Rain Rain and Snow??

After a week of lovely sunshine, I fall in love with Seattle all over again. Just as I was ready to take out my tennis racket and went out for some outdoor exercise on what-I-thought-would-be perfect Saturday afternoon, sky turned dark and soon started raining. What the heck? I changed back my normal cloth and called my friend to cancel the fun.

Alternatively, we went to a Belle Pastry – a French bakery in Bellevue. We picked a window seat, watched people walking pass by, and talked nonsense for a short while. It is like that scene in Sex and City, Carrie and her friends having a brunch during weekends. (In my case, it is afternoon tea because I woke up late). To my surprise, I am actually very happy to enjoy a heavy-rain Saturday like this. Sitting in a coffee shop with my cake and coffee- I am easy to be pleased.

After years living in Bellevue, I am shameful to admit that I have never been that that part of Bellevue (around 100^th and main street). There are some high-end clothing stores, antique shops and even a bathroom accessory store with a magnified mirror cost more than $300 bucks. Who will need a mirror like that when I can get a set of my own for under 30 bucks in Bed, Bath and Beyond? There is one reason you gotta love those chain stores.

It is not only the rain; temperature must have dropped at least 20 degrees in matter of 24 hours. During my drive home, it even started snowing. Can you believe that? Snow in May!?!

No More Nap?

Sooner or later I have to stop taking this nice 40-min nap inside of my car during lunch hour, or I will get sunburn as it is finally warming up in Seattle. In fact, my cheeks are already burning up. I love Seattle with sunny weather like this, but where will my new napping spot be? Under a tree?

Ahh, screw it, i will wear layers of sunscreens.

My Newfound Artist - Agatsuma

At first i thought his music are refreshing and unique, unfortunately, my good first impression doesn't last long. After downloading three songs from I-tune last night (yes, I paid) and played them back to back, i realized that all his tones are similar; i can barely tell the difference between the songs. (All right, maybe I am a bit tone deaf, too)

There is no doubt that he is a talent artist, but come on, that instrument, shamisen, only has only three strings. What can you expect? There can't possibly be too many variations. Like most of artists, his first CD happens to be the best along the three. I don't even want to comment on his latest CD. *sigh*

Agatsuma's shamisen is slightly different from the typical new age music i listen to, but it is still pretty cool music for both work and exercise. For more info about Agatsuma and to sample his music, click here. My favorite piece is In Memory of NY, that was a 99-cent well spent. hehe

Am I good enough to continue?

After taking one quarter of Spanish without failing, i figured it might be ok to move onto the next level. Unfortunately, three weeks of relaxing spring break is all it takes to push me back to ground zero. This just shows how poor/weak my foundation is. It takes a long time to start out a new language; yet everything can be easily destroyed in matter of weeks.

I have to admit that my first class of Spanish II isn't going well. Not only did I have trouble introducing myself in VERY simple sentences, but also I have forgotten 80% of the vocabularies learned in the previous quarter (there were like only 30 words taught in the introductories level, so you can do the math)

What bothers me is how I seemed to be the only person in class who can't remember or pronounce a thing. However, my philosophy is this: sucking through the rest of classes is still better than not taking the class at all. As long as I am in that environment, I can still pick up something little by little. Since I don't have high expectation for that class, anything is good at this point.

Yes, I will continue sucking through the class. Way to go!

Cherry Blossom Again

Yup, that's right, it is that cherry blossom season again - my fifth year taking photos in this overcrowded tourist spot at UW.

To spice things up, I mixed in some Before and After photos. One thing I know for sure is the weather. It is definitely colder this year. But other than the people in the pictures, there really isn't that much of a difference. It is just as beautiful as last year, the year before last year, and many many years before that. This makes me wonder whether it would be my last year taking those repetitive photos??

This Year - Connie, Cindy, and Yee


Last Year - Yang and I

On the way back, I took a picture of Denny Hall, the oldest building on UW campus. According to the UW website, Denny Hall was first introduced in September 1985. This building was recently restored to ensure survival under future earthquakes. The safety measure has yet to be tested, and no, let's hope it never will be tested.




