Here for the Weekend

We interrupt the following broadcast to bring you breaking news: I stayed on campus on a Friday.

I know, I know, it only occurs once every blue moon, but I did. Given that I was here, I was not going to spend it in my dorm or the EE/CS building. Thankfully, my friend invited me to a music performance. I had initially mistaken it for the Lunar New Year performance, but it turned out be karaoke night sponsored by the Chinese Student Union. I'm pretty sure it's an Asian thing to like singing Karaoke. China is full of karaoke bars and karaoke is a Japanese word. So anyway, I freaked out a bit, thinking he forgot to mention this on purpose just to sign me up for the contest and see me sing. I do sing beautifully (cough, cough). My rendition of Boulevard of Broken Dreams by Green Day managed to be so loud that the sound of the running shower, the bathroom door, and the door to my dorm room could not drown it out. Instead, when I finished my voice lesson/shower, my roomate asked me if I liked Green Day. I was mortified.

Thankfully, I have a single room this year, so only I have to put up with my singing. I didn't have to sing on stage during Karaoke night either. There were however a hilarious rendition of 童话 (Fairytale) by 光良 (Michael Wong) by two guys. The performance of 今天請你嫁給我 (Please Marry Me Today) was brilliant as well. Sigh, I can't sing to save my life, but I can dance. On a side note, we learned how to dip the girl in ballroom class. I look like I am trying to lift a 50kg bag of flour......not good...... Plus, I nearly dropped a couple of girls......not good either......

Later, I went over to my friend's house to play some Xbox. I now have a blister on my left thumb to commemorate the night.

Saturday morning was hazy, as I was seriously sleep deprived. However, we made great progress with our senior design project. It's one small step for the servo and one giant leap for the UAV design team.

Hips Don't Lie

And I'm on tonight
You know my hips don't lie
And I'm starting to feel it's right
All the attraction, the tension
Don't you see baby, this is perfection

And when you walk up on the dance floor
Nobody cannot ignore the way you move your body
And everything so unexpected - the way you right and left it
So you can keep on shaking it

-Lyrics by Shakira.

Now, the reasons I bring this song up is because I've just suddenly realized how true it is. For my dance class, I've been taught to do the rumba. We're being taught the Latin hip motion.

Here's the class description of the Rumba: Sensual, languid and rhythmic - like oozing lava - too hot!

Ahhhhh, yes, the last time I looked lava hot was when I had a temperature of 102 and was perspiring profusely from the chills. Sensual? Only when I get fucked by my engineering exams.

So, there I was, trying to convince my brain to listen to the music, to send signals to my ass and protrude it in the right direction while trying to look hot. The dance instructor asked us to imagine doing a jeans commercial for CK. I think my pose was definitely getting hired by Metamusel (the medication prescribed for constipation). After that, we were suppose to do the box step while shaking our hips to look sexy. I managed to look like I was having a spasm, and not even a sexy one at that. Now, doesn't this give new meaning to those lyrics above? Yes, I'm gonna be in her new single: Kingdom Hips.

She's a smart, smart girl

C'mon, it's Miss Teen USA. Life is fair. What you get enhanced in one area, namely cleavage, another area has to diminish, also known as the brain. Plus, she still came in third, and can spend the rest of her life teaching in Iraq or South Africa. She'll be an exemplary addition to their education system.

