Happy Mame Day!

Today is a very special day for all the mothers in the world. Not only do they deserve a nice relaxing day off from their daily chores, they deserve to be recognized and appreciated for all the hard work you sons and daughters had put them through while growing up. I was a total brat when I was a kid and raising me was a pain in the butt. Gosh, me taking care of me now is a pain in the butt! Though, my mom did a great job :) Of course we cannot forget the dad but today is Mother's Day so all the attention is on the mothers now. Sorry babee :)

My mom is a very talented woman even though she is too humble to admit it. First of all, she is a great teacher. She doesn't teach anymore but she used to teach back in Hong Kong. When she came to the US, she taught at Chinese school. Now she teaches baby Ellyse to be a good, obediant girl. If she didn't send me to Chinese school, forced me to memorize complicated verses in the Chinese textbook, and urged me to write 10,000 vocabulary in the blue book everyday when we first moved to the US, I would've forgotten my Asian heritage and became totally Americanized. No matter how rebellious I was, she taught me all the way - that's what great moms do.

My mom is also an artist. Back in Hong Kong, she designed these beautiful and creative bulletin boards for the school. I never saw them in person but I remember seeing pictures of her art and I was amazed. They were colorful and playful, characteristic of my mom. Even though she no longer does paper art, her artistic talents are not wasted. She now uses her creativity on clothes! How many moms do you know that sew? And how many of those moms sew for their children, who will actually wear the clothes the moms sew for them? Not many. My mom goes window shopping, comes back and fools around with the fabric. In a week, out pops a beautiful and stylish dress. She sews bridemaids' gowns, casual dresses, work clothes, suits, pajamas, skirts, blouses, anything!!! I asked her to do my wedding dress and she agreed. I am so excited!

What else? She's a great cook! As a young girl, I wasn't able to appreciate the great food my mom cooked every night. I was happy just being fed. When I grew older and I had to go away for college and now grad school, I miss her cooking. Even though she cooks fancy dinners maybe once every week, it is the usual everyday dishes that I miss. Simply putting together a tasty dish with whatever is left in the refrigerator is the best! I ask her for recipe but she does everything from scratch! I see her cook every night and she just adds whatever everytime with no consistency. Yup, she does random cooking and I love it!

Finally, the most wonderful and admirable trait my mom has is bravery. She is brave in many ways. First, she is not afraid to communicate in English and make friends in the US. The language barrier does not scare her at all. She has worked as a cashier, teacher, and babysitter (in daycare center). She even attended school to improve her English and writing skills. I went to school for ESL because I had to. My mom had a choice to stay home and not deal with prejudice in classroom and the public. But she chose the hard way and now she is this strong woman who is able to protect herself from the society while being loved by so many people.

This is my mame and she is THE BEST! Happy Mother's Day!!!

Love, me :)

Launching Plumeria Diary

I think I am crazy to do this but I have created a blog to document the growth of my plumeria. (Yes, I love my plumeria THAT much!) I wanted to conduct a long term research on the growth progress of a potted plumeria, measuring the time and height every now and then (or whenever I feel like it). This blog is to help me store the data and the pictures that go along with each entry. Honestly, I have no idea how long I can keep up with this but I will try. Since I have no reason to hide my data, I have made this blog available to you. Check it out if you are interested, or not. Link is below the header and the blog is called "Plumeria Diary". Updates are usually a couple times every month. Enjoy!

Plumeria

I have always wanted to grow something nice in my lanai. However, the morning sunlight is so strong that the plants dry out too fast. After just one day, the plants wilt and the soil is completely dry. I have to water the plants twice a day to keep them alive! So, I am attempting to do something very unusual...I am growing a Plumeria tree in my lanai. On the left is a picture of a Plumeria tree. People usually grow them in the yard because they grow really fast and get really big. They are also very easy to grow - cut a stem, stick in soil and water. So, I am growing this thing in my lanai, HOW FUN! Of course I will have to prune it so often. For the past month, I stuck the cutting in a bucket of water to stimulate root growth. I just planted it in soil today so it can absorb some nutrients for the flowers. From the look of it, the color of the flower is yellow which is the kind that smells the best! I am so excited. I will continue to monitor its growth and keep you updated. Oh and if you know anything about pruning plants, please send me a comment because I will need all the help I can get. Wish me luck!

Mission Impossible

I am supposed to be studying since my final is in 4 hours. But, don't you just hate it when this happens?
NatalieDee.com

Birthday Bathroom

The following content is very descriptive. Reader discretion is advised.

Probably the most amazing thing about my birthday this year was the super cool Japanese bathroom I so enjoyed peeing in at Rokaku Restaurant. Sorry I am a bit too detailed and direct but I warned ya in the beginning. For once, I had a fun time peeing! It had this remote control flushing and rinsing thing. I thought the rinsing was for easy cleaning of the toilet bowl but it was actually for my butt! There are different levels of rinsing: massage, wide, narrow, and strong. It even has a dial control to adjust the strength of the water output. And there is more, you can adjust the position of the rinse by pushing "forward" and "backward". I was in the bathroom forever trying to get the perfect rinse for my butt and the winner was "Bidet". It was in the perfect position, right temperature, mild strength, all you want for a deep butt massage.

After my butt massage, we went home for a delicious ice cream cake and then D&B to work off the fat we just consumed. From all the tickets we won, I got a Margarita glass and pitcher set just in time for Cinco de Mayo! I had a great time...however, I still felt crappy. I guess this year was the crappiest birthday I ever had. Not because I didn't have a great time, I DID! It's just that I am turning 25 and that is mid-twenties. I am no longer in the early 20's. Mid-twenties is the road to late 20's and pretty soon I'll be in early 30's. Do you see the difference here? I AM OLD!!! Ok now, people who are older than me don't get offended because technically, this is all about ME and I am still going through this change whereas you have already accepted the fact that you are a mature adult but I have NOT!

Anyway, that's my birthday surprise... Two more finals to study for and one more paper to write.

Kong was Beautiful

Say what you will about the King Kong movie but I loved it. Surely not an all time favorite but definitely one to commend. Other than the obvious beauty and the beast theme, the movie showed how selfish, oblivious, senseless, idiotic, obtrusive, and destructive us morons can be. Taking Kong from his natural habitat and bringing him to the city simply to satiate people's curiosity was an excellent idea at the time but completely inhumane. I truly thought that Kong wasn't going to die in THIS version of the remake but what would be the lesson then? My guess is, nobody cried at the end. Well I did because I realized more than half the world still thinks that beauty killed the beast; that we are still living in the Kong world, metaphorically speaking. I cried because we still haven't changed - we continue to live selfishly wthout conern for other inhabitants of the world.

Boobah

I hate Boobah. That stupid looking thing resembles more of a big fat squishy blob than a stuffed animal. Or, it looks like a mutated Barney. I wonder who designed it. Why would kids even like that thing anyway? My kid would certainly scream seeing those big white eyes and freaky distorted head in the middle of the night. Walmart had tons of them stacked up in a bin. I felt like using one of them to scare the kids away, scarred by Boobah forever!

