tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2842513062822097432024-02-20T15:03:37.115-08:00The World's Worst NovelThe World's Worst Novel, created with the purpose of enlightening the world of an alternate reality that exists somewhere out there.
<p>The Original still exists in it's former glory, and this only serves as a city in that place... <br>a place where the past and future exist as one.joeshenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11193326871497644982noreply@blogger.comBlogger24125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-284251306282209743.post-4958257592911995282009-05-19T09:54:00.000-07:002009-05-19T10:05:43.311-07:00Epiphany<span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:arial;">Now that I think about it, I really haven't updated this thing in a long while.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">Though, for some strange reason, both the Wordpress & Xanga get updated almost on a bi-weekly (or monthly) basis. I suppose that my reasoning for this blog was to make a place for "thoughtful" blogging; the discussion of everyday happenings through great detailing and what not. Now that I look at it, that didn't pan out too well.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">How did this break down? Well, looking back at it...</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">The Wordpress blog started out of a necessity to get out all the stuff that was on my mind. You know what I'm talking about, the whole "What if" scenarios, all the things that require more than 1 minute of actual thinking time... the things that made you sit there, stare into space like a retarded monkey staring at the best-looking banana out there like it was some sort of demi-god of fruit.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">The Xanga was the original, it was the Crappy Novel that existed with the Worst Novel of them all, a place where if soemthing interesting, funny, or the everyday mind-stupidity that occured... that's where that went.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">... which leaves here. What is this blog really for, now that I've gotten a chance to actually sit down and 'think' about it. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">... it was for more-thoughtful blogging. The details of everyday life that can be explained more in detail than Xanga but not thought-provoking like in Wordpress; the middle-ground of blogs, so to speak. I guess it's just that nothing good ever occurs in this middle ground; hell, most of it can be explained through the stupidity of my Xanga... it was just a daily occurence that needed no time to go into detail about.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">Yep, this was exactly why this blog was created... to discuss in detail about life without having to think too much about it.</span><br /></span>joeshenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11193326871497644982noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-284251306282209743.post-68422193970091453472009-02-27T23:59:00.000-08:002009-04-12T23:46:48.243-07:00A Road Less Traveled<span style="font-family: arial;font-size:85%;" class="Apple-style-span" ><span class="Apple-style-span">Well, here I am...</span></span><div style="font-family: arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:85%;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><br /></span></span></div><div style="font-family: arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:85%;"><span class="Apple-style-span">I still find it amazing that I'm in this precarious situation, seeing as how I never expected to be in this position. I find it amazing that despite all my mess-ups, despite all my hesitation, despite my inability to go and just "say it" that I actually... went through with it.<br /></span></span></div><div style="font-family: arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:85%;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><br /></span></span></div><div style="font-family: arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:85%;"><span class="Apple-style-span">I'm amazed at today... The shear irony, the multiple coincidences, and the general epic-ness of it all.</span></span></div><div style="font-family: arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:85%;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><br /></span></span></div><div style="font-family: arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:85%;"><span class="Apple-style-span">... because through it all, something amazing happened. ^^-b</span></span></div>joeshenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11193326871497644982noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-284251306282209743.post-47522163284483840492009-02-12T23:52:00.000-08:002009-03-22T17:01:33.255-07:00The List, Again<span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:arial;">Alright, so last year I made a note, and this year I decided to make another note. I always did wonder who would win, and this year it goes to Jane, of all people. Now </span><i style="font-family: arial;">that</i><span style="font-family:arial;"> I wasn't expecting. Anyway, the list begins.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"> 1. 9:50am [on the 11th] - Jane</span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"> 1. 12:10am - Krystina</span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"> 2. 12:23am - Anthony</span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"> 3. 9:03am - Kassi</span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"> 4. 9:28am - Lisette</span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"> 5. 9:42am - Hana</span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"> 6. 10:08am - Mabel</span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"> 7. 10:37am - Howard</span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"> 8. 10:53am - Marilyn</span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"> 9. 11:19am - Anne</span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"> 10. 11:21am - Franco</span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"> 11. 11:24am - Kurt, Jazz, and Wade</span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"> 12. 12:37pm - Vi</span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"> 13. 1:33pm - Mom</span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"> 14. 1:34pm - Wayne</span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"> 15. 5:55pm - Lisa, Thomas, Sean</span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"> 16. 6:44pm - Emily Shen</span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"> 17. 6:50pm - Emily Hong!</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"> Not as big, but it's all good. ^^-b Thanks you guys.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"> Edit: Friday, Feb. 14th - The Apple Family. ^^-b</span></span>joeshenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11193326871497644982noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-284251306282209743.post-52841947789813447412009-01-28T03:56:00.000-08:002009-02-03T13:35:52.945-08:00It's About That Time...<span style="font-family: arial;font-size:85%;" ><span><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span">Yeah, it's about that time again where I think about what it means to be another year older. It's not yet, but it's coming, which is still kind of awkward. Unlike many others, I don't really like to celebrate my birthday. It's just another day in my opinion, so I never make much of a big deal out of it. It's one of those things where I've come to accept, who knows why.<br /><br />This year, in preparation for the event to come, I've decided to list things that I want. It's a tentative list, simply because I figure by the end of the year I'll have managed to get all of them (I recall posting something similar to this at the beginning of the year; I think it was my resolution that I would at least try to get one of those things by the end of the year). So, with that, let's begin this list.<br /><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;">1. Nikon D60<br /></span>Yes, I've thought this one through fairly well. I want a "decent" high end camera that will allow me to take some awesome photos. Having said that, I've also already decided to buy it. Donations to contribute to this awesomeness are very welcome.</span></span></span></span><div style="font-family: arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=";font-size:85%;" ><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><br /></span></span></span></div><div style="font-family: arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=";font-size:85%;" ><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;">2. An iPod Touch (16gb)</span></span></span></span></div><div style="font-family: arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=";font-size:85%;" ><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span">I'm slowly working on this one, simply because I should hope that I still get to use my discount (provided first that my job is still intact at that point), but I've decided on an iPod Touch over the iPod Nano simply because it has more functionality, and I like functionality.</span></span></span></div><div style="font-family: arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=";font-size:85%;" ><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><br /></span></span></span></div><div style="font-family: arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=";font-size:85%;" ><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;">3. Money</span></span></span></span></div><div style="font-family: arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=";font-size:85%;" ><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span">What more can a semi-broke college guy ask for?</span></span></span></div><div style="font-family: arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=";font-size:85%;" ><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><br /></span></span></span></div><div style="font-family: arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=";font-size:85%;" ><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;">4. Just Relaxing</span></span></span></span></div><div style="font-family: arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=";font-size:85%;" ><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span">To be honest, I would rather just spend a day hanging out with everybody I know and relive the moments that made me enjoy my life. Seeing as how my friends are always around me, I always enjoy life. In that sense I just want to spend some more time.</span></span></span></div><div style="font-family: arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=";font-size:85%;" ><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><br /></span></span></span></div><div style="font-family: arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=";font-size:85%;" ><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;">5. Notes</span></span></span></span></div><div style="font-family: arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=";font-size:85%;" ><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span">Whether it be notes for a class I can really use them for or just something random (the ones Joselyn and Joanna always gave me were intriguing), it's always fun to read those.</span></span></span></div><div style="font-family: arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=";font-size:85%;" ><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><br /></span></span></span></div><div style="font-family: arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=";font-size:85%;" ><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;">6. Just because I need 6.