Saturday, July 31, 2010

Dialing Lollipop Face

Skype is my link to sanity.
Or insanity. :)

I'm crouched to the side because I had to press the "Prt Sc" key with my toe, which gave me a wicked cramp on my butt. It was worth it to capture this moment! BFFz4eVaaaa.

Thursday, July 29, 2010

Lookin' Hot in Chanel

BUHAHAHAHHAA!!! I couldn't stop squealing throughout this whole video. Now, I'm not one of those fashion zombies, but even I've seen of the infamous Yeti get-up in the Chanel Fall 2010 campaign. It's ridiculous to wear a full-bodied mascot suit for the Fall season, it's clinically insane to prance around NYC in it during 99 degree weather. Joe Zee, Elle stylist, is a wonderful shameless man.



To Joe Zee: I want to be your friend. Really badly. Love your Jansport. Call me!

XOXO,
Miffy

Tuesday, July 27, 2010

Captain Miffy with the Candlestick

Candlestick is usually my weapon of choice. Unassuming yet effective... (I've thought a lot about this)

Meet Mitzi (she's still alive)! The DC sublet that I found on Craigslist came with a kewwwt furry roommate. It's so very nice to have her welcome me when I come home. :) With pets, all you have to do is shower them with a little care and they'll love you in return. So much less complicated than humans.

I didn't think there could be a lazier feline than my 小虎, but here you go. My guesstimate from 2 days of observation is that she adopts this belly-up position probably 65% of the time (like RIGHT now). The other 33% she's on her belly. The other 2% she's eating her kibble. This lethargy is definitely rubbing off of me -- I haven't done any work since getting back home yet, been watching a marathon of Ochocinco's matchmaking reality show on VH1 for the last 2 hours. I can always rely on VH1 on delivering the best brain botox. :p

Tomorrow is a full day of FREE PERIODS. No class, baby! What will I do with my time?!! I should definitely unplug the TV right now.

Numbed by Numbers

Remember the good old days when a gallon of milk was only $1.10 (but is now $5.45)? Remember when your life goal was to be a millionaire (but now you expect to make your first million at the age of 30)?

Remember when billions was an astrologically large amount, one that we usually only referred to while counting the stars?

Nowadays, "billions" pops up everywhere. Even though I don't think I'll ever become a billionaire, it doesn't phase me anymore when Company A needs a $X billion bailout, or Industry B has lost $Y billion in revenue. Well, someone's taken the time to map out what this all really means to society in the "billions". Our resource allocation is horrible and depressing.

Monday, July 26, 2010

Beginnings and Endings

Today was my first day of school. Well, technically it's called "Pre-term" here at SAIS, but I was treated to my first 3 hour lecture (microeconomics) in 4 years... and I swear my grey matter was on the threshold of spontaneous combustion. We had this math test where at some point I was supposed to take the derivative of ln and the only symbol that popped up in my head was "???" :p I don't think that was the answer, haha.

The act of trying to stay awake is probably one of the most effective method of torture. Reviewing old material always feels so much more tedious than learning new material, but who knows... I might fall to hubris and flunk. On the side of the spectrum, today I also met some extremely interesting and worldly peers who make me feel very humble, and I'm very excited to pick their brains over the next few years. Socializing is a bit awkward and forced for me sometimes, which is why I'm looking forward to Friday Happy Hour and the effect of beer (Charisma +10)!

Alma Mater 2.0

I know this is quite a cliche thing to say, but I never thought that I'd be here last year. July 26, 2009, I was content in my warm nest. It's overwhelming how far I've drifted... and I can't determine whether it's been for better or worse. I can bring myself to tears when I sit quietly and think about the past, so it's better to just keep on moving... even if it's only one step at a time. Perhaps when I lift my head up a bit later down the road, I'll be amazed to discover where I've ended up.

When there's an ending, there will also be a beginning.
When you get broken down, you have an opportunity to rebuild.
When a part of your heart gets scooped out, make room for something else.

I will not lose to myself !!!