Hmmm...man! What am I talking about? I am really glad that my presentation is over. I realized that I kind of enjoyed talking to people about my research. For the first time, I felt comfortable and not as nervious. One more presentation to go, two more papers, and three more final exams until I am free! I have a list of home improvement projects lined up. On May 12th, my normal life is back.

Oooo, my New Balance shoes finally came. Everyone thought they were nice. They were really comfy. New Balance never fails me. And I also bought another bag. Well, it was Earth Day and I had a booth right next to the guy selling these Thailand handmade bags. I saw it in the beginning and knew I had to get it. But I played a little fate, waiting for other people to buy it. But noooooo, it was still there at the end! So yeah, I had to get it. Hmmm, why do women find shopping so fun but men always stay 10 miles away from malls?

Let's Cheer for the Cheerios!

Love these babies :) The yogurt ones are so delicious! You can eat these as snacks or plain old cereal. When you fill an entire bowl with these in the morning, it's like a treasure hunt - picking out the yogurt ones.

2006 Auto Show in Honolulu

We went to the 2006 Auto Show in Honolulu yesterday and it was a blast! Below are some of my favorite cars. Out of all the cars, the pearl-colored convertible bug speaks my character. When I sat in it, it felt like I belong there and I can see myself going everywhere with that car. I have always loved the Mini Cooper and the Z Car. The color of the Z Car actually changes at different angle, so cool! Now, the car I find most exciting and unique is the Lexus hybrid. Dude, this thing has automatic everything!!! Push a button and things start moving in the car. Touch screen control is clear and informational. Definitly a car to consider. Finally, the car that I will definitly get if I need a car is the Nissan Maxima (My Maxi). I had a Maxima a while ago and I miss it ALOT! This car is light with 265hp. It is a semi-sports car and handles beautifully. Even though thie 2006 model is a little heavier, I don't think I will ever fall in love with another car.

New Balance

I love New Balance and I am dying to buy these athletic sandles! So, which color you think is better? Runner #1 (grey/pink) or Runner #2 (pink/white)?

Sniff...

So sad...Charmed is at its last season. No more Smallville in the new CB network. If they cancelled Smallville, One Tree Hill might not survive either. Gilmore Girls...no clue. I need a moment alone :(

Chemistry

If you love Jpop, I recommend Fo(U)r by Chemistry. I don't understand Japanese but out of all their CD's so far, this one is THE BEST! Makes you fall in love with music again.

One more exam to go tomorrow and I am free! My life has been crappy all week long. No Costco, Walmart, shopping, Taiko drumming, no nothing! Tomorrow, I will go crazy! First stop, mail my stupid taxes, then American Eagles, Ross, Walmart, then Golden Coin for a delicious halo halo. Can't wait to be me again.

Messed up and pissed!

Are people always so insensitive?

Today I finished my test and would like to go play some basketball, breathe some fresh air. I come home and find "this person" wants to go too. However, when I asked if he would play with me, he told me to go play with whoever is playing at the court. He will play with "those other guys." All the other times when no one would play with him, he would ask me to go play b-ball with him and I would say yes. This one time I ask him and he turns me down to play with other people and asks me to go play with some strangers. Am I imcompetent? Does he think I am not good enough for him? Or is he just plain insensitive? This pisses me off and now he is making me really angry, disappointed, and sad at the same time. All I was looking for is some comfort, relaxation, and fun - is that too much to ask for? I guess it was...

That's not all. Then he asks me to do something for him so he can repay a favor. I mean, he can ask me kindly, but he does not have to put it in a way that I am working to help him repay a favor. What am I...a servant? I feel used and I am not supposed to feel that way... This day cannot get any worse.

Taxes @%!#$@!

Taxes are a pain in the &!%!@&#%$!%$!

I need a drink...

Alive and bored

Drained from studying Economics, I wanted to refresh my mind. So I went out to the Lanai and saw the conjested intersection. For some odd reason, I find that interesting. Some guy kept on honking continously when obviously no cars could move. Poor guy had to go through 3 stop lights rounds before he could cross the intersection. Then an ambulance appeared and I was excited to see how he could get out of this traffic (Photo 1). Then another ambulance appeared and was stuck in the middle of the road for the longest time until the road cleared up(Photo 2). Hmmm...I just realized how pathetic I was, I find everyday traffic intriguing. I seriously need a vacation :(

Feral pigs draw legislator's wrath

I will be crying :( I love feral pigs. They are so cute!

Concern about the increasing intrusion of feral pigs into residential areas has led to a proposal to declare open season on the animals and establish a bounty, over the objections of the state agency that promotes both hunting and protection of forest lands.

The threats posed by expanding pig populations include increased erosion, threats to native species, the spread of weeds and perhaps even increased flooding, said state Rep. Kirk Caldwell, D-24th (Manoa-University), who introduced HB2942, which calls for year-round hunting and an undetermined cash bounty for each pig killed.

Caldwell said that in his own district, pigs may have contributed to the devastation of the Oct. 30, 2004, flood that caused millions of dollars of damage in Manoa Valley. He said pigs have wiped out the undergrowth that normally slows runoff and soaks up rainwater.

"What's becoming clear is that the undergrowth in the back of the valley is getting really depleted. I went back there and it smelled like a pig sty," he said.

The state Department of Land and Natural Resources opposes the bill. In testimony submitted to the House Water, Land and Ocean Resources committee on Friday, the agency said it has the authority on its own to remove seasons and bag limits, but there are reasons not to promote hunting in specific areas. The department supports meetings in communities with problems to develop solutions.

"Declaring wide-open seasons and methods would conflict with many current uses such as hiking, gathering forest products and dog walking. Portions of the Honolulu Watershed Forest Reserve in Tantalus and Manoa are not normally open to hunting because of the proximity to residential areas and the high public recreational use on the trail network in this area. Opening these areas up would put many more hunters and dogs in residential areas on a frequent basis," the DLNR said.

The committee approved the proposed measure anyway, and the bill likely is headed next to the House Finance Committee.

Woodlawn resident Sarah Preble said yesterday she has had 17 feral pigs removed from her two-thirds of an acre in Manoa Valley. She said pigs coming down the mountainside feed on her landscape plants and have left her family fearful to venture to the back of their property.

"We lived here more than 30 years before the pigs appeared. Now my granddaughters, aged 10 and 12, will not go more than 5 feet beyond the back deck without an adult. They're afraid," Preble said.

Kailua resident Mary Ikagawa said government and private agencies are spending vast amounts of money and time trying to protect the native forest at the same time the state is protecting pig populations by using closed seasons and bag limits. She said the animals are clearly one of the most severe threats to the native forest.

"The policy is brain-dead. Given what we know now, there should not be any sort of limit on the take of feral ungulates," she said.

O'ahu hunters who attended Friday's committee hearing said one of the issues for controlling the animals is lack of access. They asked the Legislature to help ensure the same kind of liberal access to mountain areas that the public has to coastlines.

The DLNR in its testimony opposed bounties, saying they generally are ineffective and may have negative consequences such as encouraging people to breed pigs, illegally hunt in areas without bounties, and trespass and poach on private lands.

