and if you dare move, will fall out of your left ear. This has made any physical activity while listening to my iPod strife with pauses, curses, and the need to rip these stupid overexpensive headphones to shreds. They deliver awesome sound, however again, because of a design issue, you can hear every sounds the wires make as they rub against your clothes ... ergh!
Onto the other product review, the Griffin iTrip mini is pretty cool. So far has worked on my car and my home stereo. I don't think you get as great a sound and sometimes there's a little static, but that's pretty rare.
Onto the other product review, the Griffin iTrip mini is pretty cool. So far has worked on my car and my home stereo. I don't think you get as great a sound and sometimes there's a little static, but that's pretty rare.
thinking
What I love is how I think of great blog entries, when I can't blog, like in the car when I'm driving. Particularly when I'm coming home to DC from everywhere else. Frankly, I think Washington is the most beautiful city in the United States ... the fact that the city planners were able to turn a swamp into an oasis of elegance and sculpture-ended bridges is pretty much a marvel. My favorite part of returning to DC is driving across the Roosevelt bridge, seeing the glassy Potomac reflecting in the sparsed out lights on the faint shadow of low bridges, the luminescent dome of the Jefferson memorial, the pillar of Washington's monument, and the rotunda of Capitol Hill presiding over all of it. I like how I can see old oaks of the mall rather than the sky scrapers behind me in Rosslyn (okay relative sky scrapers), all trying to out do eachother for a view of the nation's capital.
spelling doesn't matter
you maybe surprised you can read this ... kind of dumb actually :) ... no excuse not to use spell checker though!!!
Cdnuolt blveiee taht I cluod aulaclty uesdnatnrdwaht I was rdanieg. The phaonmneal pweor of thehmuan mnid. Aoccdrnig to a rscheearch atCmabrigde Uinervtisy, it deosn't mttaer in wahtoredr the ltteers in a wrod are, the olny iprmoatnttihng is taht the frist and lsat ltteer bein the rghitpclae. The rset can be a taotl mses and you cansitll raed it wouthit a porbelm. Tihs is bcuseae thehuamn mnid deos not raed ervey lteter by istlef,but the wrod as a wlohe. Amzanig huh?
Cdnuolt blveiee taht I cluod aulaclty uesdnatnrdwaht I was rdanieg. The phaonmneal pweor of thehmuan mnid. Aoccdrnig to a rscheearch atCmabrigde Uinervtisy, it deosn't mttaer in wahtoredr the ltteers in a wrod are, the olny iprmoatnttihng is taht the frist and lsat ltteer bein the rghitpclae. The rset can be a taotl mses and you cansitll raed it wouthit a porbelm. Tihs is bcuseae thehuamn mnid deos not raed ervey lteter by istlef,but the wrod as a wlohe. Amzanig huh?
Sunday, May 01, 2005
in the rain
was not as depressing as last night's post outing homecoming. Tonight we hit Black Cat's Girl Friday: DJ Rekha Bhangra/Hip Hop night ... too much fun. Got to break my feet tonight which I didn't have a chance to do the evening before. Made me wish I was in London, on Green Street, and that other place lined with sari shops advertising their peacock bright silks, perusing Asian Bride and Asian Woman magazines, buying Bhangra and Club Ibiza mixes at the Virgin Record Store in Leicester Square.
Fuddrucker Garden burgers without buns are quite good too, particularly with all the fixins' ;)
Fuddrucker Garden burgers without buns are quite good too, particularly with all the fixins' ;)
Saturday, April 30, 2005
santana
reminds me of California. Reminds me of winding roads, particulary Sunset Blvd, first going through the crappy parts of L.A. and then hitting the strip, winding up and down the hills of Beverly, up towards to Santa Monica ... hitting the pacific highway, as the cool mists provide the white-capped contrast to the iron rich hills. Malibu homes unseen, wooden gates, and the peek of the high performance foreign car; the black Ferrari that already sped past my white Ford rental ...
the creepy mist further up, obscuring the prehistoric giants of Big Sur, the sky a hallucinatory oasis, perhaps just a hint of azure in the grey above. Baby seals and all that ...
La Jolla, white facade designer shops, Sushi on the Rock really rocks out with the best spicy tuna roll I've had in the continental US. Walking along Torrey Pines beach during sunset, clearing the limestone cliffs, seeing the rainbow festooned hot air balloons take off into the fiery sky ...
And San Diego, the Silver strand, Coronado red tiled peaks and blue bays dotted with white sails ... an hour from Tijuana.
the creepy mist further up, obscuring the prehistoric giants of Big Sur, the sky a hallucinatory oasis, perhaps just a hint of azure in the grey above. Baby seals and all that ...
La Jolla, white facade designer shops, Sushi on the Rock really rocks out with the best spicy tuna roll I've had in the continental US. Walking along Torrey Pines beach during sunset, clearing the limestone cliffs, seeing the rainbow festooned hot air balloons take off into the fiery sky ...
And San Diego, the Silver strand, Coronado red tiled peaks and blue bays dotted with white sails ... an hour from Tijuana.
things i've never done (and may never do)
1. Smoked a cigarette
2. Cheated on someone
3. Scuba dived
4. Smoked marijuana
3. Killed someone
4. Went Caving
5. Taken any illegal drug that had no age restrictions
6. Driven a motorcycle
7. Swam a lap
8. Been to the Southern Hemisphere
9. Played drums
10. Left the DC metro area for another place to live
11. Travelled 4 times to the UK and went to Scotland or Ireland
12. Skied a Black Diamond
13. Pulled off a successful turning hook kick in a taekwondo tournament
14. Serenaded a man
15. Owned a dog
16. not talked to my mom for a week
17. talked to my dad continuously for a week
18. gotten married
19. had kids
20. owned a sports car
21. Been to Amsterdam, Luxembourg, or Monaco
22. acted in a widely distributed film
23. hang-glided
24. landed a single propeller engine airplane
25. been to the Middle East for more than 18 hours
26. gotten into a street fight
27. stood up a date
28. faked liking a boy
29. pledged a sorority
30. saw the 'drag races' in Dupont
31. driven a car on a race track
32. Sailed a boat on my own
33. ice skated without falling
34. gone to the Phillips collection
35. Been to Washington state
36. painted a room all by myself
37. held a spider
38. been to Eastern Europe
39. defended a dissertation
40. Looked out the telescopes on O'Hill
41. Had surgery
42. completed climbing Romeo's Ladder
43. rafted the Gauley River
44. fallen for a South Asian man
45. not had a boyfriend who wasn't some part Anglo-Saxon
46. voted Republican
47. Voted before 2004
48. gone to Fur
49. tolerated cigarette smoking very well
50. played foosball with any skill
51. gotten into the top four in the National Taekwondo Championship
2. Cheated on someone
3. Scuba dived
4. Smoked marijuana
3. Killed someone
4. Went Caving
5. Taken any illegal drug that had no age restrictions
6. Driven a motorcycle
7. Swam a lap
8. Been to the Southern Hemisphere
9. Played drums
10. Left the DC metro area for another place to live
11. Travelled 4 times to the UK and went to Scotland or Ireland
12. Skied a Black Diamond
13. Pulled off a successful turning hook kick in a taekwondo tournament
14. Serenaded a man
15. Owned a dog
16. not talked to my mom for a week
17. talked to my dad continuously for a week
18. gotten married
19. had kids
20. owned a sports car
21. Been to Amsterdam, Luxembourg, or Monaco
22. acted in a widely distributed film
23. hang-glided
24. landed a single propeller engine airplane
25. been to the Middle East for more than 18 hours
26. gotten into a street fight
27. stood up a date
28. faked liking a boy
29. pledged a sorority
30. saw the 'drag races' in Dupont
31. driven a car on a race track
32. Sailed a boat on my own
33. ice skated without falling
34. gone to the Phillips collection
35. Been to Washington state
36. painted a room all by myself
37. held a spider
38. been to Eastern Europe
39. defended a dissertation
40. Looked out the telescopes on O'Hill
41. Had surgery
42. completed climbing Romeo's Ladder
43. rafted the Gauley River
44. fallen for a South Asian man
45. not had a boyfriend who wasn't some part Anglo-Saxon
46. voted Republican
47. Voted before 2004
48. gone to Fur
49. tolerated cigarette smoking very well
50. played foosball with any skill
51. gotten into the top four in the National Taekwondo Championship
therapy
Certainly a blog can serve as one, maybe I'm just particularly teary, especially after seeing Chokher Bali. But the whole film made me question if being a widow is really worse than losing someone to something other than death. The shame and the humiliation from family and the questions, the expectations of your friends, particularly those who are catching up with you after several months, and they ask, "so no chance, not in a couple years?"
