I <3 nerdy boys

laelene Posted in general blog，Tags: , , ,
25 November 2013
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shy girl wearing nerdy costume

I had fun being a nerdy girl for a performance at UCLA Orientation’s Cabaret.

I love myself a nerdy boy. The ones who are engineers or scientists or other such south campus* majors. The ones who may not be eloquent (in fact, often their English could use some work) but can calculate and code and create incredible things. The ones who may be socially awkward and/or completely clueless but have the sweetest hearts and souls. I love how they’re smart like nothing else, work harder than anyone else, yet are humble like no one else. I think they’re so cute with their silly mannerisms and geekiness for science, technology, math, and all kinds of other bodies of knowledge. These are the types of guys I can really respect, admire, and trust. It may take some extra effort to get through to them, but it’s well worth the effort for the solid connections. These are all-around good guys who make loyal, caring friends. That’s also why I chose one to date! 😀 I had to do some chasing to win him over, but he treats me right and I know I can always rely on him.

I guess part of it is also that I’m a nerd at heart too. I grew up reading books, with very few games or toys to play with. I don’t know much about sports, drinking/partying, or entertainment. I rarely watch TV or go to the movies and the only sports team I sometimes follow is my UCLA Bruins football. I don’t drink and I only went partying a bit during college. None of that stuff interests me – I’d much rather spend a quiet night in talking, playing card games, and drinking tea. I also love going out to eat together! That always makes for great bonding time. Oh, and I’m a sucker for anyone who loves cats. If I can’t connect with someone in one of those ways and all they want to do is drink beer, party, watch sports, and talk about TV/movies… well, they’re not my kind of guy. Sometimes I just want to share my heart and know that the person on the other end will keep it safe.

What’s your type?

 

*At UCLA, we were split between north campus (the arts) and south campus (the sciences).

Alone in a crowd

laelene Posted in general blog，
19 November 2013
0

I got a chance to enjoy a meal by myself today, actually sitting down at a restaurant instead of taking it back to the office. It’s been some time since I’ve done that and I enjoyed sunbathing from my table as I slowly ate my meal. It’s pretty relaxing and a great way to unwind. I had nothing to do but sit there and enjoy my food. It was also a chance to people watch – that couple in the corner by the fake flowers that touched them on their way out to see if they were real, the other girl eating alone nearby, the family across from me that didn’t seem to speak much to each other and sat around for awhile after there was no more food on the table, the colleagues or friends next to me talking about work and personality types…

tree in fall with bright yellow leaves against blue sky

Take some time to notice the beauty around you!

I also took the time to observe the little things – the heat of the sun’s rays on my face, the coziness of the restaurant, the wind blowing the decorations outside, the clatter of workers putting away dishes, the softness of my pasta, and the way that time kind of melted away. I love noticing these random details and taking the time to appreciate them. Perhaps I should go out to lunch on my own a bit more frequently. When you can just get lost among a crowd, it’s not lonely and it’s quite peaceful (at least to me). I like letting the world around me hum along at its pace as I take a step back. People tend to get caught up in their hectic lives and I don’t want to be that way, so moments to myself in the midst of a work week is really nice. I’m also looking forward to a yoga class I’m going to later this week that includes a meditation portion. I’m sure that will be rejuvenating too!

SEO Surprise

laelene Posted in general blog，Tags: , , ,
18 November 2013
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I’m totally geeking out after finding out that one of my pictures is showing up on the Google Image search for “UCLA” at a pretty good position! You may not find it above the fold like I do, but more than likely you’ll find it’s the very first image that isn’t one of Royce Hall, campus, or the various UCLA logos. It’s totally random since it’s the picture of Panda proposing to me at UCLA… where you don’t really see much of the campus at all. Then it links out to my blog posts that are tagged “UCLA” so you don’t even see this picture without a ton of scrolling. However it managed to make its way up the image searches is a mystery to me, but I love it!

google images search results for ucla

Here’s how it went down: my manager and I were sitting talking when the conversation led to the architecture at UCLA. He decided to search for images of UCLA and as he was scrolling through them, I was shocked to find something so familiar – that picture of our proposal! I could hardly believe my eyes and I had to go check another coworker’s computer to ensure it wasn’t just showing up because Google tracks your searches. Amazing how I didn’t do a thing and it managed to creep up to that spot. Who knows what other photos are out there in those searches!

