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2008.07.31 9:09pm | |
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This has got to be the funniest blog I've read in a long time. Stuff Korean Moms LikeBest read from the top, so scroll down. Compliments of my boyfriend's mom, who found and passed the link along. |
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| "Where The Hell is Matt?" | 2008.06.30 1:58am |
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This has got to be the coolest short video I have ever seen in my life. Like something out of one of my fantasies (I'm talking about the experience, not the guy). Amazing. Yeah, it's just a white guy who can't dance, dancing in 42 different countries around the world. >> About Matt ------- While reading his bio, it occurred to me that the people I have been most inspired by in life all happen to be college drop-outs (or never attended). Thanks to a somewhat unconventional upbringing, I was never pressured about school by family the way most Asian kids are. Somehow I grew to develop a love and respect for academics anyway, and carved life for myself in education. Still, I have fantasies about what it might have been like to have never attended college at all, focusing my youth on traveling the globe, gaining knowledge from other sources, and just living more simply. -------- Unrelated note: Personal training is kicking my ass and costing me a small fortune. But so far so good. |
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| James Hook & Co | 2008.06.03 2:18am |
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My favorite lobster supplier in Boston burnt down a few days ago. I'm pretty sad about it.  Photo courtesy of boston.com, George Rizer/Globe Staff |
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| Eat and Be Merry | 2008.05.27 12:03pm |
"Why aren’t you on a diet?” I've put on 5 mysterious pounds in the last month. Maybe it's time to make a regular habit out of the gym again. I'm also giving thought to investing in a personal trainer to shape up for the onslaught of weddings this summer and fall. We'll see. I don't do deprivation, although I hear it works for some. I love food. I believe in variety and balance. And that's that. Speaking of food, I've contributed 146 photos on Yelp to date:  |
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| Bachelorette Weekend in Cabo (cont'd) | 2008.05.19 12:47pm | ||
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We're going through U.S customs in Atlanta, standing on the other side of the security check-point to wait for our bags. Suddenly the conveyer belt stops. It starts to back up. A guard calls his buddies over to the monitor. They all pause to look at it for a moment, giggling, and then cracking up. "Uhm, does somebody have a tiara in their bag?" They wanted to know what it was supposed to say. At my cousin's expense (and at the fate of her tiara), I had some good laughs in Mexico. And later, again, at the airport. The tiara
During the open-bar boat ride to see the Archs at Land's End, we met three old couples from Northern California - each of them happily married for over 40 years. They were really sweet (the old and still-in-love folks always get to me).  We asked them what their secret was. The first couple quickly responded, "Good Sex!". The second couple remained silent and looked at each other with googly eyes, while the third couple advised, "Marry your best friend - they've gotta be your best friend, first". The bachelorette weekend in Cabo is now a blur, as if it happened months ago. I wish I'd taken a moment to write last week while the detailed memories were fresh. But maybe it's for the better. As they say, "What happens in ___ , stays in ___". And if all else fails, there will always be the 1,000+ photos to remind me of the fun I had.  Tearing up the streets.  Running around in a pack wearing "Girls Gone Wild" T-Shirts.  Free balloons and a giant industrial fan pointed at our faces.  Second attempt at photo stitching. ( more cabo pics ) |
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| Bachelorette Weekend in Cabo San Lucas | 2008.05.13 11:23pm |
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We all flew from the east coast to the Baja California Peninsula for my cousin and her friend TT's bachelorette party. Just got back. Cabo is beautiful. Friendly. Warm. And Memorable.  Weekend Summary, in quantitative terms: 1 amazing boat ride (which I battled my selachophobia to experience - the loud music, open bar, and dancing crew members helped.) 2 bachelorettes 3 nights 4 days 12 awesome, hilarious, unique girls It was a blast. Below is my first attempt at amateur video editing. Every clip came from the weekend spent in Cabo, and the video idea is inspired by Veanne's capture of NYE 2006. Pardon the choice of soundtrack (overplayed Gwen Stefani radio song). It was blasting on the boat when I turned around and caught my cousin whipping a poor Mexican man with his own belt. It's fitting, though, so watch with speakers on: My first attempt at photo stitching (view from a room at the Riu Santa Fe):  More Cabo pics to come. Between the handful of us carrying digital cameras, there are over 1,000 photos to sort through for favs, and I've barely begun to unpack. |
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| Great Loves | 2008.04.24 1:25pm |