UVA did a study on couples ... I saw ads for it on the University Transit System aka, bus system run by disgruntled students who realized UVA's fratty conservative atmosphere did not embrace them too well into its white columned brick neo-classical structures. They asked for couples to be part of a psychological study. Actually they didn't care if the couple were still together ... the interesting part came when the two called it Splitsville. What they discovered was that losing someone to a failed relationship was worse than losing someone to death. With death, they are gone forever, it takes a far leap in spirituality to think you might be reunited with them again ...
In life, it is not so, in life, there's always the chance you'll run into them at a party with your new boyfriend, or worse, you'll see them with someone else (admittedly the former is much better than the latter). In life you'll wonder what you could've done differently, in life you may try to be friends. And then wonder, why was this person my life, and now I can't even bear to see them? In life, you think if that was your last shot, if you would have to settle for something less, or worse, nothing at all.
UVA did a study on couples ... I saw ads for it on the University Transit System aka, bus system run by disgruntled students who realized UVA's fratty conservative atmosphere did not embrace them too well into its white columned brick neo-classical structures. They asked for couples to be part of a psychological study. Actually they didn't care if the couple were still together ... the interesting part came when the two called it Splitsville. What they discovered was that losing someone to a failed relationship was worse than losing someone to death. With death, they are gone forever, it takes a far leap in spirituality to think you might be reunited with them again ...
In life, it is not so, in life, there's always the chance you'll run into them at a party with your new boyfriend, or worse, you'll see them with someone else (admittedly the former is much better than the latter). In life you'll wonder what you could've done differently, in life you may try to be friends. And then wonder, why was this person my life, and now I can't even bear to see them? In life, you think if that was your last shot, if you would have to settle for something less, or worse, nothing at all.
an end again
They say an end can be a start /Feels like I've been buried yet I'm still alive
It's like a bad day that never ends / I feel the chaos around me
A thing I don't try to deny /I'd better learn to accept that
There are things in my life that I can't control /They say love ain't nothing but a sore
I don't even know what love is /Too many tears have had to fall
Don't you know I'm so tired of it all /I have known terror dizzy spells
Finding out the secrets words won't tell /Whatever it is it can't be named...
Now I know that a breeze can blow me away/ Now I know there's much more dignity ..
If I ever feel better /Remind me to spend some good time with you ...
Hang on to the good days/ I can lean on my friends
They help me going through hard times /But I'm feeding the enemy
I'm in league with the foe /Blame me for what's happening I can't try, I can't try, I can't try...
No one knows the hard times I went through /If happiness came I miss the call
The stormy days ain't over /I've tried and lost know I think that I pay the cost
.. Dark is the night, cold is the ground/ In the circular solitude of my heart
As one who strives a hill to climb I am sure I'll come through /
I don't know how
They say an end can be a start /Feels like I've been buried yet I'm still alive
---Phoenix "If I ever feel better"
blog credits go to Indebleu and their amazing Lycheetini, blackberry Mojito, and something with pineapple and coconut in a martini glass.
It's like a bad day that never ends / I feel the chaos around me
A thing I don't try to deny /I'd better learn to accept that
There are things in my life that I can't control /They say love ain't nothing but a sore
I don't even know what love is /Too many tears have had to fall
Don't you know I'm so tired of it all /I have known terror dizzy spells
Finding out the secrets words won't tell /Whatever it is it can't be named...
Now I know that a breeze can blow me away/ Now I know there's much more dignity ..
If I ever feel better /Remind me to spend some good time with you ...
Hang on to the good days/ I can lean on my friends
They help me going through hard times /But I'm feeding the enemy
I'm in league with the foe /Blame me for what's happening I can't try, I can't try, I can't try...
No one knows the hard times I went through /If happiness came I miss the call
The stormy days ain't over /I've tried and lost know I think that I pay the cost
.. Dark is the night, cold is the ground/ In the circular solitude of my heart
As one who strives a hill to climb I am sure I'll come through /
I don't know how
They say an end can be a start /Feels like I've been buried yet I'm still alive
---Phoenix "If I ever feel better"
blog credits go to Indebleu and their amazing Lycheetini, blackberry Mojito, and something with pineapple and coconut in a martini glass.
Monday, April 25, 2005
artless life
What would life be like without entertainment? There would be no blogs, there would be no DC Filmfest, I'd live in the drudgery of international affairs without the distraction of The Onion, no dancing out my knees at the Black Cat, and white chocolate would be an acceptable form of dessert. No maybe not the white chocolate, but it is an abhorrance of a treat. I'm clearly rambling here ... but you know I was just thinking of all the things that I'm thankful for that keep me distracted from doing meaningful things like applying for a promotion and writing a stellar research paper. Primarily doing things like checking out if there's another feline I roar at in hysterics on the web or surfing my 7 HBO channels which have absolutely nothing worth watching on.
Also without entertainment I couldn't stalk my friends Catherine, Tom, Julie, and Naomi as they happily traverse across Italy. That's okay in a few weeks I'll be juggling a pina colada in one hand and a Hawaiian Tropic in the other basking in the Cancun Mexico sun ...
Also without entertainment I couldn't stalk my friends Catherine, Tom, Julie, and Naomi as they happily traverse across Italy. That's okay in a few weeks I'll be juggling a pina colada in one hand and a Hawaiian Tropic in the other basking in the Cancun Mexico sun ...
can't help it
I swear if anyone (as anyone reads this) I can take it off. Anonymous ... the discussions going on in my beautiful Logan circle condominium over prostitutes (different people for each line break):
-Without disputing anything you say, as someone who survived the crack wars of the 80's on DC streets, I suggest that we can make it more advantageous for these lovely ladies - and lovely lady look-alikes - to ply their trade elsewhere. At least I think we can.
