Are You Gonna Go My Way?

Yesterday I attended a very lovely BBQ to celbrate A&Y's wedding. Their banquet is not until the end of this month but they did register on the 8th, and they wanted to get their friends together beforehand. There were chicken wings, chicken chops, chicken kidneys (believe me they were D-lish), pork ribs, pork chops, turkey sausages, steak, fish balls, corns, soup, fruit salad, cheese cakes, fruit tarts and strawberry shortcakes. The more I get together with Y, the more impressed I am with her cooking skills, well, also her ability to drink. She couldn't weight more than 120 lbs, but she can drink any guy under the table. She must have gotten some enzymes that the average Asian doesn't have.

During the planning of the BBQ, she said she'll get about 80 lbs of meat. There'll be 20 of us attending and she was really confident that each of us can eat around 4 lbs. 4 lbs of meat? That'll take me 2 days to finish. I got her 2 strawberry shortcakes and I thought I could stack one on top of the other to make it look like a wedding cake, but it wasn't stable enough so I scratched that idea.

Halfway through the day, we started a game of Mahjong again and all the sudden I got really tired and cold. From what I recognize, that's a sign of my fever. My throat has been aching since Friday and with the fever I got weary. One of our friends drove me home around 6pm. Measured my temparature and it was 100.6 Fahrenheit, took some Tylenol and went to bed. I didn't get up until 8am this morning, got dressed and went to the doctor's.

Since I didn't get an appointment early on, the nurse wouldn't let me see the doctor unless everybody with an appointment get to see the doctor first and I waited about 2 hours. That pissed me off. You can't schedule when you're sick, everybody else are just going there for physicals, that's not as urgent as a person with legitamite complaints. I shouldn't be punished just because I'm sick. All the while, I got a call from the office saying that I shouldn't count on having my vacation time reimbursed at the end of my employment, and that I should take all of them before the end of the month. The cheap bastards must be saving that money for their own severance. It would probably means that today would have been my last day, anyhow I should go in tomorrow with my external hard drive in and take some files I need. I probably need to tell them where everything is before I leave and configure stuff, so they can work after I leave. There are also reports due by the end of October that I haven't start yet, but that's not my concern anymore.

The doctor says I have strep throat, and I think I know how I got it. I can't even swallow my own spit without hurting like hell. I haven't eaten much for the past 18 hours at all. Didn't win the lottery again. (lol) Got some medication that doesn't do much, hopefully I'll feel better soon. Haven't heard anything from the jobs I applied for but at least now I won't have any excuse but to really look for a job.

Things are just not going my way, hope that will change soon.

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Chinatown Olympics Celebrations

Went out with the Gay Luck Club gang Friday night for a celebration the local Chinese community is throwing. I've to say it's great to feel the spotlight on our community. Everybody is really excited that China is hosting the event, somehow it makes us proud. I think a lot of us don't identify with the existing Chinese government but we identify and unite as a "people" nonetheless. It's hard to explain it but even though we are so different and far apart, there is no mistake that we are Chinese, we look the same and we experience the same tradition and culture. When a country has a history as deep as the Chinese, the existing political trend seems temporary and bearable.

The street fair is a little half-assed, I think they were trying to clean up or renovate the gate before the event but somehow something happened but did not finish on time so the scaffolding are still surrounding the gate. (pst, contractors...) There's a stage with a jumbotron on it for the opening ceremonies that we're all gonna be watching. Young kids are demonstrating karate and performing some cultural dances. The whole block is closed of where in different section there are vendors selling souvenir merchandises, a Tai Chi corner where older ladies are doing slow steps, a soccer net where kids are kicking balls around, rowing machines, gymnastic mats, ping pong tables, baseball corner, and some dragon/lion dance. There are people selling kabobs too, but that's kinda strange given it doesn't have anything to do with China and there are tons of Chinese pastry shops and restaurants just next to the sidewalks. (But they do add some sensory intrigues to the street fair, ooh the smell.)

OK. I have to confess about a dark side of me. There's something that provoke my violent side, I don't know what childhood trauma I have to invoke to explain this one but - people in plushies mascot outfits just turns my gear. Well, it doesn't make me angry and turn me to the hulk, but it's pretty much putting themselves in a trap suit and I just like to trip them over and start kicking. Whether it is Spongebob, Big Bird, Mickey Mouse or just putting a bucket over your head, it just provoke my urge to "jump" that person. Am I just terrible? Funny, coz' it doesn't work for people in regular Halloween costumes or Santa, just plushies with things covering their heads and heavy getups that ensure they won't be able to run far.

That brings me to my point of the current Olympic mascots, aren't they the most hideous ones in the history of Olympics or is it just me?


I mean seriously, WTF?

I thought it's so unnecessary to have all 5 of them, and are they kids, animals or what? And I thought it was the 5 Chinese elements (Metal, Wood, Water, Fire and Earth) but then it turns out to be Sea, Forest, Fire, Earth and Sky which makes no sense whatsoever and each of them represents a sport and an Olympic ring. Each of them is an animal other than the red one who is the Olympic torch, their names spell Beibei, Jingjing, Welwel, Comecomes, Youyou. (not really, but you get the point) Yuck! Over-designed and over-complicated.

