Long day

laelene Posted in general blog，Tags: ,
02 August 2010
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Well, today started off kind of rough with a bunch of things I needed to take care of.  For some reason I was feeling really cold and shaky as well, which didn’t help my concentration.  I also realized that I really couldn’t find my voucher for a set of beauty services (a hair cut, hair coloring, manicure, and microdermabrasion) that I had bought at a steeply discounted rate.  Bad news, since I hadn’t even used the microdermabrasion, which is the main reason I bought the thing.

Then Panda came online from the East Coast, where he is for a couple of days and he had a rough day.  He didn’t really want to talk, which made me sad, because all I wanted to do was hear his voice.  It made me sad that he was unhappy and not fully enjoying himself over there.  It was also frustrating because he couldn’t tell me all the details of his day.  So not only am I far away, I have to be distanced in other ways too.

When I returned to campus, another counselor was using Panda’s room for meetings with students, so I spent my time in the lounge and occasionally the hallway.  Things can get awfully lonely though, and all I wanted to do was rest and chill.  The hours dragged on slower than they ever have and I found conversation where I could.  I didn’t even have an appetite to eat most of my dinner.  It’s been a tiring day.

At least towards the end I had some fun hanging out with The Legend and some other counselors.  Now my legs are achy and I just want to rest, but all I can think about is whether or not the salon will still let me get the service on my voucher if I can’t find it anymore.  🙁  I’ve checked my desk at work, my car, the room, and emptied out my purse multiple times.  No luck.  My last hope is that I somehow took it out while at home one weekend.  It’s really not likely though, yet I haven’t a clue where it could have gone.  How unfortunate.

And tomorrow is an early day.  I’ve got to get up an hour earlier than usual.  At least soon Panda will be back.  🙂

Writing obsession

laelene Posted in general blog，Tags: , , ,
30 July 2010
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Have I ever mentioned my office supply fetish?  Well, I call it that, but it’s really more of a deep desire to own all the cool stuff I see in the office/school supply section.  Usually it’s pens, but sometimes erasers and notebooks and even colored staples catch my attention.  So because of this obsession (mainly with writing instruments), I love to write.   I don’t love to write for the words.  I do enjoy to write/type for expression, but to physically write I am driven by a completely different need: I love to write for the feeling of ink on paper.

I write for the feeling of how smoothly the ink glides onto the paper to make a mark.  I write with colored pens to brighten up my day.  I write with scented pens to amuse me with their smells.  I write with thin .05mm pens because they are the perfect thinness.  I write with .07 or .09mm to be bolder and make an impact.  I write with metallic and/or glittery pens to shine.  I write with milky pens because that was the fad.  I write with Sharpies to mark my territory!  I scribble and color in and draw random lines, just to fill the paper with ink.

I know it’s wasteful, but I get a certain pleasure from using up all the ink in a pen, so sometimes I will waste it just to make it happen faster.  I also love to completely scratch out things I’ve written that are outdated because they’re an action item or reminder that I’ve taken care of.  That adds another level of satisfaction to the satisfaction of ticking something off my list.  And because of all this, I can’t help it – I’m a doodler.  After all, that’s a great way to use pens when you don’t really have anything to write.

So there.  I admit it.  I am absolutely obsessed with writing.  Just not for the reasons most people might be…

Fortunate fix

laelene Posted in general blog，Tags: , ,
27 July 2010
1

iphone with cracked glassMy phone slipped yesterday, landing on the cement floor at work.  I’d never had a problem before, but this time I picked it up to find the glass had cracked.  Dismayed, I immediately began to research whether or not that was covered in my warranty, and eventually found and article that gave me hope.  It talked about how Geniuses are now allowed to replace the screen in store, so there was hope of getting it done for free!  This was confirmed in a CNET article:

We’ve received reports from some readers who had success having their iPhones with cracked screens replaced free of charge by geniuses at the Apple Store, but don’t count on it.

I immediately booked an appointment at the closest Apple Store for after work.  The guy who helped me told me it would normally cost $199 AND it would void my warranty to get it replaced.  But lucky me, he was in a good mood and we had a good rapport going, so he decided to replace it for me for free.  🙂  It was a quick fix in the back, taking about 10 minutes.  I signed some paperwork and was out the door, brand new screen in tow.  Now I’m super paranoid about dropping it and I admire the smoothness of the glass all the more.

It’s a good thing I was able to get it fixed so easily (and for free)!  Otherwise, I would have spent much of my time running my finger along the cracks, which would have inevitably given me a cut eventually.  The top part where the cracking started is actually higher than the part with the cracks.  If it weren’t for that, I’d be ok with not fixing it, but it had become a bit of a hazard for someone like me who likes to fiddle with things.  I was lucky the cracking was in a rather unobtrusive place to begin with, and even luckier to have gotten the whole thing replaced!