Regardless of whether bounties are approved, it is clear the state needs a permanent open season on pigs with no bag limits, said Marjorie Ziegler, executive director of the Conservation Council for Hawai'i.

"Feral pigs should not be allowed to roam freely in our native forests, watersheds and private property," Ziegler said.

Naturalists working in the Ko'olau Mountains of O'ahu regularly find soil churned up by pigs, soggy wallows, native plants ripped up, and increased erosion, all caused by feral pigs, said Ryan Smith, project coordinator of the O'ahu Invasive Species Committee.

"Pigs are probably one of the most damaging invasive species," Smith said.

The problem exists statewide, with millions of dollars spent to install fences around national parks and other sensitive areas.

Reach Jan TenBruggencate at jant@honoluluadvertiser.com.

Unbelievable!

Do not ever buy Canon Elura 50 digital camcorder. Why? I bought this thing in 2003 and recorded no more than 10 hours of video. Now, the playback on the camcorder itself is completely garbled. I cleaned the heads and still no improvement. I called the customer support guy and he thinks I am stupid or something. Since there is no improvement with the head cleaner, you will have to send it in for fixing. Oh how much will that cost. Freakin' $140 and I don't even know what they are fixing. I have to send it in, they estimate the cost, I pay, then wait months before I could get my DV back. He didn't have a good attitude either so I got angry and hung up on him. I hate this mess!

The Bus

Many interesting things happen on the bus. Those who ride the bus will know exactly what I mean. One in particular that never seems to go away is what I call the "Comfort seat" phenomenon. I love the window seat because I get to sit next to the window, duh! What's more boring than looking at the passing cars on the road every single freakin' day. Well, today was no different. I get on the bus and sat at the farthest 2 seater window seat...I mean at the back of the bus. At the next stop, an old lady gets on and passes all those empty seats in the front and middle of bus and sat next to me. Do I have a sign on my forehead that says "Come sit next to me, I am nice"? This is not the first time either! Are old ladies attracted to me or something?

Another incident...I was on the bus going to school. A big guy got on and sat next to his "friend" (you'll know what I mean with the quotation marks). They were catching up and here is their conversation, roughly. I skipped all the catching up part because it was boring.

Big guy: "So, where are you going?"
Skinny guy: "To school."
{Me thinking - C'mon! He only had a huge backpack on!}
Skinny guy: "So, what are you studying?"
Big guy: "I want to go into Psychiatry. You know the whole emotional thing, I am good at helping people with that."
{Me thinking - Ok, pretty decent guy. He has a goal in life.}
Skinning guy: "Are you still working at that one place?"
Big guy: "No, I got fired."
Skinning guy: "Oh really? What did you do?"
Big guy: "It's not like I did anything wrong. I just got into a heated argument with my mom which escalated and escalated and we fought. The cops came to arrest me. My boss didn't want trouble so he had to fire me. He really likes me and I understand why he had to fire me."

{Me thinking - Wow, fight with mom...didn't do anything wrong...wants to go into Psychiatry and help people. I am so confused}

Big guy: "Well, it was nice talking to you. I'll see you around."

Skinny guy: "Bye!"

The big guy stood up and sat at another seat. He didn't get off the bus until like 3-4 stops after.

{Me thinking - This guy is coo coo for cocopuffs!}

24 Hour Fatness

A few days ago, I went to the Aloha Run Expo. It was full of free stuff and games too. Best of all, I was lucky for once and won 2 shirts, a soda, a bag, a water bottle, and a multicolor wrist band. How great is that? Then 24 Hour Fitness comes along and ruins everything! There was this guessing game thing at the booth - if you guess your fat percentage correctly, they will give you a free shirt. I regularly check my fat percentage on my lovely fat scale at home and I am about 16%. The stupid guy at the booth poked me a couple times, criticized my relaxed posture, and came up with 27% fat!!! Not only that, he gave me a few tips to being healthy. He said, "When you stand, try not to bulge your stomach out. Stand upright, especially when working on the computer. Your fat percentage is ok but you can do better. Take some time and walk around more." I swear I was gonna punch his eyes out, kick his fat belly, and shave his ugly curly stinkin' hair (which by the way is sort of like Lionel Luther's hair). Then I will challenge him to a swim race where I swim backwards, continually kicking him in the face. Who the hell is he to give me "how to be fit and healthy" lessons when he obviously has not been working out for the past decade!~%$@!!!

Marking 25 years of wild panda conservation

Washington, DC – This month marks WWF's 25th anniversary of wild panda conservation in China. On December 23, 1980, WWF and Chinese researchers headed into the cold mountains of southwestern China to conduct the first-ever intensive research programme on wild pandas, their habitat and their behaviour. A quarter century of work moved giant pandas from the brink of extinction to a solid foundation for survival if conservation efforts continue.

According to the results of a survey conducted by WWF and China's State Forestry Administration, there are nearly 1,600 pandas in the wild, over 40 per cent more animals than previously thought to exist. The last panda survey in the 1980s found around 1,100 giant pandas in the wild.

“Contrary to popular myth, wild panda conservation is really about saving their forest homes, not improving their breeding,” said Karen Baragona, head of the Species Conservation Programme at WWF-US. “We are making sure that pandas have a safe and healthy place to live.”

Protecting panda habitat means protecting some of the richest temperate forests on Earth that shelter more than 100 other mammals, 250 bird species, and thousands of other animals as well as the water supply for 400 million Chinese people.

“The most pressing threat to wild pandas is habitat fragmentation from economic development activities like road construction and timber extraction,” said Baragona.

Across the panda's range, habitat is fragmented into many isolated patches — some just narrow belts of bamboo 1,000–1,200m in width. Within these patches, a network of some 60 nature reserves protects nearly half of the panda's habitat. Small, isolated populations have less flexibility to find new feeding areas during periodic bamboo die-offs. WWF works with the Chinese government to reduce threats to panda habitat, restore forests and reconnect isolated patches by establishing new panda reserves in critical corridor areas.

Protecting panda habitat sometimes requires unusual efforts. Communities living on the outskirts of panda reserves often extract fuelwood — illegally but of necessity — from inside the reserves, amounting to about three tons a year per household. In several pilot sites, WWF has offered farmers energy efficient stoves fueled by manure. Reconfigured pig sties and restrooms capture waste in a reactor tank and the gas produced in the tank is fed to stoves for cooking. With waste from just two pigs, a family can cook three times a day for at least ten months of the year without taking fuelwood from surrounding forests. People are happy with the arrangement because it saves the time and effort of collecting fuelwood, their food cooks faster, and odor and insects have been virtually eliminated from pig sties and toilets. Now the provincial government is considering subsidizing widespread conversion to biogas stoves.

WWF became the first global conservation organization to work in China and opened the door to new conservation opportunities that benefit wildlife, places and people in the world’s most populated and fastest growing nation.

Over the past twenty-five years, WWF achieved numerous conservation successes in China — from laying the foundation for a scientific panda conservation plan to bringing Pere David’s Deer back home to protecting millions of hectares of critical wetlands under the Ramsar Convention.