Sunday, July 25, 2010

Praha, Okay I Love Ya

Day 13: Prague, Czech Republic

The last day of the Central Europe tour. Wah?

After discovering that Prague was actually much nicer on the western side of the Vltava River (Mala Strana) vs. the eastern side (Old Town and shopping areas), my mom and I spent our entire last day meandering through some of the most beautiful gardens that we've ever seen... a big thank you to the weather gods for the abundant sunshine! It was the most relaxing day out of the entire trip.

The Wallenstein Palace gardens had these tall shrubs that were a bit labyrinth-like, which then opened up to the Senate building and this pond that included a nice view of the Royal Palace on the hill. It looked like it had good feng shui, haha. My mom and I trailed this albino peacock for a good 15 minutes, only to find that he was trailing an albino peahen.

Then, I took my mom to a park named Petrin Hill, which was so steeply sloped that most people had to take a cable car up to the very top. As we clunked along, I noticed that there was a cafe that sat on the middle of the hill... apparently (according to Let's Go travel guide), that cafe is the most scenic spot to relax in Prague. Noted!

We stepped off the cable car and entered the most breathtaking rose garden. It was like the fragrance wafting from the flowers were continuously punching you in the face, making you delirious. Instead fields of gold, you could see fields of red, orange, yellow, pink, purple, white... for at least 100 yards each way. I have never seen roses in so many colors/shapes/types EVER. We sat there for a good hour, munching on tea and biscuits. It was no wonder that people were totally making out like animals in heat on the benches.

After we were done soaking up all the vibrant colors, my mom and I decided to walk down Petrin Hill instead of taking the cable car. It was a good idea, because the park was very well-maintained and you could see the Prague skyline easily through the tree boughs. We got to the cafe in the park, ordered a Pilsner and cappuccino, and fully accepted the fact that unlike the day before... we were having a grand ole time in Prague. :)

That was pretty much all there was left to see in Mala Strana, so we decided to cross over to the eastern side again and do some mindless shopping before our official farewell dinner with our tour group.

A thought-evoking tank/bulldozer mobius strip mural.

The farewell dinner was freaking off the hook, plus I got to play an instrument! Okay, it was only a clothes washer board + wooden spoon, but percussions are important in a band!!! My mom was a total show-off as usual and danced with all the old men. What a minx. The food was amazing, or at least I thought it was by the Nth glass of wine. A happy buzzed swirly way to cap off the tour -- I was truly sorry to say goodbye to all my 30 new adopted grandparents.

THANK YOU MOM
I had a blast!
And I'm so glad I did it with you.
:)

Saturday, July 24, 2010

My Little Women

Meet two of my besties: Jess and Katherine.

Just got back from a 2 day trip to Boston to celebrate one of my best friend's (early) birthday -- Katherine's been burning her neurons into oblivion by first studying for her pre-med classes and now cramming for the MCAT. Seriously, I think wannabe doctors are such a masochistic breed. All this saving lives business... I just don't get it. :p

The always beautiful and classy Jess, who is one of my best friends from college, picked me up from the Bolt Bus gate in South Station on Thursday. After a nice Indian lunch, she brought me to the Cambridge Antique Market, which I HIGHLY recommend!! I'm the kind of gal who can't shop at department stores, can't go to Century 21, can't dig through sample sales. Although I'm not making any income, my life force literally gets sapped away when I have to rummage through crap just to find one hidden gem. Patience, I have not. Therefore, I really enjoyed myself at the Antique Market because it's laid out in individual booths (sections), each curated/stylized by individual sellers. These booths are not only extremely well-edited, but also reasonably priced. And by reasonable, I mean basement bargain bin... the only limiting factor in buying something is whether you actually have space for it in your life. There's nothing that you need, but everything that you want.

That's a lucky hound.

Even though Jess and I had 2 hours to wander through all 4 floors of the Cambridge Antique Market building, it still didn't feel like enough time to properly admire all the unusual knick-knacks in each nook. This place was heaven on earth for an interior designer like Jess. For a layman like me, I had simple fun playing the "If I had my own home..." game, where I mentally picked out all the things that I would buy if... I actually had my own house. :( Sigh. But don't pity me, because I didn't come away empty-handed -- I bought myself an authentic python skin purse in excellent condition for $50! Gotta fake it till you make it!