After a great Chinese dinner, all 8 of us headed back into the flag-lined street and stepped right in front of the jumbotron waiting for the opening ceremony to came on. There is a deep comradery even the people filling the street are not completely Chinese. And then the show started, and the crowd was cheering. Being in a good mood with my Asian friends, I joke with them that they are going to shoot the people who didn't move at the exact same pace, that the 56 little girls carrying the Chinese flags from the different tribes in China are all orphans they found on the street who were abandoned because they were girls, and I mocked that you can hear the propaganda hammering your head when they played the Chinese national anthem, and that the controversy will come when they find the bodies of dozens of protesters in a warehouse somewhere two weeks after the Olympics, but deep down inside I was happy and excited just like everybody else. Half an hour into it we left because the signal was really shabby (damn evil Comcast) and I curse my forgetful self for not recording it on my DVD so I can watch it again and again. But all in all, I've had a good night.


Karate and the Crowd


Lion Dance (BTW, isn't the guy on the left a cutie?)


BeiBei Trying My Patience. (and yes, there's a person inside.)


Demonstrated Here - The Death of Yingying. (children cried.)


The Jumbotron and Its Sucky Digital Signals.

(Apparently the controversy already started with the death of the family of a coach, also they had technical difficulties with the American national anthem when Michael Phelps took the gold for the 400 meters individual medley. WTF China? Shape up!)

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Weekend Meme: 100 Top Movies Meme

Stolen from Erik from Erik Rubright: Gambrinous With Griffonage comes this week's Meme.

The rules are simple:

Using the Entertainment Weekly list of the top 100 movies from the last 25 years
- Bold the movie if you’ve seen it.
- Put asterisks next to the movies you’ve seen and really liked.
- If you saw a film and hated it, cross it out.

Here goes:

1. Pulp Fiction 1994**
2. The Lord of the Rings trilogy 2001-03**
3. Titanic 1997** - You have to love majestic blockbusters like this, it's what movies are for.
4. Blue Velvet 1986
5. Toy Story 1995
6. Saving Private Ryan 1998 - I guess war movies just don't do much for me.
7. Hannah and Her Sisters 1986
8. The Silence of the Lambs 1991**
9. Die Hard 1988
10. Moulin Rouge 2001
11. This Is Spinal Tap 1984
12. The Matrix 1999**
13. GoodFellas 1990
14. Crumb 1995
15. Edward Scissorhands 1990** Tim Burton is god and Johnny Depp is his favorite muse.
16. Boogie Nights 1997
17. Jerry Maguire 1996
18. Do the Right Thing 1989
19. Casino Royale 2006
20. The Lion King 1994
21. Schindler’s List 1993
22. Rushmore 1998 - I didn't get it.
23. Memento 2001** I love the way it was filmed, some people didn't have the patience but the ending is superb.
24. A Room With a View 1986
25. Shrek 2001** - 2 was ok and 3 kinda sucked.
26. Hoop Dreams 1994
27. Aliens 1986
28. Wings of Desire 1988
29. The Bourne Supremacy 2004
30. When Harry Met Sally… 1989
31. Brokeback Mountain 2005** - Heath is hot, good story, great scenery.
32. Fight Club 1999
33. The Breakfast Club 1985
34. Fargo 1996
35. The Incredibles 2004
36. Spiderman 2 2004
37. Pretty Woman 1990
38. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind 2004
39. The Sixth Sense 1999** - Great plot.
40. Speed 1994
41. Dazed and Confused 1993
42. Clueless 1995
43. Gladiator 2000
44. The Player 1992
45. Rain Man 1988
46. Children of Men 2006
47. Men in Black 1997
48. Scarface 1983
49. Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon 2000** - put HK cinema on the map.
50. The Piano 1993
51. There Will Be Blood 2007
52. The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad 1988
53. The Truman Show 1998
54. Fatal Attraction 1987
55. Risky Business 1983
56. The Lives of Others 2006
57. There’s Something About Mary 1998
58. Ghostbusters 1984
59. L.A. Confidential 1997
60. Scream 1996
61. Beverly Hills Cop 1984
62. Sex, Lies and Videotape 1989
63. Big 1988** They have a rerun every year in HK, it's full of nostalgia.
64. No Country For Old Men 2007
65. Dirty Dancing 1987
66. Natural Born Killers 1994
67. Donnie Brasco 1997
68. Witness 1985
69. All About My Mother 1999
70. Broadcast News 1987
71. Unforgiven 1992
72. Thelma & Louise 1991
73. Office Space 1999
74. Drugstore Cowboy 1989
75. Out of Africa 1985
76. The Departed 2006
77. Sid and Nancy 1986
78. Terminator 2: Judgment Day 1991
79. Waiting for Guffman 1996
80. Michael Clayton 2007
81. Moonstruck 1987
82. Lost in Translation 2003
83. Evil Dead 2: Dead by Dawn 1987
84. Sideways 2004
85. The 40 Year-Old Virgin 2005
86. Y Tu Mamá También 2002
87. Swingers 1996
88. Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery 1997** The cheese factor was awesome!
89. Breaking the Waves 1996
90. Napoleon Dynamite 2004 - I tried to like it.
91. Back to the Future 1985
92. Menace II Society 1993
93. Ed Wood 1994
94. Full Metal Jacket 1987
95. In the Mood for Love 2001** I love Maggie Cheung and Director Wong Kar Wai.
96. Far From Heaven 2002
97. Glory 1989
98. The Talented Mr. Ripley 1999
99. The Blair Witch Project 1999 - I guess it got built up so much that I was slightly disappointed.
100. South Park: Bigger Longer & Uncut 1999

