Sent off my course project this morn and now I'm free to work, clean, and tackle all the other tasks I've been putting off. Found out for sure that I won't be able to take summer courses so I will have to occupy my time somehow. I may even look for another job. Here's to hoping I don't just end up sitting idly all the time. It was a good class, with a not so good textbook, but very engaging discussions and interesting classmates. I'll be seeing two of them this weekend for a tour of the historic district, hopefully.

Also going to a live screening of This American Life this Thurs. after work, with a meetup group, lil bro and his friend. I was totally excited thinking it was an in person show...turns out it is just broadcasted live from NY. Still excited! There will be readings from David Sedaris, a performance by OK Go, a dance performance, a short film and more.

It's not a bad week, but soon...I get to see my friends!!

Wanted to share a few photos from the hike on Sun. It was so beautiful, both the view and the weather. My poor parents were so exhausted though.


Lastly, a four-leaf clover!! This counts as one, right?? I think just last week, my mom found the other kind, the shamrock shaped one:


Now, where's my luck?

Trying out this online dating thing (you may snicker). I asked to meet some dude this Saturday and I was thinking if anything, I could maybe get a friend out of him. But after some thought, I don't even think we will mesh that well. Of course, I don't think I would mesh with most people on this site. Still, he did introduce me to some nice songs. Might as well get it over with. And I think I owe him a coke? o.O

In a negative light, it all seems very superficial and somehow desperate. But I know it can and should also be fun. It's about meeting people, right? It's just sad to me that all these people are interesting in their own way and all deserve meaningful connections, yet it seems so difficult. I was also inadvertently very rude to one person who messaged me. I said I wouldn't be attracted physically, even though I thought I was cushioning it by saying some other stuff. I was telling moo and hoot this earlier. Why did I think that I had to say that? Such a jerk, me. I apologized and hope they didn't take my words to heart.

This brings me to something else I've been thinking of lately, beauty and humanity. Are you less beautiful if you are deformed? Are you less beautiful if you are average on the outside? Are you less beautiful, less deserving of love if you were once "hot" and something happened--an accident, an illness, or age--and you're no longer an Adonis or Venus? Are you/do you feel/are you perceived as less than the human that you once were if you happened to lose an arm, an eye, part of your face? Very subjective and dependent on the beholder, I know. I guess it can make sense in that preferences are generally geared towards what looks the most healthy and whole. How do we get over this obsession with physical beauty? and youth for that matter?

Right, whatever. I've been very distracted by this stuff and I really should get cracking on the important things...the ones with deadlines looming over me. =I

Edit: Guess we're not meeting anymore! Turns out he met a gal and it's kinda serious. I can't say I'm not a little disappointed but I realized I didn't want to meet if there wasn't the potential for interest in more. But friendly acquaintance it is! On another note, looking forward to hiking on Sun. w/ bros! =D

So glad my window faces West sometimes.



Here's an article with more photos:
Jupiter and Venus

***

And from last month, after some rainfall:

That was a busy week and a half. Three papers and three presentations, one of which was a group one thank goodness. I survived! Some might not think that's a big load but the only times I was ever as or more busy was midterm/final time during undergrad. I don't even want to think about how I did. Well, maybe a bit...presentations are always terrible for me. I'm just glad it's over for now. My conflict class just ended on Sunday and I am surprised to find myself saying this, but I would make it a semester long class if I could. I really liked the classmates and think there is so much more room for practice and discussion of the concepts. Honestly think the school should expand the class.

Okay, work and errands tomorrow but for now, I think I'm going to treat myself to a nice relaxing bath soak and then catch up on Nikita or Modern Family, and sleep =3.

I just met with my group (composed of two other very interesting ladies!) at the mall to do an observation for class. So we sat or stood around making notes and sharing thoughts on the people we saw. One of the other ladies went to talk to a man with a camera and found out that he's actually a private investigator. Some time later, it turns out that he and three other people in his class were tailing...you got it, us! How funny is that?! You know, I had actually seen that man, Rafael, looking at us a couple of times but he moved so I didn't say anything. But, I had only noticed him because I knew who he was by that time. Now, his students and the other teacher, on the other hand, I don't recall even seeing them! The other teacher (Dani?) said something along the lines of "I was telling them (her students) to watch out for people who look suspicious because you don't want to look like that when you're investigating. And when we saw you, *ding ding*." She made a sound I can't quite capture, but you get the idea. We were as obvious as the noses on our faces. I told my group mates a few times, "we must look so suspicious." We had our note papers out, one of us had a camera and was speaking notes into a recorder, and I was craning my neck looking every which way. To add to that, we were a small group of Asian, Caucasian, and African American ladies [edit: I should add that our age discrepancies compounded the effect]. Yup. We must have been quite a sight . I wanted to ask the PI group for tips on being less conspicuous, but was too shy to. I keep dismissing my own thoughts and questions sometimes~ -_-''

Speaking of shy, the older lady in my group, Diana, is the complete opposite of it. She spoke to quite a few people and found out some interesting things about them. We had remarked that one of the young dads we saw seemed to be so good with his kids and she talked to him and found out that he was that good because he had been taking care of his 23 nieces and nephews since he was 12 yrs old. How nuts is that?? Anyway, I will probably mention this classmate again in future posts because she is way awesome. I'm always very intrigued by strong (real life) females--perhaps because that's what I wish to become.

The main thing that stood out to me from tonight, was that after over an hour of people creeping, everyone started to look the same. They were all different people, but they all fit into some sort of group: teens in casual wear, girls in tight clothes, boys in baggy pants, families with young kids, young professionals just coming off work, and so on. Only a few people really stood out, including a white dude with a mohawk and tattoos, but I suspect part of his original motivation was just that--to look different. Even then, he didn't stick out that much. Makes me think...Next time I go to the mall and someone's people watching...I'll probably just fit into one of these groups for them. It's not exactly news, but it was nonetheless interesting to sit down and really see it.

I kind of liked this people watching session and look forward to doing more of it, for class and for fun. I hope we didn't creep too many people out with our obvious staring! I also want to draw more people, but I'll have to learn to be really discrete to avoid awkward questions. Of course, I've found that it could also be good conversation fodder =3.