-Thank you. As I realize it is part of the urban atmosphere I didn't pay the kind of money I paid for a condo do have prostitutes turning tricks underneath my window.
-Just type in "Logan Circle Prostitution" into google to see the long history of the problem and all the things that have been tried to stop it. If you try to get too tough on the problem civil rights groups come after the lawmakers. Anyways, it is a difficult problem. By the way, at the last ANC meeting Lt. Smith gave his department's email address "PSA307@hotmail.com" and urged residents to email problems and crime reports to that email address, as the police are supposedly very responsive to this.
-Horrible! Did you happen to hear how much they were offering their services for?
-I'm pretty sure it's cheaper than one month of Comcast.... ;)
-i dont think so...unless you only want 15 minutes of comcast
-Wow this is like a scene out of an episode of sex and the city when Samantha was living in the meat packing district..she had a dif't way of handling it and not so effective!
- I think making our voices heard is still valuable.Please let me know if you have other suggestions.
-Just wanted to acknowledge the great work so & so is doing. I don't know any other building that is so on top of everything. On another note, I just wanted to warn any touchy feely couples to be careful not to spend too much time in the car making out or doing anything else for that matter around the building (like when dropping your date off) because the police might stop and interrogate you, especially since they are now so sensitive about all the prostitution. There is nothing worse then having to try to explain to a cop that your girlfriend is not a prostitute.
-I have a laser pointer...was thinking of using that to flash in their eyes to annoy them away if they wake me up again. I've heard them on the N Street side.
-fyi, you should never point a laser pointer into someones eye...it can cause damage to the eye (i.e. retina)
-Forgot that in Democrat liberal DC that people who break laws get more sympathy than taxpayers. My mistake.
-hmmm...I wonder which side of the senate you're staffing! Prolly the side that supports pedophile preists and gun-toting wildmen like Ted Nugent? The rent is cheaper in VA ya know.....
-Call 1-800-TALIBAN for all your immoral miscreant removal needs. Guaranteed to be faster than the U.S. judicial system, or your money back!
-I left this morning for work at 6:30 am and two of them were chatting at 13th and Mass. They sure looked like they had reach their expiration date.
-Without disputing anything you say, as someone who survived the crack wars of the 80's on DC streets, I suggest that we can make it more advantageous for these lovely ladies - and lovely lady look-alikes - to ply their trade elsewhere. At least I think we can.
-Thank you. As I realize it is part of the urban atmosphere I didn't pay the kind of money I paid for a condo do have prostitutes turning tricks underneath my window.
-Just type in "Logan Circle Prostitution" into google to see the long history of the problem and all the things that have been tried to stop it. If you try to get too tough on the problem civil rights groups come after the lawmakers. Anyways, it is a difficult problem. By the way, at the last ANC meeting Lt. Smith gave his department's email address "PSA307@hotmail.com" and urged residents to email problems and crime reports to that email address, as the police are supposedly very responsive to this.
-Horrible! Did you happen to hear how much they were offering their services for?
-I'm pretty sure it's cheaper than one month of Comcast.... ;)
-i dont think so...unless you only want 15 minutes of comcast
-Wow this is like a scene out of an episode of sex and the city when Samantha was living in the meat packing district..she had a dif't way of handling it and not so effective!
- I think making our voices heard is still valuable.Please let me know if you have other suggestions.
-Just wanted to acknowledge the great work so & so is doing. I don't know any other building that is so on top of everything. On another note, I just wanted to warn any touchy feely couples to be careful not to spend too much time in the car making out or doing anything else for that matter around the building (like when dropping your date off) because the police might stop and interrogate you, especially since they are now so sensitive about all the prostitution. There is nothing worse then having to try to explain to a cop that your girlfriend is not a prostitute.
-I have a laser pointer...was thinking of using that to flash in their eyes to annoy them away if they wake me up again. I've heard them on the N Street side.
-fyi, you should never point a laser pointer into someones eye...it can cause damage to the eye (i.e. retina)
-Forgot that in Democrat liberal DC that people who break laws get more sympathy than taxpayers. My mistake.
-hmmm...I wonder which side of the senate you're staffing! Prolly the side that supports pedophile preists and gun-toting wildmen like Ted Nugent? The rent is cheaper in VA ya know.....
-Call 1-800-TALIBAN for all your immoral miscreant removal needs. Guaranteed to be faster than the U.S. judicial system, or your money back!
-I left this morning for work at 6:30 am and two of them were chatting at 13th and Mass. They sure looked like they had reach their expiration date.
Sunday, April 24, 2005
creeping closer
So all good things must come to an end ... at least for this year, the 2005 DC Filmfest closes its doors this afternoon, and I don't have the excuse of a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to see foreign flicks that won't hit the American market. I've certainly done my binging on cinema this past week. I caught Peacock ... which unfortunately was disappointing, saw the hilarious tongue-in-cheek Manual for Love Stories and last night saw the thriller Private, based on trues stories in the occupied territories.
Today I revisited Hollywood, forgetting cry-baby Sean Penn was starring in this movie, and saw The Interpreter ... but I do love Nicole Kidman. I'm sure I'll find other diversions from writing my paper, all 15 pages due in less than two weeks.
Today I revisited Hollywood, forgetting cry-baby Sean Penn was starring in this movie, and saw The Interpreter ... but I do love Nicole Kidman. I'm sure I'll find other diversions from writing my paper, all 15 pages due in less than two weeks.
Saturday, April 23, 2005
nimby
So it's getting warmer, the conventioneers are flooding the town (the new Convention Center is only 6 blocks to my East--hotels around Thomas Circle are just around the corner), and now when I leave my building I might be affronted by a woman wearing a bright pink fishnet mini and thong ... yep, the prostitutes are back. When I first moved to Logan circle I saw them twice: once while walking home from work and another time going to work. Generally people feel very strongly about prostitution one way or the other or feel like it's not a big deal.
Well in general this is the way I feel about it: once a friend of mine told me she often gives money to homeless people, after I described a story about my homeless person encounter:
Upon reaching for the keys in my building, a man approached me, begging for money so he could pay the $3 fee to get a bed in the homeless shelter (less than a block away from me). Feeling reluctant and realizing many of these guys are great actors, I still gave him the remaining amount for him to get a bed ... I saw him run off the opposite direction from the shelter, towards the liquor stores on 11th St.
My friend told me if she was homeless she would be an alcoholic too and it's fine to give them money to help with their addiction because she could afford to spare a little change. Well that was was some wacked up justification if I ever heard one. I said 1) you are a suburbanite, these guys are my neighbors ... and frankly I don't want to step over their passed out forms when I'm walking home from work, 2) nor do I want my neighborhood to go back to being trashy and have the investment in my home dip down 3) I don't want them getting so addicted that they have to resort to crime. It's my neighborhood, I care about it, don't pretend you care about homeless people by giving them money.