</span></span></span></span></div><div style="font-family: arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=";font-size:85%;" ><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span">In my opinion, it's just my lucky number. Who knows why... Naturally I just had to post this up because I want to put it up there. ^^-b</span></span></span></div><div style="font-family: arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=";font-size:85%;" ><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><br /></span></span></span></div><div style="font-family: arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=";font-size:85%;" ><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span">So with that, I'm done. ^^-b</span></span></span></div>joeshenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11193326871497644982noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-284251306282209743.post-61083662685590981472009-01-04T00:34:00.000-08:002009-01-04T00:46:35.030-08:00New Year, Same Blog<span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:arial;">It's been awhile (a long while at that) since I've had some sort of intelligent "post" on here, so I figure why not start another one in the new year (minus the whole "Happy New Years" post, because in hindsight that doesn't really count).</span><br /><br /></span><span style="font-weight: bold;font-family:arial;font-size:100%;" >A Few Things I Can't Wrap my Head Around</span><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /><a style="font-family: arial;" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_m06MdVj2ZIA/SWB1hVWsmtI/AAAAAAAAC4c/lRPMzNeE9Xw/s1600-h/DSC00279.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_m06MdVj2ZIA/SWB1hVWsmtI/AAAAAAAAC4c/lRPMzNeE9Xw/s400/DSC00279.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5287355178061437650" border="0" /></a><span style="font-family:arial;">I never quite understood the real concept behind "Happy Hour." I know that it's a good thing when prices for popular things are cheaper (drinks usually), but yet if it's "Happy Hour" then why the hell is it more than an hour? The biggest culprit to this oblivious fact as far as I've seen is T.G.I. Fridays, which has not one but TWO different times for "Happy Hour."</span><br /><br /><a style="font-family: arial;" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_m06MdVj2ZIA/SWB1hnI3DgI/AAAAAAAAC4k/YtiCJ-DdYXU/s1600-h/DSC00297.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_m06MdVj2ZIA/SWB1hnI3DgI/AAAAAAAAC4k/YtiCJ-DdYXU/s400/DSC00297.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5287355182835240450" border="0" /></a><span style="font-family:arial;">Ok, so this one I hit up at a Whole Food's market. What in the world would you consider a natural meat? If the stuff at Whole Food's is "natural meat" then what the hell have we been buying at normal supermarkets? Maybe we'll never find out...</span><br /><br /></span><span style="font-weight: bold;font-family:arial;font-size:100%;" >Working Life</span><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">It'll soon mark the quarter-mark since I've started working at Apple (which, if anybody "actually" knows me, is a feat in itself), I have to say that I've learned some new things in life. On top of meeting way too many new people (and surprisingly a lot of them know me in some kooky way too), it's really been a lot more fun than I thought it originally be. Perhaps it's a different atmosphere or the people (I'd say it's the people really), and maybe I'll never find out the true secret...</span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">----------</span><br /></span><span style="font-weight: bold;font-family:arial;font-size:100%;" >Some thanks:</span><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /><a style="font-family: arial;" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_m06MdVj2ZIA/SWB1hz9X4EI/AAAAAAAAC4s/wRv5Or1J5D8/s1600-h/Snapshot_20081230_1.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_m06MdVj2ZIA/SWB1hz9X4EI/AAAAAAAAC4s/wRv5Or1J5D8/s400/Snapshot_20081230_1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5287355186276720706" border="0" /></a><span style="font-family:arial;">While the picture itself is a bit blurry (in part to stupid lighting and the fact that the camera was from a laptop), the message is still clear.</span><br /><br /></span><span style="font-weight: bold;font-family:arial;font-size:100%;" >Thanks Mabel! ^^-b</span><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">Well hey, not bad... maybe somebody will read it! ahaha. That's all for now.</span></span>joeshenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11193326871497644982noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-284251306282209743.post-39775488348204539252009-01-01T19:30:00.000-08:002009-01-04T00:21:22.718-08:00Questionable Judgment?<span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;">Every year, when the New Year arrives, I always question it's judgment. What's the difference between one year to the next? Why keep a list of "resolutions" that would defy the human logic and (usually) pitifully attempt to keep those resolutions throughout the entire year when, perhaps by the 2nd month, it'll be in the afterburner of your thought process. It never really made much sense to me, but then again, it's been going on for ages now where at the end of the year people would "forget about their past" and "look to the future"... which is also where I believe those phrases came to life from.</span><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /><br /></span><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;">Then again, maybe I'm looking at this completely the wrong way. Having a resolution where you dutifully keep can be rewarding, knowing that you can stick to a plan and complete it... ok, so maybe there is something to all this.</span><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /><br /></span><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;">... nah, it's just questionable judgment whether or not to actually make one of these, and seeing as how I live my life by the old quote I used to say, creating a list of "resolutions" is not going to happen anytime soon.</span><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /><br /></span><span style="font-style: italic;font-family:arial;font-size:85%;" >"No fears, no hesitations, no regrets... Live life the way it was meant to be, no matter where it leads you."</span>joeshenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11193326871497644982noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-284251306282209743.post-87662026703461420462008-12-19T22:00:00.000-08:002009-01-04T00:34:03.381-08:00PSA: Shark Fin<span style=";font-family:arial;font-size:85%;" >My sister makes a very good point about life and the stupid things that we do with some "traditions"...<br /><blockquote><span style="font-size:100%;">Hi all:<br /><br />I wanted to reach out to all of you to tell you about an issue that I've learned about lately, that I hope you can help with -- not by giving any of your money or time, but simply by <b>giving up shark's fin</b>, a type of food that contributes to a barbaric and ecologically disastrous practice. It is especially important for me to share this issue with you this holiday season, as we are all celebrating the holidays with special festivities, giving our thanks for another year of good health, and looking ahead to a cleaner, more prosperous, and renewed tomorrow.<br /><br />In the last year, I have personally decided not to eat shark's fin, because it is ecologically harmful. However, after learning more about this issue in the last month, I have decided to not eat shark's fin again from today forward, and to also veto shark's fin at any meals at which I am able to do so. I wanted to write this email to help you understand why I have come to this decision, whether we are lucky enough to dine together or not. For those of you with whom I will be dining over the holidays, I hope you understand that I will do my best to ensure that shark's fin is NOT on any of the menus. And I thank you for understanding and accepting my position, if you can. Below, I will try to explain why shark's fin is so harmful. Hopefully, after reading it, you will not only understand my reasoning, but also restrict your own consumption. If you love it, you don't have to ban it from your diet entirely, as I have. However, I would ask that you give thanks for your good fortune in this world to have had the opportunity to feast like no other generation of humans in history, and desist from regular consumption of this delicacy. Instead, <b>please limit your shark's fin consumption </b>to the ceremonial, rare, and special experience it was intended to be-- a feast fit only for emperors and royalty, for only the most special of lifetime occasions. Or in our case, a rarity enjoyed<b> at most, once a year.</b><br /><br /></span> <div> <div><span style="font-size:100%;">The event that really bolstered my personal interest in this issue was an hourlong documentary that I accidentally caught on CNN. As I learned from the documentary, what generally happens is that ships go to sea for months at a time, throw out thousands of hooks for sharks, harvest the </span><span style="font-size:100%;">shark fins (from wild sharks in the open ocean) by slicing off the fins as the sharks are still alive and struggling, and throw the </span><span style="font-size:100%;">fin-less sharks' bodies (still alive and struggling, but unable to swim) back into the ocean where they sink to the bottom of the ocean and die. The ships can sell the fins for up to US$1,000 each, which is much more valuable than the bodies/meat. Therefore, they fill up the ships with sharks' fins (much smaller and lighter) and eventually come back to port with hundreds and hundreds of the fins. Most of the </span><span style="font-size:100%;">shark's </span><span style="font-size:100%;">fin caught in international waters goes through Taiwan or Hong Kong, to the rest of Asia-- a fact that really hit home for me because I am from Taiwan. At the ports, the fins are processed in a manner that results in almost all of the shark's </span><span style="font-size:100%;">fin-- save for the skeletal cartilage-- being discarded. I was haunted by these images, particularly of the way these animals are butchered, in obvious pain, and mostly wasted. What upsets me even more about this barbaric practice is that this is all for a nutritionally unnecessary delicacy-- essentially, all caused by human greed. As the documentary explained, this practice is bolstered by the growth of the middle class in Asia, who can now afford to eat this delicacy. It used to be a luxury only for the very rich, enjoyed only on special occasions. Now it is a common treat for people across Asia, consumed regularly and sold at all prices, from cheap to expensive. </span></div> <div> </div> <div><span style="font-size:100%;">Even though sharks are endangered, the line fishing and butchering of sharks for their fins is not prohibited in international waters, so this is mostly legal. There are some regulations (such as that carcasses must be accounted for; and in some ports, the sharks must be brought in with fins attached), but these are generally not followed. Even in areas where the practice of hunting sharks is prohibited, they are policed only a few days per year. So the practice runs unchecked and is fueled largely by the seemingly insatiable demand.