 Me and the other love of my life.  If I could afford it, I would eat lobster every day. Twice on Sundays. And then I'd double that amount during molting season (there's less meat in the shell, but it's sweeter!). And if I had to choose how I died, it would be by whatever disease comes with over-consuming shellfish and tomalley (the green stuff in the head of the lobster). The kids call it 'lobster brains' or 'lobster poo', but it's really the liver and digestive organs. It's a delicacy. The seafood version of fois gras, baby. My favorite way to eat tomalley is scrambled in eggs, scallions, and ginger. I'm telling you, it is like the poor man's version of Chinese stir fried lobster. Mmmm mmmm :9 Lobster Favorites ( list by a Lobster Fanatic Who Has Lived in Boston for a Decade ) There is no better place to live than New England if you're as crazy about lobster as I am. So I'm going to make sure I take advantage of my resources while I'm still around. Who's with me? |
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| Spring and Random Things | 2008.04.15 1:58am |
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When I'm on a cleaning spree and I run out of typical tasks and major chores to do, I'm known to resort to OCD stuff. You know, for the sake of feeling productive. Like folding football triangles out of grocery bags:  That clutter of plastic bags in the kitchen? Gone! I should have taken a before picture. When my mind feels tired and overworked, I like to listen to mind numbing pop music and keep my hands busy. If I can't afford that kind of leisure, I'll have some brain food: sodium and potassium. Ever try that? Next time you feel mentally drained, have something salty and eat a banana. Trust me, it works. Thanks to the recent discovery of some really good tea, I think I may have dropped my coffee habit for good. It's been about a month since I've had any. My adrenal glands are probably having a little holiday, but insomnia is still hard at work. |
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| Happy Birthday, JT | 2008.03.10 11:52am | |
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| Hina Matsuri | 2008.03.03 3:45pm | |
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| February 20, 2008 | 2008.02.20 11:58am | ||
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5pm edit: Some signs of old age  Here I am at the Great Mall in Milpitas, California. $12 for a 15 minute massage! That cheapness can only be compared to one of the few basement operations in NYC Chinatown. The back rub was a little painful at times, but boy was it worth it. My masseuse worked out knots that no spa or $200 massage on Newbury Street has ever been able to fix. My knots were so bad, in fact, that he decided to show my bf a few moves... you know, for maintenance. The language barrier made it challenging, but we got a demonstration of one very effective dragon-claw-shoulder-to-elbow technique.
If today is your birthday: You will get the chance to impress some Very Important Persons this year. Creatively and professionally you have much to offer but too many times in the past you were too timid to take the initiative. Now you will go to the other extreme and thrust your way into the spotlight. You'll be a star. (Thanks, NY Post) Supa'stahh!!! I have to go teach a class now. I always get a little anxious and nervous beforehand, especially when there are university faculty on the tutorial roster. Wish me luck... |
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| In the Spirit of the Hallmark Holiday... | 2008.02.14 5:05pm |
 On the next flight out to California. Back next week. Ciao. |
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| NYE 2008 in DC and Virginia | 2008.01.15 12:15pm |
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2007 will live in my memory as (and not to be too overly dramatic) the best-so-far of my entire twenty-something years of life on this planet. Wonderful changes took place in my professional and personal life over the past 12 months, paving the way for a future that's never been quite as clear. So I couldn't have picked a better way to close out the year than in my hometown, with the dearest old friends anyone would be so lucky to have. Ryan came with me. He met some nice people and saw where I done growsed up.  It's so easy to take for granted - the things that are always there. As a kid, I was indifferent to the frequent school field trips to the Smithsonian and all those Saturday afternoons spent visiting and revisiting famous memorials and statues.  It's been close to ten years since I've lived in the area. So now when I go back, those magnificent, surreal, pearly-white monuments inspire awe, amazement, and nostalgia... for at least ten whole minutes, or until the A.D.D kicks in and I get bored again. In 2008, I resolve to be sober (geez, that makes me sound like a raging alcoholic). You see, I got really trashed on NYE... and off of ONE cup of watered down vodka tonic and ONE cup of kir royale. A few toasts here, a few sips there, and the next thing you know I'm spending the wee hours of 2008 dry-heaving and resolving never to drink again, ever. At Kirk's party on NYE last year, I was thrown out of the hosting NYC bar at countdown for being drunk. At countdown. We're talking 'three, two...' and at 'one' I had one foot out the door with Kalli under one arm and a bouncer holding onto the other. This year I threw up in someone's front lawn (sorry, Taylor!), and called a friend the "N" word (but in an endearing way). Oh, and I broke my digital camera. Yeah, I might have to ban alcohol from any NYE celebration from here on out. A few NYE photos, for folks who don't know where to find them:  Ryan, Me, my awesome cousin and her fiance - who hosted, fed, transported, and entertained us while we were in DC.  Passing out toasting cups at countdown.  Singing campfire songs and later, naked tribal dancing around the fire. |
