Goodbye 2008, Hello 2009

Like the past few years, I ring in the new year by myself, no parties, no champagne, no countdown in Times Square (although I want to eventually). I do expect to be flooded with texts in about 8 minutes or so. Usually, I don't even bother waiting for 12am. But, this time I'm up at this hour because I've been reading Twilight, only to understand what the teenage hype is about, not because I'm in love with Edward Cullen.

I guess it's a perfect time to reflect on the year 2008. If there's one thing I realized this year, it's that time is passing too quickly. 2010 seemed so elusive when I was in high school, telling people I was in the class of 2010. Now, it's only 365 days + 8 minutes away. Oh dear, I am not ready for adulthood. Was 2008 a fruitful year? I would say yes. Made a few thousand working my first real job. Asian survived a 7 class semester. Spent nearly 8 months (and counting) with a special someone. Pulled off a trip to London with friends. *shrug* not particularly glamorous, but it was fun.

So, in the course of blogging, it has passed 12:00am. I'd like to wish everyone a happy new year. Cheers to 2009.

More pieces of the past

While cleaning up my closet, I found my handy London travel book, which not only includes maps of the city and other useful travel info, but also a few I guess you would call diary entries from the spring break trip. I must say those entries are quite interesting, which means no one can lay eyes on them because they're so poorly written. It's obvious that I wrote them at the spur of the moment. Whatever I was feeling, I wrote it down. So there's happiness, sadness, frustration, etc. My travel book turned into a diary about myself rather than about London. So much for trying to be an intellectual world traveler. Funny.

If you're looking for some new chill music, I'd like to suggest Big City Dreams by Nevershoutnever!. It kinda reminds me of Hey There Delilah.

Time Travel

Until someone invents a real time machine, music never fails to transport me to the past (not physically though). It's quite interesting how a song can trigger a wave of memories and emotions. It must be the built in memory in my cortex. Anywho, just a few examples:
- Fergie's Big Girls Don't Cry: the song of summer 2007, it followed me everywhere, to work in the lab, in the car, in the dorm, in stores, everywhere.
-The Fray's Over My Head/Nick Lachey's What's Left of Me: the songs of summer 2006, i heard each at least once each time i drove to and from my cashier job at the supermarket (yes, i was one of those, one of those American kids who work as cashiers in high school).
-John Mayer's Dreaming of Broken Heart: my go-to sad song, regardless of the occasion. So, whenever I hear this song, I remember the sad times. Or if I want to "record" a sad time, I'll take a listen. Depressing, yes.

That's it for now. There are a few others I may share later. Maybe.

Music from Gossip Girl

I think the producers are quite good at finding music for the show. Here's a song for Lily&Rufus and Dan&Serena, the couples that may never be together:

Ending the semester with a bang...not

-The past 12 days felt like the longest 12 days of my life. I never thought I'd get through 6 finals, but I did as always. Now, I can just kick back and watch the GPA take a beating as the grades come in. I always tell myself check after the holidays, but it never happens. Curiosity kills the cat.

-This semester passed way too quickly. Decisions that I have been procrastinating on finally need to be dealt with, such as what to do next summer and my Wharton concentration. Also, although I didn't die from 7 classes, I was close to insanity a few times. I don't want to do it again, but I really don't want to stay for the summer. We'll see.

-I'm starting a list of "lasts at Penn" already. Sad. To kick it off, next semester will be the last time I apply for housing at Penn for senior year. I think that's it for now.

-Wait, is it already the 18th? I need to go Christmas shopping. First thing on my list is Love Actually for myself, since I apparently broke it by watching it too many times. Then, must get a few things for friends and family. Oh and decorate my secret santa Munny. I'm not artistically talented. I'll post a picture of how it comes out.

TTFN. Christine is going home. =]

So close, yet so far away.

Lacking motivation on this Sunday morning. 2 more finals, come on Christine, you can do it.

But first, let me blog about something: 我知道我不善於用字言表達自己. 有時後很直接但沒惡意. 有時候會口是心非. 有時候講一件事但我講的方式會引起聽的人想成別的意思. 媽媽常講說我講話很白話. 聽到的人可能會被傷到. 下次, 先用大腦想一下在開口吧.

The Wall

It happens to me every finals season. I hit a wall midway through my finals and lack any motivation to study. All I can think about is the fun things I can do during winter break. But, it won't last for long as I do need to study for my finance exam tomorrow.