Themed gardens

laelene Posted in general blog，Tags: ,
26 July 2010
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Last night I was describing the Huntington Gardens (at the Huntington Library) to a friend and realized that I’ve never heard of a German garden, or a French garden, or a Spanish garden.  Why is that?  Instead, there are Japanese gardens abound, and a fair amount of Chinese gardens as well.  Other than that, there are themes based on plant type or ecosystem – rain forest, desert, wetland…  I find that Japanese gardens tend to focus more on the features – zen gardens, bonsai trees, and bamboo – whereas Chinese gardens have a slightly stronger focus on architecture – pagodas, stylized gateways, and small buildings.  Both definitely have a water element present (particularly a lake), which isn’t always the case in other gardens.

Western gardens seem to be more about flowers, an open field of grass, and greenhouses.  But in terms of a country or culture having a particular type, I can’t say that I’ve heard of any.  Is it just me or do Asian cultures have greater cultural identities than Western cultures?

Life as a game

laelene Posted in general blog，Tags: , , ,
23 July 2010
0

Go check out this TED video and if you’re not interested in the beginning bit, skip over to about 20 minutes in.  I find it fascinating, the way he’s describing how our lives are going to resemble a game more and more.  And it’s true!  I mean, it’s already so prevalent – think of all the things you’re signed up for to earn points.  Credit cards, store member cards, search engines, and really just about any service these days are using points to entice you to use them more.  I mean, I search with Swagbucks.com because I want to earn Swagbucks.  I use only one credit card (my Chase Sapphire) because I like racking up points on it.  My mom obsesses over getting frequent flyer miles every time we travel.  I never forget to enter my Ralph’s customer card number when I buy food there (not only to get the discounts, but also to collect the rewards).

I think it’s pretty brilliant.  When you make life into one massive game full of a series of mini-games, people have greater motivation to get things done.  Even better is when things are transparent and these accounts are linked to your social media account, so your friends can see how you’re doing.  People like to win, so seeing someone else did better than them encourages them to spend more time and effort to get a higher score.  Then with sensors, just about everything you do can be tracked and have consequences.  If you don’t have healthy habits, your insurance premium will go up – there’s a strong motivator to just fit in that quick half hour each day!

I think it comes down to accountability.  When people are easily able to hide what they do (or don’t do) and lie to themselves about how well they’re taking care of themselves, they’re more likely to continue with those bad habits.  But the moment everyone knows if you’ve flossed today, or had too much to drink, or didn’t get enough sleep, you want to do what you can to improve yourself.  Plus, having some friendly competition to egg you along doesn’t hurt.  If you see on your friend’s profile that they worked out every day for the past month and you haven’t done squat, it makes you reconsider, doesn’t it?

In a way, it’s bad though – if companies and the government can track you so closely, they’re going to make assumptions about you that may not be true.  Just because you don’t eat healthy doesn’t mean you can’t appear perfectly healthy in a physical and feel great.  There have got to be certain controls put into place protecting people’s privacy so insurance companies can’t rip people off because they don’t have the healthiest habits.  After all, the whole point is to protect against the unknown.  Trying to make too many predeterminations can lead dangerously close to a sort of eugenics and determinism.  But overall, I think turning our lives into games would lead to better results.  Let’s see how long it takes to happen!

Workaholic?

laelene Posted in general blog，Tags: , ,
20 July 2010
0

I enjoy working.  The month started off slowly for me, with my workload dwindling, and after a week and a half, I had just about taken care of all my emails from the past month, followed up on as many things as I could, and caught up on some random tasks.  I had my reports done, emails answered, and time left over to get distracted.  It felt weird.  I didn’t know what to do with myself.  I’ve never considered myself a workaholic, but when I’m working, I like having plenty to do, always more than can be finished that day.  I don’t like finishing everything and twiddling my thumbs.  So by the end of two weeks, I mentioned to a coworker that I had some free time on my hands and could help if he had something for me to do.

I can really get into the zone when I’m hard at work, zoning out people passing by and other distractions.  At times, it’s hard to tear myself away for lunch, but once I do manage to (if I do…), I can let go and enjoy my meal.  And when things are slowing towards the end of the day, I can tie off loose ends and save some of the work for the next morning.  I don’t generally need to stay late and have rarely stayed beyond half an hour more than usual.  I can leave work at work, but gosh, when I’m there, I do like to actually work.  Maybe because being productive makes my time feel worthwhile.  Maybe because it makes the time fly by.  Or maybe just because I really do enjoy the work I do!  It’s a great feeling and I’m really glad I came across a job that is such a steal.  I don’t mind getting buried work during the day.