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| Greetings from Manhattan | 2008.01.04 12:34pm |
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Just taking a quick break while I try to work up an appetite for lunch. It's a great time to be in New York, with wind chills and temperatures in the teens and all. But I'm here to give my boyfriend a proper tour of the city. And by that I just mean we're wandering around aimlessly and eating up a storm.  It was so cold out last night I felt the hairs in my nostrils stiffen up. ( click for more pics ) |
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| Compartamentalizing | 2007.11.13 12:00am |
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Each of the cardio machines at the gym I go to are equipped with television, so I caught Celine Dion on Oprah this afternoon. I'm not into Celine Dion, but she's become more tolerable in recent years. Today I found myself nodding in agreement with her instead of rolling my eyes (so unusual I had to blog it). Celine's cheesy but well-chosen words of wisdom: When people come to me and say, "I want to be just like you; the only thing I want in life is to sing," I tell them this: "Please don't make your career your life. Let it be your passion, let it bring you pleasure, but don't let it become your identity. You are so much more valuable than that." Unrelated note. I might be reviving a series of tutorial classes and teaching next semester. If that happens, I'll have to make like Mr. Nakachan and lock this journal down. I once (and not long ago) audited a course taught by a young professor who kept obscene, drunken party pictures of herself (in skimpy skirts, no less) plastered publicly on facebook. It was weird, though I didn't take her any less seriously. Her lectures were that good. But to be completely honest - I still went to that class each night hoping to get a glimpse of the alter ego, as if she'd pull out a flask from her tote bag at any given moment and dance on the desks. |
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| Life is Good. | 2007.11.05 2:28pm |
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Seriously, I can't remember a time I was ever happier. Since getting promoted last winter and working under a new group, work has been great. ... You know how being around different people will bring out different sides of you? There's a person in me that surfaces only when he's around. And I like that person. It's kind of shocking how quickly things have progressed and I've learned that you can't always evaluate a relationship based on a time stamp. Everything feels right about this one. I'm in love - more deeply than I've ever been. And that's enough barf-talk for today. Friends also play a big part in my happiness quotient, and it looks like everyone is doing pretty well. My cousin back home in VA/DC is recently engaged after one of the sweetest, most romantic proposals I'd ever seen. She is truly the most beautiful girl I know, inside and out, and I am so incredibly happy for her. All major travel plans for 2008 have been cancelled to make way for bridal party duties in DC. I expect to be down there a lot next year. Speaking of weddings, here are photos from one I attended recently in California. They've already been posted elsewhere if you know where to look, but here's to redundancy. Kyle, if you're reading this, thanks for the pics... you rock.  This is an unflattering photo of me, but so HILARIOUS. I'm doing the electric slide, see? Didn't matter that I was dancing in the wrong direction and surrounded by people I'd only just met. I still had me a good time. :D  Ryan and I arrived early to the ceremony. Notice the tie - we're matching on purpose. :) ( More wedding pics ) |
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| San Francisco, California | 2007.11.02 1:43am | |
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There is something to be said about the charming mix of modern architecture, victorian style residences, steep hills, and circus paint jobs that make San Francisco so unique. Though the city lifestyle and culture are more in tune with what I've grown used to, I felt more at home in the South Bay. Maybe home really is where the heart is.
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| Go Red Sox! | 2007.10.23 4:45pm |
 2007 ALCS Game 6 at Fenway Park. Photo courtesy of Kallianne. I'll be in the Silicon Valley during the World Series. Can anyone recommend a good sports bar in that area? |
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| Snack food | 2007.10.10 1:38am | ||||
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All hail the hotdog.  Chris says that "girls who can enjoy greasy, fattening hotdogs are cool chickas!". I just thought it made us sloppy American fatties, but ok...