We both thought this was a very interesting piece. $350 USD.
"Chinese ancestral portrait painting, 19th Century. A photo of a relative, then painted around the face with bright and geometric patterns. Many times they show up as a set of maternal/paternal grandparents."

I spent the rest of my time in Boston with Katherine, where we played wiffleball and drank lots of beer with her local friends. On Saturday night, we went out dancing at some club at Cambridge. Obviously it couldn't compare to New York, Taipei, HK... but was it lame? Hardly! Thanks to the company that we kept, I had the time of my life. I don't think I've danced this spastically since the 90s. On purpose, of course. ;)

Woe is me, I have decided to become a doctor.

P.S. She's single. And she will rock your world.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY! :)
我愛妳

Tuesday, July 20, 2010

A Party of Five

It was rare and splendid Saturday morning at dimsum -- splendid because it was spent with some of my favorite people in the world, and rare because gramps actually loosened his purse strings and offered to pick up the check. :p

我們兩位女士

他們三代猴子

I have no clue what gramps was specifically ranting about, but I think it was some conglomeration of how I needed to find a job, make money, marry a man. And then things got confusing because he started pointing at grandma... and I didn't quite understand why she needed to meet any of the above expectations.

I love angry-face gramps (and crazy-face Andrew). :D
"Foolish! You're a foolish girl!!!'
If you didn't get it by now, "foolish" is his favorite English word.

七十年前的我們
"Us 70 years ago"
April 10th, 2006

I found this picture above at my grandparents' apartment today. I can't honestly recognize them... and hold no hope that I'll turn into anything less than a generic pruney old woman when I'm 90-something years old. But, I do have hope that I'll be with someone for 70 years and more, and maybe our grandchildren will join us for many a Saturday dimsum too.

Praha, Dunno If I Love Ya

Day 11: Insufferable bus ride from Budapest to Prague, stopping briefly through Bratislava, Slovakia
Day 12, 13: Prague, Czech Republic

Let me just lay it out: I have a bipolar love-hate relationship with Prague. Firstly, I should have known better than to drink the Koolaid before even getting there. I was SO hyped up about the last leg of my Central Europe trip that I probably had some unreasonably high expectations (just like watching Despicable Me a few days ago). After pretty much everyone told me that "Prague is, like... the most gorgeous city in the world," what else was I supposed to believe?

Hellooooo, Emerald City!!!

Um, I should have kept my green-tinted glasses on.

Prague, also known as Praha, is the capital of the Czech Republic and has been a economic, social, and cultural hub of the Central European region for around a 1000 years. Although only 1.3 million people live in Prague, the city receives over 4 million tourists a year. Formerly part of the Kingdom of Bohemia, the Austro-Hungarian Empire, Czechoslovakia, and a Nazi German protectorate, the region changed hands and rulers countless times over the years. Since the city suffered relatively little damage during WWII, it has maintained its historic architecture and boasts an impressive collection of pieces from various art movements across the years (i.e. Art Nouveau, Baroque, Renaissance, Cubist, Gothic, Neo-Classical).

Okay, so with that brief history synopsis out of the way, I'm going to first tell you what I disliked about Prague (and then move onto the stuff I enjoyed so we can end on a good note!). I know that I'm in the minority though, so you should take my opinions with a grain of salt.

Prague is beautiful... if you can overlook the ridiculous foot and vehicular traffic (both unsympathetically willing to mow you over), tacky kitchy crystal shops, immoral waiters, usurious money exchangers, giant billboards, and garbage cans with trash spilling over. It's unfortunate really, since the cobblestone streets are all lined with beautiful stucco buildings with ornate facades, and gorgeous bridges link both banks of Prague across the winding Vltava River. Personally, the citizens of the city make 40% of the experience for me, and I found them to not so friendly, even deceitful.