It’s wonderful to have a job like this, that I can work hard at and feel good about, with no complaints.  I really can’t think of anything I dislike about the job.  I remember anticipating full-time work and the horrors of getting up every day at the same time, not getting a summer break or the various other vacation times, and a whole slew of other things that people hate about the daily grind.  But I’ve got a great deal – I don’t need to get up earlier than 8:30, I don’t have to shove down lunch in half an hour (unless I want to), and I have fun coworkers and supervisors.  It’s no wonder I like to go in to work (though I admit I still have trouble waking up in the morning) and be a good, productive employee.

So yay for the new opportunities that are filling up my schedule once again.  A slow day or even a slow week may be nice once in awhile, but I’d rather be busy getting things done.  I don’t think I’m a workaholic in the strictest sense, but in many ways – healthy ways – I can be.

Cats are my type of pet

laelene Posted in general blog，Tags: , , ,
14 July 2010
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Cats control.  Perhaps that’s why I like cats.  They like to be in control, just like I like to be in control.  Here’s an interesting video on how they use purring to get what they want.  They know how to get what they want and I generally do too.  And they love to nap!  I think more than that, it is their independent lifestyle though.  I don’t like dogs because they’re too needy.  I can leave a cat alone for days with no issue.  A dog would probably destroy the house and find a way to hurt himself.  Plus, cats don’t smell the way dogs do.  One of my greatest peeves is when a dog tries to lick my face – I don’t want to be anywhere near that, because their breath just reeks!

I think it’s fascinating that cats only purr for people.  At some point, they learned that doing so would make us happy, so now they know how to use it to get us to give them what they want.  I respect their smarts and love that they present a challenge.  They don’t always do what you want, but when they do, you can bet something went right.  I feel like you really have a relationship with them – some give and take and learning how to work with each other.  Dogs, on the other hand, just follow you around and give you all the attention and love you could ever need.  It’s suffocating.  I like pets that also can leave me alone.  And I like knowing that I’ve earned the good treatment I’m getting, rather than getting it because that’s all my pet does.  I suppose I prefer the depth of personality versus the unconditional love.

Cats are really misunderstood and it’s unfortunate.  They make for richer relationships.  Not to say that dogs don’t have personalities, but they’re not as complex as cats are.  And they certainly aren’t as clean.  It’s much easier to maintain a cat than a dog!  No walking, no barking to deal with, and so much less energy required.  It’s perfect for me; low-key and laid back, just the way I like it.  I can’t wait to get my next cat.  All my childhood ones have passed on.  🙁  I miss that sort of companionship and nothing is more soothing than hugging a purring cat.

Long live… you?

laelene Posted in general blog，Tags: , ,
11 July 2010
0

I happened upon this article the other day, talking about how scientists have come across genetic markers common to those who seem to have extreme longevity, living well into their 100s.  The article points out that knowing you have these genes could really impact the way you plan to live out your life.  After all, when your retirement lasts a good 20 years beyond what you might have expected, there is a lot to consider.  I can see how this type of knowledge could be really useful, since it’d give you a better idea if you should be seriously considering making plans for how you are going to live well after the normal life expectancy.

I actually wouldn’t really want to live so long though.  There may be plenty to do and endless knowledge to accrue, but I think once you get to a certain age, you start to become too much of a burden.  Unless you’ve saved up expecting to live to 120 and your health remains strong, financial issues will begin to surface one way or another.  I’d hate to be clinging on to life at 110 years old, living off my progeny because my retirement funds dried up 25 years ago and medical bills started to stack up well before that.  What’s the point, at that point?  What more is there to live for?  Not to be morbid or anything, but I’d rather make peace with everything I’d done in my life, say goodbye to my loved ones (if I could), and let nature take its course.  If I’m sick and broke, I’m doing no good to anyone and probably causing those closest to me the most harm.

It’s a silly little thing, but I’ve always thought that 88 is a nice age to live to.  (Perhaps just because it’s a very lucky number in the Chinese culture.)  I think by then I’ll have done most of the things I want to do without any major desires to fulfill.  Of course that is only speculation and we’ll have to see how things go as I age.  But whenever I get to the point where I’ve deteriorated so much mentally and/or physically that I’m a burden, I’d like to be able to call it a life and let the world move on without me.  People come and go and at some point, living just to stay alive becomes senseless.  We humans have such a strong drive to live on, and I’d certainly feel robbed if I had to die before I could retire and have grandkids and experience the world a bit more, but if I got to do all that… I’d be at peace leaving things to the future generations.

But first, I want to live a full life!  And though I’d like it to be long, I don’t want it to drag out to be too long.