Small conservation achievements underlay larger ones. For example, WWF helped local villagers make and oversee plans for restoring reclaimed farmland to its former wetland state near Dongting Lake in Hunan Province. Villagers also participated in developing alternative livelihoods compatible with wetland conservation, establishing fish breeding and eco-agriculture associations. Over the course of this WWF restoration project, household incomes increased fivefold.

But, there are many challenges to building a sustainable future for China. WWF is still working to halt biodiversity loss in China, stop the degradation of freshwater systems and water quality, and build a culture of sustainability among other efforts.

For further information:
Caroline Liou, Deputy Communications Manager
WWF China
Tel: +86 1065227100 ext. 3239
E-mail: caroline@wwfchina.org

Funny thing

My parents LOVE to snack and well, me too :) They told me they gained weight lately and I advised them to exercise and cut down on the snacks. I mean, sugar and nuts are great but not excessively. Then my mom said something really hilarious which kind of backfired at me. She said, "Well, if I finish all the snacks, then I don't have to worry about snacking anymore. So I'll just finish everything up then go on a diet." I told her it doesn't exactly work that way. I advised them to snack at a minimum (so they last longer) and exercise at the same time.

So I found these really yummy oatmeal crisps in my snack cabinet and I started... They are semi-sweet, thin, and totally delicious. Breakfast, lunch, dinner, they are there to make me happy. Just now, I realized how much I have been indulging myself with these stupid oatmeal crisps and I want to stop before I gain weight. So I was thinking, "Hmmm...I'll just finish them up then I don't have to worry about a thing." Well, it turns out my mom was right. It's really hard to stop snacking when you've been doing that since you were born. Oh, I just realized something else. This philosophy goes with Cheetos, Cheese Puffs, my sister's almond cookies, and everything else!

Smallville #100

Those who are fans of Smallville, who do you think will die in the 100th episode? I could've watched the episode today but the stupid UH Rainbow Wahine game is on and postponed Smallville until Sunday. I can't wait! I have been such a bad girl...I went to the TV spoiler websites to find out who will die but they just got me more confused. I know it was a bad thing to do but I could've known today if it were not for the schedule change. Grrr! I love Chloe so I want her to stay. I seriously don't think Chloe will die because who will watch Smallville when she's gone? Lana is not going to die because I saw another scene with her and Clark in the preview. That leaves Jonathan Kent and Martha Kent. Now the car crash was a red truck...who drives a red truck? I am thinking it's Jonathan Kent because he is being recruited to another show so WB is cutting him off Smallville.

Worst Nightmares

What the hell is going on???

UPN and WB are merging into CW? How "original" can they be with the stupid name. And...current UPN and WB programs likely to find their way onto the new network include "America's Next Top Model," "Gilmore Girls," "Supernatural," "Veronica Mars," "Girlfriends," "Reba" and the WWE's "Smackdown." Okay, what about Smallville, One Tree Hill, and Charmed? They can't just merge without the viewer's consent. Afterall, WE SUPPORT THEIR FREAKIN' ASSES (obviously I am beyond mad). And what about the TV schedule? This is all messed up. Why can't they just keep everything the way it was! Grrr...ridiculus and absurd!!! You can read the stupid story here.

Disney buys Pixar? Why does Disney always have to be Number One! "The addition of Pixar significantly enhances Disney animation, which is a critical creative engine for driving growth across our businesses," Iger said in a statement. Do your own work cheater! You can read this stupid story here.

Nothing makes sense anymore. The fate of my favorite TV shows are in peril and now I have to "LIKE" Disney since there is no more Pixar!!!

Mochi-tsuki

The Ohana Festival was held today at the Japanese Cultural Center. Of course, our piggish nature would never miss an opportunity to pig out. As expected, the line for the Okonomiyaki booth was a mile long since okonomiyaki, a Japanese style pancake/pizza, is not served in many restaurants and is supposed to taste very good. Since the line was too long, we decided to hop over to the Andagi booth. The most interesting part of the festival was the mochi pounding (mochi-tsuki) demonstration. Mochi is made first by steaming large batches of mochi-rice, which is then placed in a huge stone basin (usu) for pounding. Strong men use large wooden hammers (kine) to beat the rice-dough in a rhythmic manner. If their timing is off, someone may get hurt.
When the rice-dough is ready, it is pinched off in small balls and filled with azuki (a sweet bean paste) or other yummy sweet ingredients. This is first time we ate fresh mochi and it tastes really good!

I can see!

After nearly a whole year of procrastination, we finally told the owner our ceiling light fixture is broken. We weren't living in the dark ages all this time. The room was bright even with only one floor lamp. However, after I rearranged the room to a more reasonable and practical layout, I found a working ceiling light would really help to brighten my workspace. Prior to the rearrangement, my desk was next to the balcony where the morning sunlight would creep through the window screens and the curtains, eating my computer screen. So I moved the desk to the opposite side of the the room next to the kitchen where I sacrifice an airy open space for a darker yet breezy and more workable location. With the ceiling light, now I can see!
Inspired by the show FreeStyle on HGTV, I rearranged the living room/working area all by myself.

Home...is wonderful

I don't think any of my friends that are studying away from home are as homesick as I am right now. Everytime I leave San Jose, I have this terrible feeling. I thought I would get better at coming and going but it gets worse. I think I have been so close to my family, especially my parents, that I hate the notion of leaving home and being away from my parents. I try really hard to comfort myself but I just end up missing my family even more. I thought of calling my parents every hour, preventing them from doing anything but answer my calls so they get sick of me...hee hee. My baby niece, who just turned one year old, was so thoughtful to call me when I landed. She repeated, "wah wah wah gu gu wah po po wah". Well, one way to comfort me is to plan my next trip back home :) If only I didn't have school and work.......

Now I will go develop huge pictures of my family to put on the wall. Their heads in the pictures will be so big, bigger than my head! Real people size!

Dream couch

For the past few months, our coffee table has been leaking (sounds kind of disgusting) ... dropping (ah, better word) powdery wood particles on the carpet. It's like bird droppings, one poop here and there. We didn't know what it was so we just left it alone. Then a week ago, we looked under the table and saw 4 piles of powdered wood. We thought, hmmm...maybe it's time to buy a new coffee table. And so begins out quest for a new coffee table. Let me say the furnitures in HI are EXPENSIVE! A freakin dingy end table is $200. Imagine how much a coffee table will cost! On our quest, we found the perfect one and we absolutely love it. It's a bit on the pricy side for mainland people but it's considered a good price for Hawaiians. We love it cuz' it's small and stylish. For $200, this is a pretty good deal in HI. An ugly coffee table at Walmart costs $130. Might as well invest for something nice now and take good care of it. We were going to buy it yesterday but we laid out our options again.

1. Keep the table and wait until it falls apart
2. Get rid of it and not buy a new one ever again
3. Use boxes and a cloth to cover it (college style)

HappyOblivion thought the little creatures eating the table might invade our entire apartment so either way we are getting rid of the table. I guess he is right.

We also did a little window shopping and I found the couch and coffee table set of my dreams. I say dreams because the darn thing costs $13,000.