Of course this is a general list and if I have to compile my own, I would have added stuff like Seven, Interview With a Vampire, Beautiful Thing, Shelter, but I'm surprised that American Beauty and Harry Potter weren't in it, there's also seemed to be a lacking of superhero movies but I had fun doing this Meme.

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Just Like Me

Following my Doppelganger post I did 2 years ago, I finally got in touch with Lewis on some gay dating site. I sent out a friendly message saying that I've seen him around the Gay and Lesbian film festival and I always wanted to say hi, and that I thought we looked very much alike. He replied back a few days later saying that he has seen me out there a few times as well and that he too thinks that we look a bit a like. So I shoot one back saying that I would say hi if I see him out there.

I also met another person on a chat site who's born on the exactly same year, same day and down to the same hour as I am. (Even though we were born in two different time zones.) I was very intrigued, it's not usual that you find someone who was born at the same date and time as you, unless you're one of a set of twins. There are so many beliefs that says you have the same luck and same behavior and if not for anything else, you had the same amount of time to grow.

From what I gathered, he's gay, white, a musician/hotel concierge, a bit chubby and hairy, from PA and lives in Philly now. What's the odd of that? Since I like music that much, I could have been a musician, I couldn't have been white or from PA, but our lives are surprisingly similar. I've tried to invite the guy for dinner so we could chat in deeper length, but his hotel job doesn't allow him to go out late, so we'll have to wait until he has some time off. It'll be nice to have someone who was born exactly the same day as me as a friend.

On the superstitious end, today is 08/08/2008 and us Chinese love the number 8 because it sounds like the Chinese word for prosperity. It is part of the reason why the opening of the Olympics is starting on 08/08/2008 8:08pm. Also, I suspect a lot of Asians will storm the city halls to get married. Like a pair of my rare straight Mahjong friends are going to register this early morning. The three 8s don't happen that much, I wonder if they should have lined up the night before. Well, congrats to A&Y!

Have fun watching the Olympics.

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Kidnapped

The past 24 hours, I was dragged out by my friends yet again to play Mahjong. For the past 48 hours, I think I played about 24 hours of it. I'm exhausted. For some reason, my friends can't get enough of it. They persuaded me to take the day off work, stay over at their place and allowed me 6 hours of sleep so we can play mahjong again bright and early in the morning. I wasn't gonna go, expecting that I'll buy CuteCub dinner at the Brazilian steakhouse for his birthday, but then maybe he's avoiding me but he blew me off. Oh well.

I feel so yucky, I took a shower but had to resort using my finger as a toothbrush. I didn't get to check anything online. I'm gonna go to bed now. I'll check with you guys later.

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Silly Presidents

I was surprised to see on Joe.My.God that Paris Hilton had an official viral video response to McCain comparing to Obama to her. It was pretty well produced and I like the writer she hired to write her speech. It made her likable even though I still cringe whenever I saw her face.



In other news, Bush is touring the country for the devastation his presidency has caused according to the Onion.

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What I Want

(Other than eating this and not getting fat...)

ES called Friday night at 1 am and proceed to talk my ears off for the following 90 minutes. I'm really not complaining, in fact I'm glad that she feels comfortable enough to do that although sometimes I wonder if she'd been drinking... lol. It's nice to catch up with her and she's a great gal pal.

Losing my job, low financial security, boyfriendless, and a small social circle have rendered me to be lost in life. I think ES sensed my lost of direction and asked me what I want in life and I had to think really hard to come up with anything at all, so she laughed. It's a good thing that you're still in your early 30s, you'd still have time to think, if you're in your 40s and still don't know what you want then it'd be too late.It is a valid point and I have to dig deep.

In life, she wanted kids and a family, to be able to work in the HIV/AIDS field and that's exactly what she did. Me, I want to meet a good guy to settle down with, I want a house and adopt before 40 or at least get a puppy. (Sorry if you find me lumping babies and dogs together offensive, but you know what I mean.) I just turned 33 that means I have about 3 years to find a mate and have 4 years of alone time with that guy to build a solid relationship before getting married (Unnecessary but it'd be nice) and get a kid. If my partner have the heart and we have the space and money, and even as unrealistic as it sounds I can seeing myself adopting a whole bunch of kids throughout my life.

