<---------------- Yes. That's me. It's probably one of the best looking picture of me, in my opinion. I am not too photogenic... I look like a white ghost too often in photos. Thanks to my digital camera's self-timer, I can take a whole slew of photos. Which is how I came across this one. All the other ones I look bloated, fat, tired, too freckly, bad hair, too shiny, too dull, cross-eyed, masculine, etc.. I always look at photos of me and say, "that doesn't look like me!" What can I say? No camera can do my beauty justice... except for my fantastic Canon Digital Elph Powershot S400!

Just a quick caption about my photo on your left: It was taken this morning, on Nov. 15, 2003, right before I left for work. I saw my camera, and I was dressed alright, and was having a good hair day (a rare combination) so decided to snap a pic of myself.

I really want to go to the airport. I haven't been at the airport since last year. Even during the time I got stuck at O'hare Airport in Chicago wasn't bad... I kind of like airports. They have a nostalgic feel about them, but I don't know why. But more and more the airports are looking like shopping malls -- with Starbucks around every corner. Thanks Giving of last year was when I went to Chicago -- it was just an amazing time. I can't place it into words -- having seen snow for the first time in 13 years... I was worried about the cold but it wasn't that cold at all! But right now... I just really miss snow... and Chicago. It's a fabulous place! I wonder if other parts of the world are as gorgeous as Chicago, or perhaps even more so than Chicago! As I always say... I live like a frog inside of a well. I have everything I need, but I can't see the world. I don't know what I'm lacking in my life because my world is so small. Everything I know of is so little. So infintesimally small. Perhaps one day I could travel leisurely... So here's a list of places I most definitely want to visit!!!

Korea, Hong Kong, Tokyo, Paris, all of Italy, London, Berlin, Mexico City, Argentina, Austrailia, New Zealand, Spain, South Africa, Congo, India, Iraq/middle East, Jerusalem, Palestine, Egypt, Morocco (Casablanca!), Tahiti, and the list goes on and on. I haven't included in the list cities of U.S. because I will probably start covering them one by one before I go international. I once had a dream that I wrote a book which became a national best seller instantly, and I went on book tours all over, visiting all 50 states! It was a remarkable dream! I wish I could dream it again tonight...

The first things I am going to do when I start to make a good amount of money: First I will buy my brother a car. Not some run-down second hand, but a brand new beautiful car that my bro deserves. Like a maxima, or perhaps an Accord. Or maybe even that Volvo he likes. But something reliable and yet flauntable. Secondly, I will buy my mom a house. Condo, house, whatever. Some place small, but cozy, in a quiet area -- perhaps somewhere in Lancaster. Preferably near by a grocery store and a library. And a dog or two (I'd worry about her being alone in a house... she's going to need some doggy bodyguards! Woof woof!). Then I'm going to take her to visit the pyramids and the Sphinx of Eqypt, and perhaps see Europe. I'm listing these things, because one day she might get sick when she gets older... and then she won't be able to witness the marvels of a pyramid or see the Eiffel Tower. It's the least I could do for the woman who gave me life and everything else that I have now, including passion, love, joy, and all that good sugar and spice. So somebody remind me when I start to forget these things!

I don't know if I wrote about this already... but the Gender Genie is just SO DARN amazing.
Go Go Gender Genie
When you copy and paste a block of writing in it's box, it can tell you if the writer is male or female. I keep going by it and find it soooo amazing. There are certain words that are more used by males than females and vice versa.

This is another photo taken while I was driving by Silverlake Blvd. You can see the reflection of the homes on the hills in the lake. It's too bad that there was a fence surrounding the lake. Below is a photo taken also at Silverlake Blvd. It's a little place under a bridge. This is the area that often gets flooded with up to 2 feet of water when it rains a lot. Sometimes when I pass by here, I imagine that I could see trolls peering from the pillars!

It's a really great autumn day. It's cool and slightly breezy. I can smell autumn -- it's a cool sensation, like a curiously strong Altoid mint.

A new phone came today. It's from T-Mobile, made by Samsung. It's very very nice in terms of function. It's got a camera with zoom, and you can even see pictures in the external caller id screen. It doesn't have an antenna (one less thing to break) and it's a compact and flat, clamshell type phone. Everything you need, nothing you don't. The pre-loaded ringtones are also fantastic. Polyphonic ringtones sound like the real thing, not some computerized midi. For example, there is one that sounds exactly like birds chirping in the morning! People would think you have a cage full of birds in your pocket! And it's so loud (customizable volume). You'd be able to hear it from far away, or make it discreet enough for only you to know it's ringing. That's the new Samsung e715. Sometimes I wish I could get one of these... but I have a humongous (although it is a very nice phone... it's nothing comparable to the new advanced technologies of today...) one that my boss pays for. So it's free, so ergo I cannot complain. I get great service and a functional (very functional and sensible) phone free of charge. I gotta keep telling myself that...