<br /><br />In addition to the barbarism of the practice itself, the negative results trickle down all the way through the ocean's ecosystems, because sharks are at the top of the food chain. As it affects us, the destruction of the animal at the top of the food chain has completely changed the industries and economies that depend on the oceans.<br /></span> </div> <div> </div><span style="font-size:100%;">Now, I know that all sorts of things we say in life could be seen as hypocritical. For example, I eat meat-- and the way meat is slaughtered is inhumane. Everything we do, from the clothes we wear, to the cars we drive, to the water we drink has its costs to humans and to the environment. Also, perhaps the worst human greed and selfishness impacts humans, not animals-- wars, genocides, and the like. The things we do to each other, and the world, are terrible. </span><div> </div> <div><span style="font-size:100%;">But I guess all that doesn't mean we can't do things to help when we can. And also, there is a difference between eating slaughtered beef for food (where we eat most of the animal), and eating </span><span style="font-size:100%;">shark's </span><span style="font-size:100%;">fin where the animal is almost entirely discarded, just for the delicacy. Also, frankly, I think beef can taste good (and, I do try to only eat it when I think it is very good), whereas </span><span style="font-size:100%;">shark's </span><span style="font-size:100%;">fin, since it's just cartilage, basically has no taste. </span></div> <div> </div> <div><span style="font-size:100%;">So as I mentioned at the top of this email, I guess there are a couple of things to draw from this. As I mentioned above, the most important thing you can do is very simple: push back on the demand for shark's fin, by eating less of it. A lot less. None, if you can. And the second thing you can do is to educate those around you. I think many, many, many people don't know about this issue, and if each of us just changed our habits and educated each other, it would make a huge difference.<br /><br />Thanks for reading.<br /><br /></span> </div><div><span style="font-size:100%;">Love,</span></div> <div><span style="font-size:100%;">Emily</span></div></div></blockquote><div><div>So, as in tradition, what have we learned?<br /></div> </div></span>joeshenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11193326871497644982noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-284251306282209743.post-82362049096415325602008-11-18T16:46:00.000-08:002008-11-18T16:58:19.590-08:00Realization<span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:arial;">You know how when you're sitting alone at a table and thinking about the things that have happened or just random things that seem to be going on in your life?</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">... ok, so I'm not doing that, but instead I'm sitting on the floor of one of the meeting rooms, lights off, and the only light source is coming from the screen of my computer. Regardless, I'm still thinking.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">...</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">...</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">... of course, I'm thinking about what's been going on with my life regardless, I just thought that the change of scenery would be some random ironic twist. Shits and giggles really...</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">Alright, so time for some actual reason to type, even though it's been a long ass time since I've decided to become some sort of realist and chill here and type about what's been on my mind. A whole two months?! Man, I must've been busy as hell or something. Well, we'll give it a shot none-the-less. Really there's only one reason I'm up here typing...</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">I've recently found out how bad it gets being the 3rd wheel. I know that people have always talked about these things. <span style="font-style: italic;">"You know how it is being the 3rd wheel, it's just awkward."</span> or <span style="font-style: italic;">"You just take it in stride and let it be."</span>... well it doesn't really work out that way anymore. I find it strange, how I could always stand being in those positions yet not really in those positions. Maybe it was just the way it worked out. I really didn't care fore it much, so naturally I was just fine with it.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">Though now it seems to have gotten to a new point, a point where being the 3rd wheel just bugs me. Although the people themselves don't realize it until I tell them, they are still trying to include me when really it's kind of obvious they just want their alone time. If it's something I'll never understand, it's why the two people are trying to make that third person feel included in something, when really they're thinking <span style="font-style: italic;">"why are you here?"</span>... or something along those lines anyway.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">... who knows, maybe it just isn't something you're supposed to get used to, but instead something that you're suppose to accept when you're the third wheel. What they say could very well be true, you just have to roll with the punches and one day know that you'll be like this to other people.</span><br /></span>joeshenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11193326871497644982noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-284251306282209743.post-90622165448917983792008-09-07T13:47:00.000-07:002008-09-07T13:49:49.317-07:00Leading the Mundane<span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:arial;">Well, it's been awhile (at least, for me it has)... and some things to remind myself about before I continue on with this:</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;font-family:arial;" >1. I never posted anything else about Boston other than that the airline had lost my bag.</span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">What can I say, I just had too much fun being at my sister's house that I forgot to post anything that I did there... can you blame me?</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"> <span style="font-weight: bold;">2. I never really posted about Anime Expo 2008.</span></span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"> Ok, I really said that I would post stuff about this, but seriously you can't have known about the mishaps and just epic randomness there was about Anime Expo from a mere post. Seriously, there are some things that can be only told with a voice and a "Oh man, you remember thwhat happened there..." type of attitude.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"> ... so one of these days I'll post about the true experience and what actually happened during those 4 days there. ^^-b</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;font-family:arial;" > 3. The First Week of College Life</span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"> This was a given... since I thought about what to actually write about other than the fact that it's over and done with. It doesn't really feel like anything different from high school other than that I see everybody virtually every day now and that high school life has passed me by completely.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"> ... to be honest, there really isn't much in life I can talk about at this point, and it's just become a reutine to simply go out and do stuff, come back and sleep... some homework in between. I'm sure that if something ever happens that becomes exciting, I'll say something about it, yenno?</span><br /></span>joeshenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11193326871497644982noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-284251306282209743.post-40470421655640781512008-08-14T12:17:00.000-07:002008-08-14T12:23:16.826-07:00Seattle, an Outlook from a Wanderer pt. 2<span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:arial;">Woke up about an hour ago, Jason's still passed out on his bed (an improvement from yesterday),and my stomach kind of is feeling funky from eating a microwavable chimichanga... despite that I decided that we should continue from where we left off yesterday.</span> </span><span style="font-weight: bold; font-family: arial;font-size:85%;" ><br /><br />Seattle, an Outlook from a Wanderer pt. 2</span><span style="font-size:85%;"> <span style="font-family:arial;">Went to the International District today, and needless to say that Jason and I got kind of sidetracked (or lost, depending on how you can look at it really) and wandered around the underground system for about 10 minutes before we figured out where exactly we were going. I officially have new-found support for the Seattle Public Transportation System, it's truly amazing. That have buses running underground, it's insane! I should've definitely have taken a picture, but compared to everybody else I was already looking pretty out-of-townish... that and my camera was about to die.</span></span><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center; font-family: arial;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_m06MdVj2ZIA/SKSFprijuAI/AAAAAAAACEI/yDDvxxnQqjI/s1600-h/DSC03592.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_m06MdVj2ZIA/SKSFprijuAI/AAAAAAAACEI/yDDvxxnQqjI/s400/DSC03592.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5234455618020161538" border="0" /></a></div><span style="font-size:85%;"> <span style="font-family:arial;">After arriving at the International District, we headed over to the Japanese Village of sorts, but really we first went to the Kinokuniya Bookstore, which in my strict belief is HEAVEN. I kid you not, I could've sworn that I died and went to heaven when I entered. It was just amazing... I mean, words alone cannot describe the awesomeness of it all. Only pictures.<br /><br /></span></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_m06MdVj2ZIA/SKSFp2tc2GI/AAAAAAAACEQ/tDnUbJyljz0/s1600-h/DSC03594.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_m06MdVj2ZIA/SKSFp2tc2GI/AAAAAAAACEQ/tDnUbJyljz0/s400/DSC03594.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5234455621018638434" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:arial;">Amazingly, this is only "one side" too... I swear there must of been at least 3000 mangas in this area alone (behind this shelf was, amazingly, another shelf the exact same length containing the same number of books). Needless to say, I was very stoked.</span> <span style="font-family:arial;">It was pretty funny too, since I was wearing my infamous "Bai Ren Kan Bu Dong" shirt, and these two cute girls (they looked like they were from the graduating class of '08) came up to me and was like "We like your shirt" and asked me about it. Jason can attest to this, he was standing next to me when this happened. I swear that with all the advertising I give to them, I should get some commission or something. Anyway, I also finally finished getting all 4 CD's with finding the last two for my all-time favorite J-Rock group, ZONE. Woot!<br /><br /></span></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_m06MdVj2ZIA/SKSFqvAiKSI/AAAAAAAACEg/TormRri--lQ/s1600-h/DSC03607.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_m06MdVj2ZIA/SKSFqvAiKSI/AAAAAAAACEg/TormRri--lQ/s400/DSC03607.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5234455636131064098" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:arial;">Afterwards we headed to the supermarket area (which is right next to the bookstore) and we found the best thing ever. The picture says it all.<br /><br /></span></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_m06MdVj2ZIA/SKSFqdQBvWI/AAAAAAAACEY/Y_a4wj07dLs/s1600-h/DSC03596.