Crystal blobs, random scaffolding, metal fences, irregularly parked cars.
Mirror mirror on the wall, who's the most overrated Old Town of them all?
I tried my best to take a good picture of the Old Town square, and since I couldn't, I decided to go in the opposite direction.

Just one of many ugly paperweight shops, oops... I mean "100% Viennese Crystal Boutiques".
Regardless, my mother finds these things irresistible... like a moth drawn to a flame.
And aren't we in Prague, not Vienna?

A standard currency exchange stand.
Come right up, get ripped off unless you exchange $3,451 USD with us!

I had a few defining experiences with the people of Prague that left a bad taste in my mouth. Tour books will tell you NEVER exchange money in Prague unless you're at a bank. Unlike Germany, Poland, and Hungary, you will never get a truly fair rate here and will always leave the exchange counter at least 15% poorer. My mom and I shopped for a decent currency rate, but the absolute worst was the one pictured above. At that time, 1 USD = ~20 CZK (kourna). 19.88 CZK was a really good rate, so it'd normally be an automatic no-brainer decision, except they often have this extra rule that if you exchange an "under limit" amount of money, your rate was reduced to 14.49 CZK per dollar. That's what happened when my mom asked to exchange 100 USD. Are you kidding me, a 27% commission?!! The woman pretended to do some fancy click-clack fingerwork on her calculator (taking a good 30 seconds) and then spat out the lower exchange rate. I mean seriously, what is 100 x 14.49? Would it take a mentally-impaired monkey more than 5 seconds to figure out? So while verifying a nice round number like 100 was easy for us, I could see many an unsavvy tourist falling into this trap and not realizing until much later. We walked away with the woman running after us, yelling and throwing out higher rates. At this point, I was so disgusted at this blatant attempt to rip us off, partially blaming the government for not imposing some sort of tourist-protection regulation.

My other crappy moment in Prague happened while my mom and I rested at a cafe that sat on one of the major squares. I'm always very careful to remember the price and total of the items I order when I travel abroad. When we were ready to leave, I asked for the check but the waiter came by quoting "100 CZK". Now I know that my Pilsner was 40 CZK and my mother's cappuccino was 55 CZK, which totals 95 CZK. I know that it's only 5 CZK difference but I would appreciate it if I actually got the physical receipt instead of a verbal quote. I brush this off as an innocent mistake on the waiter's part and when I get the receipt it says 95 CZK. I give him 100 CZK, but after a few minutes, I realize that he has absolutely no intent on giving me back my change. At this point I'm getting really angry, because there's a certain order of restaurant service that he's arbitrarily changed up to take advantage of me. As a customer, it's my right to decide how much to allocate to your service, unless your menu says "service charge included" (it didn't, in fact it said "service charge NOT included"). My mom told me to let it go, but I'm never one to let someone get away with shit like this unless my safety is in question. I asked him for the change again and then he rolled his eyes and loudly started complaining in Czech to his fellow waiters, which was highly disrespectful and pretty much indicative that he had intended to keep the money for himself. THIEF. I got my 5 CZK back and left with nothing on the table. Stupid move for him, since I would have tipped at least 10 CZK if he didn't try to steal my money.

Here is something pretty: the Astronomical Clock.
Photographed nicely here, but after waiting around openly panting in 95 degree heat, I expected more than some anti-climatic 5 second merry-go-round action when it struck the hour. Plus notice the scaffolding on the left? Just one of many scattered all over the area.

So as you can see, I really disliked Prague's Old Town area. It was just gross, overrun, and congested compared to all the other Central European Old Towns that I visited. However, that doesn't mean that Prague as a whole is ugly... in fact, it's a breath-taking city once you leave the Old Town section. So here officially ends my "Prague sucks" rant.

On the Vltava shore.

Things started picking up once we left the Old Town and traveled west towards the river. The riverbank is really peaceful and scenic, even though the famous Charles Bridge was overrun with tourists and vendors. Standing on the Charles Bridge itself was kind of nice even though it looked nothing like THIS (click link), but the real treat was the view of the river and the shore. As we kept on walking and ended up in the Mala Strana area (Lesser Town), I felt like I could finally enjoy Prague. Sigh of relief.