Career-wise is a toughie. Another friend asked me what my passion is and I have no idea. I enjoy video games, music, movies, cooking but I think my upbringing do not allow me to see that these things are in anyway practical and those are not things that would yield a decent income unless you have connections and real talent which I would have to say I lack. Sometimes I would wish that I actually have studied culinary during my undergraduate years since I was studying at in a college famous for that program. Although those jobs are all high stress jobs and I can be quite nasty when I'm stressed.

Thinking back to the reason I chose IT was partly because I had a great time working at A.C. Nielsen, a survey research company. I like to get to know what people like and the reason behind it, and since I like math and statistics and now that I know how to deal with data it might just be the field I want to explore. If, with luck, I get a job at UPenn, I'd be able to take class in survey research, SAS (since most statistics job require experience in that program, even my friends swear that it's as easy as Excel.), and perhaps marketing. Maybe it'll allow me to acquire an MBA. That wouldn't be too bad, right?

I think I'd like market research. Took me some time but I'm glad I've figure it out. Although I'd be interested to learn about music production and all that but it'd be a bit unrealistic and unstable, that could wait until later in life as a hobby, no? And I'm still enthralled with my idea of opening up a non-profit restaurant but that's a bit too far fetched as well. I'll just have to see where life takes me.

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Games

This was an unexpected busy weekend. I got pulled for this mahjong game after work Friday night and played until midnight. I almost enjoy mahjong even though it's a little bit high stakes. The most wonderful thing about that night is that the engaged couple who played with us made us a home cooked meal. I can't tell you when the last time it was that someone have cooked for me, especially a Chinese home cooked dinner. The last person who did that for me is possibly my grandma 7 years ago. Of course, I was very touched by it. It's a complete meal with 3 dishes and a soup; Stir fried hollow vegetables (one plate spicy and the other one not), steamed pork with pickled vegetables, steamed fish with ginger, scallions and soy sauce, and chicken ginseng soup with abalone. While the humble host said that it's just a simple quick dinner because we're playing mahjong so there's no time to do anything more extravagant. Are you kidding me? What were you gonna do otherwise, a full banquet? I was floored already. Afterward, ES called and we talked for 90 minutes and I didn't go to bad until around 2:30am.


Newspaper tablecloth for easy clean up. Now that's what I called authentic.

Saturday, I went out to get a pool party outfit. Shopping is such a nice work out, lol. I was aiming to get my mid-life crisis/middle age Hawaiian shirt and a pair of bright red hibiscus print shorts but after 2 hours of store browsing I settled for a nautical themed t-shirt with a pair of brown bold banana leaf graphic shorts that I swear I will not wear it anytime else but summer and not anywhere else but around water. Afterwards I went to a guy's place who I met on Craigslist's Strictly Platonic section. Like me, he was looking for new friends to hang out with, and he especially mentioned scrabble. He's a pretty good looking guy and I can see that's he's of German decent. Although child, let me tell you I whooped that boy's ass twice on scrabble. I almost feel bad for being that competitive, but his scrabble skills are really questionable. His average score is around 220 and mine was 350, I felt so bad.

At night, I went out with Mr. CuteCub for a drink. I have to say that he is one of the (not handsomest or sexiest, although he is handsome and sexy too but he's) cutest persons I have seen for a long while. Complete with dimples and squinty eyes and a nice hairy body, he looks like one of those Japanese G-men character. He is also very intelligent, kind and he has a great sense of humor. I swear if he isn't hitched already, I might actively pursue him. Lucius texted me after I was out and ask if I want to go out for a drink, so I pointed him over to where we are. Lucius and CuteCub are both outgoing type, so they chatted for a long while until Lucius left after two big jugs of beer. I would have loved to be with Lucius one on one, but he still pulls at my heartstrings. Thankfully CuteCub was there to soften the blows. He told me that Lucius was looking at me affectionately at times and that he must like me a lot, but I told him that I have been openly pursuing Lucius a few times but either got rejected or ignored so if he does have feelings for me, he would have told me already. CuteCub also explained that the reason he himself didn't want to get too close to me before was because he was afraid that he'll fall hard for me and that he loves his boyfriend a lot and didn't want to jeopardize that relationship but that he likes me a lot. I really appreciated his honesty and his effort to explain himself, the last thing I need is another "What's wrong with me?" session. I remember bumping into his boyfriend once at an Asian event and he was really good looking, so I can't blame him.

So after the bar closed, we headed back to his place because he wanted to show me his Wii. It's a harder control then I'm used to, you really have to pay attention and be alert the whole time, which is really tiring after lack of sleep and a few drinks. We didn't go to bed until 3:30am and woke up around 8, fall back to sleep and wake up every half hour until 11. Went to a steak house of bison burgers, walked around and dove into a few thrift stores looking for books, CDs and T-shirts. CuteCub seems to be a really great guy and really, really cute, I always have a really great time when I'm with him. Went home to do laundry, cleaned up a little and it's time for the dress rehearsal for the pool party. I would have paid the Gay Luck Club $50 if I could have taken a 2-hour nap before joining them.