It’s the little wins in life that bring joy to your everyday. 🙂

Scaling back

laelene Posted in general blog，Tags: , ,
15 November 2013
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I’ve been working on a blog post for “today” (even though technically it’s already tomorrow) but I just don’t feel like finishing it quite yet. It’s been a long time since I skipped a day blogging even though it’s well past the one year goal I’d set for myself way back when. I just checked and the last skipped day was back in February. Sometimes I get carried away with goals like that, but it’s been chipping away at my time and energy. I think I went a little crazy deciding to blog daily on top of my 365great posts, so I’m giving myself a break. It’s hard for me to let go and not post something every day, but I think it’ll be better for me. I mean, for awhile I was doing an every other day thing and that felt comfortable.

Some nights you just want to curl up in the warmth of the bed and relax. Tonight I did that after a soothing bath and it felt wonderful! I totally put aside the looming blog post stuff and napped for a few hours as Panda watched our Bruins beat the Washington Huskies (woot!). Still, I woke up in the middle of the night as I am apt to do, and promptly got on the computer to blog. It’ll be nice to not do that and sleep through the night instead next time I’m exhausted. Now excuse me while I go work on the 365great post. 😛

Interesting security questions

laelene Posted in general blog，Tags: ,
14 November 2013
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I was setting up an online account for Best Buy when they asked me to set up my security questions. While most were pretty standard, a few stood out as particularly fun/unique/weird (shown in bold below). Also, in reviewing them, I realized almost everything was something I’d totally blog about at some point another. I really need to be careful to censor myself more. 😛 Here’s a sampling of what they had (where do they come up with this stuff?):

What was the name of your first roommate during college?
What was your favorite place from your childhood?
What is the first name of your youngest child?
Who was your arch rival when you were growing up?
What is your youngest sibling’s nickname?
Which was the first foreign country you visited?
Who is your favorite athlete?
What is the most unusual job you have had?
What is the last name of your favorite teacher?
Name the highest mountain you’ve been to the top of?
Where did you go on your honeymoon?
What was your most memorable gift as a child?
In which city was your first elementary school?
What was the name of your first pet?
What is your favorite restaurant?
In which city did you get engaged?
Last name of your kindergarten teacher?
What is the last name of your childhood doctor?
What is the name of your favorite movie?
What is the model of your first car?
If you could control your height, how tall would you be?
What is the name of the college you went to?
What is your mother’s middle name?
Who is your favorite musical group?
What is your favorite flower?
Name of childhood best friend?
What was your high school mascot?
Who is your favorite person from history?
What is the street name where you lived when you were 10 years old?
What was your boss’s first name at your first job?
When is your father’s birthday?

My safest bet is to go with sibling-related stuff since I have none and I’d have to make up their name(s). So much harder to figure that out than actual details about my life!

When a trip to NYC becomes so much more

laelene Posted in general blog，Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
11 November 2013
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I should have known a weekend trip to New York could be so much more. As it was, this was set to be an awesome long weekend: Panda and I would spend a day going through my old town of Brewster, then spend a day in the city before heading home on the third day to settle back in for a shortened work week. I was really excited to revisit the areas of my early teens, from Westchester to Putnam counties. It was also a chance for me to share a bit of my childhood with Panda. We were both looking forward to exploring New York City together for the first time – this was my first long weekend since starting work and I wanted to make the best of it (and we most certainly did)!

posing on bright yellow street art sculpture in park in nyc

Don’t just have fun – document it and share it and tag it! Friends might just come knocking.

I’ll share more about the trip another time. What really struck me about this experience was when I posted a few items to my various social media channels. Something completely unexpected happened again and again: my friends in the area began reaching out to say they were nearby! This is exactly what social media is great for, encouraging connections that otherwise would have been easily missed. There were my Singaporean friends and former coworkers who messaged me that they were in the city for one more day before returning home. There was the Yelp comments from my college friend who lived in my building one year and was now in grad out in New Jersey. Then there was the Instagram conversation I had with another college friend, who did Orientation with me (and Panda) and was now doing her residency in Jersey. I mean, I knew I had friends out in the region, but it hadn’t occurred to me who I might be able to meet up with on our trip!

Each of them reached out to me on a social media channel last night and I messaged all of them through those different channels. Funny how they all found me through a different site/app! By this morning, I had arranged to meet with my grad school friend (Shadow) and the Singaporean coworkers (Starfish and Zen). Shadow met us at our hotel in Secaucus, where we had breakfast together. Panda knew her from when we hung out in college, so it was nice for the three of us to catch up and meet up so far from UCLA. I had thought she was still doing Teach For America, but she’s already well into her first year of a grad program! After she left, Panda and I headed into the city to meet up with Starfish and Zen at the MOMA. It was really nice to be able to introduce them to each other, since I talk about them here and there and now Panda has a better impression of who they are. We hung out for about an hour before splitting ways – they were off to a lunch meeting and we were due to head home.