Procrastinating

Random observations of mine:

1. I think we're hitting the age/year when more people are thinking more about relationships, be it ai-mei-ing in attempts to start one or actually being in one. I attribute this to guys finally becoming more mature and man-ing up.
   
2. Currently, my most feared feeling/state of being is loneliness/being alone. I start thinking and panicking about my petty problems. I feel the constant need to have someone bring me back to Earth, to have them remind me that in the grand scope of things, I take some things too seriously, and there are more important issues than a letter on a transcript, such as physical and mental health. To quote my cheesy RA, "a grade is just one letter in the book of life."
3. Lastly, regretfully, I realize that I have nothing to remember this semester by besides the 7 classes I took. Wait, nevermind, there was you, too. =]
   

Fall '08 lineup

Wed - Marketing
Thurs - Japanese, Physiology
Fri- Finance
Mon - Bioethics
Wed- Accounting

Not really sure how the semester is over already, but counting down the days to freedom.

知足

I shall keep this in mind on this Black Friday eve. I typically don't spend ridiculous amounts like some people I know, but hopefully I won't burn unnecessary cash to work off all of this semester's stress.

This year, I'm thankful for: 1. good health for everyone, and 2. the people that I love and care about.

Currently playing: All I want for Christmas is Us - Tristan Prettyman & Jason Mraz

The dream team...

this is it?


Link

The Working Group Concept

I'm surprised to find that things I learned in MGMT100 still crop up in my daily experiences, especially with other group-oriented classes. I guess MGMT is a very practical concentration in terms of personal skills, but in terms of technical skills, I would say that I didn't learn any. But, the one concept that I haven't forgetten is that about the working group vs. team. Working groups suck because people are self-centered and work in their own interests, not considering others'. I think it's probably quite rare to be able to work in a real team. I hope they exist in the real world.

It's starting to feel a bit like Christmas.

How can I let school troubles get to me when there's 30 degree weather (maybe snow) + Thanksgiving break next week + Christmas lights on Locust Walk? I can't.

I'm interested to see what this Christmas has in store for me.

Currently playing: The Christmas Song - NSYNC

Good stuff

Contestant on Season 3's Million Star:

黃靖倫 - 缺席

我真的想和你在一起 卻在你未來缺席
在你的未來缺席 像是一齣劇本 未完待續

Good song, bad acting though

Hello? Anyone there?

More often than I'd like, I feel like people aren't listening to what I'm saying. And then, I get frustrated. Am I just bad at conveying my thoughts?

Wow, the bad news never ends huh?

I don't think I've read any bit of good news on the economy in the NYtimes since I read "Lehman Brothers falling into bankruptcy" weeks ago. If you've been keeping up, this week's homepage has been sprinkled with bad news after bad news: Retailers reporting double digit % drops in sales compared to last year (although Walmart has been doing well, but they're not even that cheap). Carmakers slashing forecasts. Unemployment rate at its highest in 14 years. I guess since the rest of the country is cutting back on spending, I should too. Oh, the vicious cycle. Banks are dying/cutting back on loans, people can't borrow money to spend, retail/services don't make money, people are laid off and spend even less, etcetcetc.

And, I wonder how Obama's going to fix this mess. I hope people tamper their hopes because I'm not too optimistic. There's only so much the government can do when the country is in a craphole this deep.

A little note to myself that today (Nov 4th)

we made history.

And, just so he's not forgotten, I shall acknowledge McCain. (This picture of him tearful just makes me sad.)

"Mr. McCain also fought the headwinds of a relentlessly hostile political environment, weighted down with the baggage left to him by President Bush and an economic collapse that took place in the middle of the of the general election campaign." Link

A product of Gen Y

I finally understand why people say Gen Y's are the ones who need instant feedback, those who are unable to tolerate the slightest delay. I'm one of those. After growing up with cellphones, instant messaging, text messaging, email, the internet, etc, today I can become impatient by the slightest delay, e.g. if someone doesn't reply to my texts, IMs, emails within the appropriate time frame. I should probably work on that, given that most of the population is still Gen X and older.

Absentee ballot, where art thou?

I have a feeling it was lost in the mail. Looks like I won't be voting in this election. Boo, I tried. Now I can't get free icecream or coffee on Nov 4th (just kidding, that's not the real reason for why I should vote).

Oh wells, New Jersey is not a battleground state. And apparently, it's not even part of "real" America.

I needed some change.

You know you're procrastinating when you're playing with colors on Blogger rather than working a a venture capitalist problem set.