The dress rehearsal of the pool party turned into a meeting, nobody went down to swim and I, sticking to my original plan, just manned the grill. I don't know if we as a group are getting older or some of us have just worked in the corporate world for too long, but I used to remember when there was a time when planning for a party was easy. Teenagers do it, hi-schoolers and college students plan parties all the time too, I mean how complicated could it be? But it seems that everything is dragged out of proportions and we have to vote on every issue. We are on our 20th hour of the process and it just seemed too bureaucratic, while the fun factor is slowly disappearing. At least some of us got a good laugh at it afterwards and a few even said there are other things happening on that weekend and might consider switching gears.

Checked out a new bear event later on and there were like 10 people in there including me and BL. We were joking that the Asians are very well represented at this bar. I discovered that I can drink lite beers (they're like water and I can probably chuck 6 of these down and pretend to be a big drinker), we chatted with a person that organized the Gay Film Festival, gave him my WTFs for Otto and in exchange I got more information on Girls Will be Girls materials. I got home after midnight.

It has been an unusually busy weekend, which is nice, I would have loved to add a good night sleep somewhere in between and maybe a long job search session. But right now, I'm in desperate need of a huge ice cold glass of orange juice.

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Stuff That This Asian Do Not Like

Just ranting here but I'm starting to be slightly offended by a site on my blogroll called Stuff Asian People Like. It's all fun and good when you were using stereotypes to poke fun at Asian Americans, some of the things they mentioned do have some nostalgic values. Yes, my uncle did use a plastic cover for our leather couch and it's extremely uncomfortable in summer when we're all sweating while siiting on it. Yes, when Asian folks go on vacation, we don't necessarily go to have a great time, we go so that we can take tons of pictures, so we can brag to our family and friends and SAY that we had a great time. But after a certain point it because slightly offensive. Topics like Child Labor and Arranged Marriage can't really claim to be what Asian people like. If given a choice, I doubt that people actually would like that, it's like saying Asian people like the bird flu; just because it happens in Asia doesn't mean that we like it. The T-shirt they sell, featuring one person with a rice paddy hat is kinda bad as well. Maybe they are running out of ideas, or maybe they are testing a new writer out, but I'm getting a little irked. I even find Topic like Magosteen is a bit obscure and only reflect the opinion of a very small percentage of Asians. I guess it is hard to find a common thread to reflect the views of all Asians, and they have found almost 100 things so kudos. I just hope their next topic won't be things like Communism, the Black Organ Markets, Pollution and the Triads. If any of those things come out, I'll have to delete them from my blogroll.

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TV Preview: The Cho Show

This is a preview of the Cho Show coming to VH1 on August 21st. Um.... Wow! I'm so gonna stay at home when it airs. It sounds a little bit like My Life on the D-List and not that I don't love Kathy Griffin but I love Margaret and her family much more. She's just brilliant and I wish her nothing but the best. Spread the word!

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Weekend Meme: Meme 90

Took this from Kyle at Strange Relationship is this week's Meme. Bold the ones that you've done before and leave the rest alone. As always, I'm not gonna tag anyone, but you're more than welcomed to play.

1. Bought everyone in the pub/bar a drink
2. Climbed a mountain
3. Held a tarantula
4. Taken a morning shower with your man
5. Been in love
6. Broken someone’s heart
7. Had your heart broken
8. Done a striptease
9. Bungee jumped
10. Watched a lightning storm at sea
11. Stayed up all night long, and watched the sun rise
12. Seen the Northern Lights
13. Gone to a huge sports game
14. Grown and eaten your own vegetables
15. Slept under the stars
16. Changed a baby’s diaper
17. Taken a trip in a hot air balloon
18. Watched a meteor shower
19. Gotten drunk on champagne
20. Given money to charity
21. Looked up at the night sky through a telescope
22. Had an uncontrollable giggling fit at the worst possible moment
23. Had a food fight
24. Bet on a winning horse
25. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill
26. Had a snowball fight
27. Photocopied your butt or any other intimate body part
28. Held a lamb
29. Gone skinny dipping
30. Taken an ice cold shower
31. Seen a total eclipse
32. Ridden a roller coaster
33. Hit a home run
34. Been arrested
35. Visited all 50 states
36. Taken care of someone who was drunk
37. Stolen a street/highway sign
38. Backpacked in Europe - I was a student in Paris, but I don't think that counts.
39. Taken a road-trip
40. Taken a midnight walk on the beach
41. Gone sky diving
42. Milked a cow
43. Alphabetized your records
44. Sung karaoke
45. Lounged around in bed all day
46. Gone scuba diving
47. Danced in the rain
48. Gone to a drive-in theater
49. Started a business
50. Gotten married
51. Been in a movie
52. Crashed a party
53. Gotten divorced
54. Had sex in an unusual place
55. Made cookies from scratch
56. Gotten a tattoo
57. Been on television
58. Had sex in a public place - What about in a car, does that count as public?
59. Got so drunk you don’t remember anything
60. Recorded music
61. Had too much to drink at a party
62. Bought a house
63. Shaved or waxed your pubic hair off
64. Been on a cruise ship
65. Spoken more than one language fluently
66. Bounced a check
67. Called or written your Congress person
68. Picked up and moved to another city to just start over
69. Sang loudly by yourself in the car
70. Wrote articles for a large publication
71. Piloted an airplane
72. Helped an animal give birth
73. Been fired or laid off from a job - Not yet, but I would have by the end of the month.
74. Won money on a T.V. game show
75. Broken a bone
76. Ridden a motorcycle
77. Had a body part of yours below the neck pierced
78. Fired a rifle, shotgun, or pistol
79. Ridden a horse
80. Had major surgery
81. Had sex on a moving train
82. Slept through an entire flight: takeoff, flight, and landing
83. Visited more foreign countries than U.S. states
84. Visited all 7 continents
85. Eaten sushi
86. Had your picture in the newspaper
87. Parasailed
88. Changed your name
89. Dyed your hair
90. Been a DJ