Over the Charles Bridge and onto Mala Strana, the promised land.

Time to go home and actually enjoy Prague tomorrow!

To Be Continued... (no more complaining, I promise!)

Monday, July 19, 2010

Taxes in Pakistan

During my usual morning news crawl, I read that today Hillary Clinton announced $500 million in aid to Pakistan. Although I know that Pakistan plays a pivotal role in capping terrorist insurgency, and I would never claim to be a modicum of an expert in the area, this just doesn't jive with me at all.

Watch this NYTimes video. Pakistani government officials are not only ineffectual, but disgustingly counterproductive to the well-being of their country. If they openly evade taxes and allow their rich cohorts to flaunt their tax immunity while taxing the poor, then it infuriates me that Americans have to shoulder the burden of maintaining a decent Pakistani standard of living. We provide food and infrastructure so they don't blow us or themselves apart. I understand that American strategists have done their research and deemed that this is the best short-term solution for the Central Asian region and for American security, but by giving this corrupt government a total of $7.5 billion over 5 years ($1.5 billion per year), are we essentially disincentivizing them to do their job? Are we running their country for them? If so, is this the best way and are our benefits worth the costs?

Is the United States really the Global Police, or the Global Babysitter? I bet 300 million Americans didn't sign up to wipe the ass of all upper crust Pakistanis.

For Pakistan, [Clinton] announced a string of new projects -- including dams, power generation, agricultural development and hospital construction -- funded under U.S. legislation passed last year tripling civilian aid to $7.5 billion over the next five years.

The projects, the first to be launched under a new aid plan, are seen as crucial to shoring up support for the U.S.-led struggle against militants in a country where opinion polls show fewer than one in five view the United States favourably.

"The opinion about the United States in Pakistan will change when the people of Pakistan see how, through this partnership, their lives have changed," said Pakistani Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi.

Nom nom nom...

Is this a Baby-eating Watermelon or Watermelon-eating Baby?


I love watermelon and I love babies.
Therefore, I don't care who the victor is. It's a death match!

Shopping Spree in Hungaree

Day 10: The Danube Bend, Esztergom, Szentendre

Instead of spending another day in Budapest, my mom and I chose to take a daytrip to the Danube Bend. It was nice to take a break from seeing another 10 churches (although we did visit Hungary's most important church in Esztergom, which I'm going to skip over) and just have some silly light-hearted fun. :)

Firstly, here is the Danube Bend, where the river turns east-west to south-north. Not to sound like a downer, but I didn't find this natural phenomenon to be all that magical. It was scenic and all, but where's my pot of gold? Will someone tell me what's the big deal about a bendy river?

The Danube Bend.
You only need to look at it for 10 seconds, even though it took you an hour to get there.

Afterwards, the tour brought us to a Renaissance period-themed restaurant where people serve you in velvet flouncy outfits, call you Milady, and twang on lutes in the background. Think Medieval Times, but without the jousting. I was like, no way... seriously?! I LOVE THIS SHIT. :)

Each of us wore a Burger King-like paper crown. We had venison, potatoes, and endless refills of local wine. So. Freaking. Awesome.

I decree that everyday shall be Me Day.
Wait, where did everyone go? :(

After having our fill with fake Renaissance food and photo ops, we headed towards Szentendre, a small "artists' colony" just 30 minutes outside Budapest. It was basically an opportunity for the ladies to shop for really terrific souvenirs. If you walked down the street, you would see small groups of men shifting uncomfortably outside each store entrance, haha... suckers.

This was my favorite -- a handmade toy shop!!!
The artist is showing us a "secret box" that he made that has several hidden compartments. He supposedly crafted most of the wooden toys in this store.
I like how my mom is going "Oooooh..." in the back.

Fur hat!
Fuzzy pom-poms!
Wanted to get this so badly.
Settled for practicality and a picture instead.
:(