I think that's the way some people in my condo feel about prostitutes. They don't necessarily always attract the conventioneers ... if anything they likely attract the sleazier types who may indulge in a little crime besides sex offenses. I don't know the statistics or correlation if its true, but I would rather err on the safe side. When I bought my condo, my parent's freaked because of its proximity to 14th St. which to them over 25 years ago was DC's notorious red light district. Prostitutes are heavily ingrained in Logan Circle's history, and countless battles between council members, advocates, and law enforcement confirm that. Anyway it's an interesting problem that people in my building have started recording to submit to law enforcement et al.
Well in general this is the way I feel about it: once a friend of mine told me she often gives money to homeless people, after I described a story about my homeless person encounter:
Upon reaching for the keys in my building, a man approached me, begging for money so he could pay the $3 fee to get a bed in the homeless shelter (less than a block away from me). Feeling reluctant and realizing many of these guys are great actors, I still gave him the remaining amount for him to get a bed ... I saw him run off the opposite direction from the shelter, towards the liquor stores on 11th St.
My friend told me if she was homeless she would be an alcoholic too and it's fine to give them money to help with their addiction because she could afford to spare a little change. Well that was was some wacked up justification if I ever heard one. I said 1) you are a suburbanite, these guys are my neighbors ... and frankly I don't want to step over their passed out forms when I'm walking home from work, 2) nor do I want my neighborhood to go back to being trashy and have the investment in my home dip down 3) I don't want them getting so addicted that they have to resort to crime. It's my neighborhood, I care about it, don't pretend you care about homeless people by giving them money.
I think that's the way some people in my condo feel about prostitutes. They don't necessarily always attract the conventioneers ... if anything they likely attract the sleazier types who may indulge in a little crime besides sex offenses. I don't know the statistics or correlation if its true, but I would rather err on the safe side. When I bought my condo, my parent's freaked because of its proximity to 14th St. which to them over 25 years ago was DC's notorious red light district. Prostitutes are heavily ingrained in Logan Circle's history, and countless battles between council members, advocates, and law enforcement confirm that. Anyway it's an interesting problem that people in my building have started recording to submit to law enforcement et al.
Friday, April 22, 2005
rock creek death
Melodrama, well I really had the scariest bike ride ever on Rock Creek Parkway recently, not withstanding my earlier escapade where I was on the Parkway (which is very illegal--I noticed while driving one day). I decided at 8 PM to bike from Foggy Bottom all the way up to Tenleytown, surely the quickest would be the parkway ... until it got dark, and quiet, and the path weaved a bit a way from the road, and the cars were coming too fast to notice a bicyclist flitting through the trees, furiously peddling, hoping the boogey man, or serial rapist murder lurking in this metropolitan oasis would not be fast enough to lurch out of the shadows, under the bridges, by the sinisterly calm trickling creek to slam me to the ground and perform unspeakable horrors on me.
Eventually I found a jogger who told me how to get out of the park, because I literally couldn't find a way to exit. Although his directions were still scary, something to the effect of, 'go over bridge, go up steep dirt path to the right' ... I think my thoughts were thinking, uh? through brambles bushes, the forest of evil?!?! Apparently this was my only hope for finding well lit, trafficked, pedestrian filled lively streets lined with shops and eating/drinking establishments. It was either that or risk getting on the Parkway, enduring the cars that suddenly believe they are missiles when not confronted with a stop light every 50 meters, or bike an exit ramp the wrong direction uphill in serpentine fashion, and probably not well lit. I decided on the dirt path. Luckily it did not involved delving into the Forest of Shadows but happily onto Calvert which brought me into the heart of Cleveland Park. From there I took the metro to my destination in Tenleytown. On the way back, I opted to take advantage of my friend's newly bought overhead bike rack on his shiny four-wheeled vehicle.
Eventually I found a jogger who told me how to get out of the park, because I literally couldn't find a way to exit. Although his directions were still scary, something to the effect of, 'go over bridge, go up steep dirt path to the right' ... I think my thoughts were thinking, uh? through brambles bushes, the forest of evil?!?! Apparently this was my only hope for finding well lit, trafficked, pedestrian filled lively streets lined with shops and eating/drinking establishments. It was either that or risk getting on the Parkway, enduring the cars that suddenly believe they are missiles when not confronted with a stop light every 50 meters, or bike an exit ramp the wrong direction uphill in serpentine fashion, and probably not well lit. I decided on the dirt path. Luckily it did not involved delving into the Forest of Shadows but happily onto Calvert which brought me into the heart of Cleveland Park. From there I took the metro to my destination in Tenleytown. On the way back, I opted to take advantage of my friend's newly bought overhead bike rack on his shiny four-wheeled vehicle.
advice to pedestrians
I am one too and probably guilty of all these things; but these are observations I notice mostly when I'm on my bike:
1. Walk in a straight line, do not weave around, there could be a bicyclist behind you trying to figure where you're trying to go so they can avoid hitting you
2. When listening to your music or talking on your cell, do not look at the ground, look up and around you. Multi-tasking: I know it's tough after a hard day at work
3. Just because you're in a group, doesn't mean you can take up the whole sidewalk, ownership of concrete by numbers does not apply in the District
4. Pedestrians tend to weave back and forth like squirrels when they see an oncoming bike and are surprised by it. Do not behave like a squirrel, you are smarter; pick your first direction and go with it, bicyclist will adjust accordingly.
5. Be mindful of the arms signals bicyclists make. A straight arm (with left arm) means turning left, a left arm bent at the elbows at a 90 degree angle means turning right.
7. This is a common on a bike path, if you hear 'on your left' that means stay to your right, that does not mean turn around and put yourself in the path of the bicyclist.
I realize bicyclists are guilty of many errors and audacious maneuvers on roads and sidewalks, particularly since DC does not have bike lanes, the bike lanes are the roads. And yes, I heard somewhere that bikes aren't allowed on sidewalks, but I've yet to hear of a DC cop enforce that one ... [I've blatantly run red lights (when no one is going to be crossing for miles) in front of cops and have yet to get a ticket ... I suppose my day will come].
1. Walk in a straight line, do not weave around, there could be a bicyclist behind you trying to figure where you're trying to go so they can avoid hitting you
2. When listening to your music or talking on your cell, do not look at the ground, look up and around you. Multi-tasking: I know it's tough after a hard day at work
3. Just because you're in a group, doesn't mean you can take up the whole sidewalk, ownership of concrete by numbers does not apply in the District
4. Pedestrians tend to weave back and forth like squirrels when they see an oncoming bike and are surprised by it. Do not behave like a squirrel, you are smarter; pick your first direction and go with it, bicyclist will adjust accordingly.
5. Be mindful of the arms signals bicyclists make. A straight arm (with left arm) means turning left, a left arm bent at the elbows at a 90 degree angle means turning right.
7. This is a common on a bike path, if you hear 'on your left' that means stay to your right, that does not mean turn around and put yourself in the path of the bicyclist.
I realize bicyclists are guilty of many errors and audacious maneuvers on roads and sidewalks, particularly since DC does not have bike lanes, the bike lanes are the roads. And yes, I heard somewhere that bikes aren't allowed on sidewalks, but I've yet to hear of a DC cop enforce that one ... [I've blatantly run red lights (when no one is going to be crossing for miles) in front of cops and have yet to get a ticket ... I suppose my day will come].
