Sunday, January 30, 2011

I decided I want to talk about my church's cultural quirks and funnies.

So it's that time of year, the beginning of a fresh new semester, and both boys and girls alike go about their daily duties with bated breath.  The air heavy with the potential, the wonder - that question dripping with the same significance of a high school homecoming, "Who will ask me?"

You briefly regret not having signed up to be on the asking end.  But understand that no, this semester you're already too busy and you can go about doing the same things without the heavy commitment.  It's not like it's totally exclusive.. after all, there is one way to gain a ticket into glimpsing the going-ons of that society.

As time ticks by, in that week of decision, you shrug off the fact that Sweet Sue and Mild Mary were already asked twice - both by underclassmen - and you admit that yes, it's possible no one might ask you and yes that night of the banquet, while all your friends get primped up to go, you might be the perennial Cinderella, at home, cleaning up the curling irons and hanging up discarded cardigans.  The girls gone in your heels (that incidentally matched their modest knee-length skirts).

But then it happens!  A text?  A phone call?  An email?  A bout of small talk that takes a sudden, exhilarating turn?  And then hurray, the question. "Will you be my ET prayer partner?"  

***

Hahahaha.  I don't think this flowed quite like the way I wanted it to, but it was fun.  And it's semi true.  After all, twas Janet who aptly coined ET Banquet as EBCB's Winter Formal. LOL

(pleasepleasepleasenorebukespleasepleasepleaseidotakeprayerpartneringseriously ^.^)


My first ET Banquet:
I always get the awkward groups.
This group was especially holy, we even went to Taiwan together.
I think JChun's mad that I touched him.. oops.

Love House's first ET Banquet as 2nd semester freshmen
Janetshihlikestopee
cassandrasoolikestopoo
juniakimlikestoswim
sallykimisveryslim .. except now she's a yang.

Wednesday, January 12, 2011

things i don't like about myself

- innate sense of superiority
- inadvertent racism that randomly comes out
- wussiness

Monday, January 10, 2011

Top Chef // The Hunger Games

Wow, I am loving this Top Chef Season 8 with all my fav (and not so fav but interesting) chefs back.
They are all either fantastic top notch chefs or they are incredibly ... spicy.  Basically, bland chefs (Voltaggio brother that lost) need not apply.

Anyway, my normal commentary.
SAD about a few things so far.
Sad that Jen cracked and got eliminated so early.
Also sad about how Elia got kicked off first - she looked so beautiful now too.

ANYWAY though, Top Chef is like the Hunger Game Reruns.. when all the previous champions come back.  You get the overt strategies and then you catch a glimpse of the sneaky, underlying strategies.

You also see how so many people aged (some not so gracefully).

Marcel came back a lot more.. palatable (but still cocky and annoying.. just more quiet).
Jamie... wow, she was one of my favs, but she is just.. being .. awful lately.  She's kind of a baby.  Kind of a wimp.  Kind of pretentious.  Kind of sucky.  This ain't gonna do NOTHING for your PR.  She has no balls anymore. NONE.
Mike Isabella:  Annoying the first time around, but now that he's back, it's like that general congeniality you feel for that token annoying family uncle.  He's great.
GOTTA LOVE CARLA.  Nothing's changed.  She just got better.  LOVE HER.
Same for Tiffany.  She's just straight up. and awesome.
I NEVER KNEW YOU BEFORE TRE!  So yeah, Tre is my new top chef love.
speaking of which, my old one, Spike... he .. is one of those dudes that DIDN'T age gracefully.  I mean he's still... i don't know.  Just.. older.. still jaunty, still cool (from the previous season he was in).. but he's definitely just.. i don't know.  Lost his charm, kept his sneakiness.  But his guile is pretty.. standard/on the surface.  So it was sad that he got outmaneuvered by...

ANGELO.. who is HECKA SNEAKY. .. angelo will always be angelo.  a devil in chef's clothing.

I think Casey is good but not great.  she hurt Carla's dish before.. even if it was an accident. and i don't really care for her.




But seriously, Jamie why do you suck?  and Tre, why didn't you speak up when they knocked you for your overcooked fish.. when...... ANGELO "volunteered" to cook it for you?



last thought:  poor Stephen.  it was like watching an old dog trying to keep up with the yearlings.  It's just not meant to be, my friend, not meant to be.