Christmas Lights

We went chirstmas lights hunting all over Oahu the other night. It's always fun looking at what people have done to brighten up the holiday season. These houses were also on the news, that's how we knew where to look. First we went to Hanapaa street in Kapolei. Three houses were fully decorated from top to bottom. One house even had a christmas tree made with empty beer bottles.
This house had a choo choo train that smokes up every 10 minutes or so. It's really cool! The little guy in the middle moves his hands up and down playing the drums. The next house had a family of snowman and cute looking penquin. I bet the 2 ballons at the very top were bought at Costco, hee hee. Then we went to Kaiakua street in Ewa. The entire street was decorated with christmas lights. This house tood out for obvious reasons. People were actually singing carols at this house. We got scared so we ran away. This was at somebody's backyard. The entire entrance was blocked off by all these Costco bought decorations. Well, at least remember seeing them at Costco. So creative! The most creative and cutie gingerbread boy and girl I have ever seen. They are so adorable. Last stop for the night was Honolulu City Lights. The decorations were the same as last year's so nothing too dramatic. Of course, you can never miss the shaka Santa and the beautiful and gigantic Christmas tree right outside of City Hall. Every year the City Hall display the Christmas tree and wreath contest. These are the ones I like the most even though they may not be first place.

X'mas R2D2

Hallo everyone! HappyOblivion bought me a really super duper cool Christmas gift. Well, he gave it to me a couple days ago but I didn't have time to blog it. It is a 17-inch R2D2 robot! It responds to commands, dances for you, and plays games with you too. If you pat him on the head too hard, he gets mad and doesn't listen to you. Oh and if you yell at him, he runs away. For some odd reason, he never listens to me but always listens to HappyOblivion. I say bad R2 and he shines a red light at me. I tell him to go patrol the room and he wants to play hide-n-seek with me.

Pride & Prejudice

The romance, the love, the frustration all portrayed so beautifully in the very little encounters they had. One scene captures your heart and leaves you breathless all because "You have bewitched me body and soul". Such peaceful happiness as the story concludes with "Mrs. Darcy, Mrs. Darcy, Mrs. Darcy..." I absolutely love this movie. Matthew MacFayden and Keira Knightly are spectacular and their performances are flawless. I urge you all to watch this movie because once is just not enough.

Thanksgiving Kraze

Did anyone go crazy shopping for After Thanksgiving Sales?

As always, I never made it to the 5AM shop til' you drop deal. I woke up this morning at 4:30AM to pee and went straight to bed. Then I woke up at 8:30 and thought, maybe I'll go to Walmart and BestBuy to see what's left. I went shopping for exactly 1 hour and came back with nothing. I almost bought this orange flavored chapstick but that was it. Very disappointing sales this year. Or maybe it's just Hawaii because the ads had nothing interesting on sale! I also did one stupid thing. I looked at the Fry's Electronic ads AFTER the sale. I wanted so many things!!! One being the wireless PSII controllers, and the wireless PCcard, the 300GB hard-drive, PSII games...

Next year, next year...hopefully I'll wake up :)

My TiVo Review

When it comes to TV, I am very picky and needy. You may have heard from many TiVo owners that the technology is great. No doubt TiVo can do many wonderful things. However, I would not praise it like others have. Here is why:

1. Cannot record more than 1 show at the same time: This is a BIG negative because many of the shows I watch overlap! To overcome this problem, I split the cable to both TiVo and the VCR so I can record at least 2 shows at the same time and watch a third one.
2. Cannot record one channel and watch another with TiVo features at the same time: Could be good because if you set up the TiVo to record earlier in the week and you forgot the show is on that day while you are watching TV, the channel switches automatically to the channel being recorded. This problem is easily fixed because TiVo uses one of the TV's INPUT channels. So if you want to watch another channel, switch back to regular TV and watch anything you want. However, once you switch, you no longer have the TiVo features.
3. TOO many options: Wondering why this is bad? Well if you are used to the "regular" VCR type of recording shows, setting the timer manually, the TiVO may make you confused and frustrated in the beginning. You have options on 4 quality settings, record on time or a couple minutes early/later, and when to delete the show from memory. You can leave these settings alone but seeing all these options pop up could be overwhelming.
4. Not enough manual options: TiVo sure has many capabilities but one thing that bothers me is the timer setting. Let's say you like to record a show from 1:00 to 2:32 (2 minutes extra because you want to see preview for next time). If you want to record another show after that and you set it from 2:30 to whenever, the TiVo gets confused and asks if you like to clip the previous recorded show by a couple minutes. If not then there is no option for you to start recording the second show 2 minutes later! If you go to manual set up, the time settings are in 5 minute increments so you are bound to miss 5 minutes of either show depending on what you decide to do.
5. Multiple remotes: If you often like to watch one show and record another at the same time, then you are bound to play with multiple remotes. When you are watching TiVo, you use the TiVo remote. If you switch back to regular TV, you use the TV remote. If you have stereo system, you use a different remote. Ok, then you have the VCR remote. Confusing ey?

Told you I am needy. Apart from the negatives, TiVo is worth the money. Below are some of the things I like about TiVo. You can go to TiVo's website for full listing of capabilities.

1. FF, RW, Pause: You can do all those for 30 minutes while watching a show. If you are like me and like to watch TV and do work at the same time, you are bound to miss something interesting. Not to worry, you can go back at least 30 minutes and watch what you missed. Oh and if you have to pee in the middle of a movie, pause it! Take your time to pee and won't miss a thing. This feature is great for watching sports.
2. Ease of recording: In a hurry in the morning but you really have to record a show? No problem. You can set up the TV to record in less than 10 seconds (if you know what you are doing).
3. Watching recorded shows: No more waiting for the tape to rewine back to the beginning. You can pick a show and watch with just a click of a button. Oh and don't you hate it when you over fast forward the commercials and you have to rewine it back to the end of the commercial? Well, it won't happen with TiVo. If you over FF the commercials, TiVo will automatically go back to the end of the commercial! Neat ey?
4. Organized: TiVo is very good at keeping everything organized. The "To Do List" has a list of shows you set up to record. The "Now Playing" has a list of shows you need to watch.
5. Season Pass: Set up a show for season pass and you will never miss your favorite show because TiVo will autmatically record all the new episodes for you. You don't need to set up the TiVo to record every single week!
6. TiVo suggestions: TiVo will come up with a list of shows you may like to watch when you start watching TV. This is great because you get to watch the old shows that are not worth the money to rent. Just go to "TiVo Suggestions" every now and then and see what it has for you. Just yesterday I recorded "Silence of the Lambs" because TiVo suggested it. Oh and also "Gremlins 2", hee...
7. TV grid: When you press the "TV grid" button on the remote, it will give you something similar to the Yahoo!TV grid. You get to see all the shows playing now in all channels.
8. Favorite channels: TiVo has the option for you to set up a list of your favorite channels. You can set it up so that when you want to record or look at the TV grid, only your favorite channels appear. You don't have to waste time by going thru all the other stupid channels.