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_m06MdVj2ZIA/SKSFqdQBvWI/AAAAAAAACEY/Y_a4wj07dLs/s400/DSC03596.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5234455631364210018" border="0" /></a><div style="text-align: center; font-family: arial;"> </div><span style="font-size:85%;"> <span style="font-family:arial;">OH YES! A 6-pack of ramune and these extremely awesome pocky! It literally looks like the most expensive Pocky we've ever seen... it was 4 bucks a box, nuts right? You don't get this back in Vegas, not that I have found any yet anyway. lol </span> <span style="font-family:arial;">Anyway, next time I'll upload some photos of Jason's apartment and we'll wing it from there. Till then. ^^-b</span> </span>joeshenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11193326871497644982noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-284251306282209743.post-75907609821744821722008-08-13T10:04:00.000-07:002008-08-14T12:26:00.809-07:00Seattle, an Outlook from a Wanderer<span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:arial;">Currently chillin' in Seattle on this nice morning.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">Ok, so really I crashed extremely early yesterday and now woke up earlier than I expected. So right now, while Jason's completely knocked out on the couch, I figure it'd be the best time to go and give a brief outlook on what I've come to know as Seattle, Washington. So naturally it's time to present...</span><br /><br /></span><span style="font-weight: bold;font-family:arial;font-size:85%;" >Seattle, an Outlook from a Wanderer</span><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">The coffee capital of the nation certainly doesn't disappoint, as the first thing I saw when I got off the plain was a Starbucks directly in front of me. Going from the airport to downtown Seattle really is an astonishing sight, as not only do you see a giant water mass in the distance, but also next to it are the two stadiums, home of the Seahawks and Mariners. It really is an incredible view, and for it to only be on the way to downtown... I'm surprised there aren't more traffic jams because of car accidents or something... where the hell are all the tourists?!</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">... well, turns out they're all in the shopping district of sorts. The place is amazing, and really it reminds me of the streets of Taipei (just not as big). For those of you back in Vegas, it's kind of like an "actual" Town Square feeling (then again, Town Square was supposed to give that feeling off), but since the buildings were taller it was better. The streets are always busy with people walking around, and unlike Las Vegas, public transportation is a big must.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">In my two days being in Seattle (thus far), I've learned a few things:</span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">1. The bus system of courtesy works just like in Taiwan.</span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">2. Never walk around alone, as you're more likely a target for money.</span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">3. People in Seattle are really something else... unique in their own way.</span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">4. You don't really have to tip in any place in Seattle, but you'll be thought of as extremely generous if you do...</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">... ok, so it's only a few, but Jason's showing me the Chinatown area today, so I'll be taking a look at the "other side" of town soon enough.</span><br /></span>joeshenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11193326871497644982noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-284251306282209743.post-62667946780679531072008-08-04T00:48:00.000-07:002008-08-04T07:13:57.901-07:00Hip-Hop Internationals 2008<span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:arial;">So, just got back from Hip-Hop Internationals (which, this year, was hosted at Planet Hollywood), and needless to say it was REDICTIFYINGLY AWESOME.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">No, seriously, it was insanity. To be able to sit </span></span><span style="font-style: italic;font-family:arial;font-size:85%;" >that</span><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:arial;"> close from the stage was truly an experience. We (My brother, sister, sister's friends (Mark and Connie), China, and me) were roughly in the dead center 16 rows back. The choreography was amazing, and naturally, one of my greatest dreams had come to fruition... I got to meet the entire Kaba Modern crew (Indeed, even cooler in real life).</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">Yes, it was amazing. The Japanese crews were epic (though, perhaps the coolest thing was this boy that was dancing in the Jr. division... the </span></span><span style="font-style: italic;font-family:arial;font-size:85%;" >only</span><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:arial;"> guy in all 4 Japanese teams that were in the Finals Competition. I'm sure that in the future he'll become a major pimp... I mean, it's bound to happen. New Zealand's crews were very... violent, in a sense.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">Other than that, it was very depressing that other than Flos Angeles & Kaba Modern, the rest of the US teams weren't really that good. Flos' compilation was very unique and had the flair, but lacked anything truly difficult, while Kaba remained true to their style, lots of isolations but nothing spectactular that really wowed like they did in last year's. The Phillipine All-Stars (they won World's this year) </span></span><span style="font-style: italic;font-family:arial;font-size:85%;" >KILLED</span><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:arial;"> this year, it was crazy to even comprehend what they did... I swear there was actually 10 of them, cause they kept flying around.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">All in all, a </span></span><span style="font-style: italic;font-family:arial;font-size:85%;" >VERY </span><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:arial;">epic day... Afterwards, I bought a DVD, and we (China & me) got seperated from my brother and them, and we got a photo with some of the members of the Japanese team(s).</span><br /><br /><a style="font-family: arial;" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://bp2.blogger.com/_m06MdVj2ZIA/SJcNuLjpp4I/AAAAAAAACDk/fs9ovL0epZQ/s1600-h/DSC03581.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer;" src="http://bp2.blogger.com/_m06MdVj2ZIA/SJcNuLjpp4I/AAAAAAAACDk/fs9ovL0epZQ/s400/DSC03581.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5230664579241584514" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">That guy in the back sort of appeared, it was hilarious cause he kept smiling at me about something after the photo, and it didn't occur to me what it was until I saw the photo. (He's from one of the UK crews, so it was alright). lol</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">The poppin' & Bboy battles were way more intense, and I'm still wanting to meet the one insane dude at the poppin' battle... every part of his body is like seperated from himself... it was insane. Oh well...</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">Anyway, I'm sure eventually I'll remind myself to write the AX '08 experience, but really... it doesn't work if I type it out... you literally have to listen to me explain the "pain" of it. ahaha.</span></span>joeshenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11193326871497644982noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-284251306282209743.post-10588592404214223752008-06-11T13:38:00.000-07:002008-06-15T03:06:51.529-07:00It's Finally Over...<span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:arial;">It's finally over and we're finally done. High school is over now, but it still hasn't hit me yet.</span><span style="font-family:arial;"><br /><br />... though I know that for some, I'll never see again until maybe 10 years from now. To be able to go through 4 years with people has been a fun time in my life, and something I'll never forget.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">Though really, my family has always been behind me in whatever I ended up choosing to do and where to go... and I thank them for that. I'm perhaps the youngest one in my generation, but that just meant I could ask them for whatever help I needed and they were always there to help me. Amazingly enough, my family is a little too close for my liking (we're always doing something that most families would steer away from)... for all those that think I'm weird and crazy... I should warn you that in my family I'm the quiet and rational one.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">Then, of course, there are those who put up with me on a daily basis, my friends that I've gone through everything with... ironically enough, they can be divided into different "specific but yet vague" groups:</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">"The Table"</span> - Really now, it didn't matter where we ended up sitting, whether or not it was at the table in the SAC, in the hallway outside of Ms. Young's room, or in the little corner playing Mario Kart DS (and the daily "WTF?! CHEATER!!!" yells that insued), we did it all. There will always be those jokes in which I'll never forget, and the randomness that we had will always only be unique to us... Somehow, 10 years from now, at the 1st reunion. I think we'll find ourselves not very far from the past. We'll still be sitting at a specific table, joking about tossing around that cinnabon or how David / Otis is allergic to a certain act vital to his future... ahaha.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">"Engineers"</span> - Face it, we were pretty friggen unique. While everybody else thought we were "mean" to each other... it was really just how we were around each other. Well hey, what can they say about it? We survived Gauthier together, went against that long-term sub and lived, and spent the year with Whitney making a car we'll never complete. Our jokes were our own, and everything from your mom to Robert's "summer stagehand job" was fair game in our classroom. The tourneyments we had we random, though Robert was at the butt of every joke.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">"The Underclass"</span> - There is nothing I can actually say to any one of you individually, so instead I'll say it to you all at once. You all had your own little names... my partner-in-crime, the one who's "sense of direction" is completely useless, the pointless one... and all had been the subject of my constant head patting... for reasons still unknown. Don't worry about it, I'll still come and visit, but you're on your own now... I can't amuse you all as much anymore. Good Luck. ^^-b</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">"Spring Valley"</span> - You were the group that reminded me of all the old days, partly because most of you were from the old days... ahaha. My home away from home, there are some things that just wouldn't happen with anybody else... I mean, how many people can say "Their cup tastes good?" or "DON'T GET ME GREEN, YOU DON'T LIKE ME WHEN I'M GREEN!"... Most of us are heading to the same place, and hopefully we'll be able to continue the times. ^^-b</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">From there, there are certain people that have kept me potentially sane through the years, but I'll save that for another day... for now, enjoy the time to know that "Hey, you're free now... it's onward to actual life."