But yeah, they definitely brought back the talented and the characters.  I wish we didn't have Antonia and had Sam instead.  (remember from Season 2?  he looks kinda like Jim from the office, but better and he can cook).


Oh and Fabio... is just annoying now.  He's not even that great of a chef i think.  They should've brought back the German dude... just so he could poke at Jamie some more.  hah.   and Dale's just the token little asian dude.. who gets a little too overheated.. ALL.. THE...TIME!


But yeah, i'm glad ANTHONY BOURDAIN is a semi-regular judge!!!

AND the challenges have all been really fun this time.  (Season 7 felt reallllly old...)


PS: I guess i should've watched Season 3.. to understand Casey's appeal.  and then I could've met Tre earlier.  he has the best laugh. and he's just so nice.  I really dislike sneaky conniving chefs..

looking back, (thru wiki), i guess my fav episodes were Season 5 and Season 2).  I guess kiiinda season 6 but season 6 was sort of waaay over the top .. in terms of they got chefs that were super technical the whole way thru.  it was sort of like yawn boring bam bam bam where they got all the drama from the brother rivalry (that sorta didn't exist).  AND season 5 was annoying because of the stupid leah and hosea thing and then hosea actually won. -_-

you know, a lot of the top chef winners (like season 7's) were not.. that.. great..

okay, i definitely get very involved in this show..

Friday, January 7, 2011

the things people spend their life doing...

I read this article on how boys and girls choirs have a distinct sound.  That the soloists' voices hit a certain frequency that resonate with the soul... I thought that was pretty cool.  What I don't think is cool is how everyone's still so obsessed with technology so that using this knowledge that there's this specific "shine" in boys and girls' voices, they can create synthetic choirs.  yighs.


when they were talking about the "shine" in voices, i automatically thought back to the concept of phusis.  I don't know too much about it (except that it's pronounced "physis"), but these two philosophy professors (from Hahvahd and Cal [go bears!]) did this study on finding meaning and how old greek classics and such, when they describe something particularly great or amazing but in our nature, it's this moment of "shining."  One guy also said the English language even adopted that concept in our phrase that someone can "really shine at" something or other.  You can find more info here if you wanna listen.... but... yeah.

Anyway, I like this.  Even though I'm not in school, I like learning new tidbits and stuff... I mean, it's basically the same thing.  Fed stuff in college; fed stuff now.  The most research I'd do is a quick google search.
Lame.
but keeps my mind active/making connections/dots/thinking....

perhaps it's pretentious.

but i'm in the Bay!  Where else can i embrace such wannabe academia?!!!!!!

Wednesday, January 5, 2011

Laughter as an escape

 ...At this point my wife is dying with laughter. She is hitting me, kicking me, hardly breathing, and just managing to make a sound that is as funny as it is captivating. And our little girl is just locked in with this grin. She is smiling at her Mom as she laughs hysterically. She has no clue what is so funny, but she is laughing....


....Laughter is such a good gift from God. When we are laughing we are carefree. We have momentarily escaped from the felt reality of this cursed world. We are transported to a place where we can honestly and heartedly…be happy. We do it without regard. We laugh out loud. We don’t care who hears us, we are laughing! What a blessed escape from life this is.....


....I’m praising God for the renewed realization of the gift of laughter. God is good to give us this gift in the midst of a broken world. These bursts of laughter are a reminder of a day and kingdom coming where happiness prevails. There will be laughter and singing there. There will be no more mourning or sadness. Laughter will not be an escape from that place but a trademark of it. ....


Erik Raymond of Ordinary Pastor (formerly Irish Calvinist)




Read the whole (not too long) article here  

Tuesday, January 4, 2011

rip off


today i went to Sprinkles, got enamoured by the environment.
ate a so-so cupcake, got mad at the fact that i am now less 10 bucks
and decided i’m gonna start baking my own cupcakes
>:O

Sunday, January 2, 2011

"So what exciting thing are you working on?



just had an imaginary conversation with the older, black man sitting next to me at starbucks.  

2011 .. resolutions/goals/bucket list?

in no particular order:  (11 for 2011!)
1)   be more punctual
2)   run 600 miles
3)   eat more vegetables
4)   save $$
5)   memorize verses regularly
6)   read a hefty book (like Edwards)
7)   blog regularly
8)   do a race (full length tri?)
9)   floss regularly
10) be a better sister
11) sleep by 11:30pm