As time goes by, cherry trees, Denny Hall, as well as the rest of UW buildings will always be there to welcome the new generations. The scenes might get dull and eventually i will stop taking photos of those once known as "The Stunning Beauty." What never fades out is the remembrance of this campus - a place where i met most of my lifelong friends. This memory will always be meaningful and I will forever cherish that in my heart.

Four Categories

Most people belong to one of the following four categories:

• Smart and Humble
• Dumb yet honest about the fact he/she is not so sharp
• Smart but Arrogant
• Dumb and Arrogant
  

Smart and humble, it is very fun to hang out with those people. You can often stimulate a deep, thoughtful conversation and feel quite rewarding at the end. Best of all, you feel very comfortable throughout the process and they will never make you feel stupid.

Dumb and Honest. It is ok to say stupid things and joke about it. If you can ask questions nicely and politely, almost everyone would love to help.

Most people I have met fall into category III. Well, if you are smart but a little bit arrogant, that’s fine. You have right to be proud, as we don’t get to see many geniuses running around everyday. As long as they are reasonable, we can work on that little attitude problem later.

Now I would like to devote my full energy to address to my last group: dumb and arrogant. I really want to choke and squeeze those people hard sometimes. If you are slow, so be it. It is ok to be slow, but please respect others who can think ahead of you. It is especially frustrating talking to those people who are going around circles, repeating over and over again. I got your point the first time, ok? (that's if they any valuable point to make at the first place) As I try to cut short the conversation and give my answer after 10 seconds, they can’t listen. They will go on and on for another 5-10 minutes and finally ask: Cindy, do you get it? It seems as if their ears shut down automatically as soon as they start talking.

What really bugs me is how I have to repeat my answer all over again, 10 minutes later, for exactly the same thing I just said earlier. Yet they don’t think I am paying attention...

So Close

It was close. Within a matter of seconds, I could have gotten into a bad car crush tonight. I wasn’t the driver, but was the one on the passenger seat who got the exact the same visions and totally conscious about the whole situation. Strangely enough, I didn’t scream, yell out loud, but only told the driver to slow down two seconds before she was about to hit.

She stepped on her brakes but not to a completely stop. She had to change to an open lane on her left to get extra inches of braking distance. Both of us could hear the brake scratching through the sky while anxiously keeping the car out of danger.

It was a good opportunity to test out her brakes; only wish I wasn’t in the car when this testing took place.

Wasn’t I afraid because I trust the driver? No, I knew she just got her new car and she doesn’t drive often. Technically, she is still getting used to her new buddy. What was it then? If the driver were horrified, how come I didn’t feel a thing?

I remember something like this happened in the summer last year. Back then I was the driver and the only person in the car. My legs couldn’t stop shaking after I finally hauled my car to a complete stop.

Exact incident but totally different reactions this time. Could it be I have outgrown my boldness or I was slow somehow I forgot to react? What I know for sure is that screaming doesn't do much other than agitating the driver under that situation.

On second thought, I shouldn’t be the one reflecting here. Maybe some people just can’t drive and talk, yet still pay full attention on the road at the same time. But again, I can’t tell them to ignore your friends while driving, either.

A Moment Worth Celebrating For

Finally Done! My Website is officially online.
If you are going to check it out, be sure to sign my Guestbook, too.

It feels sooooo good to let that this "self-imposed burden" out of my way. My badly-abused laptop and I can now both go to sleep at the same time.

Who am I, really?

After living in the states for so many years, I always consider myself Chinese, 100% pure Chinese. Even after been cultivated in American culture for these years, I am still fully aware of my identity, or I thought so at least.

However, my recent discovery shows me otherwise. What are the values of Chinese Year? What are the rituals in preparation for this big celebration? Do I know…or if I remember any?

This is my first Chinese New Year with non-family members. They are a group of people who care deeply, remember, and even follow the traditional Chinese rituals.

There were things that used to be vivid in my memory but now have gone blurry. If anyone asks me what Chinese New Year is about, can I still answer that question ? Unfortunately, I can’t. I might have to google for a good answer. If I were as pure Chinese as I thought I am, shouldn’t this be one of those simple questions that I was born to know?