Wednesday, April 20, 2005
so what's with all the blogging
You know why, it's that time of the semester, close to finals!!! Anyway, inspired by Greek Tragedy, I'm also adding a 'favorite posts' to my sidebar. The absolute essentials if you want the best of the crap on this website.
candidity
I discovered a blog today called Greek Tragedy. Catherine pointed this out in one post about bloggers who are turning into book authors, their words written in real print. Anyway, I'm loving reading about Stephanie Klein's life ... her blog seems genuine and not fictional, and even it were fictional it such a good read. I was asked by one male friend to 'juice-up' my blog. Yeah, I don't think so, my mom has the URL and I have a sneaking suspicion my ex has it bookmarked. Anyway, if I wrote everything down here, what would I have to chat about over 2 Amy's pizza with my girlfriends? I need to save my juicy bits. Although reading Stephanie's blog does make me wistful ... one that I could write like her, and two be that candid.
In other news, I had given my mom the okay a few months ago to play matchmaker. She says now that my two uncles and a cousin are already fixed up, its my turn and her and the aunties are looking in earnest. So ma, if you're reading this, remember these are my requirements (and good luck finding them in a Bengali dude):
-Over 6'2 ft in height (must be able to wear heels without embarrassing said hubby)
-Western education (higher than BA preferred, preferably not IT)
-US citizen, primarily brought up in the United States or other English speaking country
-fit (works out cares about appearances)
-comes from progressive family (read--westernized)
Hopefully these requirements don't make me seem too shallow. Although I think my wish list is longer for guys I meet on my own. The funny thing is my dad isn't so hell-bent on me marrying me Bengali, only cares if the dude is Muslim. However given my mom's and aunt's circle of friends, I don't see how they'll find anyone but a Bengali Muslim.
In other news, I had given my mom the okay a few months ago to play matchmaker. She says now that my two uncles and a cousin are already fixed up, its my turn and her and the aunties are looking in earnest. So ma, if you're reading this, remember these are my requirements (and good luck finding them in a Bengali dude):
-Over 6'2 ft in height (must be able to wear heels without embarrassing said hubby)
-Western education (higher than BA preferred, preferably not IT)
-US citizen, primarily brought up in the United States or other English speaking country
-fit (works out cares about appearances)
-comes from progressive family (read--westernized)
Hopefully these requirements don't make me seem too shallow. Although I think my wish list is longer for guys I meet on my own. The funny thing is my dad isn't so hell-bent on me marrying me Bengali, only cares if the dude is Muslim. However given my mom's and aunt's circle of friends, I don't see how they'll find anyone but a Bengali Muslim.
fever broke and ramblings
I think my fever broke this afternoon. Shivering in my shorts & tank with my thermostat set at -50 degree I decided to turn off my A/C and open the windows. Although I'm still cold even though it is 83 degrees outside .... so maybe I still am feeling feverish.
I've noticed an alarming trend ... people are not like me. Just kidding ... although it's true. I suppose I should feel rather fortunate that at age 24 I'm in a career that is fulfilling, interesting, challenges me and keep me motivated and isn't a complete waste of my time like other jobs I've held. One thing I realize is that there are a lot of people, older and younger, who haven't even yet figured out if they want a career. Its kind of like, they're happy with whatever brings in the money to sustain their hobbies. It almost alarms me. I know in old fashioned times, the parents dictated to kids to become doctors or lawyers or teach or something, and now the whole educational system is based on, "explore your interests! Pursue your hobbies!!! Do what you want to do!" Which now strikes me that people clearly don't know what they want to do, except for maybe their hobbies. There are those who are stuck in jobs, in a rut so to speak, because they're still waiting for the proverbial open door, at least they know what they want, they just don't have it yet. It's the others, those who don't care that they don't know know what they want.
For me this just means I think it will make it harder for me to find what I'm looking for in a partner. I'm ambitious and hope that I can find someone with the similar intensity of ambition. Hopefully in a respectable career. Some of those people who may not have a clue that they might want a career are the same people who tell me they value time with their friends and family. That's fine, really it is, but not at the expense of being in your death bed, looking at your life and realizing before retirement, those forty hours spent every day at the office was a complete waste of time. Also I don't believe other people when they tell me all they need to be happy is to make others happy. It's nobody's job to make everyone happy, except for the psychiatrists.
I've noticed an alarming trend ... people are not like me. Just kidding ... although it's true. I suppose I should feel rather fortunate that at age 24 I'm in a career that is fulfilling, interesting, challenges me and keep me motivated and isn't a complete waste of my time like other jobs I've held. One thing I realize is that there are a lot of people, older and younger, who haven't even yet figured out if they want a career. Its kind of like, they're happy with whatever brings in the money to sustain their hobbies. It almost alarms me. I know in old fashioned times, the parents dictated to kids to become doctors or lawyers or teach or something, and now the whole educational system is based on, "explore your interests! Pursue your hobbies!!! Do what you want to do!" Which now strikes me that people clearly don't know what they want to do, except for maybe their hobbies. There are those who are stuck in jobs, in a rut so to speak, because they're still waiting for the proverbial open door, at least they know what they want, they just don't have it yet. It's the others, those who don't care that they don't know know what they want.
For me this just means I think it will make it harder for me to find what I'm looking for in a partner. I'm ambitious and hope that I can find someone with the similar intensity of ambition. Hopefully in a respectable career. Some of those people who may not have a clue that they might want a career are the same people who tell me they value time with their friends and family. That's fine, really it is, but not at the expense of being in your death bed, looking at your life and realizing before retirement, those forty hours spent every day at the office was a complete waste of time. Also I don't believe other people when they tell me all they need to be happy is to make others happy. It's nobody's job to make everyone happy, except for the psychiatrists.
feverish nightmares
Last night I spent much time alternating between shivering with chills or sweating profusely and having nightmares about Damian's psychopathic character in Cronicos (see previous post). Yesterday I had woken up with my temperature 4 degrees above normal, today only 2 degrees above normal. I feel like this is the most I've ever gotten sick, since high school anyway. Usually I'm impervious to colds and flu ... although this year I didn't get a flu shot like I normally do (thanks to wonderful flu vaccine shortage) ... I don't know if that has anything to do with it. For some reason I didn't feel like taking my usual pre-cold treatment of echinacea every hour for eight hours, maybe that's why I'm still feeling sick. For the past two days I have been drinking copious amounts of herbal tea, which while I'm drinking does make me feel better.
It sucks being sick, like I know every minute I'm falling more and more behind at work, and for some reason even though I stay home, I'm never able to make a productive day of it like tidying up my place or catching up on homework or trying to get ahead in graduate studies. Instead I mope ... the temperature gauge from the Weather Bug says its 77 degrees outside. I feel crummy enough with two massive red volcanic zits on my face, un-showered, hair unkempt, and still in mismatched PJs to walk across the street to buy some ginger ale or get some Tazo juiced iced tea from Starbucks, only three block away.
Also I don't get why people at work, on the metro, who are sick decide its okay to show up in public and spew their germs on the healthy ones so we get sick. It's simply irresponsible. SICK PEOPLE STAY AT HOME!!!