</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">... and enjoy these... they describe some of the moments of my life... in a more twisted fashion of course. [</span><a style="font-family: arial;" href="http://www.xkcd.com/416/" target="_new">link</a><span style="font-family:arial;">] [</span><a style="font-family: arial;" href="http://www.xkcd.com/418/" target="_new">link</a><span style="font-family:arial;">] [</span><a style="font-family: arial;" href="http://www.xkcd.com/419/" target="_new">link</a><span style="font-family:arial;">] [</span><a style="font-family: arial;" href="http://www.xkcd.com/421/" target="_new">link</a><span style="font-family:arial;">] [</span><a style="font-family: arial;" href="http://www.xkcd.com/422/" target="_new">link</a><span style="font-family:arial;">] [</span><a style="font-family: arial;" href="http://www.xkcd.com/434/" target="_new">link</a><span style="font-family:arial;">]... and of course any of the old ones I posted on here would well describe my life too.</span><br /></span>joeshenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11193326871497644982noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-284251306282209743.post-91796203069743559862008-05-25T05:34:00.000-07:002008-05-25T05:36:45.786-07:00Recapping Senior Week<span style=";font-family:arial;font-size:85%;" ><span>Well, I'm up at whatever time it is in the morning, having just gotten back from Ken's birthday party (once again, happy birthday). It's kind of weird since we used to hate each other (well, I dunno why, guess that's just how we bond or something... >.>), but that's all in the past now.<br /><br />Anyway, figure it'd be time to update this and not end on some dreary note or anything.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Senior Week</span><br />Monday - College Shirt Day<br />Tuesday - Superhero Day<br />Wednesday - Senioritis Day (Breakfast & Powderpuff Game)<br />Thursday - Senior Citizen Day (Yearbook Signing)<br />Friday - Senior Royalty Day (Senior BBQ & Guys Flag Football Game)<br /><br />So yeah, it was senior week this week, and I have to say that our school spirit is insanely hilarious. College Shirt day was a total bust for me since I didn't have my shirt (Yay for going to the University of Nobody's Leaving Vegas!), though I was tempted to wear my Stanford shirt since I did get wait-listed there; same thing for superhero day. Senioritis day I thought I was dressed appropriately well, since I wear that to sleep and what not. Wednesday was where all the fun started. Senior Breakfast was perhaps mayhem, as after the first breakfast portion (it wasn't exactly the worse thing in the world really, in fact it was decent) there was a bunch of randomness involving throwing of beach balls and, of course, making photos of random flying through air... I'm like an expert at these things (considering my 7.2 megapixel Sony Cybershot only does so much) and managed to get some great shots. After school it was the Powderpuff game, including some ridiculous moments of watching guys become drag queens... We won, of course... 13-7. Thursday became yearbook signing, and I avoided Steve for obvious reasons (long story involving last year's yearbook mess up and me tormenting his life afterwards). Lots of signing since this'll be my last high school yearbook, and I've made my signature's memorable (the infamous "^^-b" strikes). Friday was Senior BBQ, where the Velcro Wall and Sumo costumes were made available, and some intriguing things began to happen... I mean, there was this water bucket thing and I swear, there was the intrigue of spread pneumonia (it was cold and we're playing with water... hm.) Afterwards the "Big Game" started... and after the half the seniors started to shine. Before halftime it was 6-0, and after it ended up being 31-0 (something along those lines). We also "Vaselined" Eric Lein's car... which, perhaps, made my day (I heard that his mom and sister were laughing when they saw this).<br /><br />... yeah, that perhaps eclipsed everything... Vaseline on Eric's car. Oh man, it was pretty epic, I have to say.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Everything Else</span><br />Ok, I promise! This week, EVERYTHING's going to be sent... Lots of postage, but it's alright. ^^-b<br /><br />Went to Ken's party, like I said, and just came back... (keeping in mind I started typing this post at 1:10 and you won't have any trouble believing this) and have to say that Rock Band was intriguing, and it reminded me of this! [<a href="http://xkcd.com/359/" target="_new">link</a>]<br /><br />... but yeah, that's about it.</span></span>joeshenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11193326871497644982noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-284251306282209743.post-66795004871362890862008-05-18T05:46:00.000-07:002008-05-18T05:51:08.804-07:00Passing the Weekend<span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:arial;">So here I am... 5 in the bloody friggen morning.<br /><br />I know, some of you are asking, <span style="font-style: italic;">"Well Joe, why the hell are you up at 5 in the bloody friggen morning anyway?"</span> If you must know, I have no reason other than I am.<br /><br />Doing everything else has gotten to be kind of repetitive and boring anyway, so I figure I might as well update this with another of the "latest turbulations of the idiotic and relentless"... something like that anyway.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">A-tech Prom 2008: A Black-Tie Affair</span><br />I don't regret not going (yes, I repeat... I did not go), but at the same time it just doesn't seem right to not post something about it. Interestingly enough, I found the perfect conundrum for perhaps... 50% of A-tech's Student Body... go take a look! [<a href="http://xkcd.com/422/" target="_new">link</a>]<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Key Club Banquet 2008</span><br />There's not much to say about this one since it was pretty much the exact same as last years... minus the change in officers and what not. There are a few things that are worth noting however:<br />-Emily Hong, and let me clarify this by saying this is <span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-style: italic;">the Emily Hong</span></span>, did not wear anything that was in the category of "pants" for the first time that I've known her. Ok, it sounds a little off, but holy crap, everyday she's always wearing a pair of jeans, or black "slacks" (why do they even call them that?), and I swear she has like 30 pairs just sitting around (this however, cannot be confirmed). For her to be wearing something like a dress itself was just simply <span style="font-style: italic;">astounding</span>. Go Em! ^^-b<br />-While we're on this topic, Em is also perhaps the single most scary person I've ever met when "truly peeved." I never want to venture in that area again for awhile.<br />-Jaci = zOMGWTF!!!11!!!shift+one!!! in terms of loudness...<br />-Amazingly, my crap, half-baked narration of what they did during the "break" of making the Fall Rally video made it onto screen... Which is hilarious.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Everything Else</span><span style="font-weight: bold;"></span><br />Well other than that, I really have nothing else to add other than the fact that I'm finally going to start sending out my family's announcements... I have so many extras though (I don't even know why... I'm supposed to be Asian, which means a lot of family... another conundrum apparently), so we'll see what happens with that.<br /><br />In terms of a good gift, I've also decided that I will need a laptop, and in that sense I've decided to scour around everywhere and see what I should decide to get... with major input from the bro, of course.<br /><br />... other than that, we'll see what happens. ^^-b</span></span>joeshenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11193326871497644982noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-284251306282209743.post-7010923343200341432008-05-17T23:59:00.000-07:002008-05-18T17:47:43.728-07:00Memory of the Past - pt.1<span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:arial;">As people know, today is A-tech's big Prom night.<br /><br />It feels kind of weird, saying "I'm not going to prom" and actually not going to prom, but it's true. It feels weirder since for two years I've said that I've had a prom date already, that I promised.<br /><br />It's a weird and long story, but it's a story none-the-less.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">"Meems"</span><br />It seems that all the important people I've ever met have a name pertaining to the use of my nickname that I give them of "Meems." Few people have heard the original person for this, but nobody's heard this one.<br /><br />Ironically enough, I met this Meems before I even knew her. From what we gathered, it was at some event where I had gotten myself hopelessly lost freshman year. I ran into her (who, incidentally, was lost) and we were just hanging out for the time being... Strangely enough, I never got her name that time, and before the event ended we found our respective groups and just, parted ways.<br /><br />Skip two years later, where I joined a forum for some general anime discussion and met this person who, when first having some hot debate about whether or not the story was going to arc in a certain direction, I found her to be very... interesting. After talking about politics, the world, we began talking about our lives... and once I began to talk about A-Tech, suddenly we struck up a conversation about how she used to live in Vegas, and then after telling funny stores, we told the exact same story... about getting lost and meeting a random person... and where it turned out that we were each other in that memory. I mean, what were the odds of that happening?<br /><br />It was weird to be talking to her, now that she was in New Jersey. From then on, we would chat every chance we could, at times for ages. Our longest conversation ended up being almost 48 hours... Over the summer, it was endless conversations through a webcam, talking about the day, about hanging out with friends... everything. And she told me that if she regretted anything that it was not being able to go to prom. So I told her, <span style="font-style: italic;">"You come back to Vegas and I'll take you to prom."</span><br /><br />It was a deal... I even promised her I'd apply to Princeton, just as a wild shot, and meet up with her. But I haven't heard from her in awhile; A long while actually. Princeton is a dream, rejected with a vengeance really. I think I'll still head over there to find out what happened to her... go find out where she's disappeared to.<br /><br />... a reason why I didn't go prom this year, but that's not the only reason. I mean, everybody knows why else I didn't go, but Elaine's an entirely different reason.<span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-style: italic;"></span><br /></span> </span></span>joeshenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11193326871497644982noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-284251306282209743.post-61716814789759800522008-04-28T03:18:00.000-07:002008-05-09T16:03:53.116-07:00When Life Threw a Curveball Seen From a Mile Away<span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:arial;">When I actually think about it, I'm pretty sure that I saw this one coming from a mile away.