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2002-06-03, 2:20 p.m.
julie asked a question on the message board: "these questions have been plaguing me since i graduated from college & now i pass them onto you: do you still hold the same ideals & interests as you did when you were a wee undergrad? do you consider yourself an activist? a sellout? how much of your beliefs do you incorporate into your day to day life after college? is it ok to maintain a 'normal' job and pursue other artist/activist-type interests after work? (eg: morgan stanley by day, communist party by night) are you still going to see shows? i am 24 and already starting to feel like i am to old to be going to shows, not to mention shop at delias and learn how to robot-dance. pretty soon i feel like i'll become part of society's fringe and my parents will be embarrassed to introduce me to their friends." firstly, i was much more idealistic in college. i thought i would be a high school teacher for urban youth. all my volunteer work surrounded that, and i almost finished an education minor. however, senior year, i realized that i could not realistically live in the bay area on a starting teacher's salary, pay off my student loans, and prepare for my parents' retirement (they'll need my help). i have an obligation to take care of my parents. they sacrificed everything and sold their retirement to fund my education as well as my brother's. it would be selfish of me not to take care of them in return. on $30k a year, it would not be possible. so now i'm a "corporate sellout" at a software company, but i'm slowly paying off my student loans and putting away money. my parents are older than most peoples' my age...most kids don't have to worry about their parents until 10-20 years down the line. i worry NOW. especially for my dad. and i don't do any activist work (anymore). but that's a whole other can of worms. i find that most (non-college) "activists" have wealthy parents. they still get allowances from their parents, their college educations have been paid in full, and they don't have to worry about their parents' financial future. i don't have the financial freedom to be a full-time "activist." my views are much more jaded these days, but i live in a reality where my parents depend on me, and i owe it to them to provide. they sacrificed 20 years for me. its the least i can do. i could definitely stand to do a little more volunteer work though.
This is interesting...I always wondered about that. I wonder if it will be allowed to stand, though. Separation of church and state in America does not exist--although theoretically, it's supposed to. Ya think the government would ever reprint all of the money in circulation? 'In God We Trust'? Here's another tidbit: We've only ever had one non-WASP president (who was later assassinated)...
i went bowling for the second time ever, last night. my goodness, i suck. and i've never felt as weak as i did last night--even the smallest ball was too heavy. two frames to go, i realized i was holding the ball wrong. it got infinitely lighter after that. luckykat has others listing their 25 most influential books. i can't list 25 influential books, as that would require a lot of thought. and i'd inevitably list the wrong books or omit some that i've forgotten about (i have terrible recall). however, i will rattle off the top of my head a few books that i can always recall as favorites: The Count of Monte Cristo, Edgar Dumas
The Catcher in the Rye, J.D. Salinger
In the Time of the Butterflies, Julia Alvarez
The Autobiography of Malcolm X most books i've read influence me in one way or another...but some books, despite having a terrible memory, i never forget.
Had dinner with a friend last night at Harris' (corner of Van Ness & Pacific) for J's bday. The bartender was great...and when we sat down, the server was nice. Started with the oysters, which weren't very good. They were scrawny and chewy--I like mine plump. And twice, I thought my oyster had a pearl--turns out, they just didn't shuck them very cleanly. I had the Filet Mignon Rossini (with Foie Gras and Black Truffle Cabernet Sauce), and J and friend both had the Harris (New York)...those were all delicious. American appetites sicken me though. All three of us were totally full after our dinner...All the tables around us were polishing off gigantic salads, steak dinner plates, and then eating rounds of dessert. No wonder Americans are so obese.
i'm addicted to crazy taxi. good news, is that crazy taxi 3 is coming out for the xbox...set in VEGAS!
