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...