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">Ever since that day I asked, the day I decided that "Yeah, looks like prom's a no-go this year too," I knew it was coming. Ironically enough, I knew the answer that she would tell him too, because that's what happens when you factor in the chaos theory after all. And even though she told me what her answer would be if he asked, I knew that it was a lie.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">... but I still accepted that blatant lie, because it was her. I still accepted that answer, because I wanted to believe that it would be true. I still accepted that answer, because I wanted it to be true.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">Then again, if I wanted for it to be true so badly, why did I prepare myself for the pain that I feel right now? Why do I feel this pain right now, regardless?</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">... no matter what question I can ask about it, it all leads to the same answer.</span><br /><br /></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-style: italic;font-family:arial;" ><span style="font-style: italic;">-----</span></span></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /><span style="font-style: italic;font-family:arial;" >She smiled, even as her expression turned into hopelessness. He wanted to reach out and hold her to him, but she only stepped backwards again, away from him. “You love me.” It was a simple statement, a fact that he couldn’t hide from her, and even then surprise hit him with her words. “I realized that,” her smiled turned bitter, “but I can’t give it back. I can’t give you what you want."</span><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;font-family:arial;" >“It doesn't matter,” he countered, his voice growing desperate, and he worked hard to reel it in, to keep control. “All I ask for is a chance.” The desperation in his voice, the confused look she gave him; this is what all his patience and hurt that had built up through time was going to boil down to. Silence took over.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;font-family:arial;" >And in enduring the long silence, she finally spoke, "I don't know anymore." She spoke with uncertainty, her voice wavering through the silence. "I don't know if I can give you that chance anymore."</span><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;font-family:arial;" >Even now, whether or not she was willing to try still echoes through the silence.<br /><span style="font-style: italic;">-----<br /><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-style: italic;"></span></span></span></span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">... the question remains: Will I try for that second chance... ever?</span><span style="font-style: italic;font-family:arial;" ><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-style: italic;"></span></span><br /></span></span></span>joeshenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11193326871497644982noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-284251306282209743.post-9019500207654291792008-04-26T02:00:00.000-07:002008-04-26T02:05:41.275-07:00Where'd the Time Fly?<span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:arial;">So as the top states, my current thought process is in the mode of "Oh man, where'd all the time fly to?"<br /><br />... and hey, it's true. It seems like the last two weeks of my life kind of just flew past me. I feel like I'm in one of those alternate realities, that anything is possible (where my mindset is right now anyway), and that anything we believe is impossible is actually more likely to happen than it appears... which leads me to the xkcd comic this time... [<a href="http://xkcd.com/298/">link</a>]. I have to wonder where it all went, but really... I know.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Back to the "Bee-"ginning: Key Club International </span></span></span><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:85%;" ><span style="font-family:arial;">Cali-Nev-Ha </span></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:arial;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">District Convention</span><br />Well, what's there to say about this? DCon this year was awesome. Ok, so it was fun last year, but this was the only surprising high point for me for Key Club this year. Lots of yelling, lots of insanity, and lots of cheering goes all around. This year we also got our own "A-Tech Key Club" shirts, which were awesome (last year we didn't get any). To be honest, this is only a summary of how I felt about it, and upon leaving Sacramento I realized that all that I cherished about Key Club will be missed, and that the people I've met because of KC will not be forgotten.<br /><br />... I'm typing up a gigantic post about DCon itself later... pictures and all.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Heritage Night</span><br />As usual, A-Tech provides the annual "Heritage Night" festival, with lots of food, shows, and everything in between. I showed up late thanks to a traffic accident on the road that completely jammed up traffic where I was at, but I still came in and helped out in all ways possible. ^^-b From Korean dancing, Seung and Cheuk singing (which, perhaps the best thing I've ever seen in terms of overall humor... I mean, they just made it an awesome act), to all the best things that A-tech (and, in some cases, Las Vegas) has to offer to teach people of the culture from around the world. It was definitely fun.<br /><br />Anyway... I was surfing through xkcd when this reminded me of Mythbusters... <a href="http://xkcd.com/282/">read</a> it yourself and tell me this doesn't remind you of that one episode where they debunk gas myths.<br /><br />Well, not much other than that. It's been awhile since I've actually written anything, but then again my life isn't exactly the most exciting thing in the world after all... I think I'll just sit back and contemplate for awhile on some things... get it out of my system or something.<br /></span></span>joeshenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11193326871497644982noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-284251306282209743.post-44944309110954735972008-04-13T00:32:00.000-07:002008-04-26T01:02:13.781-07:00Clarification pt.2<span style=";font-family:arial;font-size:85%;" > Ahaha, I suppose I should continue to update this now that I've already decided to actually do a really long update and what not.<br /><br /></span><span style=";font-family:arial;font-size:85%;" ><span style="font-weight: bold;">Clarification... Because I Feel <span style="font-style: italic;">Bad</span> (Not Really)</span><br />Ok, his name's really David... happy now? I should tell you though that Jeff (you know, the guy that you've been playing DOTA with?) thought your name really was Otis. I don't know why, but I thought that was hilarious.<br /><br />So, in today's comic... Something that would be my future hobby. [<a href="http://www.xkcd.com/389/" target="_new">link</a>]<br /><br />Once again, I should probably be doing homework, but I mean, I've been working on it all day... and really I'm just sick and tired of doing said homework.<br /><br /></span><span style="font-weight: bold;font-family:arial;font-size:85%;" >Touch-a-Truck</span><span style=";font-family:arial;font-size:85%;" ><br />No seriously, Touch-a-Truck means exactly what it means. I could've gone to Kiwani's One Day (or, Total K. Day), but it was either that or Touch-a-Truck, and I made a commitment to Touch-a-Truck first.<br /><br />So anyway, Touch-a-Truck... lots of kids, lots of people, and of course... lots of trucks. It was mildly eventful, and I basically spent the time with Kassi and Winston learning about... well, lots of things. We basically directed people around and managed lines at the more "popular" trucks (like the fire engine and the helicopter... why a helicopter was there is still beyond me... must be considered a really big truck or something).<br /><br /></span><span style=";font-family:arial;font-size:85%;" ><span style="font-weight: bold;">The List</span><br />So we're continuing the list... even though all that I've come up with is pretty much whatever was up in the past two posts and what not.<br />7. A Nice Bed - Yes, I've decided that a nice, soft bed is in order. It's something I need. ^^-b<br /><br />Sadly, that's all I can come up with right now.<br /><br /></span><span style="font-weight: bold;font-family:arial;font-size:85%;" >The Family</span><span style=";font-family:arial;font-size:85%;" ><br />Well, this weekend my family is paying us (my mother and I, of course) a visit... just for kicks of course. Naturally there is no particular reason as to why they're visiting other than the fact that they're visiting. Lots of things planned, including a dinner at the ever famous </span><span style="font-style: italic;font-family:arial;font-size:85%;" >Rosemary's</span><span style=";font-family:arial;font-size:85%;" > and, of course, watching KA (alright! Mah-jong mafia strikes again!). Speaking of KA...<br /><br /></span><span style=";font-family:arial;font-size:85%;" ><span style="font-weight: bold;">KA</span><br />The show was amazing. As an Engineer, I was perhaps more intrigued by the stage than by anything else. Don't get me wrong, the entire performance was perhaps some of the best things I've ever seen in my life, but seriously, that stage was unique in it's own sense. The whole show was designed around that stage, and anybody with an interest in a good storyline, acrobatics, and perhaps the coolest stage in the world should go watch that.<br /><br />Well that's really all I have for now, and my family's going nuts playing Rayman: Raving Rabids... so I think I'm going to go join them in the meyhem. Peace till then. ^^-b</span>joeshenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11193326871497644982noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-284251306282209743.post-7996668083724926962008-04-04T05:38:00.000-07:002008-04-14T20:21:07.465-07:00Clarification<span style=";font-family:arial;font-size:85%;" >Just thought we'd clarify something totally random that Oti- I mean </span><span style="font-weight: bold;font-family:arial;font-size:130%;" >David</span><span style=";font-family:arial;font-size:85%;" ><span style="font-size:130%;">... </span>wanted me to clear up. His name's really Otis, he just doesn't want anybody to know that so we call him "David" for kicks... No seriously, it's the truth. ^^-b<br /><br />Continuing the whole xkcd comic ideal, today's encompasses people's recent addiction to go to "blogger", so I've given them something to think about <a href="http://xkcd.com/239/" target="_new">here</a>.<br /><br />I should really be doing homework right now, but you know how senioritis begins to affect you, and you're just like "... well, forget that." So instead I'm on here, typing this. Go figure, right?<br /><br /></span><span style=";font-family:arial;font-size:85%;" ><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:100%;" >The List</span><br />... so continuing our list, I've thought of something that would help... immensely.<br /><br />4. Money - I know, I know, it seems kind of natural that I'd ask for something like this, but hey, money is perfectly acceptable for an Asian person like me.<br />5. Socks - Thinking about that list of all-time gifts has established that getting socks would be cool... because that way I don't have to buy any.<br />6. Anything me - I mean, if you think I'd like it (or love it, either way) then I'd go for it. The perfect example was Lisa's two books that she bought me for my b-day, I thought that was awesome.