I finally watched Office Space. :-) HAHAHAHAHAA!

Christine, you're a Pug!

No bones about it, you're an intelligent, playful Pug. Witty and charming, you're a lot of dog wrapped in a small package. People just love you — a wonderful approachability and sense of humor put you at the top of everyone's list. And because you're smart and quick-witted, you attract a crowd wherever you go. (Have you ever considered running for office or starting a company? You've got the charisma for either.) But that doesn't mean you can't be a little naughty or mischievous when opportunity knocks — you've definitely got a nose for fun! A happy, optimistic breed, you're admired and respected by all. Woof!

Hahaha... Emode tests are great.

Ever wonder how exactly Coldplay's music video for "The Scientist" was made? Apparently, Chris Martin trained for a month to be able to sing the entire song backwards. So they filmed it with him moving forwards and singing backwards, and then reversed it. If you look closely, at certain points in the video his mouth is not completely in sync with the music, but nevertheless it's very cool.

“When a South Asian wears a dot, a bindhi, she’s a dot-head…people ask ‘when are you going home’…what’s ironic is that when Madonna wears a dot in 1998, she becomes chic.” [Trinity College Professor Vijay Prashad] brings closer attention to the fact that when Asian peoples wear a piece of their own culture, they instantly become unassimilable aliens in the eyes of mainstream America and in turn become conspicuous targets for hate crimes. So while white folks play dress up, Asian peoples and other peoples of color are oppressed for practicing the very same cultural rites that mainstream America has now deemed “cool.”

From HardBoiled

It's sad to realize that people grow apart and the only thing that really holds them together is history.

"Being Asian is something deep inside, which is why I get so angry when I see people trying to sell it on the streets to tourists, or market it in tattoo parlors and henna shops. Suddenly, everyone is decked out in Chinese characters, and they're wearing my fucking language on their body. They are the same ones who think that just because they're reading stacks of Asian American history books, and they're eating dim sum, they're mastering Step One toward understanding the Asian American experience. (These people aren't multicultural, they're ignorant.)"
--Yell-Oh Girls!

I have taken a bit of flack from some people for this quote, so I thought I'd share my views on it. By the way, I am not the author of this quote; it is from a great book called "Yell-Oh Girls!."

Granted, non-Asian people should not be criticized for enjoying Asian food, reading books about Asian American history, or being interested in Asian culture. There is nothing at all wrong with this, so I don't necessarily agree with this woman's statement. I'm sure most white Americans know very well (or at least I hope they do) that they can never fully understand the Asian American experience because they're not Asian American, but it's great they are interested in learning about it. It would be like me taking an interest in Native American history. I know I will never fully understand the Native American experience, but I want to do my part in learning more about their history, their suffering & struggles, and their culture. It's great if you care to learn about other groups of people; it makes you more aware. So I think the woman's last statement about accusing people of being ignorant is a bit harsh.

However, the issue I have a bone to pick with is the mindless donning of "Asian" apparel-- in other words, the commodification of Asian culture. Who was the ignorant prick at Abercrombie who thought that Asians would actually appreciate those "Asian-inspired" T-shirts? Several of the T-shirts featured drawings of Chinese workers drawn in the same way as anti-Chinese propaganda back in the 1800s. Another example is the bindhi trend. For years and years, Indian Americans have endured racism and hate for wearing something very much tied to their culture. Then all of a sudden, it becomes "cool" to wear one and you can go buy one from any street vendor in Berkeley. While many people fashion the bindhi and look cool, Indians are taking flack for wearing it and not trying to assimilate into American society.

Something is wrong with this picture.

Music of the day:
Rachmaninov - Piano Concerto #2, mvmt 1 :o)

Happiness is:
Having sore forearms from making pecan balls. I know I'll be in pain tomorrow morning, but dammit it's worth it!

Sometimes I feel really, really dumb at work. I shouldn't, though. Maybe it's just the quarterlife depression acting up again.

My goodness, it's 2:05AM.

What is it lately? Is it the weather? Tonight was a very sullen night. I just stayed at home. However, that's not why it was sullen. There's nothing wrong with staying at home. It was a sullen night because I once again realize that I don't know what I want to do with my life in terms of a career. Do I even know what I want? I think I do, but then sometimes I feel clueless. I know there are about a million other 20-somethings out there who feel the same way and are even worse off than I am, but I can't help but opt to be selfish and care about myself right now. So sue me. I envy my friends who are off doing grad school or med school or optometry school. They're off to do such grand, wonderful things and their career path is pretty much set. What the hell am I supposed to be doing? The quarterlife crisis is worse than I imagined.

Thus, to accompany my sad/depressed/angry state, I played my 'angry music' playlist. That list includes Box Car Racer- I Feel So. What could be an angrier song? :-)

Today is officially a crap ass day. The only thing that cheers me up is the peanut butter and jelly sandwich I made to eat as a snack later.

Highlights of my weekend:

Friday: saw Aida at the San Jose Center for the Performing Arts. It was spectacular. I don't even know how else to describe it. Paulette Ivory was unbelievable as Aida- I can't believe someone can have such a powerful, beautiful voice. The songs were very much Elton John, and I loved it! One really cool thing was that I knew one of the cast members. We went to the same dance studio for a long time, and we sort of knew each other although not very well because she was always in the advanced classes. In any case, I knew she was touring with Aida for a couple years already, but it was a pleasant surprise to see her name on the cast list when I went to the theater! :) And she was awesome! I was proud to see her up there.

Saturday: not much. Lounged around, had dinner at this really cute Japanese restaurant in Fremont. There are starting to be all these new Japanese restaurants nowadays. I went to Sushi Harbour at the Fremont Hub for dinner. The Hub isn't known for its restaurants, and this was definitely a surprise- the food was tasty, the decour was trendy and sophisticated, and service was friendly. I hope more restaurants like this open up and bring some business to the normally dead Hub area.

I miss dance. I believe that for dancers who truly have dance in their heart and soul, something is missing in their life if they're not dancing. And that's how I feel. I ache to get into the familiar motions of dance.

New discovery: the mango snow bubble from Chess & Tea. Yummy! And unlike any snow bubble I've ever had, this one was more like an ice cream float, except with mango sherbet.

Daisy's getting old... you can just tell by the way she moves. And she does clumsy things like get her foot stuck between the cage bars, which has never happened before (she doesn't seem to have injured herself though). But she seems pretty healthy-- normal breathing, no tumors. She's so squishy and lovable! Who knows- Mattie will learn from her and plump up too... although I don't see that happening b/c she's such an exercise fiend. I should learn from her.