Interesting article I read in the NYtimes:
More People Appear to Be Cheating on Their Spouses, Studies Find.

It appears that improved medicine has contributed to this trend with, for example, Viagra, hormone supplements, and even hip replacements. As people get older, they need that bone or joint replacement to restore mobility, and that's where we bioengineers come in. “They’ve got the physical health to express their sexuality into old age."

Not only medicine, but technology and the internet have also facilitated this change. Women are using cellphones, instant messaging, and email more often to be intimate. “I see a changing landscape in which the emphasis is less on the sex than it is on the openness and intimacy and the revelation of secrets." And technology promotes us to reveal secrets? Speaking more generally about myself, now that I think about, whenever I'm divulging a secret to someone, I almost always use instant messaging. I cannot stand the awkwardness of talking in person; there have been times when I wanted to dig a hole and hide when the conversation wasn't online.

Conclusion: I always thought (and still think) that people hated the idea of cheating, and yet it's becoming more prevalent. Stupid hypocrits.

警惕

我們是不是該知足
珍惜一切　就算沒有擁有

不要這麼容易就想放棄　就像我說的
追不到的夢想　換個夢不就得了

笑一個吧　功成名就不是目的
讓自己快樂快樂這才叫做意義


Excerpted from 稻香, written by Jay Chou.

0 for 3 thus far

It looks like it's going to be a tough year to find a job. Now, I'm really starting to wonder what the values are of my elitist Ivy League Wharton + Engineering degrees. And why I'm almost killing myself trying to finish these two degrees by May 2010.

Mental quandaries:
1. Which do I like better? Engineering or Wharton. I think it's pretty obvious that I'm not Wharton material, nor do I like the hardcore Engineering stuff. However, based on this semester's mix of classes (3 Wharton + 3 Engineering), I think I'm liking Engineering better. Not just the academics, but the environment. I just can't compete against aggressive cut-throat Whartonites. I definitely feel more comfortable in Towne Building than in Huntsman. All right, I think it's pretty clear that I should put more emphasis on the Engineering track. Yay, can't wait to take some BE electives finally after getting all the reqs out of the way.

2. Should I continue with 7 classes in the Spring? Well, based on my resolution to dilemma #1, I think I'll put my Wharton degree on the sideline and take 6 classes in the Spring. Perhaps 6.5 with one of those 0.5 MKTG classes.

Who knew rambling on a blog could solve problems?

Cute

And, when I'm older and my kids ask me,
"Mommy, who was your first love?"
I don't want to take out the old photo album.
I want to point across the room and say,
"He's right there."

More good stuff

Glass half full? Yea, right.

Just when I thought life wasn't all that bad (thank you Jason Mraz. You're awesome.), I'm quickly snapped back to reality. This is the lesson I've learned from being optimistic: It's too easy for everything to coming crashing down, and all it takes is one little thing. I'm probably being overly dramatic and sensitive. Something's going to have to change before I lose my mind. But, how?

Btw, good stuff.

It's just school.

I like to tell myself that I'm happy. But why is it that i've never felt this sad ever than at this moment? I think my mental health is slowly deteriorating with the stress I impose on myself. Hopefully I can piece myself back together once I get back to school.

Home sweet home

I feel like such a little kid at home, wearing my Hello Kitty PJs and sleeping in my Minnie Mouse decor bed. I don't think I'll ever grow out of these little childish indulgences. Mmm, this is home.

I don't think I've ever realized how much I do miss home until I'm actually back...

"Love is about compromise." - A girlfriend

I couldn't have said it better myself. Oh, girl talk.

Wow, people need to grow up. It's just laundry. Go +/- 2 floors to do your laundry. This is what happens when laundry is free. I use 3 laundry machines when I could've used 2. Deal with it.

Sorry for the long hiatus, I promise to write something more important when I find the time. When that happens...

Summer, where'd you go?

It's gotten a bit cooler. There are significantly less friends in Holmdel. Costco is starting to sell Halloween and Christmas items. *sigh* All this points to one thing: summer's over. Of course, I'm excited to go back to school and see friends, but I'm not looking forward to academic suicide this semester, or rather the next four semesters. In addition to a heavy courseload, it's again time to start thinking about and planning next summer, including attending company info sessions and career fairs, and all that other fun stuff that comes with recruiting. Maybe this year I'll be as lucky as last, getting a job offer in October. Then, I won't need to participate in the recruiting craze in February. At least my new and improved resume is about finished.