I’m really glad I was able to get those two brief encounters with people I love seeing. Too bad Opti, my optometrist residency friend couldn’t meet up as well… that would have rounded things out nicely. Still, it’s great to know that next time I head up north I’ve got some friends to hang out with. And to think, it was all because I shared bits of my life on Facebook, Instagram, and Yelp! I guess next time I can do a better job of letting friends know my plans, since I probably could have met with a bunch more had they known.

365great Day 241: pictures

laelene Posted in general blog，Tags: , , , , ,
10 November 2013
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365great challenge day 241: picturesI’m a photo addict. I admit it. Ever since I got my first camera when I was 11 or 12, I’ve enjoyed capturing pictures. When I got my first digital camera, I was thrilled beyond belief – I no longer had to worry about choosing what to take pictures of carefully and I could just snap away, then delete later! In high school and college, you’d be hard-pressed to find me unprepared without a camera on me whenever I went out. With the emergence of Facebook, it became a way for me to connect with my friends even more, since every time I tagged them they’d get notified and it could be a conversation starter. Pictures are such a wonderful way to remind yourself a moment, a memory, a feeling that you may have forgotten about otherwise. It’s also a useful way to be able to share those memories more accurately with your loved ones. Seeing you when you were younger creates a deeper connection than trying to imagine it. I always love both taking pictures and having my picture taken, because of the memories I know I’ll have when I look back. It’s a great way to document all sorts of things!

October Favorites 2013

laelene Posted in general blog，Tags: , , , , , , , , , , ,
09 November 2013
0

collage of october 2013 favorites including free food, neal's yard remedies, geek squad, haircut, nike sneakers, condo walkthrough, heated car seats, cooking, and paper facial masks

1. free food – This month brought some wonderful opportunities for free food from Whole Foods (community event during the furlough) and Carrabbas (First Tastes event). It’s been awhile since Panda and I have gone out to get free food so it was nice to experience again. Back in college we’d get free Sprinkles cupcakes all the time and occasional other deals that various establishments were offering.

2. NYR Organics – It was a pleasant surprise to come across NYR Organics, the US version of Neal’s Yard Remedies. I’ve been enjoying the simple pleasure of misting my face with their products. The sales rep was even kind enough to send me an empty spray bottle so I could use it for the witch hazel water I had without a spray top. She totally understood that it’s much better when you can apply it that way. I love how mild and gentle these products are, which makes them oh so soothing.

3. Geek Squad – An all too-familiar scene. I think I visited Geek Squad a dozen times in the period of 3 weeks as I tried to get exactly what I wanted. I did exchanges and returns and hardware swaps and software changes with them. All throughout, they remained helpful and patient until I was finally able to get the laptop I’d been seeking, complete with SSD, touchscreen, backlit keyboard, and so much more. While I’m glad they were able to help me through it all, I sure do hope I don’t need to go see them again.

4. haircut – My hair had started to get mousy and I was growing bored of plain black so I decided to go searching for a hairdresser. I had a girl out in Manhattan Beach who I liked to go to, but that’s not very practical anymore. Luckily, the one I decided to try had a sweet lady who was sociable but not too chatty and did a great job. I plan on sticking with her so long as it doesn’t become an inconvenience once we move a bit further from that salon’s location. I’m not super picky with my hair, but it’s nice knowing what to expect. Now my hair is lighter and feels much smoother than before!

5. Nike sneakers – I’ve been wearing these to work almost every day and I love it! All I wanted was super comfy shoes with amazing support and that’s exactly what I found. It’s a nice bonus that I happen to have them in my alma mater’s colors, making them all the more beautiful. I went with Nike because a good friend from college works for them and I love supporting my friends, even if it’s something small. I seriously can’t get enough of those memory foam cushions soothing my feet like never before.

6. condo walkthrough – I really enjoy watching things in progress, so I’ve been keeping an eye on our condo. We were there when it was just a plot of land and now we’re already at the walkthrough stage! I appreciate the pre-drywall walkthrough that we got so we could see the interior of our future home before it fully takes shape. I feel a lot more involved in the process being able to see it at this point and I can’t wait to go through it again when the interior is all pretty (one more month!).

7. heated car seats – I don’t know what I’d be doing without my heated car seat and steering wheel. Every day I’m so glad I was able to get a car with those features because they have made my commute more than comfortable. The heated seat came in especially useful when I hurt my back and needed that sort of warmth to help ease the tension. I’m totally addicted to that feature now and I don’t think I could ever get another car without at least heated seats. Life is so much better when you aren’t freezing.