<br /><br /></span><span style=";font-family:arial;font-size:85%;" ><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:100%;" >Amazing Feat Just Accomplished</span><br />Holy crap!!! I just bowled a 181!!! (this morning anyway)... I don't know about you, but that's friggen amazing compared to the people that I bowl with (they average anywhere between 165 to 200). But you have to realize that for me to bowl anything past 150 is amazing... I even went up $4 bucks today (bringing the all-time count to when I started with them down to $9 dollars), so all in all, a good day.<br /><br /></span><span style=";font-family:arial;font-size:85%;" ><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:100%;" >Currently Most Useless</span><br />Upon thinking of what the most useless thing right now is... this pretty much goes without saying that it's the people that planned the whole "building a school right next to A-tech" idea. Ok, I understand that you have to build a new school, but I don't quite understand the whole idea behind the fact that you built a new parking lot just to force us onto that one... I mean hell, we should be able to keep our own parking lot and you guys should've planned the new school's entrance for that parking lot that you have us using... and making us driving all the way around for no apparently decent reason... Compacted soil or not, whatever money you spend or not, it bothers me that you're potentially ruining life for an entire school... especially since it's the only school with a Blue Ribbon of Excellence in the entire district (which doesn't say much anyway, but it says a lot more than most of the other schools), and essentially lowering admissions for said school... I mean it's really just a downhill slippery slope effect, and we really don't want that happening.<br /><br />Two things before I go.<br />1. Hey look at my awesome sig I made because I wanted to!<br /></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://bp0.blogger.com/_m06MdVj2ZIA/SAQfFZ_BvqI/AAAAAAAABu0/YyVFifjiGds/s1600-h/The+Girls+of+Eyeshield+21.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer;" src="http://bp0.blogger.com/_m06MdVj2ZIA/SAQfFZ_BvqI/AAAAAAAABu0/YyVFifjiGds/s400/The+Girls+of+Eyeshield+21.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5189306848372702882" border="0" /></a><br /><span style=";font-family:arial;font-size:85%;" >... it didn't turn out bad if I do say so myself.<br /><br />2. After this week, it's most likely been decided that I won't be going to prom. As much as it would seem like fun, the appeal's just gone at this point.<br /><br />... and hey, look at the time! I'm into the whole double xkcd posting right now, since I find so many intriguing ones as it is, so <a href="http://xkcd.com/388/" target="_new">here</a>'s a good way to look at certain catagories of things... just subsitute fruit with something else and you'll get a nice idea of life in pretty much any sense!<br /></span><span style=";font-family:arial;font-size:85%;" ><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:130%;" >It's so friggen </span><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:180%;" >AMAZING!!!</span><br /></span>joeshenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11193326871497644982noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-284251306282209743.post-43461102535901645782008-04-01T22:14:00.000-07:002008-04-13T00:47:40.881-07:00Back to the Old Days<span style=";font-family:arial;font-size:85%;" >I think it's time to try to reflect back to the old days of when I posted on Xanga (somewhere back in the beginning of the year), where I made long and mostly meaningless posts on whatever came to mind.... you know, the ones that Otis would actually read for no apparent reason other than to get a kick out of my... "unique writing skills."<br /><br />So first off, I've become addicted with xkcd again that, in hindsight, I think it's kind of sad. So my new resolution is to actually find a funny xkcd comic to go along with every post... there's no reason behind it really, except that xkcd probably reflects what I would really do in life at random.<br /><br />... so, for today's post, I found this particular panel <a href="http://xkcd.com/368/" target="_new">here</a>, because I know that sometimes the giant bass sound coming from a car annoys the crap out of you too... and you just want to do something to annoy them.<br /><br />That's besides the point. I was working on the AP US Government packet for LaShomb (I'm still not certain I'm supposed to be making that s "upper-case" (still can't get used to using that word... meh), when I thought about the question my brother asked me in our weekly "Hey what's the family up that was have no idea about?" conversation. He asked me that since my graduation was coming up what I was thinking of wanting for a graduation gift. Naturally, being the humble person I am, I gave him my best response: "That's a good question, I'll get back to you on that."<br /><br />So finally, after weeks of deliberation, I've thought of perhaps a few things that I would perhaps benefit me the most, no matter where I go.<br /><br /></span><span style="font-weight: bold;font-family:arial;font-size:85%;" >The List</span><span style=";font-family:arial;font-size:85%;" ><br />1. Laptop - Despite the fact that my current laptop is suiting my needs to an extent (thanks bro! The laptop so far has been a life-saver), the fact of the matter is that this laptop is about 3 years too old to suit my current lifestyle needs, which include mindless hours on Photoshop, Soundforge, and a multitude of other programs that my laptop is just not suited to actually run.<br />2. A camera - No, not one of those Cybershots or the tiny things the size of about my fingernail... an honest to goodness professional camera. I've realized that one of the things I want to be able to do is to be able to take professional photos, and using a Cybershot doesn't quite accomplish that purpose (though with the number of pictures I get to take, I'm not complaining too much yet).<br />3.An iPhone - I thought about just putting "cell phone" at first, since you all know the state of my phone I might as well have sent it to Iraq and throw it at the road-side bombs. As much as I love it (I recall telling my dad that it has tremendous sentimental value that I wouldn't give up), the fact is that I need a new phone. I was contemplating on thinking about another Sony Ericsson, but after looking (and playing around with) my friend's iPhone for about all of half an hour, I've decided that an iPhone would be killer too.<br /><br /></span><span style=";font-family:arial;font-size:85%;" ><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:100%;" >Tripping on the Past</span><br />While figuring my wish-list, I also thought about all the past gifts that I've gotten, and I finally thought about what the top gifts were... I don't know why, but remembering those these were perhaps some of the funniest and memorable moments in my life.<br /><br />Number 6 - Legally Bound (from... Key Club pretty much)<br />Well, that surprise party was the coolest thing ever. There's not much else to be said, other than that the poster proudly doesn't fit anywhere in my room... so I've proudly put it next to the wall most visible, and every time somebody asks me "what's the rolled up thing?" I bring it out and show them. ^^-b<br /><br />Number 5 - The Trifecta (from Felix)<br />During the "Family Gathering" in Taiwan, Emily organized "Secret Santa" for the kids in the area, and I got this awesome gift from her cousin Felix... well 3 in fact. The nerf gun was the coolest thing in the world, and afterwards we were all shooting around with it... for kicks. The... porcupine(?) is still sitting in my room, looking onwards.<br /><br />Number 4 - Breakfast Goods (from Isabella and Jon)<br />Man, this was from a long time ago. I remember for my like... 9th birthday or so... that I got boxes of cereal from Jon and Isabella. I remember being that naive guy and was like... seriously? I got cereal? I didn't really mind back then, since I was a big fan of cereal anyway... ok, so I got cooler gifts too, but still, the cereal was a nice little ploy.<br /><br />Number 3 - Socks (from Jon and Howard... and family I believe)<br />I'm pretty sure this was back in like... 5th grade. It was the first or second year that my family was in Las Vegas and everybody wanted to visit (for the obvious reasons of course... ahaha). Now see, my family knew that my brother and I always wore socks, but ever since he went to college he stopped, and it became just me that wore socks every day. That Christmas I remember getting these cool gifts (that a 5th grader would like anyway) and like a bazillion pairs of socks.<br /><br />Number 2 - Useless Reading (from Lisa)<br />I think Lisa knows me too well (well her and Jane anyway, since she told me she helped her pick it out), because when I got that gift from her I couldn't stop laughing about it. The two books, "The Ultimate Book of Useless Information" (but I've learned so much from it) and "101 Things Not to Do Before You Die" (lots of actually ironically useful ideas), are some of the funniest things I've every had time to waste to read on... It makes me feel bad that all I could get her was that Wong Lee Hom CD. Her card was awesome too.<br /><br />Number 1 - The Bear (from Hana / Hannah / Hanna (=P))<br />Kind of cliche, but hey, it was the first teddy bear I ever got from somebody outside my family (my mom used to work at Dayton's in Rochester, and every year I got their seasonal teddy bear... they were cool). Back in like 8th grade too. It still sits next to my computer, just kind of chillin'.<br /><br />... there were more, but I'm trying to end it so I can get back to doing homework... my god, there's so much more of it now. Before I go though, I leave with another xkcd comic <a href="http://xkcd.com/322/" target="_new">here</a>... well just because really.<br /></span>joeshenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11193326871497644982noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-284251306282209743.post-53454298931871719782008-02-18T23:24:00.000-08:002008-04-14T20:19:56.162-07:00Thanks Lisa! ^^-bA quick note... Thanks Lisa!!!<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://bp0.blogger.com/_m06MdVj2ZIA/SAQeaZ_BvnI/AAAAAAAABuc/5212P-jsdf4/s1600-h/Gift+01.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer;" src="http://bp0.blogger.com/_m06MdVj2ZIA/SAQeaZ_BvnI/AAAAAAAABuc/5212P-jsdf4/s400/Gift+01.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5189306109638327922" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://bp0.blogger.com/_m06MdVj2ZIA/SAQeaZ_BvoI/AAAAAAAABuk/cN7Hnf1JsF4/s1600-h/Gift+02.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer;" src="http://bp0.blogger.com/_m06MdVj2ZIA/SAQeaZ_BvoI/AAAAAAAABuk/cN7Hnf1JsF4/s400/Gift+02.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5189306109638327938" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://bp1.blogger.com/_m06MdVj2ZIA/SAQeap_BvpI/AAAAAAAABus/dOvsYr3lKu0/s1600-h/Gift+03.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer;" src="http://bp1.blogger.com/_m06MdVj2ZIA/SAQeap_BvpI/AAAAAAAABus/dOvsYr3lKu0/s400/Gift+03.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5189306113933295250" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><div style="text-align: left;">... as usual, Lisa is the bomb... Love her to death (if she didn't kill me for trying to hug her anyway... =P). ^^-b<br /></div></div>joeshenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11193326871497644982noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-284251306282209743.post-6543199854989520092008-02-12T23:59:00.000-08:002008-04-15T16:22:46.493-07:00Birthday List<p style="font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:85%;">Woo, today's going to be a fun day... it hadn't been an hour yet and I've already recieved five (god, to think that people used to not know because they never asked). I completely forgot how it even leaked out... Well anyway, I decided that this year would be funny if I wrote in the times, and so the current results are...