If you are looking for a reason to buy TiVo, the only reason you need is that you watch ALOT of TV. Otherwise, I advise you not to buy it because you won't benefit much with TiVo.

Quest for the 3 eye dude

Believe it or not, I have never watched Toy Story I with the cute 3 eye alien. For the past 2 weeks or so, HappyOblivion and I were particularily crazy about this little guy. When we walk to go play basketball, we always stop by Foodland (supermarket) to check out the 3 eye dude trapped in toy machine where you have to use a claw to grab it. We could not get to him because he was stuck in a corner against the glass. So we decided to go on what we call a "Quest for the 3 eye dude." HappyOblivion looked online for all the Foodland locations on Oahu and for 2 separate days, we went to at least 3 locations each day. The first day was disappointing. We put $5 and got nothing. They were so cute but stuck. One of them had another stupid looking girl doll on top of him and was flashing her naked butt as us. I was so mad!!! Anyway, the second day, which was 3 days ago, we went to another supermarket (Starmarket) and thought we'd go check it out. There he was, lying face up on the top waiting for us to grab him. First dollar in, nothing. Second dollar, HappyOblivon strategically calculated the angles and mathematically worked out the curvature of the claw and he got it! We saw the claw grab it, slowly go up and down he goes into our hands. I bet he was saying "the claw, the claw" when the claw grabed him. We were so happy and loud that the people in the cashier registers looked at us. Well, what can I say, it was hard work. We also could not find any toy store that sells these guys. Starmarket is a truly five star experience!

Tea for 2 & 2 for Tea

This is by far the best Pillbury creation. If you love Pillsbury biscuits but don't want to eat 8 all at once, then this new product is for you. The biscuits come in vacuum sealed packs with 2 in each pack. Perfect for two. The commercial is just so very cute! Muah!

http://www.pillsbury.com/View/breads/perfectportions.asp

TiVo

As most of you already know, HappyOblivion and I are HUGE TV fans. We are also extrememly busy and sometimes we don't have time to watch all the shows for a particular day. Now, the VCR can only record one show at a time but often we have to watch 2 shows at the same time. What to do? We bought a TiVo!!! It was a great deal and it was very hard to resist. I figure now it's the time to buy it since we are both very busy. Yeah yeah, $13/month but if we pay the lifetime fee we don't have to worry about anything until the DVR breaks down. I am so excited!!!

In a Quandary

Hmmm...I have been looking at pocket PC's and I finally found one today with the right price. It's a really great deal but I am hesitant because I don't really know if I need one. Completely blinded by my desire to own electronics and advanced technologies, I become impractical and make irrational decisions. Why do I need a pocket PC anyway? To tell the truth, I just want to have one. $250 to satisfy my "desires" is a pretty high price. My brother-in-law gave me great advice regarding which PDA's are worth buying and I am greatful for that. I keep on fabricating various situations when I might need a PDA but all I came up with were TV schedule and school. All this time, I tend to remember things pretty well and for those that I forget, I guess they are not that important anyway. Hmmm, I will keep thinking...

20 Facts About Angelpoo

Victim of a vicious crime of blog tagging, I am to write 20 facts about myself. Well, here it goes:

1. Just like my parents and my cool roomate Jenn, I LOVE to get rid of stuff. Everytime I go back home (SJ), I end up donating 3-5 bags of junk! I like to dump other people's stuff too :)
2. For some reason, people never succeed in getting me drunk. I am very alcohol tolerant...hee.
3. Stepping on HappyOblivion's back and hearing his spine crack makes me feel good. I just hope I don't get too excited and hear other things crack...
4. I am allergic to peanuts. So if you hate me, feed me peanuts. Beware, I might punch you in the face.
5. My dream job is to dive with sea turtles but that will never happen because I am scared of sharks. Hey, that's why it's called a "dream" job!
6. I draw comics about my favorite stuffed animal pig and panda (Achoo and Oreo), hoping someday they will act out my comics.
7. In my future house, I will build a huge pond in the backyard for my lovely pet turtles. I really hope someday they will stop fighting and start mating :D
8. I am sucker for cute Japanese characters (Momoten, Kogepan, Kodama, Totoro, MonoKuRobu, etc...)
9. I want to have a farm with pot bellied pigs, sheeps, ducks, chickens, and llamas. Although I would hate to maintain it.
10. I have seen cows trying to mate and it is not a pretty sight :(
11. I am secretly planning to kidnap my niece and bring her to to the beautiful beaches of Hawaii to check out the local boys :) Doh!
12. I wish to buy TiVo but am afraid I might spend even more hours in front of the TV than I already am (15+ hours/week).
13. I bought a yellow body pillow at Costco for the usual "pillow comfort" but end up giving it a name (Tamago) and treating it as a stuffed animal. I yell at HappyOblivion when he tries to hug it or squish it in any way.
14. I hate swimmers who fail to swim in a straight line and end up in MY lane. So I swim close to them and pretend to kick them accidently so they would go away.
15. The point of mosaic puzzles is so you can have months of fun. Well, I usally get impatient and finish a 5000 piece mosaic puzzle in 3 days or less.
16. I am a secret admirer of a sushi chef at Imanas Tei. I hope that one day I have enough courage to ask for his name, take a picture with him, and buy all the Tamagoyaki in the restaurant.
17. I read a comic called Sherman's Lagoon. I hope to visit the lagoon and find Sherman the shark. He is the one shark I am not scared of :)
18. I have no sense of direction. People look at me weird when I say I got lost in Davis, CA.
19. I am not religious because I cannot find any religion that approves of my ironic beliefs in the good and the bad.
20. I hate writing about myself...

75 Cents?

Yesterday could be called the luckiest shopping day of my entire life. What could you buy for 75 cents? Candy, newspaper, cheapo notebook, paper, pencil, pen, etc... Well, guess what I got for 75 cents :) I went to Walmart last night looking for kitchen towels but found Panasonic women's shaver replacement foil and blade set for 75 cents! I couldn't believe it! Where can you find ANY shaver replacements for less than $20 nowadays. I guess they were trying to clear the stock so the prices went plunging down to entice people like me to buy 7...hee hee. Yup, I bought 7, which will last me for the next 10 years or so.

Sudoku

Just yesterday I heard on the news that there is a new craze going on about a new mind puzzle that got thousands of people hooked! The game is called Sudoku. I wanted to see why it was so addictive so I went to Barnes & Noble last night and bought a book on Sudoku puzzles. My conclusion is, THIS GAME IS ADDICTIVE! I have done 10 puzzles so far and it's been only one day! When I get addicitve on something, it's bad news. Just like Katamari, my impatience will drive me to become an expert in the game because I am so ambitious. Then I end up spending most of my time doing this stupid mind game instead of my research or paying attention in class. Crap! I have included a link on the left (along with Jumble) in case you want to give it a try.

Busy? or Not...

The past 2 weeks have been a SOB (sorry, just couldn't find a better way to express my intense antagonism toward the piles of readings I had to go thru). I don't know how I did it but my crazy exam weeks have finally come to a pause...but will resume in another month. How did I manage to take 2 exams, 2 quizzes, 1 research proposal, and 4 homework assignments AND still keep up with my TV schedule (15 hours a week) , I DON"T KNOW. I am just glad it's over. Wait, I still have another quiz tomorrow and another homework assignment due on Friday. Crap!

