A Simple Dream

The other day I had a dream that reminded me of things I once so strongly believed in, since I felt the same emotions in my dream that I felt then. It was exactly what I needed, because I think I have slowly take for granted what I find most endearing about the world.

I just feel like smiling. Just because. :)

Posted 8:35 PM by hiu k.

A Stream of Random Thoughts

Words written on August 12, 2002

I am sitting on my bed typing, and listening to Phil Colllin’s Against All Odds. It’s actually quite peaceful, spending my time updating my diary and writing all my heart’s thoughts and troubles. Some of the green leaves from the tree outside the window have already turned into a light shade of brown and the sunlight shines brighter in some parts of the garden but not others. Every now and then, I hear the creaking noises from the door being opened and shut by the neighbor.

Just moments earlier, I saw a lone leave drifted down from the tree, it made a soft crackling noise when it fell, as a bee (or some sort of flying bug) flew by quickly and disappeared from sight almost as quickly as it had arrived. It’s late August now and despite the warm weather, it almost feels like the dawning of the fall season. It’s just about time. Change. Again. Sometimes the fleeting of time is almost scary.

(...other paragraphs / change of subject...)

I guess turning twenty-one is supposed to be a monumental milestone. After all, I would legally be an adult. But, it also means that I am growing older. Yes, I know that growing older is all part of life, and philosophers could ponder about it all they want, it’s just … it’s just …that sometimes I wonder if I am at where I should be, or want to be.

(...other paragraphs / end of writing that day)

(change of subject again)

You know, there are times when I see people on the subway or on the streets who looked tired. Then there are some who looked absolutely defeated, completely opposite of typical little kids who seemed to embrace the world with an almost contagious enthusiasm, and who are only beginning to explore what the world has to offer them with joys and optimism. And you know what? I'd be lying if I say I am not a bit afraid of the possibility of falling into the former category as I grow older...

Posted 6:33 PM by hiu k.

Birthday Greeting

My twenty-first birthday is coming up in about a week (on this year's Labor Day, to be exact), and my best friend from Hong Kong (whom I haven't seen in about eleven years) already sent me a birthday card and several recent pictures! Little things like that still make me smile. :)

Posted 11:58 AM by hiu k.

The Little Leagues World Series

The Kentucky team won the Little Leagues World Series tonight! Yay! That was actually quite a fun game to watch. It's even more interesting to watch than the major leagues, if I may say so myself! (At least it didn't have any of the politics of the major leagues!) I never watched the little leagues before, so I was surprised to learn that admissions were free. I was also surprised to learn that there were only six innings. Also, even though it's only the little leagues, you can still see the tensions on those kids' faces.

I was rooting for the Worcester team (obviously, since it's my home team. Go Mass!) in the national championship game against Kentucky (4-0). Tonight, I was rooting for the Kentucky team in the U.S. versus Japan game. The game ended with the score U.S.-Japan (1-0). It was a bit saddening to see the kids of the Japanese team burst into tears immediately after the game. I don't think they are sore losers (actually, they can't even be called losers because they made it so far, and they should feel proud of their accomplishments), but I guess the disappointment can be overbearing if their hopes to be crowned the world champions were dashed). And remember, they're just 11-12 years old kids.

I think that's amazing enough.

Posted 10:56 PM by hiu k.

Shopping

I kid you not. I hate shopping. Whenever I go shopping with my family (which is probably the only time I go shopping, anyway), I really hate to pass by comestics or the jewelry section (because I get headaches). Yes, I know I should be interested in those things (after all, it seemed like most girls are into those things, makeup, fashion, etc, so I should too, right?), but I couldn't help the way I feel about it. Sometimes, in the middle of shopping (or mostly just waiting), I would feel a strong urge to suddenly drift asleep. That's pretty bad, isn't it?

Posted 2:59 PM by hiu k.

American Idol

I only caught part of performances by each the four finalists on the American Idol Tuesday evening. (You don't really need to listen to the entire song to judge the performances). Granted, I haven't been following the show too closely (it's not that enticing to watch), but that dosen't mean I wasn't interested in the results. OK, OK, maybe I was not even interested enough to find out Wednesday (I was watching a movie instead), but just as I expected, the result was on the news this morning.

I cannot believe that Tamara (sp?) Gray was voted off. In my opinion (and probably the opinions of many), she was probably the most talented of all. She has a great voice and always performed like a professional. Sure, I didn't think her performance was great on Tuesday night (unlike Nikki, for a change), but it was still a solid one. I expected that Nikki would be the first to get voted off, since she missed too many notes too often and vocally, hers was not as great as Tamara's or Kelly's. While she might have a dynamic personality (which I don't know), I am judging based on merits alone and I want the best person to win. Guess what? I am sorry to say that I don't think Nikki doesn't have what it takes to be the American Idol, and I can't figure out how she had even made it thus far.