Barnes and Noble Observations

One of my favorite stores, if you didn't already know, is Barnes and Noble. This summer, with no summer classes, my weekends are free from homework and exams. Thus, I get to spend my time however I please. And one of my favorite things to do is to go to Barnes and Noble, pick out a book (from a million that I see and go: "Oh, I wanna read that....someday =0), and grab a comfy chair and read and observe. When my mind starts to wander from the book, the only natural thing is to observe. Since the comfy chairs are often grouped together (at least the one at the Galleria Mall), it's easy to observe the other readers around me. I don't know why, but it fascinates me what other like to read. I feel you can discern something about a person based on the book he/she is reading. I feel one can pass a strong impression based on what a person is reading. For instance, there was a woman sitting to my left today. Her arms were laden with fashion magazines filled with glossy cover of voluptous women airbrushed so much that their faces look like marble; smooth and unblemished, though entirely unrealistic. These editors forget human skin is porous. From there, I took a closer look at the reader of these magazines. She looked like a woman in her mid to late thirties. Her hair was permed. She wore a collared Polo shirt by Ralph Lauren. Her pants were also brand name. Beside her chair, a ubiquitious Coach bag was bulging from its contents. I suppose it wouldn't be too far-fetched to surmise she's a woman who pays a particular attention to appearance. To my right, a young man, probably a high schooler, with dark gelled hair, was wearing a t-shirt and a pair of frayed jeans. He sat, with his feet curled up on the sofa, reading a book whose cover was a mutitude of colors. I was intrigued by the cover. The boy managed to stop his fidgeting long enough for me to make out the title: Zombies of the Marvel Universe. Certainly a very manly book. Finally, as I browsed the aisles, I passed by a mother eagerly questioning her son, a boy about ten:
"Are you sure that's the book you want?" asked the mother.
"Yes," replied the boy.
"Are you sure? There's a lot of other books here, about history, science." asked the mother persistently.
I swiped a look at the book he was carrying; it was a comic book.
"Did you open the book? And looked at the words?" asked his mother again.
The boy fixed his mother with an exasperated look and walked away, while his mother continued to pester after him. Alas, comic books will rot the mind according to parents, and this concerned parent was trying her hardest to get her son to read a real book. I doubt this little boy will call Barnes and Noble his favorite store.

P.S In case you were wondering, I was reading a book called "Waiting".

Quotidian

School's around the corner, and I've been thinking a lot about what I've done this summer. Here's what I came up with:

1) Work is good! Learned lots of about Perl. Doing lots of regular expressions. Wondering why postmatch isn't working! It would make life so much easier if it did.

2) Read three books this summer: Kite Runner, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, and Atonement (almost done!). Also reading The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay and Suite Francaise and The Picture of Dorian Gray. I have so many books that I own but haven't read, LOL. I should really stop buying 800 page novels that take me years to finish, aka Sherlock Holmes, War and Peace, The Three Musketeers, etc. I vow to read them all one day :0)

3) Bought two video games: Kingdom Hearts 2 and Top Spin. Spent countless hours bashing the x button

4) Saw movies: Transformers, Rush Hour 3, Knocked Up, Little Miss Sunshine, Man of the Year, Last King of Scotland, Hairspray, Becoming Jane, Georgia Rule, Harry Potter 5, Elizabethtown. I only really liked Hairspray, Transformers and Last King of Scotland. In utter disgust over Little Miss Sunshine and Knocked Up. Nonplussed about Georgia Rule, Harry Potter 5. Becoming Jane was a waste of time.....go watch P&P instead.

That'll for now folks.

The Fragility of Life

Life is as usual. Traffic is slow, tempers are short, people are all on their way home or to the Twins game. You survey the people around you. You see many drivers on their cellphones, using this to pass the time in this traffic. You can imagine their conversations. The girl next to you is on her cell is just calling her friends and discussing weekend plans in this stop and go traffic. The man in the rearview mirror is calling his wife, telling her he would be a tad late for dinner. Then, without warning, you're in a free fall like on a roller coaster, except this plunge is into the Mississippi. All your senses jerk awake from the lull of the traffic that you had just been in a second ago. Your mind is reeling, trying to grab onto any coherent thoughts within reach. You're torn inside. You want this free fall into abyss to end, yet you fear the feel of concrete ground.

This isn't a story, it's life on 35W at 6:05 pm, Wednesday, August 31st, 2007. I keep wanting to wake up, like it was all a dream as these images flash before my eyes. It feels chilling to know I've driven across the bridge before, to know my friends could have been on the bridge when it collapsed. Just because its a cliche doesn't mean it's not true. Life truly changes in a blink of an eye. Life is fragile.

Harry Potter and the Valley Fair of Profanity

I had been looking forward to a nice relaxing weekend after a sleep deprived week of work. I had been depriving myself of sleep because after getting home from work, and cooking, and eating, and washing up, it's almost always 8pm. There just doesn't seem to be enough time for myself. Thus, I tend to stay up, late, and get some me time.