Only 37/90..., I'm so xeroxing my butt now.

Have a great weekend everyone!

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Music Invasion: Sophie Ellis-Bextor's "Murder on the Dancefloor"

I'm setting up a playlist on my iPod for an upcoming pool party that the Gay Luck Club is hosting, so I'm going through some songs and come across this gem.(Is that why I'm having a Dance fit, recently?) Sophie Ellis-Bextor's Murder on the Dancefloor circa 2001. The video is really not that great, I especially hate the announcer speaking and interrupting the song, but it's kinda funny.



Murder...
It's murder on the dancefloor
But you better not kill the groove
DJ, gonna burn this goddamn house right down

Oh, I know I know I know I know I know I know
About your kind
And so and so and so and so and so and so
I'll have to play

If you think you're getting away
I will prove you wrong
I'll take you all the way
Boy, just come along
Hear me when I say
Hey

It's murder on the dancefloor
But you better not kill the groove
Hey hey hey hey
It's murder on the dancefloor
But you better not steal the moves
DJ, gonna burn this goddamn house right down

Oh I know I know I know I know I know I know
There may be others
And so and so and so and so and so and so
You'll just have to pray

If you think your getting away
I will prove you wrong
I'll take you all the way
Stay another song
I'll blow you all away
Hey

It's murder on the dancefloor
But you better not kill the groove
It's murder on the dancefloor
But you better not steal the moves
DJ, gonna turn this house around somehow

Murder on the dancefloor
But you better not kill the groove
Hey hey hey hey
Murder on the dancefloor
But you better not steal the moves
DJ, gonna burn this goddamn house right down

Don't think you'll get away
I will prove you wrong
I'll take you all the way
Boy, just come along
Hear me when i say
Hey

It's murder on the dancefloor
But you better not kill the groove
It's murder on the dancefloor
But you better not steal the moves
DJ, gonna burn this goddamn house right down

It's murder on the dancefloor
But you better not kill the groove
Hey hey hey hey
It's murder on the dancefloor
but you'd better not steal the moves
DJ, gonna burn this goddamn house right down

It's murder on the dancefloor
But you'd better not kill the groove

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Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog

Atari_Age over at Ready, Reset, Go posted a musical clip called Dr. Horrible's Sign-Along Blog. It's directed by Joss Whedon staring the most prominent gay actor in Hollywood - Neil Patrick Harris. I have to say I'm starting to find him very adorable, especially after knowing that he has a good sense of humor.

In the clip he plays the anti-superhero - Dr. Horrible, he can sing really well. There's a cute storyline to it but the whole show is about 45 minutes long and divided into 3 parts. If you find the time to watch it, I sincerely recommend it. It's just pretty cute and it's nice if you want to kill some time. Maybe they can turn it into a play or something, it'd be kinda nice. And for a new Sing-along, I demand lyrics!



By the by, the folks at Girls Will Be Girls put my blog on their blogroll to thank me for mentioning their short clips. That's kinda cool, no?

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What Are You Waiting For?

Yesterday went by quite fast and I don't really have much to say so I thought I'd skip it, sorry. Actually, that's not entirely true. A subject came up in 2 podcasts and a lunch with a colleague and I thought I would write something about that, but it could be a bit offensive and I thought it wasn't such a great idea, so I scratched that. It's about lesbianism and obesity, maybe I'll leave it for some other day.

Work has been unusually busy lately, maybe because I know I'm leaving soon and I want to get as much done before I leave as possible. And maybe because my boss knows I'm leaving soon, so he's thinking the same way. I've also networked quite a bit lately, telling friends my situation and some offered to take my resume and give it to someone else they know or in the company they are working at. So far my resume is in two major pharmaceuticals, a start up IT firm and I have a friend who works at UPenn that offers help. I was really depressed last weekend, but after communicating with some friends I feel a lot better, some even gave me a pep talk. I have a lot of nervous energy, but I'm still not doing as much as fast as I can.

DC sent me some listing at his Pharmaceuticals, ES is interviewing at World Bank down in Washington, DC and sent me some links, I emailed myself some posting I found and I really need to go through everything and send my resume and application out the sooner the better, but I don't know why I'm putting them off. Cut to Gwen Stefani...