Oh I wish I could be like one of my friends. One who doesn't think much about the future, but rather lives for the moment. I wonder what life would be like if I went to RU. Penn people are just too overachieving.

Enough moping.

One goal I'm setting for this semester is to keep better in touch with hometown friends. I realized how much they mean to me, and really how easy it is to just hop onto a train to visit them.

Mr. DJ in the Linkin Park

My favorite Taiwan variety show. I'm gonna miss watching them everyday.

Best dancer of the group:

High quality

Drop the beat

I haven't had this much fun in a long while.

After being MIA for most of the summer from hometown crew hang outs, finally got a chance to chill with them this week. It's exhilarating to be so immature at times. A good escape from reality. This is probably why I always try to hang out with them at least once during school breaks. No image to care about, just being ridiculous and immature and laughing about it at the same time. It's a completely different atmosphere from hanging out with Penn friends. For example, they still use my high school nickname Wangy. It's almost like time traveling back to the high school days. I'm gonna miss it.

Daniel Henney, you're not a creep.

One of my favorite halfies. Can't wait to see him in X-men next May.

(Those hosts need to tone it down a bit. XD)

A Hurdler's Pain

It seems like there are mixed reactions (disappointment, anger, disbelief, etc) to Liu Xiang's injury (as seen in the NYTimes video). But, the one response that really bothered me was the gentleman who said Liu Xiang was faking it and that he was afraid to lose his prestigious status in the hearts of many if he got a silver or bronze. It's incomprehensible to me first why someone like him would fake an injury, knowing all Chinese eyes were on him. And secondly, why someone would think he was faking it. Jeez, give the guy a break.

Emotionless

I think to many, I appear pretty emotionless. Why do I act like this? because I hate letting my emotions take control of me, specifically ones that aren't very pleasant. So, I rarely reveal my emotions because I'm suppressing them, but I find other ways to release these unpleasant feelings. I'd rather not affect other people. For example, if I could right now, I would go run 6 miles to work this off. I wonder what my mom meant when she said I should be more selfish. Whatever, perhaps Epik High's One can calm me down.

*edit: Nevermind. I've found the best medicine - cheesy Taiwanese dramas - to dispel these crappy feelings. I still believe in fairytale endings. =]

Flashback - July 4th, 2001

This is who I was obsessed with back then. I remember practicing the dance with my buddies. Good times, good times. And no, the lead singer isn't a girl.

Because you're worth it.

Tomorrow's my last day of work at L'Oreal. I must say I'm filled with mixed feelings. A part of me wants to be done and get some sleep before school starts, while a part of me doesn't want to leave the homey, friendly environment in 159T. Waking up everyday at 7am and working for 9 hours have taken a toll on my energy level. I'm barely awake after 5pm. But, looking back, it really wasn't all that bad. Take out the busy, stressful days, it was like I was at science camp, studying hair.

And, everyone is quite friendly (or at least they try to act like it). Everyone says "hello, good morning" and "bye, good night". Also, for example, my two colleagues in the texture lab. One never speaks bad about other people and uses cute words to describe food, like "ooohhh tasty" or "bursting with flavor". Okay, those phrases don't sound cute, but the way she says them is cute. The other colleague is so easily amused, always laughing and chuckling at her desk. Then, there's my manager, always bursting with energy. I can hear him laughing next door. And, the chocolates on his desk are oh so delicious and full of sugar to keep us awake. What really makes me remember him is his complete support of me. He really was a confidence booster for me, which helped dispel my nervousness during rehearsals and before the actual presentation. He hasn't stopped talking about how I had the best presentation and blew everyone away. I believe him. And, there's the AVP. She has the best French accent ever. And, she's always smiling and laughing. People seem so happy at L'Oreal. Maybe they geniunely are, or they wouldn't have stayed for 7, 10, 13, or even more years. As a last but not least dedication, I'd like to mention my mentor. On a business level, she's probably one of the more hardworking people I met. So, she worked me just as hard, which is a good thing or I wouldn't have accomplished so much. Lots to write on the resume. :)

Thank you everyone, I had a good time. Time does fly when you're having fun. Too bad it took me so long to climb out of my shell and start getting to know people better. I will miss this place. Who knows what lies in the future, but maybe L'Oreal will be a part of mine.

Till we meet again.