When Friday finally came along, I was quite relieved. Finally a day I could sleep in. That is, until I realized I had to get up at 6:30 am on Saturday. Now, you may be confused as to why on Earth I had to get up so early during the weekend? Church service? I'm not that devoted, and plus God had the "Do not disturb" sign hanging upon the golden gates. No, it was something of more devotion: Harry Potter.

I won free tickets to a private screening of Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. Only, the movie was at 8:30 am. Doors opened at 8:00 am, and I was going with 3 other friends. Thus, it was another early rise to get to Southdale mall. What can I say? The draws of Harry Potter and the word "free" can be very persuasive.

The movie was quite well done, but somehow it felt lacking. Knowing that the fifth Harry Potter book was a massive 900 page novel, the movie had to cut out lots of storylines. I went into the movie with that in mind, and was ready to accept it. Even so, the magic of Harry Potter couldn't fully take me into the world of Hogwarts and under the mistletoe kisses. Movies I enjoy are those that transport me from the seat of the cinema. I become fully engrossed in the flashes of color and moving pictures, and forget that I'm sitting on popcorn and my shoe is sticking to the ground after stepping in a puddle of spilled pop. This time, there were lapses in the movie magic, and I was fully aware of the people around me, and especially of the person sitting in front of me. All throughout the movie, one line kept popping into my mind: "Blimey, that's one large head!" I do think the movie deserves a second viewing, and I'm glad my non-book reading friend was able to enjoy the movie.

After the movie, my friend and I drove back to Shakopee to spend the rest of the day at Valleyfair, the local amusement park. I had been to Valleyfair twice previously, both times accompanied by my lovely but conservative parents. Their conservatism meant I get to spend the day on the Merry-Go-Around and the Oldsmobile car ride that went at a whooping speed of 10 mph. The ferris wheel was considered the vanguard of adrenenlin rush. However, this time would be different. This time would be my chance to break out, to go wild, to be freeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee.

I took my chance of losing bladder control, and gave into peer pressure. I rode, I screamed, I conquered. I rode on 6 different roller coaster, whose pictures on the park map make them seem like an invitation to the deep plunge of Hell. Yes Hell, because even God doesn't allow stupid people into heaven who die on rollercoasters. He doesn't appreciate stupidity. Alas, we survived, although not unscathed. By not unscathed, I mean get wet. By the time we decided on water rides, the sun was already on its way home. Thus, if we got wet then, we would be freezing for the rest of the day. Yet, we decided to risk it. Our first of two water rides was on the Raging Rapids. We sat around in a tube while traversing down a raging rapid, thus aptly named so. Only this ride was not without its dangers. Cold, skin prickling waterfalls awaited for its next victims. As the tube went round and round, it was all in God's hands to see who gets drenched. Knowing this beforehand, I thought I would take off my shirt, so it wouldn't get wet. Just as I was peeling off my shirt to show off my biceps (cough, cough), the lifeguard screamed,
"You must be wearing a shirt on this ride!" Darn it! Just when I was about to impress the girl too......

The other water ride we got on was a log ride. It was like roller coaster, only the deep plunge was into listerine-esque water. I had the best of intentions to tell the girl to sit in the front, because the final crescendo of waves will pour over the person in the first seat and drench everyone behind her. I was truly thinking of her interests when I forgot that there was a long ride up to the plunge. As the log bobbled along, it dived hard after coming to a low point. Poor Yezi became the windscreen as a torrent of listerine blasted her in the face. Her only, and natural reply was shout "Son of a Bitch" at the top of her lungs. Even the lifeguard couldn't suppress a smile. It takes quite an effort to get a lady to lose her cool, but it will forever leave a momentous memory for everyone.

Weekend Shopping Adventures

So, for the past two weekends, my friends and I have been going shopping. It's the weekend, and the weather is nice and toasty. The mall provides free air-conditioning to cool down during summer. I have the best of intentions when I go shopping: to spend less money than my friends. I feel like I'm a pretty frugal person. I'm not particular about brand names or latest trends. I mean, c'mon, I'm sitting in front of the computer all day studying. Is my Perl programming going to be nicer to me if I came in wearing a Polo shirt instead of a Wal-mart brand shirt? None of the women at work are worthy dressing up either for because they are already taken.......and old(er).