With Tamara voted off, I think Nikki would be next. It's either Nikki or Justin. While Justin has talents (by the way, what's up with his puffy hair?), I don't think he could beat Kelly. I think Kelly would become the American Idol. I'd be surprised if it were otherwise. Ok, maybe not that surprised anymore since Tamara was voted off. If Kelly (or Justin, in worst case scenerio, because Nikki absolutely cannot) be the American Idol, then the show is definitely fixed. There is no reason why the top performers/singers should be voted off.

Oh, as far as the three judges: I think the guy judge is a fair judge. Paula is always too nice in her comments, even for not-so-great performances! (Somebody ought to tell her that there is such a thing called "constructive criticisms", and when used appropriately, it can be a great resource for the contestants). Simon, on the other hand, is always harsh, but I like listening to what he had to say. I like his "honesty", but sometimes, I get the impression that he likes to "criticize" just because that's what made him relatively well-known.

And yikes, I can't believe I just wrote an entire post on America Idol. (But, this will have to do since I am suffering from writer's block on the other - and more serious - topics that I'd like to address)

Posted 2:35 PM by hiu k.

Lost

Most of us have probably feel lost at one point or another, and it can happen many times in a lifetime. I think I am in one of those stages right now. While I know it's a natural (and even healthy) process (i.e. re-thinking priorities, etc), the "what do I want to do with my life?" (and its uncertainties) still frighten me sometimes...

Posted 12:24 PM by hiu k.

Meet My Folks , AOL, Open Office

I watched "Meet My Folks" yesterday night (for the second time) and found it entertaining enough. For those unfamiliar with the format of the show, it began with three bachelors or bachelorettes who'd try to win a vacation with the son/daughter of loving parents (at least that appeared to be true for the two shows that I've watched). Basically, the "contestants" faced a number of tests: things they wouldn't want revealed, spy cameras, ex's to spill the juice, and a lie detector test. The parents, of course, are the decision maker who had the final say on which one of the contestants would win the trip to Hawaii with their child.

On the show yesterday, the son asked the contestants to "flash" him while they were in a hot-pool. (Unbeknownst to him, his parents were watching from a (spy?) T.V. in the bedroom. The girls were willing to do it and in fact, were counting down to it. (Remember, they only knew the guy for one day!) Of course, the dad interrupted and told his son to be a "gentleman". It was hilarious to watch the expressions on everyone's faces when they were caught! (Then again, that's the beauty of the show). There was a contestant who seemed very nice, and whom the parents liked as well, but the son had no romantic connection whatsoever with her. It's almost sad, because I think the parents thought a little bit too highly of their son, since the behaviors he exhibited were evidently un-gentleman-ly (more like player-ish).

On a completely unrelated note: I am annoyed with AOL for the unusually slow connections and logging off in the middle of a session (connectivity issues. yeah. sure.) Fortunately, it'd be an issue for only so much longer, due to an impending ISP switch. *wide grin*. And on a semi-related note, I am very pleased with Open Office, a "free" alternative to Microsoft Office. And the best part of it? You don't have to worry about compatibility issues because you can even save your files in Microsoft Office 97/2000/XP formats!

Posted 6:56 PM by hiu k.

The following is one of the results from those online "find-out-more-about-yourself" tests. Hmmm, a philosopher. Not bad, eh? :)

What Was Your PastLife?

Posted 9:50 PM by hiu k.

Strange, Funny, and True News

There are a lot of strange news out there, and occasionally, I'd come across something highly entertaining. I almost burst out laughing when I first read the following:

THE BIG ONE THAT DIDN'T GET AWAY: Keith Blauvelt was fishing near Sea Girt, N.J., when he hooked something strange. "I thought it was a piece of wood and then I realized it was moving," he says. "I said, 'I think I see a dog,' and my dad looked at me like I was crazy. But my brother said, 'It is a dog.'" Not just any dog, a pit bull. The animal had fallen off a boat into the water while its owner was scuba diving. Shortly after Lorraine Rooker surfaced to find her dog was gone, the Coast Guard called her to say Blauvelt had found it, and it was OK. "It was like terror" when she couldn't find it, she said. (AP) ...As opposed to the warm, comfy feeling Blauvelt got when he realized he was reeling in a pit bull.

Posted 8:28 PM by hiu k.

Driving

I could parallel park now! Ok, so being able to parallel park is not *exactly* a great relevation. But, I could now parallel park with ease, and that calls for a little celebration!

Posted 7:55 PM by hiu k.

Lord of the Rings Screensaver, Screenshot

I downloaded the Lord of the Rings screensaver. While it has its problems (i.e. it didn't allow me to customize the way I like it, nor did it have some its "features"), I didn't expect it to be flawless since it is free-ware. This is a screenshot of my desktop.