Flashback - April 20th, 2006

So while looking for a ruler in my bedroom, I stumbled upon my senior year planner. Wow...flipping through it overflowed my brain with memories from senior year. For example, I have one page listing what APs the colleges I applied to accepted. Then, there were people's birthdays and Rain's RaiNY Day concert. Lol, you can tell when AP season hit when there were days empty from hw assignments, but filled with "STUDY!" Then, there was a page filled with frustrated scribbles. Once AP week was over, my planner empty of work, but filled with random doodles from my forensics class (non-AP, so we were still learning stuff in June). I guess Vanessa, Julie, and I were really bored, because we filled a page with "Love you, love me, love V" And, Vanessa seemed to hijacked my planner because there was a week covered with "Love V, Love V even more, Love V even even more" She also labeled prom day as "Love Day" Good times, good times. But what really made me want to blog about this was what was written on April 20th, 2006. It says, "does it mean I like him if I feel the need to stay up late just to talk to him? *confused*" Okay, it kinda looks like my handwriting, but it's mind boggling to me that I'd write that in something as public as my planner. Lol, strange. If I did write that, what was I thinking about back then? High school feels like ages ago.

Lucky - Jason Mraz featuring Colbie Caillat

Jason:
"Do you hear me,
I'm talking to you
Across the water across the deep blue ocean
Under the open sky, oh my, baby I'm trying

Colbie:
Boy I hear you in my dreams
I feel your whisper across the sea
I keep you with me in my heart
You make it easier when life gets hard"

Cuute :D

Jason Mraz in the 'Delphia October 16th!

As the internship draws to a close....

I realized just how long it takes for me to get comfortable around strangers and new people. I was basically MIA for 8 weeks of the internship in that I didn't really talk or interact with the other interns. I just wasn't interested in having awkward, dry conversations. But, this week, I had a bit less work to do. So, I started chatting with the other interns in my building. And, it wasn't as awkward as I had thought it'd be. We had a nice conversation about bands/singers that we listen to, and from that, I actually found some new good music. So, it basically took me 8 weeks to come out of my shell. Lol, I sound like a hermit crab. I'm actually feeling a bit sentimental that the internship is ending just as I was getting acclimated to it. And, it's a bit sad that I probably/may never see/talk to some of the interns after next week.

Actually, the saddest part is that I won't have 50% employee discount anymore. So, if you dear reader want anything from L'Oreal, I can send you a catalog. Time to sell my company: We sell a wide variety of brands - 29 to be exact. For guys, I especially recommend Armani's Acqua Di Gio eau de toilette. For girls, Lancome or Kiehl's seems to be quite sought after.

Peace out.

I'm a teen? Really?

I think I'm reaching the point when I feel like age no longer dictates how old someone, mentally at least. I may be only 19 physically, but I sure don't feel like so. When I was 17, I'm pretty sure I acted like a 17 year-old, a typical teenager with a driving permit. I didn't care or want to think about the future, such as what I wanted to study or do. So when it came time to apply to college, I more or less tried to prolong the decision. First, get into a decent college, then decide what to do. And I'm actually still procrastinating on that decision. I have one more semester to decide, but till then, eh whatever.

Back to the topic of discussion. I think if I asked anyone to take a guess at how old I was, they'd probably be off by 5 years at least due to the way I talk, what I talk about, or how I act. Sometimes, I mistaken myself to be older than my friends when I'm not. For example, I talk about putting my summer earnings into one of those accounts that I can't touch till I'm 59, so I'll have money then. Teenagers don't do that. 20 year olds don't do that. A friend of mine, 1 year my elder, told me to go on a shopping spree with the few thousand I made this summer. But, all I can think about is buying a new ipod, and then saving the rest. But who knows what the world is going to be like when I'm 59? Should I splurge now because of this uncertainty? No, that's not how I roll. Should I live for today instead of tomorrow? Probably, but I'll still save the money. Now, I just need to figure out how to properly invest that money. Stocks? bonds? mutual funds? Okay, I sound like I'm a 40+ year old man. Great. I should probably start acting like I'm 19, given that there's only one month and a few days before I turn 20.

低潮 - mood swing?

不知道為什麼突然覺得很低落, 很想哭的感覺. 這兩天, 心情也不是很好, 開心不起來. 不知道原因, 所以沒跟別人談. 心裡面好像有很多雜唸, 可是拼不出一個所以然. *嘆氣* 今天, 媽媽還說我臉色不是很好看. 因該是因為心情全寫在臉上吧. 我真希望可以快點脫離這個低潮, 不要影響到身邊關心我的人或工作. 唉喲, 我不要變成emo的人. 也許痛快的哭一場發洩一下, 我會覺得好過一點. 我真是個怪人. Or maybe, it's just a mood swing. *shrugs*

*edit: After chatting a bit with a friend, I realize that I've probably just caught another case of thinking too much. Mmhmm, I'm feeling better already.