It sucks being sick, like I know every minute I'm falling more and more behind at work, and for some reason even though I stay home, I'm never able to make a productive day of it like tidying up my place or catching up on homework or trying to get ahead in graduate studies. Instead I mope ... the temperature gauge from the Weather Bug says its 77 degrees outside. I feel crummy enough with two massive red volcanic zits on my face, un-showered, hair unkempt, and still in mismatched PJs to walk across the street to buy some ginger ale or get some Tazo juiced iced tea from Starbucks, only three block away.
Also I don't get why people at work, on the metro, who are sick decide its okay to show up in public and spew their germs on the healthy ones so we get sick. It's simply irresponsible. SICK PEOPLE STAY AT HOME!!!
Tuesday, April 19, 2005
aficionado
I can't resist DC International Film Fest being in town. Last night I went out to see "I Love Cinema" (Egypt), funny, macabre, and wonderful at the same time. Heartily recommend seeing it.
Tonight I watched a rather disturbing film with John Leguizamo called Cronicas (Mexico). First its about the investigation into a serial child rapist/killer of over 150 boys and girls in South American. Besides knowing that from the description, there's a rather brutal lynching scene ... however you must get past your queasiness if you want to get through the rest of the movie. Some people will hate this movie, you come out essentially feeling pretty disgusted at the whole human race, particularly given the performance of Damian Alcazar (Crimes of Father Amaro) who plays the main suspect ... quite riveting and desperately believing. All in all, a pretty dark film about an ugly hideous overcast world where corpses of little girls are found in the mud and fathers are set on fire in front of their sons and pregnant wives. Nobody comes off squeaky clean. Oh, and then there are the sounds of flies intermittently through the movie; particularly at pivotal scenes ... to remind you that the Devil and Hell are also unseen characters in the script.
Sunday, April 17, 2005
disturbing
I found this in my fortune cookie tonight. I suppose its supposed to be inspiring but at the same time (yes I must spell it out) quite macabre.
one of those things I don't get
So the new Nationals mascot was unveiled yesterday. I think it's hilarious its name is Screech. Kind of a cute dude. But it one of those things that makes me wonder? Like who is the person in that suit? Do they get adequate compensation for the humiliation?
Baseball is something I never understood, therefore I must find amusement in the sport like contemplating other things when watching ie: is he chewing gum or tobacco? What exactly is Screech trying to say there?
My only relationship to Washington baseball is that once I was in the musical, "Damn Yankees" performed at my high school which featured the Washington baseball team, "The Senators." The musical was a Faustian adaptation about a guy who would do anything to make the Washington team win. My contribution to the play was 'Fan #1' and 'Chorus.'
Baseball is something I never understood, therefore I must find amusement in the sport like contemplating other things when watching ie: is he chewing gum or tobacco? What exactly is Screech trying to say there?
My only relationship to Washington baseball is that once I was in the musical, "Damn Yankees" performed at my high school which featured the Washington baseball team, "The Senators." The musical was a Faustian adaptation about a guy who would do anything to make the Washington team win. My contribution to the play was 'Fan #1' and 'Chorus.'
Saturday, April 16, 2005
dutious
If you are someone who tried to master the moonwalk, typewriter, and mimicked x-rated dance moves in front of your bedroom mirror while listening to Blondie's "Touch Myself" or played air guitar to Joan Jett's "I love Rock'n Roll" then Friday night's party at the Black Cat was the place to let your inner child out ... props to Selector Seth for another super fun night.
Most of the gang of 15 who took the field trip out of the building to the Black Cat ended up going to Agua for international dance night (also without cover). Anyway, after listening to the girls over brunch the next morning at Peacock Cafe in Georgetown, who talked of dancing till closing ... I was curious, very curious ... another night; another night.
Anyway, I was shocked by the prices of Georgetown's Zara. This is supposed to Spain's answer to H&M!!! But no, despite my expectation of bargain fashions my enthusiasm for cool hip clothes were curbed by sticker shock. Still didn't stop me from buying two new shirts, (they were cute and if you believe the re-stickering, marked down).
Most of the gang of 15 who took the field trip out of the building to the Black Cat ended up going to Agua for international dance night (also without cover). Anyway, after listening to the girls over brunch the next morning at Peacock Cafe in Georgetown, who talked of dancing till closing ... I was curious, very curious ... another night; another night.
Anyway, I was shocked by the prices of Georgetown's Zara. This is supposed to Spain's answer to H&M!!! But no, despite my expectation of bargain fashions my enthusiasm for cool hip clothes were curbed by sticker shock. Still didn't stop me from buying two new shirts, (they were cute and if you believe the re-stickering, marked down).
Friday, April 15, 2005
curiosity made the cat crave
Pho is something I've enjoyed without thinking too deeply about what goes into making the broth. While eating an equally tasty dinner of fish and radish curry, I began to ponder the ingredients in Pho. I know I've heard ox tail before ... so I looked it up, and rather than being horrified, it made me want to hop on the metro for a savory bowl of noodle soup in Rosslyn.
Now if you gave me a plain bowl of pho with no garnish-ments I'd be kind of upset. Sometimes I wonder if eating pho is not just an excuse to squirt a bottle of Sriracha sauce into the bowl ... which makes the yummy treat absolutely addictive. And frankly if you want me to eat anything, just put Sriracha sauce on it.
Now if you gave me a plain bowl of pho with no garnish-ments I'd be kind of upset. Sometimes I wonder if eating pho is not just an excuse to squirt a bottle of Sriracha sauce into the bowl ... which makes the yummy treat absolutely addictive. And frankly if you want me to eat anything, just put Sriracha sauce on it.
Thursday, April 14, 2005
DC Film Fest
Check it out!!! If I'm a good girl, I hopefully plan to catch at least two films. Last year I saw several amazing films, one being the first cut of a BBC documentary: Al-Jazeera Exclusive, which showed the unseen footage of the beginning of the US air campaign above Baghdad and another: Route 181, a film even the French censored for being too inflammatory... both awesome films that sucked me into being a fan of the documentary genre.
curb my enthusiasm
Yay! So Naomi actually tagged me for an mme! I have no idea what that means but it's cool because I can now blog about this topic:
List five things that people in your circle of friends or peer group are wild about, but you can’t really understand the fuss over.
1. Bars--yeah everyone in DC is nuts about them ... clearly I have a thriving social life ;) But this hatred of bars is already well documented.
2. Lost--that show with dinosaurs and stuff ... After the Alias creators lost me on Sydney's two year 'bout of amnesia in Season 3, I decided the creators were whack ... and I couldn't be sorely disappointed by a new series again.
3. Marathons--I used to think getting into a ring with a complete stranger and battling it out for 3 2-minute rounds in a Taekwondo tournament in some godforsaken mid-Western city like Cleveland or Detroit , paying for hotel, airfare, and tournament fees only to get my ass whipped was bad ... but DAMN running 26 1/2 miles???!!! Props to masochists!!! No, truly I respect you, but it's not on my list of things to do.
