Continuously Edited List

Things I will miss about Socal:

Good boba
Yoga studio that I go to regularly
Sunny Octobers and Novembers
Cheap and delicious Asian food

My Run-in With Karma

Today I went to return the rental car I used for my Norcal trip. On the way there, I struck a curb and blew the front left tire. It was really bad. Like, really, really bad. The hubcap popped off and the tire went flat instantly. I was like, did I really just do that? I drove this car over 800 miles for 6 days and right when I reach the front door of the car rental office to return it, my driving incompetency exposes itself? I was really glad no one else was there with me, because it was so embarrassing. But most of all, I was like, aw damnit, I'm going to have to pay major damage fees.

I told the guy inside what happened and after laughing his ass off, he gave me a quote of $160. It was almost double my rental fee, but I guess it could have been worse. I was getting ready to pay it, when he printed the invoice and showed it to me. I looked at it and was confused. The damage fees weren't included in the total. I asked him where they were and he told me not to worry about it. I was like, whoaaaaaa. REALLY?!?! This is the luckiest day of my life!

Well, the actual reason is because when I first went to pick up the rental a few days ago, I gave this couple a ride home who couldn't get a ride from the rental company because they had returned their car past opening hours. The guy thought it was nice that I did that, so he waived my fees.

I am now a believer in karma. And I will never run over another curb again.

Gap, Uniqlo, Fire & Ice

I've been wanting to post this for a while but forgot it was on my desktop. I thought it was interesting.

Uniqlo was just about the only store I would shop at in China's department stores because they sold stuff I thought I might actually wear back in the States. Everything else usually was too...exotic for my taste.

I'm going to listen to Kaskade's new album now. Sooooooooo happy I got my hands on it!

Real Life Beats Shakespeare's Tragic Irony

"The key to a happier world is the growth of compassion. We do not need to become religious, nor do we need to believe in an ideology. All that is necessary is for each of us to develop our good human qualities."--The Dalai Lama

How appropriate I came across this quote as I recently read a story about a little girl in China being hit by two trucks and having no less than 18 people heartlessly passing by her before a scrap peddler lady pulled her off the street.

This tragic story demonstrates the ills of humans on so many levels.
1) How are you going to pass a completely helpless human being, without a soul in sight to help her, and pretend like you didn't even see them? She's paralyzed, lying in the middle of the street. She...was...fucking...run...over. By a truck. A two year old. What if it was your kid? Would you pay attention then?
2) How are you going to sit behind your computer, like the asshole coward you are, and post shit things like this woman only saved the child because she wanted to gain financially from doing it? WOW, masters of cynicism, where are you? You guys have got the act down, perfect 10. Don't hide like a coward behind a computer screen posting disgusting comments like that. Not only would you never, NEVER have the balls to commit a courageous act like that, you probably don't have balls, period. They probably were cut off and shoved into your mouth and that's why you're so bitter.
3) When did it become human nature to do a cost-benefit analysis before helping someone desperately in need?

Some arguments have been brought in that I think are just bullshit.
1) Lack of a "good samaritan" law that protects rescuers, because in China there have been incidents where people passing by tried to help old ladies who had fallen and then later got sued because the victim accused them of causing the injury. Because of these incidents people in China are hesitant to help others in need for fear they might get their asses sued.
2) This utilitarian culture that has been pervasive in China since the onset of economic reforms. Values that teach people to pursue pure material gain and take on a utilitarian mindset. Everything is cost-benefit. There is no such thing as altruism. In fact, it's considered a sign of weakness.
I don't deny the two are complicating factors. But when it comes down to it, I can't imagine any mentality as an alternative to instinctively wanting to help a person you see who desperately, unequivocally, absolutely needs your help. If they don't get your help, they will die. If that's not enough for you to intervene, then what is? Don't give bullshit reasons. Either do the right thing, or don't. This is a basic decision that should appeal to your conscience if you are HUMAN. Not if you are Chinese or American. If. you. are. human.

Wow, shit. New low. My faith in humankind to do the most basic, decent thing like save a badly injured, helpless 2 year old toddler can't even be satisfied. Each time I think I discover the rock bottom of the dark side of humankind, nope. It has this ever-expanding quality, like the universe. Just...shit.

In My Quest To Find a Roommate(s)

If someone tells you they are drama-free and/or easygoing and repeatedly emphasizes it, don't believe them. Real drama-free and easygoing people don't work that hard to prove a point.

Oink Oink

Awwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww.

***Update*** After I watched Contagion eating pork just made me feel bad. How can delicious meat come from such adorable creatures? Maybe it is time to start cutting out the pig from my diet.