The early years

laelene Posted in general blog，Tags: , , , , , , ,
08 July 2010
1

Branching off from my description of generational gaps in my family…

For my parents in particular, my maternal grandmother heard of my dad through the wife of a professor at the local university, which is where my parents both went to school.  My maternal grandfather was also a professor at the school and his professor buddy had my dad as a student.  Through the women talking, my grandmother learned that this young man was the professor’s star student and first in his class.  My parents were introduced to each other and my grandfather approved without ever meeting the young man.  All he had to know was that he was a hard worker and an excellent student.  My grandmother, on the other hand, wanted to meet and get to know this potential suitor.  As the legend goes, she sat him down for an interview (probably mostly asking about academics and his professional future) and liked him as well.  My mom decided that of the guys she’d been introduced to, she liked this one the most, and so they were married.  Or something like that.

It turned out to be a great decision, since my dad was smart enough to be allowed to leave China, which was a bit of a mess back in those years.  The country had been in lock down and it was extremely hard to get out.  My dad got into a PhD program at Penn State, which is what took him abroad.  About six months before I was born, he left for the land of the free and began his studies.  A year later, when I was a few months old, my mom followed suit, going to Penn State for her Master’s.  I was left with relatives in China and I believe my paternal grandmother was mostly in charge of raising me those years.  By the time I was three and a half, my parents had saved up enough money to fly me over.

I don’t remember much from those years, but I did have one strong memory from the plane ride, about the lady who escorted me from my family in China to my parents in America.  I have also been told by my mother that when I first arrived, I refused to let my dad sleep in the bed.  After all, it really was like meeting them for the first time – my dad had never seen me before and my mom had only been with me for about half a year.  My mom attributes this behavior to a child’s need to cling to one adult they trust.  Apparently between my parents, I chose my mother.  So I clung to her and slept with her, but initially wouldn’t allow my dad to share the space.  Poor guy must have had a couple of rough nights camping out on the couch or something.

And so that is how I spent the first couple of years of my life.  Most of it’s a blur and photography was too expensive back then to have many pictures capturing my toddler years.  The few I do have are quite amusing, with me all bundled up in winter clothes with a red dot on my forehead, or hanging out in a crib with my cousins standing around me.  Perhaps I’ll dig those up someday and share them too.

Curious observations

laelene Posted in general blog，Tags: , , , , , ,
04 July 2010
0

I spent a lovely holiday with Panda’s family having a BBQ, then going home to enjoy the night with my mom, but along the way, some strange things caught my attention.

It all started on my drive back home after spending the day at his family’s.  I noticed on the opposite side of the freeway, a silver/gray Honda type vehicle on the side of the road, left side tilted up and that front wheel still spinning.  Apparently it had hit a pole of some sort, which seemed to be the thing propping it up at that strange angle.  The front of the car had a dent in the middle, with smoke coming out of the hood.  It was a bizarre thing to see and I almost didn’t believe it, what with all the TV show crime and accident scenes I’ve been seeing.  As I passed by, the driver’s side door opened slowly (remember that the car was tilted on its side, so gravity was working against them) and I saw an arm or a leg push out.  As I contemplated whether or not I should exit and turn around, I noticed an SUV type vehicle pull over.  It looked like they were getting help, so I continued on my way, but puzzled about that incident the entire drive home.

Then when I exited from the freeway and began to drive through my town, I noticed groups of people camped out on the lawns of businesses.  It seems that they wanted to get a really good view of the fireworks that night, which I think were coming from the town center or the nearby amusement park.  A couple of lanes of the road had been blocked off, which made no sense to me, since there was nothing there.  The right-turn lane of the street I was on was blocked off, but traffic going in that direction wasn’t stopped, so I couldn’t figure out why coned it off!  How bizarre.  Were they saving room on the streets for patrol cars to use later?  Were they actually going to block off all the roads in that area closer to the time the fireworks were due to start?  Were they going to allow people to use the road to camp out too?  Or maybe they were getting ready to set up traffic stops and sobriety checkpoints?  Who knows.

Finally, I passed by our postal office and noticed that the flag was at half-mast.  Pondering the situation, I couldn’t come up with any explanation as to why that could be.  Independence Day is a holiday of celebrations, not commemoration, like Memorial Day would be.  So it couldn’t be due to that.  I figured someone must have died, but I wondered if it was a local thing or national thing.  When I made it home, I did some digging around and discovered that President Obama ordered flags at half-mast for a couple of days, to commemorate the late Senator Robert Byrd.  I hadn’t really heard of the man, so I wonder if they always lower the flag for Senators or if this man was a particularly special one.  Apparently it was supposed to be raised to full mast for today (after all, it is a happy holiday), but seeing as postal workers are all off, it’s no surprise they just left it.  Makes it easier, since it’s to be half-mast for Monday and Tuesday anyway.

And there you have it, a 50-minute drive full of peculiar things that I just about managed to figure out.  This is how my curious mind works.

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