<br /><br />1. Steph (7:45 PM [on the 11th])<br />2. Ray (10:35 PM [on the 11th])<br />3. Lisa (11:51 PM [on the 11th])<br />4. Mabel (12:53 AM)... [technically first!]<br />5. Elaine (1:21 AM)... [I'm surprised she's even this high in the list... not really.]<br /></span></p><span style=";font-family:arial;font-size:85%;" >So some really cool things about today:<br />- Dude, it's like hella Free Pancake Day @ iHOP! (update: Until 6 pm apparently).<br />- Abraham Lincoln's Birthday (ironically many people don't know about this yet it's in the calendar).<br />- 28 North's DCM is Today.<br /><br />Well... I'm out of things to say, but I'm sure that there's more to come... ^^-b<br /></span><p style="font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:85%;">.... and after UPDATE #1, we have:<br />6. Anna (6:28 AM)<br />7. Krystina (6:45 AM)... [Only surprising because she actually texted me at all in the morning.]<br />8. Pyline (6:46 AM )<br />9. Reo (7:12 AM)<br />10. Mom (8:39 AM)... [at least she made it top 10 this year...]<br />11. Howard (9:41 AM)<br />12. Mark (9:44 AM) <-- This was surprising, since I expected him up at like... Noon. >.><br />13. Emily (9:53 AM)<br />14. Don (11:53 AM) <-- And rounds the corner.<br /></span></p><p style="font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:85%;">UPDATE #2 </span><span style="font-size:85%;">...and then </span><span style="font-size:85%;">the meyhem continued with the rest of the world chipping in.<br />15. Wade (12:17 PM)... [You totally surprised me on this one bro. Props. ^^-b]<br />16. Robert & The Rest of the AP Physics II B/C class (12:18 PM)... [Ms. Lein got to Eric first though, ahaha.]<br />17. Justina (1:12 PM)<br />18. Em (1:36 PM)...[It's too bad you couldn't be there Em, I was hoping for it yenno? Would've been fun.]<br />19. Jaci (1:38 PM)... [I'll give you the credit and say I heard you, because we were like "what, what!" too... lol.]<br />20. Kassi (1:39 PM)... [Took you long enough! You even had all morning! =P]<br />21. Lok yi (1:39 PM)<br />22. Kathy (1:41 PM)<br />23. Izzy (1:46 PM)... [Woo! Thanks Izz, but I'm not going to a strip club unless you're comin' with, you know that.]<br />24-25. Marilyn & Simon (1:49 PM)<br />26. Tammy (2:05 PM)<br />27. Tiffany Wang (2:07 PM)... [Thanks Tiff. ^^-b]<br />28. Joy (2:12 PM) 29. Albert (3:08 PM)<br />30-39. Canyon Springs Key Club (4:22 PM)... [There was just so many of them.]<br />40. Tynah (4:48 PM)... [This was definitely a surprise.]<br />41. Mellanie (4:56 PM)... [Was thinking about the whole "kissing the cake for good luck" joke.]<br />42-66. Division 28 North (5:05 PM)... [Oh yes, that was insanity.]<br />67. Miso (5:12 PM)<br />68. Katelin (5:53 PM)<br />69. Laureina (6:20 PM)... [Faster than I thought really.]<br />70. Stefany (7:59 PM)... [Facebook reminders strike again!]<br />71. Perng (8:22 PM)... [Wooooo, thanks couz!]<br />72. Wayne (8:26 PM)<br />73. Jane (9:49 PM) ... [Took you dead long enough!... I mean, </span><span style="font-style: italic;font-size:85%;" >how </span><span style="font-size:85%;">long have we know each other again?]<br />74. Dad (11.39 PM) ... [In his defense, he </span><span style="font-style: italic;font-size:85%;" >is</span><span style="font-size:85%;"> in Taiwan.]<br />75. Shaun (11:49 PM)... [Really? I thought I was younger by a few months or something...]<br /><br />All in all, a crazy day. I mean, this has definitely been an awesome day, especially DCM.<br /><br />UPDATE #3... It'll be occuring a lot, since this is the "day after"... and so on the 13th:<br />76. Winston (1:39 AM)... [Well, we knew this was going to happen anyway bro, so I was totally prepared for it. ^^-b, but hey, you did it anyway. =P]<br />77. Jason (1:47 AM <--yeah, I did too. =P)... [lol don't sweat it, you know I don't realize till like... 12:45 anyway. Though I was expecting it at 12:30, when the procrastinating first starts... ahaha.]<br />78. Koo (4:12 PM)... [Yes Tommy, it was mine. heh.]<br />79. Sara (6:55 PM)... [Haha, same ol' Sara.]<br />80. Felicia Dorng (7:30 PM)... [Thanks =P... and I don't recieve those letters until about March, so you'll know then! ^^-b] ... that's about it. =P</span></p>joeshenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11193326871497644982noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-284251306282209743.post-65207799603956489982007-12-30T15:27:00.000-08:002008-08-07T04:47:16.637-07:00Taiwan: The Re-Experience<span style="font-family: arial;font-family:arial;font-size:85%;" >I finally found the time to go and update this ginormously after 4 days here... or was it 3? I don't really remember, since I'm too dazed to figure it out.<br /><br /></span><span style="font-family: arial;font-family:arial;font-size:85%;" >That's besides the point though, as in my boredom I figured I give you a quick little idea of just what's happened up till now... and give an introduction as to why the hell I love Taipei so much. So the place we're (as in the entire family of cousins in the area) staying at is the Agora Garden Hotel... incidentially enough, everybody in the staff speaks fob English, so even if they have no idea what I'm telling them in Chinese, I can always try to let them figure it out in English. The hotel looks <em>amazing</em>, and the lobby is so expansive.</span><p style="font-family: arial;font-family:arial;" ><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/joeshen2000/SB6KvnHv5HI/AAAAAAAABw4/wB8CRGHoS8Y/Taiwan%2001.jpg?imgmax=640"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 400px;" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/joeshen2000/SB6KvnHv5HI/AAAAAAAABw4/wB8CRGHoS8Y/Taiwan%2001.jpg?imgmax=640" alt="" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /></span></p><p style="font-family: arial;font-family:arial;" ><span style="font-size:85%;">I mean, just look at it; and hell, that's just the front door to the place. That's the cool thing about Taiwan though... everything's huge. A prime example of this ended up being on the very next day, where after lunch we decided to head out and check the sights (the hotel is about... a 10 minute walk from Taipei 101, and there's about 300 stores around the area).</span></p><p style="font-family: arial;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/joeshen2000/SB6Kv3Hv5II/AAAAAAAABxA/OLTwTdQ62yM/Taiwan%2002.jpg?imgmax=640"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 400px;" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/joeshen2000/SB6Kv3Hv5II/AAAAAAAABxA/OLTwTdQ62yM/Taiwan%2002.jpg?imgmax=640" alt="" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /></span></p><p style="font-family: arial;font-family:arial;" ><span style="font-size:85%;">This complex is actually part of a multitude of them... I think there's about 12 in all. but they're divided into smaller buildings to make it look cooler. It's new, only been around for a few years I believe, but that place alone has about anyhwere between 30 to 40 stores... so just think... 30 x 12 = 360 stores. I can't think of a single girl right now that wouldn't love it... and I believe that Pyline and Elaine would just pitch tents in the place.</span></p><p style="font-family: arial;font-family:arial;" ><span style="font-size:85%;">Another reason I love coming back here is just for the night markets. Just imagine an alleyway big enough to let two cars go through side to side, and line them up with food stalls, stores, and probably a kitchen sink too. You can get bargains beyond bargains and the food is what I believe to be the best in the world and cheap as hell; we bought enough food to feed 10 people for the price of two McDonald's Value Meals, it's crazy... I still refuse to call it anything else but the holiness of all that is good. There's a bunch of night markets around the area, but there are a few that are known for something, like shi-ling for instance. It has a night market, but there's the warehouse area just for food stalls. That's what it's literally famous for... <em>good food</em> (this is just for Tammy... muwahaha).</span></p><p style="font-family: arial; text-align: left;" face="arial"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/joeshen2000/SB6KwHHv5JI/AAAAAAAABxI/vO0d7hrqEno/Taiwan%2003.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 400px;" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/joeshen2000/SB6KwHHv5JI/AAAAAAAABxI/vO0d7hrqEno/Taiwan%2003.jpg" alt="" border="0" /><br /></a></p><div style="text-align: right; font-family: arial;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/joeshen2000/SB6KwXHv5KI/AAAAAAAABxQ/D1EVTEuUd-w/Taiwan%2004.jpg?imgmax=640"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 400px;" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/joeshen2000/SB6KwXHv5KI/AAAAAAAABxQ/D1EVTEuUd-w/Taiwan%2004.jpg?imgmax=640" alt="" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /></span><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><br />Yeah, it's crazy packed in there, but it's good food. Taiwan has something for everybody though, and if you don't like the hustle of night market food, you can always go and eat at random hole-in-wall places, like the place a few of us went to the next morning for lunch. Taiwan has a bunch of these random places just... well anywhere really. It's good food, and despite it's random location, people will go to it. The place that we ended up going to was around the corner from this ginormous restaurant (goes to show you, not everything famous has to be in glamorous place).</span></div></div><p style="font-family: arial;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/joeshen2000/SB6KwXHv5LI/AAAAAAAABxY/d0_y45RdquE/Taiwan%2005.jpg?imgmax=640"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 400px;" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/joeshen2000/SB6KwXHv5LI/AAAAAAAABxY/d0_y45RdquE/Taiwan%2005.jpg?imgmax=640" alt="" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /></span></p><p style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size:85%;">There's my infamous brother chowin' down... ahaha. We don't forget however, the real reason that we're here... to attend a lot of weddings and eat a lot of banquet food (which most of us, including the bride(s) and groom(s), were sick of by the end of the second time). It was cool going to my cousin's wedding and attending my brother's reception, but the highlight (and here's where I make all the girls who love the asian singer's here extremely mad at me) of either night was that I got to meet Patti Hu in person. She's a close friend of my cousin, and is extremely friendly... there was a lot of joking around in the club afterwards.</span></p><p face="arial" style="text-align: center; font-family: arial;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://bp0.blogger.com/_m06MdVj2ZIA/SB6LWXHv5MI/AAAAAAAABxg/LSOyp2T_bk0/s1600-h/Taiwan+06.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer;" src="http://bp0.blogger.com/_m06MdVj2ZIA/SB6LWXHv5MI/AAAAAAAABxg/LSOyp2T_bk0/s400/Taiwan+06.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5196744236312028354" border="0" /></a></p><p style="font-family: arial;" face="arial"><span style="font-size:85%;">It's been a fun time overall so far... and I've uploaded the pictures for the next set already, but I'll save that for next time. Till then. ^^-b</span></p>joeshenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11193326871497644982noreply@blogger.com0