Just 19 hours ago...

Right now...

Who would have thought that the day would be so nice?

Oh my goodness. We had an earlier forcast of scattered rain, which we had earlier in the afternoon. It started to clear up. But now, it's raining full-on! With all the works! Pouring water, loud thundering constantly for the last hour or so, with frequent lightening!! I've seen rain before, but never this much thunder and lightening! Zeus must be up there, and he sounds hopping mad!
Click here! We have flood warning! AHHHHHHHHH!!!!
Frankly, I wished it rained more often.

I put that poem below, because it is a poem that has touched me in many ways. Every occasion I have had in reading this poem, I have had different reactions. It's so serene, but baffled with a heavy decision -- two roads. I think it has taken several years for me to fully come to an understanding with the "And that has made all the difference" line... because in my own life, I have never felt that taking the one less traveled by has made all the difference, or even a small difference. It sucked taking the road less traveled.

I see two different reasons for this. One, a slightly optimistic reason, might be that I have actually matured and with newfound maturity, I have recognized that it's not the result, but the process that is important. On the other hand, a bit negative, if you will, and bit more truthful, is that I have just started compromising with reality. I have grown (not without retaliation, I might add) to accept reality for what it is, no matter what impact it has on my life. Simply compromising to accept the harsh reality without much fight or resistance, that is what is most likely to have happened to me. I know it is hard to understand what I am saying, but I'm just saying that the "Road Less Traveled" used to be an inspirational poem, but now... it is a sad, dull recognition of the compromised life I live. Yet, I have to say that I am most fascinated by this poem, because this poem is animated. It is alive, and I know that while some days, like now, it might be a sad reminder, on another day, it will be inspirational words supporting the choices I made. This poem is not stoic or still -- it is fervent with effervescent energy, and that is why, year after year, I keep coming back to it.

The Road Less Traveled

Robert Frost

Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveler, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth; 5

Then took the other, as just as fair,
And having perhaps the better claim,
Because it was grassy and wanted wear;
Though as for that the passing there
Had worn them really about the same, 10

And both that morning equally lay
In leaves no step had trodden black.
Oh, I kept the first for another day!
Yet knowing how way leads on to way,
I doubted if I should ever come back. 15

I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I--
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference. 20

My clients are a fastidious breed; their taste in cell phones are so fickle, it is hard to satisfy them. I really wish that they would give me unobtrusive comments rather than flagrant complaints. That would make my day.

It was warm today. The temperature could only be described as comfortable. The sun has gone down now, and it is a bit cooler. I am having a cup of coffee. Its dark woody blend is just the thing for a hectic Monday evening. A goodway to close off any workday for that matter. It's my first coffee of the day. Lately I have been noticing odd things going on with my body -- bad things. Nothing blatant like a giant tumor growing out of my back, but subtle hints that I am not healthy. For months I have tried to reduce my intake of caffeine -- I used to drink 4-5 cups of coffee easy. I also became borderline overweight. I've long attributed my health to my youth, and now that I am getting older (yes, 23 is quite old), I have to start taking care of myself. A clean bill of health is important at any age.

So I've tried to lose about 5 lbs at least (to lower my BMI index thingi below the overweight line), and drink only about 1-2 cups of coffee. I also skip soda as often as I can resist it (but vanilla coke is oh so good~!). Hopefully I can restore my health into normal without having a doc intervene. Cuz that would hurt my bank account.

I spent the last few moments writing a recommendation to my best friend for the pharmacist that she shadowed last last summer. The pharmacist didn't speak good English, so she agreed to sign a letter drafted by my best friend. My best friend didn't want to write her own LOR, so I wrote it for her. I could actually write a real one because I was her employer for a brief period of time. I do think that even that would be conflict of interest -- I don't know how I would write a recommendation letter about her as an employee, but I can write recommendations as an excellent friend.