Amidst all this, I got a belated birthday card from Medic Guy which I totally didn't expect. Along with the card, there is a long letter lamenting how we have broken up and how he still don't know why. His life has gone for the worst because he's not getting along with his family and he'll be moving down to DC in a few weeks and wish that I was going with him. Could he be one of the Philadelphians reading this blog? If he is, he should know why we have broken up. I'm also a little disheartened by the fact that the reason we couldn't see each other as much back then was because he had to take care of his grandmother and now he's leaving her to his 'irresponsible' family.

I couldn't say that I'm not tempted by the aspect of starting anew somewhere else, but definitely not with an ex, it would be too complicated. And it would be hard to strive in a new city where I know no one and don't know where everything is. Well that's not entirely true either, ES and her family is in DC and I do know a few bloggers. (Sue, are you gonna spank me for not going to DC pride now?) The time required for me to find a new job in a new city would be a lot longer, it'll be okay if I have a lot of savings, but I don't. Although a new dating pool combine with my new attitude might work wonders.

I think Heather Headley's "In My Mind" said it best when it comes to old flames and crushes: "They say if you love something you've got to let it go, and if it comes back then it means so much more. But if it never does, at least you will know that it was something you had to go through to grow." That's what I think about Lucius anyway.

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Failure, I'm Not the Only One

Via Joe.My.God, the Fail Blog comes highly recommended if you need your daily dose of laughter. I was gonna keep that for my personal guilty pleasure but after reading the entry entitled McFail below, I can't help but pass the laughter on.

McFail


By the way, this is not a photoshop job, it was taken near a town in Australia called Yass. Fail Blog put up really funny pictures of stupid things around us. So go check them out from time to time.


Spring-Toy Cat Fail


Donkey Fail


Protests Fail


Calculus Fail


Math Fail I was really paying attention to the math and almost peed my pants on this one:

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Cosmic Slap

Not to be superstitious but I was thinking how funny that a month and a half ago I was saying how well June was treating me so far. Maybe that qualifies as the Gemini cycle, when Cancer came I was struck by Lucius and got my heart broken and now during the Leo cycle my whole world is crumbling down, fast. Maybe it doesn't have anything to do with astrology at all, but I'm still counting my luck to change for the better in a month. What else could happen? Me getting an incurable disease while not having health insurance? My apartment catching on fire and I have to live on the street?

My positive side would say that things happen for a reason. It might have been wrong for me to have settled in a non-profit environment for so long without any thoughts or goals or any ambition at all for my career. If I have to be positive, maybe the ongoing change is a cosmic slap in the face for me to be better and gain better control at my life in the long run. (Control? God forbid) But honestly, the cosmic slap in my face is smarting like hell.

I feel like going to the bookstore and getting myself a self-help book on relationship. Not to give it out on the first date? How do I find good people and make new friends? Somehow lately all the folks who had slept with me wants to be just friends... Is there something wrong with me? I've even had people who claimed that I'm the best they've ever had... Or is that the problem? I realized right now that I need as much friends as I can get (minus a few psychopaths or flakes of course) but it's exhausting. I guess there's no fast way to make friends.

So how many more lessons are there to learn until the cosmic let me be again? And what kind of person will I become at the end of the tunnel? I can't wait to find out... More like I can't wait to find a job actually.

Oh by the way, will those two mofo reading this in Philly start speaking up? I mean if you're really that interested in my life, you might as well be in it. Unless you're my exboyfriend or a stalker type, of course.

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Music Invasion: Enur feat. Natasja's "Calabria"

This one was featured in a pretty cute new Target commercial. I've only seen it 2-3 times so far, wait until it's blasting 24 hours and I'm hurling because I get so tired of it that I'm repulsed and convulse. I do like the artistic style of the video, although it's a bit NSFW, but the clapping beat is quite infectious.

By the way, without seeing (Well, even after reading) its lyrics the song makes as much sense to me as the words Enur, Natasja or Calabria... I'm just saying. (Whoop Whoop!)



Calabria

Easy now no need fi go down,
easy now no need fi go down,
rock that run that, this where we from
(repeat 2x)

Whoop Whoop
When you run come around,
Cu(z) I kno ur the talk of the town yea
(repeat 4x)

Easy now no need fi go down
Just walk it gently and no break nah bone,
Cool end-it-ly, you have a style of your own,
Me never kno you saw ya master the saxophone

cause u sound like the talk of the town yea,
imma look u when u run come around yea,
make me wobble, make me whole body bubble,
an me no say ya trouble, when ya ready for the double,
and n u hit that,
no ti-na the mickle
play with it a lickle, why you so na tickle
im tellin' you to, hit that
no ti-na the mickle
stay with it a lickle, why you so na tickle
im feelin' them
(whoop whoop)

easy now no need fi go down,
easy now no need fi go down,
walk it gently and no break nah bone

Whoop Whoop
When you run come around,
Cu(z) I kno ur the talk of the town yea
(repeat 4x)

Best shown overall, shiny and tall,
One touch make a gal climb whoever you are,
Brass hat, hatter than fireball
Whoop Whoop!
You not small you not lickle at all
Dat touch, just dip on me mind yea
The good feelin dip on rewind yea
make me wobble, make me whole body bubble,
an me no say ya trouble, when ya ready for the double,
and n u hit that,
no ti-na the mickle
play with it a lickle, why you so na tickle
im tellin' you to, hit that
no ti-na the mickle
stay with it a lickle, why you so na tickle
im feelin' them

Walk it gently and no break nah bone

easy now no need fi go down,
easy now no need fi go down,
rock that run that, this where we from
(repeat 2x)

Whoop Whoop
When you run come around,
Cu(z) I kno ur the talk of the town yea
(repeat 8x)

Whooop Whooop!!!