I had also signed up for a free webhosting account, so now I could upload my webpages from my school account (which would expire soon). As with most free web hosting, there are either annoying pop-ups or banner ads on the page, but at least the latter is less intrusive...

Posted 11:18 AM by hiu k.

Funny Stuffs...or Not. Weather and High Humidity

As most people know, the weather this summer has been uncomfortably hot on certain days.

On days that are not too humid, we tried to conserve energy by not using the air-conditioners. In those cases, the location of my bed is ideal since it is by the side of the window and I could feel a nice breeze. Of course, in order to feel the soothing breeze, the windows have to be open.

Across from my bedroom must be my neighbor's living room or bedroom, because he has a television in there. I think my neighbor watched Friends or the late-late-late show or something with a lot of good jokes in it, because every several minutes, I could hear his loud "HA. HA. HA". Sometimes I wanted to laugh too because laughter is contagious, but for the most part, I just wanted to get some sleep!

On a happy night not too long ago, (happy, because I fell sound asleep that night), I was awoken by some noises coming from outside in middle of the night. I opened my eyes and became highly alert. Since it was dark and I couldn't see anything outside, I wanted to make sure that it wasn't sounds made from some sort struggle or calls for help.

I listened intently. It was quiet. Then I heard the noise again. This time, I was able to discern that the sounds came from next door, and it was that of a female, moaning (from what it sounded like, with pleasure): "ooooooooh". Then there was a pause, followed by a passionate "ahhhhhh" in a louder, breathier voice. (You know, like a crescendo). And since I was listening intently for the cause of the noise, I heard what I didn't need, or want, to hear.

My reaction was, ""oh. my. gosh. I was interrupted from my restful sleep because of this!" I had concluded that the guy next door must be one sex-making machine or he's definitely watching some hard-core porn." "He could at least shut off his darn window", I thought to myself, half amused and half irritated, "or get himself a hotel room or something!"

The noises ended. Just as I began to drift off to sleep, I heard the freaking moaning sounds again! I promptly pulled down my window and gave up trying to get some breeze than to endure listening to the sounds from next door!

Days later, of course, I find it all very entertaining when I shared that "story" with my siblings, though I certainly don't find any humor in it that night.

***

On a completely unrelated note: Some things didn't work out yesterday. I know I'll get over it, but I was (and am probably still) somewhat disappointed by the news.

Posted 8:26 PM by hiu k.

Door to Door Selling?

I was sitting in the kitchen and talking to my mom when the doorbell rang. I quickly ran down the stairs to open the door, while announcing my brother's arrival home from work.

As a habit, I looked through the peephole and saw that the person outside the door was a stranger! Panicked that I was still in my nightgown, I asked my sis to come down. But, my sis doesn't like to talk to strangers and left me to handle it myself! I was a mess. I was in my nightgown. I was barefoot. I was wearing my big and broken glasses. And I had just put my hair in a ponytail even though it was slightly shorter than shoulder-length. I answered the door.

I saw two young gentleman (probably around my age, if not younger) outside. I soon realized that this was the non-profit organization that I made a monetary support last year. One of them stayed at the bottom of the stairs outside, while the other one talked. (The former said little other than a polite greeting/smile when his colleague introduced him). The gentleman that did the talking was very, very fluent and convincing. He began by asking me if I was the person he was looking for (and I am), and thanked me for my support and explained how the money I contributed went toward the various causes of the organizations. I then filled out two petitions (they are causes that I support, so I don't have a problem filling them out).

Given the way that I was dressed, I just wanted to fill out the paperworks at my own time. When he asked for monetary support for the organization, I asked if I could get the brochure and submit it later if I wish (though he was persistent and asked that it would be great to have it this evening). And in a very eloquent way, he asked, "May I ask why the hesitation" (He'd make an excellent salesman and a convincing politician), but I gave a compelling reason, upon which he asked no further questions. He thanked me again and bid me a good evening, and I did the same, though the whole meeting felt very, very awkward.

Posted 6:50 PM by hiu k.

In awe with Lord of the Rings

I am so in awe of the Lord of the Rings, even though I watched it at least five or six times by now. It's such an amazing story - a story of adventure, courage and friendship. Whenever I watch it, I feel inspire to do, or create something, as magical as the movie.

I am not a big fan of movies and besides several Disney videotapes, this is my first DVD. This means that I think the movie is worth every penny that I spent on it.

I absolutely love the scenery and the wondrous beautiful music flowing in the background of the movie, making us feel for and with the characters (i.e. Concerning Hobbits and The Breaking of the Fellowship). In fact, I love virtually everything about it except scenes where the evils are at work.

I think I've fallen in love with the story ? Can't you tell? :)

Posted 1:46 PM by hiu k.

Release date today: Lord of the Rings

Today is the release date of Lord of the Rings - Fellowship of the Rings , and guess what? I've already got a copy (and a good deal) from Best Buy! :)

Posted 5:13 PM by hiu k.