開不了口

Sometimes I wish I had a life coach of some sort, who could give me third person objective advice. Parents and friends are often biased, which discourages me from telling them stuff. I think the more important part is if the stuff relates to the person. For example, if someone does something that bothers me, I won't tell them. One reason is to avoid conflict. Another is I don't like telling people what to do. So instead of talking it out, I just end up writing my thoughts in a word doc somewhere, hoping I'll feel better ranting out. Why does that make me sound like such a loner?

The Fortune Cookie Game (In Bed)

I couldn't help but chuckle at this one:

"Strike the iron while hot (in bed)."

人與人之間

Even though we're all homo sapiens sapiens, we're all quite different in that I find that I need a different method of interaction with almost every person I know. I feel like I'm learning everyday about how to interact with different types of people-confrontational vs. nonconfrontational, oblivious vs. sensitive, selfish vs. selfless, etc. Oh how boring life would be if we were all the same.

I'll be watching you

My iPod shuffled to The Police's Every Breath You Take, and I couldn't help but think of this video.

To all those finance/econ nerds:

愛情顧問

I think most people, if not everyone, has one of these, a person they turn to to discuss problems related to liking someone. And, strangely, more people than I thought actually come to me. Enough to make me think I should start charging by the hour for my services. Lol, just kidding. Hopefully, I've been able to give constructive advice with my "plethora" of knowledge about love. To quote multiple satisfied customers, "what would I do without you?" Cheers to being a good friend.

Bowl cut!

Random

Occasionally, when I'm insanely bored during my lunch hour, I'll walk to A&P, and usually I end up in the cards aisle. I think this habit of mine started when I used to work at a supermarket. I'd browse cards, birthday cards, miss you cards, friendship cards, etc during my break. What's so fascinating about them? Not sure. Perhaps, I'm just easily amused. I've run across some funny/touching/cute/corny ones. And, I wonder who are the authors behind them. Do they understand humans so well they know how to convey emotions in a few lines or so? *shrugs*

Yea, I have my idiosyncrasies, this one being thinking about things that are completely irrelevant to my life.

From Where You Are - Lifehouse

So far away from where you are
These miles have torn us worlds apart
And I miss you
Yeah, I miss you
So far away from where you are
Standing underneath the stars
And I wish you were here

I feel the beating of your heart
I see the shadows of your face
Just know that wherever you are
Yeah, I miss you
And I wish you were here

Midsummer (+ 2 weeks) Evaluation

I remember I had a summer agenda for summer 2007, posted sometime in May last year. It is as follows (No laughing allowed):
"Agenda for summer:
1. lose 10 pounds
2. watch the sunrise/sunset at the beach
3. learn to cook
4. shop less
5. have a sleepover with the crew
6. meet someone famous in Taiwan
7. dress up and enjoy more expensive dinners in the city
8. dance in the rain
9. learn to swim
10. see Rain at MSG
11. stop being lazy
12. run cross country
To be continued...."

Looking at it now, I don't think I completed any of those tasks except for meeting someone famous in Taiwan. This year, I didn't officially write up a to-do list, but in May, it was probably the following (in no particular order):
1. teach myself comp sci (didn't happen)
2. figure out some sort of major/concentration direction (sorta happened)
3. get toned, especially in the abdomen area (kinda sorta happened)
4. relax and spend time with people (happened)

I'd say this list is a bit less idealistic and more realistic than last years. Dancing in the rain? Watching the sunrise/sunset at the beach? Come on, what was I thinking?

This year, it's been a strange, fruitful, and tiring summer. Strange in that I still don't believe some things are happening. Fruitful in that I've learned more than I thought from my internship. Tiring in that I've spent lots of time traveling, be it to work or to the city. Nonetheless, I've been having fun. Perhaps school in 6 weeks or so will be a welcomed change. But, with school comes a rearrangement of priorities. We'll see.

Currently listening to: Good Riddance - Green Day

Why so serious?