4. Arlington-it sucks and YOU GUYS ARE NOT FROM DC!
5. The Yuppie thing-people are actually proud of that ... how can you be proud of that??? Stupid smarmy SUV riding-yellow 'support the troops' ribboned weapons of bicyclist-death. The irony of the 'support the troops' sticker on a SUV ... need I say more?
Even though people don't read my blog, I hope anyone who reads this isn't pissed at me. Really I love you Becca, Julie, and Naomi ... you guys and some other friends are the only reason I'd think about getting off the metro at an Arlington stop .... that and Pho 75. I do have to say, Arlington rocks because it does have a Pho 75. Marathoner's do rock ... my body and mental abilities are just not up to the task. And I've never seen an episode of 'Lost', but the Alias writers have truly scared me from ever watching any of their creations. I still stand by yuppies and bars sucking, which is why it's harder to drag me into Arlington imbibing establishments than a true redneck establishment.
List five things that people in your circle of friends or peer group are wild about, but you can’t really understand the fuss over.
1. Bars--yeah everyone in DC is nuts about them ... clearly I have a thriving social life ;) But this hatred of bars is already well documented.
2. Lost--that show with dinosaurs and stuff ... After the Alias creators lost me on Sydney's two year 'bout of amnesia in Season 3, I decided the creators were whack ... and I couldn't be sorely disappointed by a new series again.
3. Marathons--I used to think getting into a ring with a complete stranger and battling it out for 3 2-minute rounds in a Taekwondo tournament in some godforsaken mid-Western city like Cleveland or Detroit , paying for hotel, airfare, and tournament fees only to get my ass whipped was bad ... but DAMN running 26 1/2 miles???!!! Props to masochists!!! No, truly I respect you, but it's not on my list of things to do.
4. Arlington-it sucks and YOU GUYS ARE NOT FROM DC!
5. The Yuppie thing-people are actually proud of that ... how can you be proud of that??? Stupid smarmy SUV riding-yellow 'support the troops' ribboned weapons of bicyclist-death. The irony of the 'support the troops' sticker on a SUV ... need I say more?
Even though people don't read my blog, I hope anyone who reads this isn't pissed at me. Really I love you Becca, Julie, and Naomi ... you guys and some other friends are the only reason I'd think about getting off the metro at an Arlington stop .... that and Pho 75. I do have to say, Arlington rocks because it does have a Pho 75. Marathoner's do rock ... my body and mental abilities are just not up to the task. And I've never seen an episode of 'Lost', but the Alias writers have truly scared me from ever watching any of their creations. I still stand by yuppies and bars sucking, which is why it's harder to drag me into Arlington imbibing establishments than a true redneck establishment.
amazement
New Order came out with a new album recently: "Waiting for the Siren's Call." I thought back in 1998 when they renamed themselves Monaco and I bought their album, "Music for Pleasure" they were gone for good. This new album will definitely be on my summer play list. Awesome awesome ... for lack of my ability to write snarky uber-intellectual hipster reviews of albums like they do in Pitchfork (which seem to consist mostly of chatter not having anything to do with the review, but a little esoteric back-pat for the author). Along with The Bravery's new album, I will be spinning Phoenix, introduced to me by Catherine who saw them at 9:30 Club.
Monday, April 11, 2005
under the pink canopy
Yes those trees are quite pretty. Despite not having much sleep from the weekend's merriment at Home nightclub with Chopingal (became such a weird scene recently ... a lot of under 21 college girls and ultra sleezy older guys), a peek into the ultra-exclusive IndeBleu, and wonton soup and bubble tea at a chinese restaurant in chinatown Saturday night ... also a Sunday beautiful morning of bouldering precariously on the VA side of Great Falls park (due to me not seeing the extra borrowed harness in my trunk) ... I decided to bike to the tidal basin and read my wonderful texts on globalism under a 'pink canopy.' Except it got too chilly and I decided to bike home ... and now doing my favorite activity, procrastinating!!!
Oh and Sunday is a very bad day for anyone's battery to die ... Most of the day was spent on the great battery scavenger hunt ... from DC, I finally found the WalMart in Sterling will replace and install your battery. Also I found out if AAA sends you a contract towing company they won't provide full services like a real AAA serviceman would.
Oh and Sunday is a very bad day for anyone's battery to die ... Most of the day was spent on the great battery scavenger hunt ... from DC, I finally found the WalMart in Sterling will replace and install your battery. Also I found out if AAA sends you a contract towing company they won't provide full services like a real AAA serviceman would.
Saturday, April 09, 2005
procrastinating again
yar, so here I am because I totally screwed myself last weekend by not researching my paper at all, particularly with the weather being gloomy and inhospitable to anything but burying myself in the stack of yet unfamiliar GWU's Gelman Library. Now I look wistfully out my window at the gorgeous day passing me by. While I research Bangladesh and terrorism for my final paper. I received a pretty good grade on the midterm for that class, so I'm not overly concerned, but I pride myself in being able to write decent papers, thus the hard work.
My other class not so wonderful. I think I literally had a brain fart the day I took that midterm. Came home from work, tried to study, but my body literally lethargically lay itself down on soft bed and I had the hardest time getting each of my muscles to move when it came time to get going, or get my brain to work for that matter. I mentioned in a previous post hitting a pedestrian, well that was on my way to the midterm, it should be no surprise that my brain clearly couldn't work through a midterm if I had made the brilliant decision to run a yellow/red light five minutes before on K St. while midst rush hour traffic ... on a bike. Facing a choice between an intimate encounter with an out-of-state SUV (yea u MD and VA plates are out-of-state in the District) or navigating my way through a river of pedestrians crossing, its no wonder I should choose the former.
Aargh, maybe if I'm productive now I can go climbing tomorrow!
My other class not so wonderful. I think I literally had a brain fart the day I took that midterm. Came home from work, tried to study, but my body literally lethargically lay itself down on soft bed and I had the hardest time getting each of my muscles to move when it came time to get going, or get my brain to work for that matter. I mentioned in a previous post hitting a pedestrian, well that was on my way to the midterm, it should be no surprise that my brain clearly couldn't work through a midterm if I had made the brilliant decision to run a yellow/red light five minutes before on K St. while midst rush hour traffic ... on a bike. Facing a choice between an intimate encounter with an out-of-state SUV (yea u MD and VA plates are out-of-state in the District) or navigating my way through a river of pedestrians crossing, its no wonder I should choose the former.
Aargh, maybe if I'm productive now I can go climbing tomorrow!
Tuesday, April 05, 2005
it's official
HFStival is actually happening, despite actual radio station going away. The TicketBastard sales page confirms it. Has probably the best line-up I've ever seen in years ... Unfortunately, I will be going far away that day (May 14). An unofficial website seems to be the best source for news.
I have many fond memories of previous HFStivals ... like my first one in 1996 when my best friend and I accidentally got stuck in a vortex of mosh pits five feet away from a gyrating Gwen Stefani, I lost my shoe and sun glasses, and had to crowd-surf out while other damsels fainted from the exertion of the hot beating June sun ...
In 1997 when I got my first taste of electronic music and broke it down like the future (and now past) club kid I became to the delayed and much anticipated Crystal Method set ... and earlier fell in love with the now defunct Kula Shaker.
