Places: Darkness & Light / El Cielo / Patt's Place / What I shoudn't have / Where Am I? / '04 entries: Jan / Feb / Mar / Apr / May / Jun / Jul / Aug / Sep / Oct / Nov / Dec / '05 entries: Jan / Feb / Mar / Apr / May / Jun / Jul / Aug / Sep / Oct / Nov + / ChatBox / Feb 27th '05 (08:57a.m.) : It feels good to have my computer back Last friday on the 18th, who knows what happened but, my computer decided to go hay-wire and stopped working. Essentially, my friends pointed out ( I personally know very little about computers) that my Windows XP malfunctioned and caused the whole ordeal. So, another copy of Windows has now replaced my old one and I'm able to get online again! Let's just hope nothing like this happens again. During the week when I had no immediate access to a computer, I did nothing but watched lots and lots of TV, and it didn't help when I only have one desk lamp in my room (my ceiling light died, couple days before my computer incident; what coincidence!) But, things are better, but next time when I get a new computer, I might get something from apple. Apparently less to no virus attacks or sudden malfunctions, and it's affordable too, kind of. Mac Mini I saw at the computer store the other day is around $800 (with tax) and according to my friends with its components and all it's not a bad computer either, so, just maybe. Anyway, I'm back! Life is good! - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Feb 15th '05 (09:30a.m.) : Work While most of the world celebrated Valentine's Day yesterday or just passed an ordinary day, I woke up around 4 in the afternoon, ate yet another forgetable dinner at the Canada Room (note to self, never again get entries that you cannot immediately identify the ingredients that are used) and then went to work. It has been about a month and half since the company had new projects; finally work started again last week, but since I had three midterms and an essay due, I didn't bother to book. Anyway, work, needless to say, was boring as hell. It was another funeral survey that I was put on, but this time I had to call Florida. I never liked calling the States. In general the people are seemingly more hostile than Canadian folks; of the 200 calls I made last night, I only managed to complete one survey with this old lady. Of course, that could also mean I am just really bad at what I do. No matter, I've learned not to care when I'm at work. Actually, that sounds bad doesn't it? Let me re-phrase, I've learned not to stress myself at work. Before I always worried whether I can keep up with the average flow rate, and get at least couple of surveys done per night. Now, I just relax and chill. If I get a survey, good job! If not, meh, maybe next time. There is just no point putting pressure on myself. So, it's all good, if I keep this attitude up maybe I can work there a bit longer? Anyway, I haven't gone to sleep yet, I've just been watching anime and t.v. shows and what not for the past nine hours. Watched Miyazaki's latest "Howl's Moving Castle", didn't particularly like it, actually I have nothing to say about it, it was almost like a blurr, two hours just went missing or something. I should watch it again, maybe pay closer attention to it this time around. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Feb 9th '05 (03:59p.m.) : Happy Chinese New Years!! Kung Hey Fat Choy! If you don't know what I am talking about, well, I guess you've been stuck underneath under a rock for your whole life! It's Chinese New Years! W00t! Not that anything special will happen, but I get red pocket money, and that makes it awesome! What is more awesome is the fact that I did relatively alright on my two midterms today, so I'm happy, just have to face the astronomy midterm tomorrow. (I figure 3hrs of studying is enough) [Feb 10th '05 addition] So a few friends and I went to China Town to sort of celebrate New Years yesterday, by that I mean we went there to buy cheap DVDs and eat cheap food. I had half of a soy sauce chicken and a bowl of seafood congee, the best meal I have had since January when I left home! I was also gonna buy some canto-style bakery, but I didn't have much money on me plus I'm on a diet, have to count the carbs. Why am I on a diet? Because I believe utimately it would be better for me, as well I would look better with less extra mass. All is well; and with the combine effort of DDRing, I already feel lighter! But anyway, after dinner we walked back to the dorm, and watched the movies we bought at Chinatown. First was "Ong-Bak: The Thai Warrior"; it was decent, the fight scenes were great absolutely, but everything just looks so similar [ie Jackie Chan 20 years ago when he was doing films like, my translation, "Drunken Fist" and "Snake Hands") It wasn't all that spectacular I found, but my friends loved it, a lot. I felt like I had to pretend to like the movie just to avoid conflict / them thinkig I am stupid. Meh. Then we watched the movie I picked out, "Dumplings", a semi-horror film that's about a middle-age rich woman who goes out of her ways to find these