If there’s one thing I learned from The Dark Knight, it’d be from Joker. “Why so serious?” Obviously, I’m not going to be like him, having fun and killing people in the meantime. But, sometimes (or most of the time), I need to take things less seriously. If I just take a step back and place everything on the grand scale, some things are quite trivial. And, like my mom always says, “船到橋頭自然直啦”.

When life throws things (e.g. cars) your way (literally)

It’s times like these where I truly believe that there’s such a thing called destiny that one cannot control or that there’s a higher being up there writing the story of our lives. It was destiny or written somewhere for our beloved car to be at that intersection at that time to be hit by that car. Here’s a brief summary. Lexus (my dad) is at a stop sign at a cross section with a two way stop. SUV across the street does not stop and runs through the stop sign. Mercedes, driving on the other road, hits SUV. SUV doesn’t hit the brakes and once hit, it tilts. And all the while, SUV is still moving forward as its tilting and driving on two wheels. SUV hits driver side of Lexus. Lexus is totaled. Dad is okay. Let’s pause the videotape.

Seriously, why don’t people stop at stop signs? And, more importantly, why don’t people stop when they see that they’re going to hit or be hit by another car? My dad was just minding his own business, and out flies a car, smashing our hood. Our car that we’ve had for more than a decade and spent more than $100,000 to buy and maintain is gone within milliseconds. It probably seems silly to most people, but I nearly cried just thinking about the loss of the car. Of course, that reaction was given that my dad was okay. Just a bruise and burns from the airbags. I’m extremely grateful for that.

Talk about being snapped back to reality. It’s so easy and quick for accidents to happen, especially on the road. I never liked driving.

I thought it was all a dream when I woke up this morning. But, it wasn’t.

This is probably how life is usually. Unexpected things happen. And, we change and move on. Life is good.

Random thoughts on the economics of love

Lessons in Love, by Way of Economics - Ben Stein

Credits: http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/13/business/13every.html?em&ex=1216267200&en=ff5eb790af565bed&ei=5087%0A

-"For most of us, diversification in love, at least beyond a very small number, is impossible, so it’s necessary to do a lot of research on the choice you make."

Lol, I guess portfolio diversification doesn't work when it comes to love. I suppose people do diversify when they casual date a couple people at a time. I follow the research idea. Hence, I can't like someone before I "do my research". However, I'm not sure whether or not my research always turns out correct.

-"Realistic expectations are everything. If you have unrealistic expectations, they will rarely be met. If you think that you can go from nowhere to having someone wonderful in love with you, you are probably wrong."

This is what's wrong with romantic comedies and dramas. They cause us to have unrealistic expectations of falling in love. But, I can't help but watch and believe them. Nothing wrong with being optimistic. I guess there's a difference between being optimistic and realistic.

-"When you have a winner, stick with your winner. Whether in love or in the stock market, winners are to be prized."

Why didn't Ben Stein tell me how do we know when we have a winner? I suppose that happens when you and your s/o fall in love. That's when you've found a winner. Someone once told me that s/he didn't like to start relationships because what if someone else better came along later. I think in that case, you would never find a winner since you're always waiting for him/her to appear.

After reading all this, I'm still not any closer to knowing what love is. What is love?

Dreams

I have had the strangest dreams lately. The plot lines aren't exactly strange, but certain aspects are. E.g. in my dream last night, there was a little boy, and I was wondering why he was so dark. Then, he just got darker as the dream progressed. And, my dreams usually aren't vivid, but lately, they have such that I actually remember bits and pieces of them. Weird. Maybe I'll start sleep talking and walking soon.

Weakness

I find that one of my greater weaknesses is my tendency to be easily persuaded. E.g. I walked into the hair salon yesterday, intending to just get my hair trimmed and spend $40. But, instead I walked out, $120 poorer with brown-red hair and doll bangs. I bet they love customers like me. Perhaps my hair stylist Ken is really good at giving suggestions. Or maybe I was charmed by his good looks and cute hair. Lol jk, I'm not that shallow.

男人不壞女人不愛

"I'm Chuck Bass."


Credits

Do I walk fast?

So today, I was showing this overweight guy where one of the hair labs is located. I'm walking my normal pace, and suddenly, he says, "*huffpuff* do I walk slow? or do you walk fast? I'm running trying to keep up with you." I smiled back awkwardly.

Dedication

Happy Birthday Mommy!

Thank you for always being there for me.