While I am not catching up with the American culture, I am losing my original identity at the same time. This thought frightens me. Who am I, really?

One thing I know for sure is that I am too old to get red envelope. No money for me this year, or ever. Sometimes just wish that I am still a kid, a happy kid.

Amazing Reading Power

As I was sorting through my old e-mails, I found this incredible little exercise:

I cdnuolt blveiee taht I cluod aulaclty uesdnatnrd waht I was rdgnieg The phaonmneal pweor of the hmuan mnid Aoccdrnig to a rscheearch atCmabrigde Uinervtisy, it deosn't mttaer in waht oredr the ltteers in a wrod are, the olny iprmoatnt tihng is taht the frist and lsat ltteer be in the rghit pclae. The rset can be a taotl mses and you can sitll raed itwouthita porbelm. Tihs is bcuseae the huamn mnid deos not raed ervey lteter by istlef, but the wrod as a wlohe. Amzanig huh? yaeh and I awlyas thought slpeling was ipmorant!

All right, i can read everything; it is quite amazing how we perceive words. You may say spelling is not that big of a deal, but it still bugs me with so many spelling errors.

A Quick Announcement

Okay, this is coming a bit faster than I expected, but I just received an job offer on Friday.

Looks like I will have a normal life pretty soon. A normal life as in waking up in the morning and going to sleep around midnight.

I am actually very looking forward to that, but there are still tons of other things needed to be taking care of before the job starts. My underconstructed website is the first thing that comes to my mind.

Need to push myself harder. There is not much free time left.

To keep or throw away?

As I ended my temp job two weeks ago, I have now extended my beauty sleep from 6 hours to 10 hours a day. What a great improvement, huh!

I dedicated the rest of time to clean my room and throw out junks. I can’t believe there are so many junks sitting in my room after all these years. From old stuff animals to lecture notes, there are things that look nice but must get rid of at once. While some went to the donation, most stuff is now in my beloved trashcan.

After one week of hard work, I have to admit that I have failed. There are still bunch of stuffs in my room; things that are in very good condition and I would feel bad throwing them away.

This is what I have realized:

1. I have a habit of collecting junks.
2. I can’t shop anymore. While it is very temping to buy things, I must learn how to control myself from buying things that will eventually turn into junks.

I am now happy to hand over my "shopping queen" title to someone else. Well, maybe after I get a pair of tennis shoes and my ski gloves tomorrow. Yup, that sounds better.

Little Update on Weekend Shopping

It is that time of year again: Christmas Shopping Season. As a frequent shopper, it is the time I like the least. First of all, there is just NOT enough discount; secondly, there happened to be plenty of stupid shoppers who have no idea where they are going and they end up hitting people with their bags. (I might be short, but you should be able to see me from distance if you weren’t busying talking to your neighbors, grrrr)

Since daddy is back and offered to drive. We chose South Center as our shopping destination of the weekend. Here is what I found:

There are a lot more African American/Latinos in South Center. It is like how I used to see tons of Asian shoppers in Bellevue Square; they are now African American in South Center. Ok, so what does this demography have to do with my shopping?

Of course it does. Less Asian means fewer competitors for smaller clothing sizes. I can easily find petite sizes in all stores across South Center. There are plenty of extra smalls, smalls, and size 0-2 to choose from, even the discounted items. There are usually no small sizes left after they go on sales, but it is different here in South Center.

The only hitch is that there is no Banana Republic in South Center. Well, I guess it is good for my wallet that way.

The Best Snow of the Year..so far

I thought the snow at Whistler was good, but there is always something better... the snow in Seattle.


My New Wallpaper


Once again, I am in love with my work of art


Another reason to take photos, enjoy the scenery...and be late to work.

OBS meet again

Whole bunch of old ladies met again for Thai Food this evening. It is one of the largest group we have had since our President, Yang, went back to Michigan for her studies.

After our always-Thai-by-choice dinner, we went to a Japanese dessert place called "Hikori" in Wallingford for tea and cakes. I ordered a pot of Assam and shared it with the rest of the group. Because we had a such large group, we kept on refilling the hot water. If I remember correctly, we refilled the water for at least 4 times. I felt bad bringing back the empty pot and asked for more hot water. Well, you can't really blame us for this; their cakes are just too sweet, we all need water to "dilute" the sweetness somehow.