dumplings made of unborn fetuses obtained from abortion clinics from mainland China, to keep/regain her youth. Naturally, my friends were totally disgusted by the film, while I enjoyed the film to a degree. Sure, some of the scenes were very graphic and that the film could've done without them, but I think it just makes the film that much more powerful, to show how far people sometimes are willing to go to get what they want. It's kind of sad really. The reason the on-screen abortion / dumpling making sequence didn't gross me out is because I knew, from reading the "making-of" of the film in chinese magazines last year (the film was actually released in HK last year, that's why I knew about it), that the fetuses were just made of strawberry jelly pudding. Essentially, everything was over-dramatize to give you the chilling/disgusting effect; I don't see why this would be more disgusting than, for instance, a Tarantino film where violence reigns supreme and brains get blown open, eyes plucked, heads chopped. It's just a movie. But I guess if it's Tarantino it's okay, but a dramatization of crazy Chinese urban legends is not. Of course, my friends thought I was disgusting and crazy, and wouldn't stop making jokes and comments about dumplings. Meh. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Feb 7th '05 (00:00a.m.) : Oops : Happy Birthday Steve! I totally forgot .. but, hope you enjoyed your 22nd! - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Feb 6th '05 (03:57p.m.) : Chat away Of course, while I should be writing my essay that's due on tuesday, my mind wanders off and decides to do something else. So, I just re-registered another Chatterbox (I know you all missed the box) and therefore should anyone feel like dropping me a line, here's your chance! I'm just going along with the theme of renovation, since yesterday I sort of re-arranged my room and turned my computer desk outward facing the door's side. It's good! I get more lighting, I have more room, and I don't need to hurt myself by turning to watch TV and talking to people on MSN at the same time anymore! Kudos to boredom, it sure does wonders! - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Feb 5th '05 (03:57p.m.) : Valentine approaches, and planning ahead for April Fools Like my friend said, and I'm paraphrasing, you can tell when Valentine is just around the corner when the Bachelor/ette Auctions are suddenly everywhere. A few friends and I went to the St. Mike's auction last Thursday, just to check it out. My friends had the alternative motive of auctioning me off for whatever odd reason, they didn't succeed naturally, as you need to enter yourself into the auction with prior notices to SMCSU (St. Mike's College Student Union, the student governing body of my college, they don't do much anyway) So the anction started, but quickly I realized how it wasn't really an auction after all. Essentially, friends just buy their friends who are being auctioned off. I suppose it's for a good cause (tsunami relief) but it's lame and stupid at the same time. They could've just as easily donated the money instead of going through the elaborate process of sitting through the event and waiting to buy their friends. Whatever. Next friday is the same thing by commerce students, it could be interesting with mostly asian students, or just the same as the St. Mike's one. While Valentine has nothing to do with me, yet, I'm planning ahead with this year's april fools pranks. First I decided to repeat my prank from last year, of piling pop cans instead of a person's door and hopefully it'll fall on him the next morning when he tries to exit. Another prank that my friend came up with is creepy but I think it'd be cool to do. Well, first of all, background, he was doing some apartment painting the other day, and after he finished the job and was about to leave, his employer/mom's friend/patron/whatever gave him three complimentary cds, one is "A Day at the Spa" and the other two are "SAXART" by Ron Allen. Apparently Ron Allen, a musican who was involved with the musical score for "Passion of the Christ" and specialized in saxophone and authetic bamboo flutes, was the previous occupant of the apartment and when he moved out, he didn't bring with him all 400 copies of "SAXART". Thinking he could possibly make a profit out of them, my friend took 50 copies. He gave me a copy and we listened to it, and he realized that no one will buy these cds and no one will even want these cds! So since he obviously doesn't want them, I asked him to give them to me so I can do a prank on someone; I didn't know what yet at the time, but he had a great idea. First, find a lucky victim, then everyday, call him, leave a message with only the music of saxart playing in the background, then slip a copy of the cd under his door, for 50 days!! Just how great is that!? It'd certainly annoyed the hell out of my lucky victim. I can't wait until April comes! - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - February's featured artist: ORANGE RANGE. Site updated and maintained by Me.