Love,
Christine

Update

I never thought I'd miss the Chou lab, but since working at L'Oreal, I have started to miss that place dearly. Although I had lots of questions, my PI and the grad students were always willing to help. People at work seem too tired to pay attention to you. Also, the atmosphere at the Chou lab was a lot more carefree and fun, while you always have to be careful of what you say at L'Oreal. I remember having random conversations with the grad students about partying and cockblocking. That conversation would probably never happen at work.

Is there really nothing to look forward to once you start working such that you're sighing 24/7? People at work sigh all the time. I now notice how annoying it is, since it brings people's spirits down. And, it makes you sound extremely frustrated. Also, people are always complaining about their age. 26 years old really ain't that bad. *shrugs* I'll probably feel their pain when I'm 26.

I had a good conversation today over lunch with a co-worker. She enlightened me with her experiences with finding and changing jobs, about corporate culture, and the like. I was considering concentrating in environmental science policy in Wharton (I'd like to help the world go green), but after talking with her (she double majored in environmental science and chemistry), she says there's really no job market for such a concentration. I'd likely end up working for the EPA and visiting factory plants to make sure they comply with regulations.

I also asked her a bunch of questions about L'Oreal, such as ease of changing departments within the company. People seem to switch departments often. And, it also takes 3+ years before you can work abroad. It's always been a goal of mine since high school to work in Asia, but for a U.S. corporation since there is better pay and benefits. But, now I'm thinking it's not very feasible unless I move there, become a local, and receive local wages. And, listening to stories about my aunts and uncles who work for firms in Taiwan, the corporate culture and lifestyle there doesn't sound very pleasant.

Catching my breath

The past four weeks have been fun, yet tiring - traveling to Penn for three of four weekends. I'm definitely willing to do it, but I've been getting somewhat worn out. So, it's nice to get a breather today in good ole' suburbia. I think I surprised everyone - friends and family- and mostly myself with how emotionally attached I could get with someone. I pondered over this for a bit last night. For some reason, I feel that the more I get attached, the more I should pull back. I guess it's a self-defense mechanism kicking in for fear of getting hurt. But, I've realized that I can't always live life on the defensive side. Sure, I should be a defensive driver, but other than that, life is so boring when you live cautiously. I'm not saying I'm going to live life on the edge and go crazy. But, just stop worrying and thinking too much. I think I'm already changing a bit. I'm calling this my "might as well" attitude toward life. E.g. if I ever get a chance to go skydiving, I might as well do it. Only got one life to live.

And, about that other thing balance. I'd say that the ideal that I talked about previously and strived for has been completely thrown off kilter. Everything - work, family, and friends - is second to Mr. Boyfriend. Thankfully, it's mutual. I'd say this is a symptom of it being summer right now. I've got a lot of time on my hands. About 85% of my time has been spent with him. Not saying it's a bad thing, just wondering what's going to happen when school starts.

Roy's Restaurant

I officially proclaim this restaurant my new favorite place in Philadelphia, followed by Amada. Although it was on the expensive side, the money was well spent. Good dinner, good company.

My new favorite dessert, Roy's chocolate souffle. Screw creme brulee.

Photo courtesy of www.roysrestaurant.com

Currently playing: Innocent - David Cook. "We are all innocent."

Balance

I remember writing an entry on my old blog about how my heart is split up in terms of family, friends, significant other, and work. The most fair way to divy up my time and energy is 25% each. But, I'm finding that it's becoming increasingly difficult to maintain such a balance. First, I tend to be a workaholic, so I dedicate more time to my job than necessary, also causing me to place unnecessary stress on myself. Next, I realize that I'm spending less and less time with my parents. It started during the spring semester when I just didn't want to pick up my mom's calls. I was busy studying (another instance of improper balance) and didn't want to get distracted. And, I may have caught a case of 有了男友忘了朋友. *sigh* I need to better manage my life. Why didn't MGMT 100 teach me how to manage myself before managing others?

Quotable Quote

“You know you're in love when you can't fall asleep because reality is finally better than your dreams.” - Dr. Seuss

A new phase of my life

I realized that since 2000, there has been a significant change in my life about every two years. Bumbly middle-schooler obsessed with F4 from 2000 to 01. 2002 I started high school as a nerdy asian tomboy. 2004 I still was nerdy, but much less a tomboy. I finally woke up and came out of my shell. I wouldn't say completely but I realized that there are people and things outside my own little bubble. 2006 is self-explanatory. And here I am in the year 2008, not only are there changes in my personal life, but also it's time to try figuring out a career path. And, looking forward, comes 2010. Here's to a new phase. Cheers.