the friday five: 1. Do you live in a house, an apartment or a condo? house 2. Do you rent or own? neither. J's mom moved back to Taiwan, so we're the caretakers. 3. Does anyone else live with you? Yup. J-- and my friend lives upstairs. 4. How many times have you moved in your life? eleven--most of them within the past five years. 5. What are your plans for this weekend? J's birthday, so its up to him. * * * i'm really enjoying beto's journal. it makes me miss the freedom i had in college. i need to use my camera more often. i was reminiscing with my cousin yesterday about our childhood. we didn't have a lot of money, but damn, we had a lot of fun. and to this day, its a great source of laughter at how poor we were back then and how far our families have come since. it makes me feel old to even think this, but i marvel at the differences between just one generation. as children, 10 of us shared and took turns with just two old ten speeds--both bought for no more than $5 at garage sales. until i was 12, the bikes were always too tall for me, but i rode them anyway. my niece, on the other hand, has two power wheels, which she doesn't have to share with anyone. for her birthday, her parents rent one of those astro jump things. and all of her clothes have never been worn by anyone else. but really, i'm only a little bit jealous. mostly, i love thinking back about how my cousins and i used to spend our summer hours making paper boats to float in (self-made) puddles (which we'd inevitably get into trouble for wasting water). how we'd spend all day taking turns with the bike riding around the block. how each august, i shared a birthday cake with one of my cousins--poundcake, cool whip, and m&m's. how we used to play hide and go seek in the dark--cuz it was more fun that way. how every summer, we packed everyone into the station wagons--kids in the back (this was before seatbelt laws) and take over 3-4 campsites for 2 weeks. how every saturday morning, we'd spend going from garage sale to garage sale--buying puzzles that inevitably had a piece missing and toys that the rich kids were tired of playing with. how my grandma used to pay us kids 10-cents for every hundred rocks we picked from her garden (and how we now suspect she always threw the rocks back in so that we'd be occupied the next day). after we each made 50-cents, we'd immediately run down the street to 7-11 for candy. how my grandpa, every once in a long while, would give the older cousins $20 to run out and buy us a bucket of KFC--a rare treat. we were crowded, and we really didn't have much, but damn, summers were fun. i used to envy those who grew up with material privilege. but in retrospect, i love the way i grew up. i have a hard time understanding privilege--it always seems like the kids that have it can't appreciate it.
when i was younger, my piano teacher was so overweight, she'd take up almost the entire piano bench, leaving probably only 5-6 inches for me to perch on. as a courtesy, whenever she flew, she'd always buy two seats. it was more comfortable for her, since one seat was too small, and it was just more considerate to the person who would otherwise be seated next to her. i don't see anything discriminatory about this. if you're going to take up two seats, you should pay for two seats.
saw a sneak for minority report last night. it was interesting, although i'm not sure steven spielberg should have directed it. the last two minutes was cheap. if you bought into the matrix and liked it, then you'll like this movie. if you think the whole concept of the matrix is bogus, you won't like this movie.
so much for saving money...i bought more underwear from victoria's secret dot com yesterday. i also bought plane tickets to vegas. and tonight, i'll most likely put ringside k-1 tickets on my card too. oh well. what's the use of having money if you can't spend it, right? i'm also coveting these jeans. unfortunately, they aren't made for us short-legged people. And I hate spending additional money on alterations. Saved me $60, I guess.
yesterday, at the gym, they gave me a mouthpiece. now people can punch me in the face and my teeth won't fall out. great. last night, J & I went grocery shopping at the new Albertson's that opened in the new strip mall by our house. GODDAMN that place is gimongous! It made me think of something my British friend said to me on Saturday: "Whenever we have visitors from England, we always take them to Costco to show them all the gluttonous Americans grabbing at their 5 lbs of goldfish and 200 rolls of toilet paper." The coldstone also just opened. Hooray!
(some pictures from the $1 A's game) just installed mozilla. i like the tab features. but i just realized it makes my webpage look all wonky with that random purple text. oh well. i'm not going to try to figure out why.