8. cooking – Between Blue Apron and Hello Fresh, Panda and I are getting a fair share of cooking experience! I love having a box to cook through once a month or so. It’s an activity for us to look forward to doing together and there’s a tasty reward at the end. Plus, we’re building useful skills for the future! Of course, I’m also getting spoiled by it and now I don’t want to have to go grocery shopping or to figure out what to cook. 😛

9. paper facial masks – I’ve always enjoyed masks, but I usually don’t get around to using them because of the whole routine. I inevitably get some in my hair and it takes quite some time to apply and wash them off. When I discovered paper masks where it was a serum formulation that you just let absorb into your skin, I found my holy grail. It’s much easier to get them on and then I can just peel them off whenever and not worry about washing my face. They’re also just more fun to me and I need to stock up on these!

So what are your favorites from October? Anything you found you were using/doing a lot?

Back in the groove

laelene Posted in general blog，Tags: , , , ,
07 November 2013
1

Ever since I started work, I’ve been meaning to find a yoga place to pick up my practice again. A few days ago, after hurting my back, I really needed to start strengthening my back again so Panda started looking for me. He found a great deal on Groupon that included 10 classes and a yoga mat and bag! That’s perfect since I didn’t bring my mat with me when I moved out here and it will be nice to have mats on both coasts so I don’t have to worry about not having mine.

floor of the ayurvedic path entrance with welcome mat and shoe rack

Hello new yoga haven.

After registering, I signed up for my very first class with this yoga studio, which is really close to my office so I can easily swing by after work to enjoy some meditation, stretching, twisting, and strength-building. It’s been a year and a half since I stopped attending yoga classes, so I went for a beginner’s level this time around. That way I can ease back into it and I can go easy on my strained back as it heals. I was surprised at how excited I was to get to the class – must have been all the anticipation. It’s tucked away in a really quiet area and the room size is meant for upwards of 15 people. I like that the classes won’t ever get big and that it’s so intimate and cozy. The warmth inside was very soothing and the teacher leading the class was really nice and welcoming. I changed into my yoga gear and joined another dozen or so women and two men in the class. It was great to get time to meditate and relax while going through various poses. The challenge level was medium and I found I was stronger than I had expected, which is excellent news!

When I first started yoga, it was a free class held in the movie room at my apartment complex. We had an average of 6 people each time and I loved it. This place gives me a similar vibe, where we get enough one-on-one attention if needed. One thing I wasn’t used to was the mirrored wall… it was strange to look at myself in the mirror but I didn’t want to stare at others either, so I usually watched the instructor or looked towards the ground. I did like that I could ensure better posture and alignment when I could see my positioning, but I generally didn’t need it. I’m very happy with my experience so far and I can’t wait to try out some of the more challenging classes! I look forward to the day when I can manage a handstand.

After class, I met the owner of the place, who’s also very nice. I finished off my paperwork with them and got my yoga mat, but they didn’t have bags today so I’ll pick it up another time. I felt great afterwards – empowered, more limber, and with greater peace of mind. I’ll be reporting back to my coworker Autumnfall to let her know in case she’s ever interested in joining. I think having a friend in class would be fun!

selfie taken at entrance of yoga studio after class, with new yoga mat in tow

After class, I took a quick selfie. Got my new hot pink yoga mat now!

Sleep-doing

laelene Posted in general blog，Tags: , , ,
06 November 2013
0

I’m often amazed at how functional I can manage to be even when my mind has practically shut down. I can drive, write, and have conversations… and then I don’t remember what happened later. Have you had that happen to you? Last night I was in quite a bit of pain from my back and Panda was massaging me when I drifted off. I was so warm and I was relaxing enough to fall asleep without realizing it. Panda even had a conversation with me before noticing I was asleep. I then woke up a few hours later and finished off my blogging for the night, but I barely recall what happened. How I managed to write about sailing coherently is a mystery to me.

Similarly, there have been times that I’ve driven home when utterly exhausted only to find myself pulling into the driveway with no recollection of how I drove there. Maybe I used all my brain power to do the driving so I had no room to store the memory? Whatever the case, I’m glad I haven’t had that happen to me lately. I’m sure my reaction time would be awful if anything were to get in my way, so it’s a total recipe for disaster. When it gets to that point, I think a quick 10-minute nap can be a useful refresher. Of course in our world of go, go, go, it’s hard to take that time to take care of yourself. I was meeting with someone once and he hadn’t gotten enough rest, so I could see him zoning out and even dozing off as we spoke. Poor guy really needed to just catch a few minutes of rest!

So are you like that too, pushing forward until your body and mind just give out on you? Or do you ensure to get breaks when you need them?

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