Alas, I can resist anything except a good bargain. Last weekend, my friends and I went to shop at the Factory Outlet in Albertville. The goal of the trip was for one of my friends to pick out some presents for his trip back home to China. I was there to offer sound advice: Buy, buy, buy! What ended up happening was that I came home with a winter jacket from Nike and a hoodie from Guess. Guess! The one store whose fashion is usually everything I don't wear. Hmmmm.....maybe it's time for a wardrobe makeover.

Today, I needed an excuse to leave the house to pick out something for Father's day. I had really no idea what to get my dad. Mom's are usually easier. They are easily satisfied by shiny things, like diamonds and other jewellery. Men's accessories are far and few. The watch, the belt, and maybe an earring in one ear if you're phat. My friend got her dad the boxed set DVD of Planet Earth by the BBC. Her father and family are very antsy. They can't really stay still in their house. He spends his days sitting in the garage, reading National Geographic, and planning his next vacation. Anything travel related was a good gift idea. But my dad doesn't like to travel (that much).....and the books I buy him I end up reading myself anyway. He's got a watch, and a belt, and I doubt I can convince to get his ears pierced. Hmmmmmmm......conundrum.......

Well, I forgot one last accessory....the brief case. My dad isn't a travelling salesman, so that ruled 90% of the brief case population. I didn't want to get him a bag that made him seem like he'll be walking door to door, selling can-openers. No, it has to something casual, yet sophisticated. Something an engineer would carry. The Mall of America (MOA) provides is an abundant terrain for gift hunting. All I had to was to wade through the jungle and find my prey. I found my prey inside Wilson's Leather. A leather messenger bag. Casual sophistication.....ka-ching! So there's goes my paycheck. Sigh. I really should return the Kingdom Hearts II game I bought for myself. But its price seems so inconsequential to the bag I got for my dad. Naaaahhhh, I think I'll keep it =0)

So after two rounds of weekend shopping. It's me in the lead with a grand total of $200, Cheng with $120, and Yezi with $65. Yay! I'm winning!

The Fray

A life time can be highlighted with a lot of first. A child's first step. The first birthday present. A family's first Christmas in a new house. What these firsts have in common is that they tend to leave a strong first impression. Well, after twenty years, I attended my first ever concert. The Fray, an alternative rock band, came to play at the Target Center in Minneapolis. I hadn't really heard of The Fray before this concert, but when my friends were interested in going, I began to listen to their music. I was surprised to find that I was already familiar with some of their songs, especially their hit singles "How To Save a Life" and "Over My Head (Cable Car)". Thus, in preparation for the concert, I borrowed my dad's earphones and was listening non-stop to their music. I've got to say I really like alternative rock. From Keane to Switchfoot to The Fray, I'm attracted to their strong ballads along with original lyrics. I also fancy the piano being used in a rock band.

The concert was scheduled to start at 7:30pm. I left work around 5:00pm and congregated at my friend's house. We left for the concert around 6:30pm. Usually, it doesn't take an hour to get to Minneapolis, but we were cautious of traffic. Thankfully it wasn't too congested and we got there by 7:35pm. As with any other concert, being tardy isn't the end of the world since there are always warm up bands. However, because we were a bit late, we missed the name of the first warm up band. After performing for about an hour, the band bid adieu. We were anxiously expecting The Fray to take center stage only to be greeted by another warm up band. It turned out the second band was OK go. The band is most famous for their innovative music video on treadmills. If you haven't seen it, I urge you to check them out on youtube.

Finally, at 9:30pm, the lights dimmed. The video screen in the back streamed a singular green line. The air was heavy with eager anticipation, as everyone held their breathe. The green line started to stream faster. Then, a small pulse rose from the line. More peaks started rising, and everyone's heart began to beat in unison with the video pulse. Then, a singular resonant stroke of the piano reverberated throughout the entire stadium. The heavy silence was shattered by the piercing screams of all the crazy fan girls and myself.