Meet The Dog With Multiple Names

We adopted Mocha/An An from the Baldwin Park Animal Shelter last week and she has been making nice progress adjusting to a home where 4 people want to spoil her rotten.

I like dark corners and tight spaces because I'm emo.

Sometimes I'm happy when I get to sit in someone's lap.

I wanted to give her a name that non-Chinese people would recognize. Unfortunately my mom already had a name picked out. Who the heck knows what An An means? Or even how to pronounce it? Ann? Ahn? So I have covertly been referring to this beloved doggie as Mocha, but I think I am losing the battle because she only responds to the name my mom gave her. Blah.

I'm glad we got her now because I think if we had adopted a puppy any earlier, we inevitably would have kept comparing her to Nina. Our puppy deserves its own relationship with us and I think that's happening. And though I am totally in love with this dog, Nina will always have her own place in my heart. And now under my right shoulder blade, because I got her paw tattooed on me. It's still healing, but it already looks lovely.

Truer Words Have Never Been Spoken

This video reminded me of why I have a passionate distaste for "law enforcement" and police authority.

"Civil disobedience is not our problem. Our problem is civil obedience. Our problem is that people all over the world have obeyed the dictates of leaders…and millions have been killed because of this obedience…Our problem is that people are obedient all over the world in the face of poverty and starvation and stupidity, and war, and cruelty. Our problem is that people are obedient while the jails are full of petty thieves… (and) the grand thieves are running the country. That’s our problem."--Howard Zinn

Some people just don't get it. The ones who talk about the protesters as do-nothings, troublemakers, lazy bums. They are the ones showing their faces, protesting in solidarity, speaking with a voice that has gone unheard for too long. If not civil disobedience, then what? What other means to cast off the forces that oppress? It is human nature to react against things that are trying to harm you. If someone is coming at you with a weapon with intention to hurt, you're not going to put your arms up in defense and fight back?

The Movement Has Gone Global

New York.
Brussels.
Stockholm.
London.
Madrid.
Rome.
Zurich.
Hong Kong.
Seoul.
Taipei.
Tokyo.

I wonder what the Chinese authorities are thinking.

I can't figure this out! I hate puzzles =(

Foodie Monster on the Loose

The closer I get to leaving LA the more places I find that I want to try. Pizza bars, Italian market/restaurants, vegan Japanese food, Korean food...Korean food! I know there's Korean food in Norcal, but Ktown just rocks. At least I'll get my fill of Vietnamese food in Norcal.

Look at this menu. LOOK AT IT. IT HAS OVER 100 DIFFERENT FLAVORS. I hope it's someone's birthday soon so I have an excuse to buy a dozen of these.

My all time favorite dessert will still be the ice cream mochi I had in Shanghai. Omgomgomgomgrarrrrrnomnomnomnom. If working in Norcal doesn't pan out, I think I will open one of these stores in LA somewhere. I think there is a market for it.

The 99 Percent

There are days when things just come to mind and I have post after post. This is one of those days.

You have to look at this.

This one made me tear up.

I'm fortunate enough to have parents who would ultimately "save" me if I didn't have a job and/or was riddled with debt. Other people are not so lucky. And even my mom and dad, who worked their asses off for over 30 years, have saved up barely enough to retire in decency. They did everything right--worked hard, saved up money like no other (you know the Asian money-saving ethic). I have never, ever seen them spend frivolously. Even so, they've had precarious situations in the past. Failed business. Layoff. Losing money in investments. If my parents have done all this, and are only what I would consider satisfactorily middle class, what about countless other Americans who faced more severe financial and life hardships and obstacles?

Meanwhile, we have our government fighting each other like mad dogs, GOP candidates catering to batshit crazy political parties, and claiming to fight the good fight for the little guy, when in reality they allow these atrocious amounts of money to serve things like "severance pay" for CEOs while attacking regulations that are supposed to keep reckless financial institutions in check. The little guy, who needs the most help, is the one working more than he's sleeping (literally, because the US has the longest working hours of any industrialized country), while simultaneously seeing their income stay the same or decline, seeing his cost of living go up, yet feeling completely helpless about all this because what else can he do but rely on this paycheck to get by? Fed up but voiceless. He wants to stick it to the man, but the man has a monopoly on his lifeline. And the man has allies. They're in the government.

This is why I don't like thinking about the future too much. It dampens the optimism I have left for myself and life because when I am daring enough to look far forward, my positive spirit encounters gloominess.

Listen to those people occupying Wall Street and our city halls. They are speaking for YOU.