Enough with the sad part of grad school. The happy thing is, I just got an offer for an RA position. That means I either will have to quit my TA position now and take the 11-month appointment RA position or do both and get paid more. The research is on modeling a particular watershed to assess the impact of land-based pollution to coastal areas. Very interesting and I can actually do a thesis on it. OR I can do 2 projects and my thesis will be on establishing a soild connection of nitrogen runoff as a possible vector for the spread of FP in sea turtles. Hmmm...well, now I am going to lunch to enjoy the little and precious free time I have before I have to write my report on forest ecosystems. Food...................

I've gone loco

This is a picture of mini angelpoo. Itsn't she weird looking but otherwise a creative piece of art work? HappyOblivion gave me an avocado seed so I decided to fancy it up. I drew some eyes and the mouth is carved by accident when he took the seed out from the fruit. HappyOblivion gave me weird looks when I showed him my new friend...he ran away :(

This is exactly what happens when I study too much, I go crazy. Back to the books...

Aji Ichiban

If you love Asian snacks, go to Aji Ichiban. I went crazy when my parents brought home some snacks from the Hong Kong store. As usual, I ate everything they brought back and I had to find the same store in San Francisco. Prices were more expensive in the U.S. so I didn't buy too much. After I moved to Hawaii, I thought I would never see that store again. Just 2 nights ago, I found Aji Ichiban in the shopping plaza we happened to eat dinner at and I was so HAPPI! The prices were cheaper and the selection was great. I bought so much and I am planning to go once a week to fill up my snack cabinet. These snacks are not the usual chips and fatty fattening oily junk food. These are the yummy crackers, dried squid, salty n' sour plums, candy that makes you jump off the floor kind of snacks. In a sense, they are less fatty so more healthy...at least I don't feel guilty eating them. Anyway, this is the website: http://www.ajiichiban-usa.com/.

Wallace & Gromit

Don't forget to watch on opening day!

Results: 5K Run

It was a disaster! We were both late to the race because people wouldn't move on freakin' Kalakua!!! Then there were all these cops taking up the entire road. So we didn't hit the starting line until 22 minutes later. Even worse was we had to RUN to get to the race because we parked very far away. So we were tired by the time we got there. I am happy that we didn't finish last. My official time was 52:27. Subtract 22 minutes so that would be 30:27. Hey, not bad for my first 5K. It was only 27 seconds over my goal. I am proud and I will run another 5K maybe....in another year or so. For now, I will eat and play some Katamari.

Niketown 5K Run

Tomorrow is the day, my first 5K run. I ran about 5K a week ago and it was not very fun. I almost died! My goal for tomorrow's run is to get up early enough so I make it to the run on time, ha ha ha! Well, second goal is to finish the run under 30 minutes. Not impossible but very challenging. Wish me luck.

Visit http://www.niketown5k.com/honolulu/ for more information on the Honolulu Niketown 5K Run.

Smallville

So, guess what I have been up to this past week aside from the 5 homework assignments and 2 exams I had. I was catching up on my Smallville episodes. Smallville has become my new favorite TV show and I have been watching the old Smallville episodes on ABC Family so I won't be clueless when watching the season premier. Call me an idiot but I had no idea Smallville is based on Superman. Can't blame me because I have never watched Superman. I don't think they had Superman in Hong Kong!!! Anyway, Clark Kent lost his powers in the season premier. So what's gonna happen next? I like him for his powers and now he is trying to ruin the show for me??? Crap...

Emmy's

I missed the Emmy's, how disappointing:( Well, I only wanted to see Lauren Graham in her beautiful outfits. I managed to find a picture of her from the Emmy's and yes, she looks elegant as always. Hmm...looks like she gained a little weight, but she still looks amazing. Who won best actress and actor by the way? What about best series? I can't believe I missed it for Family Guy (which was disgusting btw) and American Dad (also disgusting). For some reason, both shows had the same disgusting content, which I won't mention and am sure you know what I mean if you watched them last night.

Movie Review: The English Patient

"In Love, there are no boundaries."

Beautiful story and the quote is very well portrayed. This is an old movie and I didn't have the chance to watch it until yesterday. Now I understand why people thought the beginning was boring but the story is more intense after the 1st hour. Sad story indeed but their passion is so strong and so wonderful. It's amazing what love can do to a person. The movie is a bit long (3 hours) but it's worth my time.

TV Fanatic is BACK

I am so happy my life is back to normal again. For the past few summer months, my best friend has been on vacation. Now he is back with season premiers and new shows. Oh, I can't wait until next week when I sit in front of the TV for 3 hours each day, sippin' my wine cooler, eating cheetos and enjoying my favorite shows. In addtion to all those that I continue to watch (Gilmore Girls, SVU, Joey, Will & Grace, Crossing Jordan, One Tree Hill, Battlestar Galactica, MI5), I am planning to add a couple more, or at least watch a few to see if they interest me. The new additions are Living with Fran, Smallville, Prison Break, Numbers, 3 of the CSI series, and Supernatural. Living with Fran, Smallville, and Prison Break are for keeps but not sure of the others. Yes, I am a TV fanatic and thanks to HappyOblivion for that.

Let's talk about Gilmore Girls. I am so happy that Luke and Lorelai are engaged but this happiness won't last very long because I know they won't get married!!! If they did, everything will be happy happy joy joy and that's not what Gilmore Girls is about. It's a drama and bad things are bound to happen. I just hope their engagement last for at least until the end of this season.

We Love Katamari

September 20th is a very big day for me and all those Katamari fans out there! Katamari is back with new and improved characters, challenges, and graphics in We Love Katamari. I am soooo excited! Too bad the ugly King is still there. Anyhow, I heard the new Katamari has an option of team play, meaning 2 people rolling one katamari. So if you and your roommate never agree on stuff, don't choose him/her as your teammate for this game. Also, I saw some previews of this game and they have different looking katamari's. One was a huge sumo wrestler...so funny :) Well, I spent today cleaning up the TV shelfs to make room for this new game (I am so silly). If you want to learn more about Katamari, its website is http://katamari.namco.com/. Enjoy!

PS. I beat Katamari Damacy already. Haha, that 300m ball was huge!!!!!! I got to pick up roads, bridges, and islands!!! I told you sticking all of Honolulu on my katamari is possible! Oh and below is a picture of the King of Cosmos in Katamari. I told you he's weird looking.

Katamari Damacy

Ohhh, this game is addictive! Japanese people always come up with cutesy games that make people sit on the couch all day and play. Believe me, the concept of this game is very easy to understand. This king (who is really ugly and scary looking and wears a purple robe) did something wrong and accidentally destroys all the stars in space! He then orders the prince to carry this big adhesive ball (katamari) to Earth. His goal is to stick as much stuff as possible on the katamari and bring it back to the King. The King will then release it to space and make it a star. Easy right and somewhat stupid and weird. Just don't ask any questions. No matter how stupid this game may sound, it is driving me crazy! Doesn't this sound ridiculous, "I stay up all night trying to glue stuff on a ball so I can make it into a star." Yeah, even I laugh.

