Curious observations

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

Fortune coincidence

laelene Posted in general blog，Tags: , ,
02 July 2010
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Panda’s been a bit sick lately, so last night we went to get pho.  There’s something about drinking hot soup that clears the sinuses and wards away sickness.  At the pho place, they have fortune cookies at the counter, so we grabbed some for after our meal.  When it came time to open them, the first one he had fell on the floor, so we considered it invalid.  Then he opened up the second one and it was the same exact one I had gotten!  Shall we call it serendipity?  🙂

So then I went on to talk about the 11 or so lottery winners I read about, who all won a large sum of money in a drawing many years ago.  To have so many people win that level was suspicious, so the lottery people went about to investigate.  These people seemingly had nothing to do with each other.  As it turns out, they had all gotten a fortune cookie about money and decided to keep it for use in the lottery.  Some had had the fortune for ages and others had gotten it more recently.  It’s still a major coincidence, but considering the limited number of fortune cookies fortunes about money and the large amount of people who play the lottery, it kind of makes sense.

Then today I found that a bunch of my friends made a last-minute decision around dinnertime to go out to Vegas for the long weekend!  Talk about spontaneous (and they got an AWESOME deal of $40 for a room for two nights – I’m awestruck).  Well, as it turns out, much of the decision seemed to hinge upon a fortune that one of the guys got at dinner, which was about a sudden change of plans being a good thing.  Being that he LOVES Las Vegas, it comes as no great surprise that he immediately took that as a sign to go (I’m sure he’d been thinking about it already).  It’s nice that he was able to get a bunch of people to go with him too!  That’s the benefit of living in a residential hall with people you work with – you all know each other, you’re all friends, and you’re all in close proximity!

Funny what a slip of paper can do, no?

Child-rearing philosophy

laelene Posted in general blog，Tags: , , ,
29 June 2010
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So I mentioned a little while back that I am watching Medium, and I have found I have little patience for overbearing parents.  I get annoyed that they are always so worried – you’re too young to have an email account, you’re too young to walk home alone, you’re too young to stay home alone.  Blah, blah, blah.  What is this crazy control these parents think they can exert?  Sure, you should be careful, but you never let your child out of their gilded cage, they’ll never learn to fend for themselves.  The world, though filled with its dangers, is also totally to navigate without being hand-held the whole way through.

I quite like the way that I grew up and it had nothing to do with what I’m seeing in this show, and in other families.  Granted, by the time the internet and email came around, I was already a pre-teen, so there wasn’t much concern over when I’d be ready.  Then again, the eldest daughter in the show wasn’t allowed to get an email account until she was 13 or 14 (and only under the condition that her parents had full access).  I got myself plenty of accounts, as well as instant message screen names and even free websites.  I stayed home alone for a few hours here and there as early as 8 and by the time I was in 6th grade, I’d be home alone for days at a time.

A child who had a babysitter stay with them instead wouldn’t have learned the responsibility that I did.  How do you expect someone to take care of herself when you never let her be on her own?  No wonder it’s a huge deal for parents when their beloved child is off to college.  It’s the first time in 18 years they’ve ever let them leave the house for more than a week!  But me, I got to travel and visit relatives in China.  I got to go to a variety of summer camps and enjoy myself, learn more about myself and the world.  I would have hated to stay with my parents all the time, sleep in the same bed every night.  Perhaps that is why I had absolutely no trouble traveling through Europe alone for a couple of weeks.  Perhaps that is why I never got too homesick while studying abroad for a year.  These are skills that can be learned very early and life and it certainly helps you cope with the situations that can arise in your adult life.

I don’t believe in parents always peering over their child’s shoulder, not giving them privacy or space to grow and learn.  I am great at detecting spam mail or other shady business because I have seen it since I first got on the internet.  I know exactly how to take care of myself when I am alone.  I don’t put myself in dangerous situations and when I am alone in a foreign place, I am always conscious of my surroundings, making sure no stranger gets too close or that anyone is following me.  I learned a lot of street smarts by being out in the world.  I don’t think there’s any other way to do it.  So when it comes time for me to be a parent, I am not going to prevent them from going to sleepovers or seeing boys/girls or getting an email account all to themselves.  I’d rather teach them the skills to know how to take care of themselves in each situation.  After all, experience is the best teacher, isn’t it?

Garden beach party

laelene Posted in general blog，Tags: , , , , ,
26 June 2010
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backyard garden turned beach paradise, complete with jacuzzi and bonfire pitOne of my coworkers has been working hard to renovate his yard into the ultimate spot to hang out and throw some parties.  It was finally ready for its official unveiling today and he held a day-long party to celebrate!  I moseyed over around six and quickly fell into conversation after conversation.  My original plan of just stopping by for an hour or so soon dissolved and I settled in for hours of chillaxin’.  With a jacuzzi, bonfire pit, sand beneath your feet, ocean breeze swirling around, and wall projector, what more could you ask for?  This picture doesn’t do the place justice.