A Disturbing Realization

I really like David Guetta, but I realized the reason I've had this inexplicable vibe of creepiness from him is because he kind of reminds me of my ex-boyfriend...

Oh well, as long as I can pay attention to NOTHING BUT THE BEAT.

Yup.

It's Happening!

Official departure date for Norcal: November 14!! It's a little anti-climatic though, because the week after I'll be going back to LA for Thanksgiving.

The Freaking Huge Canyon

This thing is huge! It shouldn't be called the Grand Canyon. It should be called...like...the Freaking Huge Canyon. --Dutch guy we met at the Grand Canyon 

I fucking hiked the Grand Canyon this weekend. Excuse my unusual vulgarity, but it's mild compared to the other thoughts that were running through my head as I ascended seemingly endless miles and miles of uphill switchbacks on one hour of sleep and a backpack filled with way too much freaking food. I seriously think yoga saved me. If I hadn't been practicing regularly I don't think I would have had the physical and mental capacity to finish that hike. It was such an amazing experience in the sense that I didn't think I'd be able to love and hate something so much at the same time. Now that the adrenaline and searing sensations in my legs have faded, I feel more love. It's so wondrous when you take that view all in and realize how small you are. A literal metaphor reminding me to look at the bigger picture. Humbling.

We caught sunrise on the Bright Angel Trail.

At this point I was wondering how the hell I would make it back up later.

Longest 4.5 miles of my LIFE.

But it was worth it.

Ohhh

While looking for housing on Craigslist I kept coming across 420 friendly. I love the internet. Answer at fingertips. Don't judge.

Ew

Omg I am such a horrible person. Why am I such a petty bitch?

I hate myself ughhhhhhhhhh

Visionary

"Your work is going to fill a large part of your life, and the only way to be truly satisfied is to do what you believe is great work. And the only way to do great work is to love what you do...If you haven't found it yet, keep looking. Don't settle. As with all matters of the heart, you'll know when you find it. And, like any great relationship, it just gets better and better as the years roll on." -Steve Jobs, Stanford University Commencement Speech, 2005

The funny thing about death is, you don't truly realize what an impact the person made until they've gone and left this world. If Steve Jobs could see the deep imprint he's left in people's minds and in this world, how would he feel? I didn't really think about what an amazing person he was until today. Having cancer is a difficult ordeal to deal with even when you commit all your time to battling it. Steve Jobs battled it while rolling out the iPhone and iPad. And he did all of it with so much dedication until the very end, even the most cynical critics of him and Apple can't help but acknowledge that he truly was a great thinker, inventor, and man.

Many people throw out advice at a dime a dozen, but Steve Jobs did it. He did great work he was proud of. He didn't settle. Even when other people didn't believe in Apple, and even when people criticized Apple for being too corporate, too expensive, too branded, too this, and too that, he truly believed in what he was making. He truly believed in the quality, the value, the greatness of it all. I honestly believe that if he had been driven by profits, and not the genuine desire to create a great product he could be proud of, Apple would have tanked already. I am so humbled by him, and his passing once again reminds me that I should always strive to be a better person. Thank you, Mr Jobs, for giving me the words and ultimate example to believe in myself.

Not Talking Much?

This was yesterday.
Dad: Your mom never does anything around the house anymore. She's always out. That's probably where you get it from.

Today
Mom: Your dad does his own thing whenever he has his day off. Unlike me. I've been all around the house today!

This is the reason why whenever I want to tell them something I have to say it twice, once to each person, because they won't tell each other.

Perpetual Vacation

Some people still think I'm in China. I suppose maybe I shouldn't have announced the news so quickly when I first thought I was going. =.=

Well, life has been how it is now for the past, hm, about 3 months now, so even thinking about moving next month seems a little unreal. Although I'm excited to start working I think I will miss a lot of things. Like, having an open schedule, and drinking a lot of boba with my friends, and having all this time to read and blog and write Yelp reviews, and just thinking about things like why the universe is always expanding. I'll also miss sleeping until 10 AM. At the same time I know I'm very much in my comfort zone right now, and I won't grow unless I'm put into spaces and places that challenge me.

My friend told me about this amazing HDR photo blog, Stuck in Customs by Trey Ratcliff, today. I don't know anything about photography, but I know a gorgeous picture when I see one. The only standard I have is whether looking at a picture makes me want to go to that place (in the case of scenic photography, which is my personal favorite). If it does, then to me it's a good picture.

Bay Area. Excellent!

Wowwwwww. Pre-IFC days.

LA will always be home <3

Crazy beautiful.