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Movie Review: The Dark Knight

Lately I've been watching a lot movie than I used to, it might be because I don't have a boyfriend or maybe there's not much going on in my life and I feel the need to fulfill my blog quota. Whatever the reason maybe, The Dark Knight would have been a must-see.

Funny thing about superhero movies is that they usually have a strong existing storyline and the movies are usually peppered heavily with special effects that it would guarantee box office that sometimes they cast actors the resembles the characters and completely disregarding the acting skills of those said actors. I'm happy to report that The Dark Knight did not fall victim to that. Maybe because Batman himself is in a mask all the time, and Joker have heavy makeup on, so there is a lot more leeway when it comes to choosing the actors. All the main characters, well, all the characters in this movie seems to be quite brilliant.

As the fight against organized crime continues, Batman, young district attorney Harvey Dent and Lieutenant Jim Gordon became the force to be reckoned with. On the edge of destroying all thugs and gangs in Gotham, a psychopathic criminal called the Joker presented himself to the underground world claiming that he has the power of killing Batman.

Heath Ledger's performance as the Joker is surprisingly believable, it reminds me of Al Pacino in Scarface. I would say that he's giving Jack Nicholson a run for his money for being the best Joker ever. And if I didn't know who Harvey Dent is, I might have fallen for the charming and handsome Aaron Eckhart. There was a scene filmed in Hong Kong that did not show the city or its people in a bad light which I appreciated.

The big difference between this series of Batman and the previous ones is that, this Batman seems to be more martial arts-oriented than gadget-oriented. Not that there were no gadget introduced in this film, but I remember some batman do everything with some sort of gadget and this batman seems to fight a lot. Also, instead of the doom and gloom view on people of previous Batmen, this one seems to have a message in itself that if given the chance, people (including Batman himself) will choose to do the right thing.

The only thing that bothered me a little was that it was a little slow towards the end. Well, that and also Christian Bale's chin. A-


Rest in Peace, Heath. You were great. I would always have a fond memory of you.

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Attitude Adjustment, Pt. 2

I think with a change of attitude something within me clicked and I realized how lonely I actually am. I feel like I'm having a panic attack, I can't breathe. My heart is pounding in my chest. I'm desperately in need of people and I realized how stupid I was when I didn't fully treasure people around me. Why was I so jaded and put off? What's wrong with me? Now when I need people by my side, I have no one. I'm more than likely gonna scare the few new ones I've made because of my desperation.

I've always been so combative and proud that I go by principals instead of relationships and I've learned my mistakes. I think if possible, I'll devote the rest of my life getting to know people and making friends. I remember having a lot of friends when I was in Hong Kong but somehow something is holding me back when I got here. Maybe I was feeling insecure being different, maybe I thought that I was constantly being judged, but that obviously had to go.

Just one week and I'm already bent so out of shape, I wonder how I would survive. Principe used to say that he doesn't understand how I can stay home all day, but now I need to go outside to be amongst people to feel okay even though they are complete strangers. Even the TV is not helping much anymore, I feel like I'm going insane.

Maybe my head is purging what doesn't work for my life and reintroducing what makes sense. I hope it is not too late.

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Music Invasion: Nina Simone's "Trouble in Mind"

Nina is a force that I admire and sometimes she's surprisingly uplifting, she is the high priestess of soul afterall.



Trouble in mind, I'm blue
But I won't be blue always,
'Cause the sun's gonna shine
In my backdoor some day.

Trouble in mind, it's true
I have almost lost my mind,
Never had so much
Trouble in my life before.

I'm gonna lay my head
On some lonesome railroad line
Let the two nineteen train
Ease my troubled mind.

Trouble in mind, I'm blue
But I won't be blue always,
'Cause the sun's gonna shine
My backdoor some day.

I'm gonna lay, lay my head
On some lonesome railroad line
Let the two nineteen train
Ease my troubled mind.

(Say) Trouble in mind, I'm blue
But I won't be blue always,
'Cause the sun's gonna shine
My backdoor some day.

I'm gonna lay oh my head
On some lonesome railroad line
Let the two nineteen train
Ease my troubled mind.

Trouble in mind, Yes I'm blue
But I won't be blue always,
'Cause the sun's gonna shine
in my backdoor some day.
'Cause the sun's gonna shine
in my backdoor some day.
'Cause the sun's gonna shine
in my backdoor some day.
'Cause the sun's gonna shine
in my backdoor some day.
(Oh boy) 'Cause the sun's gonna shine
in my backdoor some day.

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