1998 ... that was my last one, for some reason that one must've been tame because I can't remember it ;)
I have many fond memories of previous HFStivals ... like my first one in 1996 when my best friend and I accidentally got stuck in a vortex of mosh pits five feet away from a gyrating Gwen Stefani, I lost my shoe and sun glasses, and had to crowd-surf out while other damsels fainted from the exertion of the hot beating June sun ...
In 1997 when I got my first taste of electronic music and broke it down like the future (and now past) club kid I became to the delayed and much anticipated Crystal Method set ... and earlier fell in love with the now defunct Kula Shaker.
1998 ... that was my last one, for some reason that one must've been tame because I can't remember it ;)
hate post
stupid yuppie Capitol Hill douche bags that you saw towards the end of the night ... just absolutely rude fucking assholes, pardon my french
That's a direct quote from an e-mail I wrote yesterday to a friend. I'm going to use the power of blogger to write a hate post about two particular NOT gentlemen I met at Local 16 Saturday night: Laslow (some weird Hungarian name) and Nathan ... you two are absolute fuckwits.
The story: Laslow comes up to me, starts talking while his wingman Nathan hangs out beside me. A friend of mine visiting from 'out of town,' gets very protective. Suddenly Laslow ends conversation and leaves. Friends says, 'biggest douchebag ever.' I wish I had listened. See them an hour later, this time its Nathan hitting on me and Laslow observing (what kind of weird social behavior is THIS???!!!). I ask Nathan if he wants to meet a friend, all of sudden I hear a barrage of, "ARE YOU TRYING TO PUNT ME???" and then from Laslow, "ARE YOU TRYING TO PUNT MY FRIEND???!!!?" Nathan meets said (a girl) friend, acts like an utter prick and leaves. (Girl) friend says, what a fucking asshole??!!!
Amazing that actually managed to spoil Local 16 completely for me. I like Chi-Cha better, even though people are somewhat anti-social and only want to hang out with their own posse.
I must take choice quote from Laslow to describe Local 16:
'Don't do Citron, not into the eurotrash scene (and since when are World Bankers & IMFer's eurotrash?) ... Local 16 is where the yuppies hang out.'
Yea, that describes it ... Local 16, cool bohemian ambiance, absolute yuppie fuckwits crowding the space, acting more uptight than they do at work, and their idea of cutting lose is to be rude and act like assholes.
Monday, April 04, 2005
genuine dc blogs
I have some blogs I frequent, which unfortunately because I'm not good at this html crap, I haven't figured out how to add a links section and post all my favorites. But I discovered an ultra-cool one: crazy goofy world. I like how that she is a real DC native, and knows what I'm talking about when I make references to the real DC. And frankly I'm just a poseur, b/c I'm really a NOVA (northern virginia) native who's wet dream (yea girls get them too) of eventually moving into the beloved beautiful sprawling river delta metropolis of DC came true only last August.
And I still love it, even though those same people who scrawled 'yuppies out of shaw' (from another blog I shamelessly link to: unrequited narcissism) sometime yell at me as I'm walking home from the Mt. Vernon Sq metro.
And I still love it, even though those same people who scrawled 'yuppies out of shaw' (from another blog I shamelessly link to: unrequited narcissism) sometime yell at me as I'm walking home from the Mt. Vernon Sq metro.
Saturday, April 02, 2005
concert/dance party roll up for this spring
Events I'm aspiring to go to. Call/e-mail me to let me know if you're interested too.
Apr 15 (Friday)--Notorious Dance Party--- Free, Seth DJ's 80's dance party @ Black Cat
SAT APR 30- GIRL FRIDAY presents DJ REKHA: bhangra and hip-hop dance night $8adv/$10day 9:30 @ Black Cat
The Decemberists ($15) I already bought tix so I'm definitley going--Friday, 5/6/05 9:00PM EDT 9:30 Club
May 12 Thurs. Sarah McLachlan ($ 35-50) Patriot Center, GMU; already bought tix so definitley going
SAT JUNE 4- STEPHEN MALKMUS $15 mainstage 9:30 @ The Black Cat--not sure when this is going on sale
Apr 15 (Friday)--Notorious Dance Party--- Free, Seth DJ's 80's dance party @ Black Cat
SAT APR 30- GIRL FRIDAY presents DJ REKHA: bhangra and hip-hop dance night $8adv/$10day 9:30 @ Black Cat
The Decemberists ($15) I already bought tix so I'm definitley going--Friday, 5/6/05 9:00PM EDT 9:30 Club
May 12 Thurs. Sarah McLachlan ($ 35-50) Patriot Center, GMU; already bought tix so definitley going
SAT JUNE 4- STEPHEN MALKMUS $15 mainstage 9:30 @ The Black Cat--not sure when this is going on sale
Rio vacation next winter?
Well after seeing this article:
The killings were shockingly brutal even for this city, which has one of the world's highest murder rates, and where massacres occur with disturbing frequency. The death toll was higher than the 1993 Vigario Geral police massacre of 21 people ...I'm not so sure anymore. Will I be safer in the jungle? Or can I expect to be eaten by truck sized ant?
"Experience has shown that this type of crime is always carried out by the underworld of the police apparatus," said Jorge Piciani, president of the Rio de Janeiro state assembly.
El nino, God whatever
Please do something about this weather. I know its really cliche to whine about DC weather on a blog, but COME ON!!! You're absolutely ruining my plans to try out my new hydration pack and break into my new hiking boots, plus just get a decent afternoon to go rockclimbing ... which like I predicted (big tongue sticking out of face to rockclimbing friends) Friday was beautiful!!! But no, I suffered horrible allergies, debating whether I would get a phone call in time to head out to Great Falls NP or Carderock and shoot up on some steroid nasal spray to make a sweaty dirty daring afternoon of it, hanging precariously above turbulent swollen Potomac waters off of Mather Gorge ... UGH! AAAAAAAaaaaaaaaaaaaaargh!!!! Instead I went to bed at 4 PM and didn't wake up until 7:30 AM the next morning.
I am uber squirrelly, thankful for rainy allergen free days, but itching to get out on a sunny spring day!
I am uber squirrelly, thankful for rainy allergen free days, but itching to get out on a sunny spring day!
Friday, April 01, 2005
no u did'Unt!
I was all set to watch a serious, mature documentary, Born Into Brothels, this year's Academy Award winner for best foreign documentary/film or whatever, but instead I got waylaid by Guess Who, yes that silly Bernie Mac and Ashton Kutcher which got lukewarm reviews from every critic.
Instead I immensely enjoyed the film, if you like utterly black and white (metaphorically) comedies. And I wished I had a boyfriend just like Ashton Kutcher, funny and cute. But I guess I'm too young for him, lucky Demi.
Instead I immensely enjoyed the film, if you like utterly black and white (metaphorically) comedies. And I wished I had a boyfriend just like Ashton Kutcher, funny and cute. But I guess I'm too young for him, lucky Demi.
Happy April Fool's Day
Take a look at the pix above. Yes its gone, its all gone ...Mmmmwwwaaahhhaaaaaa, silly me being narcissistic when I have no right to be with 3 AM shadows under my eyes.
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