Speaking of excellent friends... I found out yesterday during our talk, that she doesn't read my e-mails -- she scans them. I noticed that she was not quite up to par on the details of my life -- milestones almost -- that I have clearly written to her in e-mail. She didn't know that I sold my first car. Whenever I write about changing my major, she didn't know. I am pretty sure that she doesn't know that I plan to obtain a B.A. in English, because she told me that she is looking to apply to pharmacy schools that also have nursing schools. I wanted to tell her that I am getting a B.A. in English, but I figured, why bother. I'll probably change majors in a few months, so why go through the hassle? I've vocalized my deep desire to go to med school for ages -- since I was in high school! Now, when I even mention the words "medical" and "school" in the same sentence, she cringes and says "I thought you wanted to be a nurse." Well, until recently anyways. I have decided that that was going too far, and she needs to know what my life-long dream is. So now it doesn't surprise her when I talk to her about the MCAT. I bought her a PCAT practice exam book before her PCAT, and told her that she needs to buy me a MCAT book before I take the MCAT... (I thought I'd have the advantage, because PCAT books cost about $15-$25 and MCAT books cost $40-$150) then she just blew me away by offering to pay for a MCAT course, which can cost hundreds. Although the GRE and the NCLEX-RN exams are two things that would come before the MCAT, I feel that those two I can handle on my own. But the MCAT... it's a formidable opponent, compared to the NCLEX-RN which is a "pass-or-fail" deal.

My goodness. I have just pumped out another 600 something words in about 15 minutes. I have got to visit my old editor. It's not just verbal diarrhea that I have. It's chronic verbal diarrhea.

My words of today:

Flagrant: This is an adjective. It means conspicuously wicked. For example: The young man's flagrant misconduct led him to expulsion. I cannot guarantee that the usage was proper, because I made that one up. From the word, flagrant, I would have thought that it had something to do with either fragrances, or perhaps something to do with a flag. Turns out neither are close. My flagrant excuses for not doing my homework was not appreciated by the instructor. The poor puppy's flagrant abuse by the monstrous ogre was reported to the animal rights organization.

Fastidious: Also an adjective. It means difficult to please, or squeamish. For example: The babysitter's attempt to stop the boy's tantrum failed because of the boy's fastidious mind. That one didn't sound too correct. My vocab card has the following sentence: The waitresses disliked serving him dinner because of his very fastidious taste. The wedding planner had a difficult job planning the ceremony because of the fastidious bride. His fastidious nature has made it increasingly difficult for the wife to keep him content. Well, that sounds about right.

Unobtrusive: Third adjective of the day. Opposite of obtrusive, perhaps. It means inconspicuous or not blatant. The nurse tried to make her patient's treatment be as unobtrusive as possible. The unobtrusive work of the bodyguards was appreciated by the superstar. I wonder if these words would actually stick in my mind.

While it is a pet peeve of mine to see people bludgeon simple grammar and spelling rules, I do worry that sometimes I do such things. When doing peer evaluations (which I think is done by instructors because they want less papers to grade!) I can never give positive feedback to someone who proves to be an ignoramus of good English. Also, when I get my own essay back with absolutely no correction or advice but a chicken scratch that appears to be "good job -- A" -- I can only think less of the "peer" who critiqued my paper. Peer evaluations are just full of balony, unless maybe in an advanced English course. In courses such as English 101 and the like, people are just interested in getting a passing grade, rather than to improve their writing. Of course only a small portion of the English class is going to major in English or prepare for a future in academia, but the ignoramuses fail to realize that having good writing skills is critical in their future, unless they desire to become a bricklayer. Which upsets me. I mean, why attend college, if all you desire to be is a bricklayer or something like it? Well, that is none of my business, I guess. But the flagrant lack of respect for their education just angers me. Hey -- one of these words did stick!

I had a rather productive day for a Sunday. I spent the day relaxing mostly -- I got so much relaxation done! I also cleared and organized my desk, which is an overwhelming task. Now it has some order -- it is very surprising to see that the onset of chaos can be reversed. Talked to Crystal, my best friend in Iowa, shared some general frustrations I have had. It is hard to have a best friend halfway across the country. She is coming home in about a month or so, so I get to have my friend back for almost a month. We can't share 100% of our lives because we are so apart. It is surprising that our bond has remained strong, if it hasn't gotten stronger -- I was never one to believe in long distance relationships in any sorts of people. My father lives across the Pacific Ocean, and what a great relationship I have with him! (note sarcasm).

Well, I'm going to examine some photography I have taken in the last few days, pretend to start on some homework, and try to look busy until I get to bed. Good bye blog.