Hotdogs enjoyed recently (photo'ed above): Spike's in Beantown, the Doghouse in Chicago, Top Dog's in Berkeley, California, and my favorite store-bought brand, Nathan's. I came home to two awesome surprises the other day, speaking of snacks. JT went to the farmers market to pick up fresh brussel sprouts, still attached to the stalk!  You cannot possibly imagine the utter glee I felt when I saw these, sitting on my kitchen counter. Some people leave grocery stores with staples like bread, milk, and eggs. I always manage to leave with a box of frozen brussel sprouts. I'm known to sit around on a lazy evening in front of the tv with a bowl of steamed brussel sprouts on my lap, glass of wine in one hand, remote in the other. God forbid there not be enough room in my freezer while there's a sale in the frozen vegetable aisle at Shaw's. Considering how much I love brussel sprouts, it's funny that (up until now) I never had the pleasure of eating them fresh off the stalk. And in the very same night, as if it were a competition for surprising Linh with her simple and unspeakable joys, I stepped into my room to find another gift left on my desk. Candy from Elaine while I was out. Just because.  I love you guys. |
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| My Other Half | 2007.09.18 2:05am |
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I am in awe of his loyalty, his eagerness to help, and his strength to guide those in pain. Whenever I see the way he identifies with someone's struggle, I fall a little bit more in love with him. |
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| Hospitality | 2007.09.14 3:33pm |
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Friend: She's back in town? And you let her stay at your place last night? The same inconsiderate, emotionally unstable girl who broke your laptop, left a dog for you to take care of for two months, didn't clean up after herself, behaved like a spoiled brat, and took your generosity for granted? Me: Her friend didn't call her back. It was late. So I offered. Was I supposed to leave her to sleep on the streets? Friend: After what she's put you through? No more favors. You're supposed to be mad! Me: Oh, right. Well, I'm not anymore. Friend: We need to work on this, dear. Some call it "being a pushover". But it's not when you act upon your own volition. |
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| Wanderlust | 2007.07.24 12:02am |
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A very close old friend wrote me an e-mail to say she was in low spirits and wished I was nearby to go out for chat. There was just too much going on to type in an message, and it was 'one of those stories you needed to hear over a drink', she said. So, I replied 5 minutes later with my flight itinerary. It was both impulsive and casual. I'm flying down to DC next weekend. With the recent promotion and work commitments, I don't have the freedom of taking long vacations until the end of the year. Somehow I manage to get out of town at least once a month anyway. While I can't say the same about my savings account, JetBlue surely loves me.  12 points away from a free roundtrip... yeaaa |
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| 2007 So Far | 2007.07.17 5:29pm |
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Memorable Quotes of 2007 So Far: (for personal record, and not entertainment.) A hostess: "Party of 10? Party of 10!... I don't see no party of 10. Mmm hm. Y'all best come back in here when you got 10." (Failed attempt getting ahead of the wait at Roscoe's in Pasadena.) Mom: "He probably eat too much kimchi. Not all Korean boys have tempers. Just make sure he don't like spicy food too much." (My mom, after the VA Tech shootings, about dating a Korean guy) TYA: "Linh, can you help me with Dreamweaver? My FTP collapsed in the tunnel because the pipes..." (I can't even remember it to repeat it. She's left since, but we still make fun of a certain grossly incompetent tech writer at work nicknamed "Ten Years Ago") Sheldon: "You coming out? C'mon Hilary!" (People tell me I look like the Asian version of Hilary Duff. I dunno man.) Guy at NYE party: "So, you're saying you invented Hipstomp's livejournal?" (I can't remember if it was Logan or Tony who helped me realize this important epiphany.) Morimoto: "You are so lucky. She is gorgeous!" (Who better to butter an ego than an Iron Chef?) My boyfriend: "Whaaattt? You've never had a chilito!?" (A discovery made trying to remember a girl's name. It sounded like "chalupa", but even more like "chilito".) Tam: "You need to move back to VA. Make him move here too. You're the girl, you get home turf!" (Arguing on the telephone with my hometown favorite.) My roommate: "Linh, procrastinating is like masturbation. It feels good for a while but then you realize you're just fucking yourself. So you might as well write your paper." (I took a writing course last semester for the fun and for the tax deduction.) Unnamed Person: "Check me out, ladies...and my ultra rare 1906 reverse buffalo nickel." (sorry, had to be there.)  |
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| Old friends (boston). Old habits (lj) | 2007.05.07 12:42pm |
 Destination: Midtown Manhattan. Obstacle: Friday rush hour. Birthday Boy: thoroughly trashed. Mission: Accomplished :) A 5-step guide to snacking in the city.  # 1: Walk around any corner and follow desired scent (provided you aren't hangin out near Penn Station, where everything smells like urine).  # 2: Observe. Deliberate. Decide.  # 3: Aquisition!  # 4: Locate nearest snack buddy (if available)  # 5: Make like a savage (tastes better that way) And get your mind out of the gutter. It's a 99 cent hotdog. Jesus. |
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| Footage for times you're too drunk to remember | 2007.01.17 1:12pm | ||
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