On Saturday, I woke up late and headed straight to the gym. When I got there, they told me to put on shinguards�I was going to spar with one of the instructors. They�ve been trying to get me to do this for months, but I didn�t feel I was ready. I spent four rounds getting beat up, and then three rounds grappling/wrestling with him (i.e., getting thrown around the ring). It was so much fun! Usually, I don�t spar with the instructors (I just hit the pads) and despite virtually getting my ass kicked for 7 rounds, it felt great. It feels good to kick something (someone) real, although it doesn't feel that great to get hit in return. Sunday morning, I woke up SOOOOO sore. My shoulders, triceps, and abs are still burning today. I guess that�s what I get for trying to wrestle with someone who weighs 50 pounds more than me. I have some minor strawberries and bruises, but I�m looking forward to sparring again. He wants me to fight, but there�s no way in hell. I don�t have the hunger for it and I like my face. Saturday afternoon, I made spicy gumbo-laya for our monthly cousins (Cajun this month) potluck dinner. I used chorizo instead of hot links, and it came out great! I got a lot of compliments on the dish (go to Trader Joe�s for a good deal on scallops), and the leftovers also taste great. I also whipped up some beignets (dusted with powdered sugar) for J's pre-birthday dessert and got my fill of oysters (cheap from Costco!). My cousins are awesome, and I really enjoy our monthly (food-themed) potlucks. I�m so glad our kitchen is back in working order. I love cooking. Chopping, stirring, and listening to cooking music (usually jazz, classical, or Cuban) with the windows open and a great view of the bay is very relaxing way to spend a Saturday afternoon. Sunday, I bought a lot of underwear and bras at the Victoria�s secret sale, even though I�m supposed to be better now at saving my money. But a girl does need bras and underwear. Went home for Father�s Day and had 4 hot vit lon before eating a big bowl of noodles. After that, I headed home and was looking forward to watching the USA vs. Mexico match (I always cheer for the underdog). Unfortunately, I don�t get reception on Channel 14, and despite all the tinfoil in the house, I couldn�t get good reception. Darnit! So instead, I dyed my hair beyond cherry. And it is BRIGHT! Man, where was this product when I was trying to get my hair this bright in high school? Unlike other hairdyes, this product also smells great. I�m going to keep it like this for a while, and when I get tired of it, dye it dark again and go back to highlights. I like the texture that highlights adds to my hair.
last night, j and i went to Fonda on Solano. I was in the mood for oysters, and this was the closest place we could think of. I also had a delicious Mojito while we shared sauteed mushrooms with cream, rack of lamb, seared top sirloin with some sort of enchilada, coconut flan, and manchego cheese with guava preserve. It was very good, although we only go here once in a while since they're small plates and rather expensive. Don't go here if you're hungry--go if you want tasty bites. I've been craving a lot of oysters lately. I've also been getting increasingly lactose intolerant. Sad. Every month, my cousins and I get together for a themed potluck dinner. In the past, we've had French, Mediterranean...uhhh I forget. This Saturday is Creole/Cajun night. I'll be making Spicy Gumbo-Laya...also on the menu: Hush Puppies with Catfish, Oysters Florentine (YUM!), Beer Grilled Corn/Artichoke, BBQ Ribs, Cheesecake, Beignets, Mint Juleps, Beer, and Wine. Hooray! I'm a fatty. Summer, BBQ, and cousin get-togethers make me happy. Oh yes, I'm going to New Orleans in July. I'm going to melt, but I don't care! Oysters, jambalaya, beer, and gumbo--here I come!
Sunday is Father's Day. I'm going home for some hot vit lon (aka balut) and bun thang. yum.
last month, i bought some terry cloth shorts from the girl's department at target. they're pantone 299 (aqua blue) with white piping. i love them, and i look forward to lounging in a wife beater and these shorts all summer long...why can't it always be summer? haven't worked out consistently the past 3 weeks...i almost died yesterday.
i'm excited. and even though i don't get a 3 month vacation, it's still summer. why can't it always be summer?
while in vegas last weekend, we went asian cheapie-stylee and crammed everyone into one hotel room. it made me smile when j's friend pointed out that the two of us sleep like puzzle pieces. one of my cousins got married this weekend. what a headache. long story short...there is some dirty business going on in my bedroom (at my parents house)--and it ain't me. yuck.
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