Between all the fun chatting and hanging out with some newly-made buddies, I took a detour to two guys’ apartments so they could change into something warmer for nighttime in the beach community.  Seeing these three places so close to the beach makes it a really appealing place to be.  Who doesn’t enjoy an ocean view?  I think I’d live a much more active lifestyle if I was right there.  It would make me want to walk around more.

I happened to have my Acu Hoop in the car, which is a 3-lb hula hoop meant for working out with.  Many tried, but few could master the moves it takes to use one of those suckers.  It was hilarious to see people try though!  Sure made for quite the entertainment when they’d try all sorts of hip wiggles and pelvic thrusts to keep it going.  Unfortunately, those motions don’t work very well for keeping such a heavy hula hoop going.  All you need to do is stand straight and move a little side to side.  I tried to teach a few, but they all attempted to move around too much.  Oh well, it was great entertainment!

I was one of the only girls there, which is quite reminiscent of my work environment, where I am currently the only girl.  It’s always an interesting dynamic, where I am either often the center of attention or pretty much ignored.  Today was much more of the former than I’ve had in awhile, and it was interesting.  I had a lot of fun even when I was teased, hassled, or otherwise talked about.  Boys will be boys, as I’ve learned.  These guys certainly knew how to have a lot of fun though and that brought out the bubbly side of me, which was great.  I haven’t been in situations like that lately, where I can be the sociable person I am in gatherings like today’s.  I enjoyed getting out and meeting new people while enjoying a really great part of LA.

Reevaluation

laelene Posted in general blog，Tags: ,
25 June 2010
1

It’s been around a year now since I decided I would do a daily entry for this blog.  As I adjust to working life, perhaps it is time to consider posting a little less than daily.  I have accidentally missed a day or two here and there so far and I wonder if I should just let days like that go.  So far I’ve been making them up right away.  It wouldn’t be a tragedy if posted 4-5 times a week, would it?  I’m just afraid that one day off will lead to another and slowly things will dwindle.  If I stick to the strict regimen of one post per day, it keeps me on track and doesn’t allow room to stray.  Maybe I need that sort of discipline.

I think I’ll give it a try though, allowing myself to skip a day here and there and see if I start slipping.  If that’s the case, I’ll tighten up my resolve and go back to one a day for consistency’s sake.

Yumberry: the newest superfruit

laelene Posted in general blog，Tags: , ,
22 June 2010
2

Over the past couple of years, the term “superfruit” has taken hold and generally refers to more exotic fruits that have high antioxidant levels and an abundance of nutrients.  There’s nothing wrong with the standard fruits at the store, like strawberries, oranges, or blackberries, but this new breed of superfruits has been elevated onto a pedestal and given some sort of glamorous image.  It started off with blueberries and pomegranates, which are relatively accessible.  Then came açaí berries that became all the rage, yet no one really knew what they were.  Certainly understandable since most of us will never encounter a fresh one in our lives.  From what I know, they are highly perishable items and are generally found in the Amazon region.  By the time they could get shipped to the US, they would have gone bad, so they are only found as juices or flavorings.

Along the way, other exotic fruits have gained popularity, like goji berries, maqui berries, chermoyas, etc.  They haven’t been quite as well-known as blueberries, pomegranates, and açaí berries though.  Based on the products I see being sold, that trio has been unbeatable.  Now it seems that a new fruit is on the verge of breaking into their market share.  The yumberry, aptly named, is a red fuzzy fruit that I have also never seen fresh.  As a child I knew them as yang mei (??) and often ate preserved ones, which are delicious!  Forget about plums or apricots or whatever else dried fruit you may have had – these things are the bomb.  (Well, to someone like me who loves tart things anyway.)  And now Honest Tea and Jamba Juice have added them to their products as they slowly gain popularity and recognition.  Though the drinks don’t really remind me of the dried fruits I used to eat, I’m glad to see they’re getting their day in the spotlight.

So if you haven’t tried them yet, go explore and try to get a real one.  But if you can’t, you might luck out at a local Asian supermarket with the preserved ones.  I’m going to try to hunt them down too!

Commissioning

laelene Posted in general blog，Tags: , , , , ,
20 June 2010
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Today I attended a friend’s commissioning ceremony and it brought back memories of times long gone.  In a way, I still yearn for the military, but my life has taken me so far from that path that I don’t actually want to serve anymore.  It was cool to see all the people’s family and friends who came to participate in the ceremony, going on stage to swear them in, pin on their new bars, or give them their traditional “first salute” as an officer of the United States Air Force.  One girl even had her brother swear her in via webcam, from somewhere in the Middle East.  Others had their fathers, grandfathers, brothers, or friends swear them in or give them their first salute.