So the katamari...you have to start with little things and then work your way up. The katamari won't stick to big things at first. Let's talk about levels. First level is to make a 5m ball in 3 minutes. Second level is 10m in 5 minutes. I am at a level where I have 23 minutes to make a 300m ball. That is intense! Just 3 days ago (when I got the game) I was rolling this little dingky katamari trying to find pencils and erasers to stick to it. Now, my initial targets are fences and I end up with elephants and giant octopus on the katamari! Now you know why this is stupidly intense. I play so much now that when I take the bus to school, I stare at buildings and picture myself rolling the katamari, sticking all of Honolulu on it and bring back to space.

If that's not enough, let me tell you about the 2 player part. You can compete with your buddies in making the biggest katamari in the time alloted. If your katamari is bigger than your opponents, you can actually stick him/her onto your katamari! Isn't that great! The one thing I wish to do is to stick the stupid King onto the katamari. Why? Because whenever I fail to accomplish a level, he calls me names and say I am a failure. Then he tells me I am no good and sends me away to cry. It was his fault for destroying everything in space and I am just being nice to help him rebuild his kingdom.

Anyway, if you have PS2, BUY THIS GAME!

TAing

Hmmm...being a first time TA, I feel so much pressure just from grading papers. Imagine that! I thought it was just taking points off whenever I see a wrong answer. Well, it wasn't like that. The hardest part was figuring out how much points to take off. These assignments I am grading are really easy to get an A but I see papers that are so trashy that I don't think they even deserve a grade. Then there are those stupid math problems that all you have to do is show your work to get the full 10 points. My professor urged me to be lenient and not grade so hard and I am. Let's say a problem is worth 10 points and there are 5 problems to make 50 points. I see students answering half of the questions and they get only 25/50, THAT'S AN F!!! I feel so bad for flunking them that maybe....just maybe I can lower the bar and take off less points. Grrrr! What to do, what to do...

Oh and I caught 2 students with the same answers. That was the highlight of my day :) Not that I want the students to get zeros on their homework assignements. I just feel so smart and bright (for one second of my life...finally!).

Grad school

First 2 days of school, neither hectic nor carefree, just blah. Lines in the bookstore, lines to get an ID, lines to get a discounted bus pass (which is still a rip off), lines EVERYWHERE! So many classes to choose from with only 4 semesters to procrastinate. Most of those courses are only offered freakin' once a year! Then there are those stupid stupid stupid prerequisites. If you don't take this, you can't take this, it's best that you take this before you take this. Did I mention they are stupid? To avoid being on the waitlist, you register for 6 classes and drop as you go. So for the first week, you end up with 3 labs and 12 lectures to attend because you are STILL not sure whatcha wanna take. Then after the first week, you have to wait in that loooonnnnnnggggg line to return all the books you thought you needed. And...so you think your schedule is set right? Wait until the professors change the syllabus. If the syllabus is a contract between the students and the professors, why the heck do professors have the power to change the syllabus on a whim? Then at the end of the semester, you have 20 copies of the syllabus all with edits here and there. That's grad school. So, how's your life?

So True!

I hate Spongebob. Go Pig!!!

Calculators

For this Fall semester, I have to take an Experimental Biology course. The professor asks that students have an "electronic calculator" that does the following functions: built-in programs for calculating the mean, standard deviation, sum of squares, correlation, linear regression and calculation of new points. So what kind of calculator do I need, scientific or graphing? Do you have a recommendation as to which one I should get? I used to have an HP graphing calculator that's 5 years old...yeah, pretty old. Should I have that one shipped over from California or just buy one in Hawaii? I checked out the new ones and they are pretty advanced...full blown USB, memory, connection to PC, game options, etc... Please advise, anyone :)

Dream of loneliness

This morning I had a terrible dream, so terrible that I was in tears when I woke up. I was in San Jose, CA with my parents and sisters. I had just stepped in the house and saw them packing. Confused, I asked my mom where she is going. She said, "We are leaving but we don't know where we are going yet." "What about me?" I asked. She looked at the others and told me I had the choice to stay. I didn't know what to do so I returned to Hawaii to seek advice from HappyOblivion. When I entered the house, he was packing to leave as well. He also didn't know where he was going. I was very scared, confused, and frustrated because suddenly everyone that I cared for are leaving me. Then I woke up...

Homesick

Back in Honolulu today...I miss home sooooo much. I miss mom's cooking, fighting with dad for the TV, the funny things that my turtles do, my beautiful niece, my sisters' yummy cakes (and shopping), and my other sister's motherhood life (she is so much different, so tired but happy to be a mother and a sister). I slept 12 hours everyday, do nothing during the day, eat every 2 hours, watch TV at night. THIS is vacation! No worries, no responsibilities (la la land). I can't wait to go back again and be lazy.

Tomorrow I have orientation, school, work, blah..... :(

MonokuRo Boo

In addition to Kogepan, I also find these two pigs very adorable! When I went to Kinokuniya Bookstore today, I couldn't stop myself from buying at least one thing from this collection :) There wasn't much to choose from so I ended up buying a pen.

My niece

This is my niece and she's about 7 months old now. She is soooooo adorable! The one thing I notice about her is that her head is very big. Sometimes she bobbles her head everywhere and wacks me in the face. Oh! She loves to watch my pet turtles. One time at family dinner, we put her on a chair facing the turtles while the rest of the adults eat. Suddenly she started to yell and giggle. We all stared at her while she was talking to my turtles! I keep saying, "One day, she will become one of the greatest turtle researchers in the country. I wait for that day..."

We all know very well that she will be spoiled by everyone that loves her. Whenever the aunties go shopping, she usually gets the most stuff because she looks good in everything! I usually don't buy stuffed animal turtles for anyone (because I end up keeping them for myself) but I bought one for my niece. Watching her sleep is sooooo peaceful that it makes you fall asleep as well. Oh and you can never get mad at her for scratching you or pulling your hair because she is soooo innocent and beautiful.

Aeropostale

American Eagles and Pacific Sunwear are two of my favorite stores. I love the styles and the prices are decent. However, my family introduced me to a new store which has recently become one of my favorite places to shop. At Aeropostale, the prices are CHEAP and the styles are casual - great for daily wear. Shorts are $10, sweaters are $15, tanks and other tops are mostly $10. Since I began shopping at Aeropostale, I bought 2 pairs of shorts and 4 shirts. I anticipate another visit before I head back to the islands. The website doesn't do justice to the variety of clothing available at the store. If you are looking for non-work casual lounge-around kind of clothing, I suggest this place.

New Kitchen

Hallo! As some of you know, I am back at home with my parents. They have told me before that they remodeled the kitchen. However, I didn't know it was gonna look THIS nice! Looks like one of those on the Food Channel! So professional, with marble countertop, glass cabinets, lights inside AND below the cabinets, wooden flooring, huge sink, etc... It's like 100% makeover.