Should have taken the picture earlier...


Bunch of old ladies hanging out at Hikori

We chatted some more at Rida and Jamie's place for the rest of the night. By the end of day, we came out with the theme for our Halloween costume. Just exactly what our theme is? Hum..All I am going to say is that it will be a freezing night, but all of us will look hot and sexy.

I miss this kind of gathering every once in a while. It feels great to be surrounded by whole bunch of old friends. Oh yeah, the rest of photos have been posted on OBS site.

BAck Alive

Just wanted to prove that my blog is not fully dead yet; I decided to update once again.

What's New? I would like to start with my Chicago photos, something I should have posted like two weeks ago. Ha!

Let's start with food. The famous Deep Dish Pizza is the must-have in Chicago.

I really enjoyed the architecture and history of buildings, the buildings that shape the beautiful city of Chicago. Each skyscraper comes with a unique design along with an appealing story behind it.

Of course, another must-see spot - Millennium Park. Chicago government adds an extra 2% state tax to build this park. You think 8.8% tax in Seattle is bad enough, try 10% tax in downtown Chicago.

University of Chicago Campus, I have to admit some of their buildings look better than what we have. But my UW pride keeps on telling me that it must be an illusion.

Basically, I got to see everything I wanted on the list, and more. It is only after I took those guided tours, I noticed the structural differentiation of skyscrapers that are constructed in different era. It is difficult NOT to fall in love with Chicago after you have seen those buildings.

Chicago is a city where I definitely will go back and visit again, hopefully during the summer time in the near future.

FYI: Chicago Here I come

CinDy will be in Chicago from 09/23 to 9/27; I am leaving this Friday and will be back on Tuesday.

Here is the rough list of things I would like to see or visit

1. Sears Tower
2. University of Chicago
3. Magnificent Mile
4. Reliance building (Hotel Burnham)
5. Lake Michigan
6. The art Institute of Chicago
7. Lincoln Park Conservatory
8. Water Pumping Station (visitor center inside)
9. State of Illinois Center

This is going to be fun!!! Time to take some awesome photos.

My Lastest Hike in the Eastside

It feels like I am so behind with my blog update...before I write anything new, a simple hiking photo will be a good start.

1 to 1.14 Can it get any LOWER?

I already knew the conversion rate will be close to 1:1, but reality struck me again at Canadian Exchange Center. It is not a good time to visit Canada, but it is not likely that exchange rate will bounce back anytime soon.

Yet, the Annual Richmond Night Market is waving at us: if we don’t get there now, we will have to wait for the next round in a year. It is not something I’d like to miss, and that decision was 100% correct.

The night market is so much better than I expected (I wonder why some people kept on saying the night market this year is not as good as previous ones?) I got a pair of cute pink Mashimaro car seat head wrap and a couple of T-shirts: one is green short-sleeved and the other is blue vintage v-neck.

The rest of my Canadian probably goes to food tasting. As I am counting my shopping souvenirs, there is really not THAT much. If I remember correctly, I didn’t eat a lot, either. All I remembered was that huge chicken kabob which I spent over 20 minutes to shove down my throat. I was pretty much done after that. Yup, that is enough to be said about the crappy conversion rate.

The night market is ending in two weeks. If you are planning to hit the food, make sure you wear a sweater, as it gets pretty chilling at the night. My lesson of the day: spend Canadian dollars wisely, but everything is worth it at the Richmond night market.

Spider...You Die

Spotted a 1.5 inch spider INSIDE my house. I asked around if anyone knows how to get rid of it without physically TOUCHING the spider. The most common answer is...




Find someone else to kill it for me.

yeah, thanks a lot. Just whom I am going to ask? I live alone. okie.

I remember Connie had a spider problem last week; we spent the first 30 minutes on the phone trying to figure out a solution. Unlike how I would attempt to kill them all, she want to keep them alive and not hurt the spiders at all.

Well, shame on me, but look what happened now: Connie's spider friend decided to move into my place, taking over my space....inch by inch.

Why can't spiders just age fast and die OUTSIDE of my house?