After the new lieutenants all received their bars, one went up to give a speech about the class, highlighting each person and what they had to overcome to get to today.  It was kind of cool to hear a snippet of each person and their background.  There was a girl who transferred a few years into the program, one who had to commute from Santa Barbara, another who also had to work while attending school and doing the ROTC program.  Then were was my friend, who had to get though a major change and make it through six years of the program!  One of the guys did the program as a grad student, another struggled with English not being his first language (though that one seemed to be more of a joke, since he obviously grew up here), and there were many more.  I was a bit disappointed that he didn’t also speak of himself, but it was nice to hear a little of how each person got to this point.

And with that, a new batch of 14 Air Force officers will be entering the work force in the coming weeks and months, courtesy of UCLA’s AFROTC.  Oh, and a happy Father’s Day to all those dads in attendance today.  Not a bad way to spend the afternoon, watching your child or grandchild get commissioned into the USAF.

Lakers domination

laelene Posted in general blog，Tags: , , , , , ,
17 June 2010
0

Oh yes, even Kobe has one.

No, I am not writing about the Lakers’ victory today.  But in these weeks leading up to these games, Los Angeles has been speckled with Lakers flags.  You can’t drive anywhere without seeing them!  You know what I’m talking about.  Those little flags that flutter in the wind as cars drive, barely hanging on for dear life as the wind whips them into ragged pieces of cloth.  They’re super annoying for reasons I can’t seem to pinpoint, but admit it, you think so too.  As an avid Lakers fan, I’m sure you wouldn’t admit though, would you?

Then I heard there were riots going on after Tuesday’s game?  What insanity.  Today everyone left for work early, leaving me all alone because they had to rush home to catch this momentous match-up.  Oh, and of course they spent the day figuring out how to bet to win the most money!  I am amazed at the level of obsession fans have.  It’s really quite interesting to observe, so long as it doesn’t get dangerous.  I made sure to stay home tonight lest there were trouble on the streets, from elated Lakers fans or bitter Celtics fans.  At least summer has come and most students have moved out of the area for this week to be at home before summer school or internships start.  We got some loud honking and rowdy behavior, but nothing too bad.

Seriously though, what is it about the Lakers that makes Angelenos go wild?  Maybe it’s just because I don’t connect with the city the way that I do my school.  I can imagine being that excited if UCLA basketball or football won a championship.  But the Lakers?  Though purple is my favorite color and they do have Jordan Farmar, it’s just not enough to get me to join in the wild celebrations.  I wouldn’t mind so much if those annoying flags weren’t a part of the picture…  By the way, click on the picture to see the source and read the article that comes with it – you’ll find another gem of a picture there.

Banning scary

laelene Posted in general blog，Tags:
15 June 2010
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I’m not a fan of scary movies or shows, but murder mysteries are fine with me.  I can’t remember the last horror film I watched (if I ever did) and I certainly don’t ever plan on seeing one.  I don’t see the appeal in spooking yourself and I’m great at scaring myself as it is.  So, instead I stick to shows like NCIS or Lie to Me, where though there is danger and death, there isn’t anything too sinister.

And now happily, I have chosen to pick up Medium to add to my repertoire of shows.  Initially I was afraid it would be too dark, but after previewing an episode, it seems there aren’t any terribly traumatizing scenes.  With six seasons, there are plenty of shows to keep me occupied when I just want to sit back at night and not have to think too hard.  Oh the wonder of television entertainment…  🙂

I ban all things scary from my life and I think the world would do better to do so too.  Why add that stress and worry to your life?  You can get thrills from plenty of other things.  But hey, to each his own.

Eating ritual

laelene Posted in general blog，Tags: , ,
13 June 2010
1

Lately I’ve noticed that I always smell my food before I eat it, getting a good whiff of the scent to prime my taste buds for enjoyment. It may seem strange and sometimes I catch myself and wonder what people who see me doing that would think. There are times when people find it normal, like when you get a steaming bowl of soup set before you. I think it should be something we do for all our food though! There are some fantastic smells to experience and sniffing something appetizing only makes us enjoy it more. I definitely think engaging another sense, especially one as powerful as smell, can enhance the experience.

Think about how your mouth waters when you get a whiff of your neighbor’s cooking. The anticipation itself can make the experience so much better. So next time you’re getting ready to take a bite into a delicious bit of food, stop and take good long inhalation of the aroma first. I bet it will make you enjoy your food that much more.

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