1001 Books To Read Before You-Know-What

I just devoured Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro. The story turned out to be completely NOT what I thought it would be. Which is a good thing because I wasn't expecting much.

To avoid spoiling anybody's fun, I shall not summarize the story here. Okay okay, I'm just too lazy to write a synopsis. Go wikipedia it, or better yet, go read it. It's pretty good.

You know those lists of 1,001 things that you should do before you die? I found one for books. Since I was looking for recommendations on good books constantly, I figured this list will keep me occupied for a while.

I thought I've read quite a bit since young so I could cross off quite a few on that list.. but guess how many books on that list have I read? Seventeen. Out of 1,001. Not even 2%!!! Argh.

I figure on average I'll do 1 book every 2 weeks. I don't want to blaze through a book and then not remember anything about it one month later.. so I'll slowly savor it. That makes about 25 books a year, which means I'll finish the list in about... 40 years. Well it will definitely keep me occupied for a LONG while.

I'm now 3 books into the list. They have been very good. Definitely books that make me think and hopefully write better. They weren't books about fantasy worlds or unusual people. In fact, the characters were ordinary folk living a somewhat normal life. And yet, there's something about the way it is written that draws me in.

The thing that drew me into Never Let Me Go was the way it didn't explain everything upfront. I had so many questions at the beginning.. what does this mean.. why did that person say that.. etc. But then as I read further, it slowly reveals the answers one by one. So then I had to keep reading to know even more. And that is why I finished the book in one afternoon.

Whatever.. I'm late anyways...

This is my newest favorite clock...

How true.

Is "anyways" right?

PS: It's from Target and costs a whopping $100! Ouch.

对Facebook的感想

一直以来不是很喜欢Facebook

总觉得有点不亲切

是找到了很多失去联络的朋友

可是找到了也不代表真的联系上了

为了朋友单上充数而加的名字。。 还算朋友吗？

为何要通过Facebook知道你的最新消息？

我是为你高兴， 可是我宁愿等你告诉我

就算消息迟了，至少我没有那个偷窥的感觉。

似乎我还在原地， 但你们都已擦身而过。

谁来给我一点时间让我适应？

Facebook没有。

不如等我回来， 你再慢慢说故事给我听。

就这么一次， 好吗？

One day we were sitting at home...

dinner over...

dishes in the sink...

puppy asleep...

nothing good on TV...

hey hey what's this?

A webcam!

The Worst Month of Them All

My least favorite month has got to be February. It's not even a close contest. Sure January is pretty bad being cold and all, but at least it has New Year's Day. And the beginning of a new year always brings hope and anticipation. Hope for a good year and anticipation of the adventures in store for the next 12 months.

And what does February have to offer?

Nada.

No holidays no hope no anticipation nothing.

I dislike winter in general. The only part I like about it is that first day of snowfall, when the ground is covered in pure white snow and the world looks so calm. And then it gets old really fast. The melting snow seeping into my shoes, the cold brittle wind on my face, feeling lethargic constantly because it's cold outside, not being able to enjoy the outdoors......... etc. etc. etc.

It all starts in November. From the minute I first start wearing jackets, I silently wait for the day when I can pull out all my summer clothes again. By the time February comes along, it's just too much. Too much waiting. I get so sick and tired of it all. Staying indoors all the time is such a drag.

February depresses me the most. It's the month when I start second-guessing what I'm doing and where I'm at. A time when I feel like I need to get away from it all, uproot myself and go somewhere where everything's new and unknown and exciting.

It was in February that I applied to Drake because I was quite unhappy at Grinnell. Of course there were logical reasons for wanting to transfer to Drake (more exposure to actuarial science bla bla bla), but honestly I just wanted a change of scenery.

Thankfully, the good thing about February is it's the shortest month. When March arrives and the weather starts warming up, I forget all about my depression in February and promptly launch into spring mode. Spring is wonderful. It makes me so happy. In March, I forgot all about my application to Drake and loved being in Grinnell. There's nothing like that first day where it's warm enough to not wear a jacket. I just want to walk everywhere that day. It doesn't matter how far or how many other things I should be doing, there's no staying indoors that day.

In the end I did transfer to Drake. It was a good decision but I've always missed the experience I could have gotten if I stayed. I'm sure I wouldn't end up where I am now if I finished my college years at Grinnell.

So I'm hoping this February will go by as quickly as it can. I'm feeling the effects of February syndrome already and it sure isn't fun. Please March hurry up before I do something rash.

Back again! (Maybe)

Whoa it's been soooooooo long.. a year has almost gone by.

No inspiration to write yet, but I will.. someday.. when I feel like it.. not like anyone reads it anyway..

I just read my friend's blog.. it's been 10 years since she left her home.. she wrote a short chronicle of what happened in the last 10 years.. very interesting.. especially her school years.. I was mentioned in it too AND quoted :D :D :D

Let's see.. it's been almost 8 years for me.. I went to Singapore in January 2001.. I still remember that day very clearly..

But too lazy to write story now.. maybe later.

Night.

A letter for White Tulip

Hello White Tulip,

Wow it's been a while since I've been here huh?

It's not that I forgot about you. I've actually visited quite a bit, each time meaning to tell you the latest news in my life. But everytime I place my fingers on the keyboard, I can't decide what to type. And so I close the page, hoping for another day when the words would flow.

I've moved into my new apartment now. It's much bigger than the previous one, with a better layout. I haven't bought any furniture to fill it up, so at the moment the place looks quite empty with studio-accommodating furniture only. I should get a dining table at least. Preferably one that would also be useful during mahjong sessions.

Did I tell you last Saturday was my birthday? I got a lot of birthday wishes from friends and colleagues, but I only celebrated it with my boyfriend, just like I asked for. We went out for a nice dinner at Seviche. That was it. I already got my gifts the Thursday before, a large cuddly fluffy dog named Booboo Max and a hat in the style I always wanted.

I got an early birthday gift from the Society of Actuaries too: an email with a passing grade on it. Come January 4, 2008, 3.5 years after my first exam, I'll officially be an Associate.

Christmas will be here in 3 days. And once again, I'm celebrating it alone. I thought about traveling during this holiday, but in the end I decided it's just going to be you and me for some long self-reflecting conversations.

Are you ready?

-me-