The whole night was a wonderful experience. The lighting created a very effective mood. Sometimes solemn, other times pensive, the lighting provided wonderful visual stimuli. The music itself was incredible. There was no discernable differences between their live performance and their album, which was an incredible achievement. I was singing in public for the first time as I hummed along to their songs. Thankfully there were enough high school girls to drown out my voice. The band mixed the night with songs from their album and some new material. My favorite was their cover of Shakira's Hips Don't Lie, which The Fray sang in honor of the band's new bassist, who was celebrating his first tour with the band and his birthday. The concert came to a conclusion around 11:30. Even though we had just been sitting for 4 hours, our stomach announced that they were hungry. So, we made a small detour to Wendy's before heading home.

So, first impressions: The Fray is awesome, concerts have such an unique atmosphere, binoculars are useful when sitting in the rafters, and life is good with friends!

Anyone up for another concert this summer?

I Miss China!

I need a vacation from my vacation! Here are some highlights so far from my trip:

1) Constantly on the move. Spend time in Shanghai, Hangzhou, Xianyang, Xi An, and Wuhan.

2)Eating seafood banquets that cost $1000

3)Saved an old man from the evils of the Chinese toilet

4)Chinese drivers are AMAZING! Traffic rules are for beginners. You're free to go wherever you please....as long as you don't kill anyone.

5)Yelled at three French dudes who were trying cut in line at the Shanghai Train station. Who do they think they are? This is China and I'm boss. English swear words came in handy to these idiots who didn't understand Chinese curses.

6)Bought my own jade life saver

7)Ate 5 bowls of noodles in one sitting. The last time I went back, I ate 9 bowls in one sitting.....need to work harder.

8)Got my own Chinese seal engraved by the award-winning stamp seal engraver 程迟生 (Cheng Chi Sheng)

9)Bought the entire Harry Potter series in Chinese

10)Drank two shots of 五粮液

Let summer begin!

I've finished one final this morning, and I've got another tomorrow morning at 8 am. I can't believe how fast junior year has gone by. Next year I'll be a senior, looking for work......so I have one last summer to indulge in my childhood. I will make the most of it!


Get this and other HP countdowns at LeakyNews.com

My Daemon

Finals Week

Rock Star

I gently placed the shoulder strap over my head. The touch of cool hard plastic greeted my left hand as it ran up the instrument. My fingers settled in place, slightly curved and flexed, like an Olympic sprinter at the starting blocks. The muscles in my fingers were tense and on high alert, waiting for the first note to pounce. My right hand settled on the strings, waiting in unison. A trickle of sweat slid down the back of my neck. Then the music started. First it was a faint murmur that was barely noticeable. Then it grew louder, hooting like an incoming train, signaling its arrival. This was it. There was no turning back. The track started rolling. With each passing moment, my heart rose from its usual position until it settled somewhere near my adam's apple. Then the notes came, tiny and blurry at first. As it raced towards me, its color and position came into focus. I had to wait, wait until it came to me. Thud! My index finger hit the green note while my right hand twang the strings. Too early! I heard myself curse in silence. I had failed, but it wasn't the end. The next red note flowed towards the edge of the television screen. I pressed down hard with my middle finger while I struck the roll of white plastic. Yes! I hit the note. But it was no time for rejoicing. The stream of inexorable notes flowed with rapidity towards me, challenging me to nail every single element. My fingers danced with the training of a ballerina, balanced and poised, hitting each position with a strong punctuation. The song was in full flight, and my ears twitched as I tried to catch its beat. For five minutes, I felt like a rock star, pounding out the next grammy winning rock single. The crowd roared with appreciation, and I was showered with thunderous applause. My glittering leather jacket shone like a starry night under the spotlight. My curls gave a springy bounce as I bowed to the crowd after the finale. I had finished playing my first song on guitar hero.

Time to meet E.T

This would be so cool if it were true! I hope to see this happening in my lifetime!

Earth-Like Planet Discovered!

Harry Potter Trailer

Will someone please go to this movie with me?

The Newest Racket in Tennis

If you still can't hit the ball with this racket, then I suggest just use it and swing it at your opponent's head. That's one way to beat him.