For those of you still nice enough and with enough interest in me to keep checking this blog, gee thanks. I seriously have been having much to much fun these past days to sit down and recollect. I can't even fathom that I've been here 10 days. Since I am a perpetual list maker, let's see if I can remember what I've done thus far.
1) Wednesday 6/21: perused The Strand Bookstore and bought a German phrasebook for fun, a learn to speak Russian book for work and a copy of Encyclopedia Brown
2) Thursday 6/22: attempted to go to Happy Hour at Yodo on 47th but it closed down (damn those reviews on citysearch) and ended up at Caliente in Murray Hill which had a pathetic excuse for a happy hour but the night was redeemed by playing Scrabble for shots. Tips for you Scrabble players: do not challenge the word "dram" or "geld" or you will end up taking shots and throwing your letters across the room. I still cannot believe those were words!
3) Friday 6/23: ate at Green Papaya in Flushing Queens which looks like Chinatown in San Francisco and came back to play Taboo for shots
4) Saturday 6/24: walked around MOMA and bought a banana saver aka dildo and watched City of God
5) Sunday 6/25: ate at Dumpling Man (not as good as Taiwanese dumplings in LA) but the best part of the day was when I was on the train and explaining to Ed that I'm studying Library Science when the man next to me interrupted and proceeded to introduce me to his three friends who were all librarians! Can you believe it? And one of them went to UCLA for his undergrad and we reminisced about Westwood and he knew one of my professors. Also I ate breakfast at Ann Clair's in the Bronx which had some excellent coffee.
6) Monday 6/26: $10 lobster dinner at Mo' Caribbean with a $5 bucket of mussels and $6 pitchers of draft beer. Enough said.
7) Tuesday 6/27: watched Die Hard and had a heated argument with my "roommate" about marriage and my un-maternal values
8) Wednesday 6/28: the ipod shuffle brokedown so I brokedown and bought an ipod video. Love it!
9) Thursday 6/29: went to the East Village with Amy to do some thrift store shopping but ended up buying new dresses and then having some beers and buffalo wings at "The Library". Yes, you heard me. Some dive bar a girl at my work recommended. She said it was where NYPL librarians congregated.

Remember that episode of Sex and the City where Carrie has just broken Aidan's heart for like the hundredth time (it may be the first episode of season five) and she talks about how she doesn't need a boyfriend because she has New York as boyfriend? Well, that's me. Absolutely. I am so in love with this city and I seriously cannot pinpoint exactly why. I love sitting on the subway and watching the Bronx pass me by. I'm just like J.Lo except I'm not "On the Six" but "On the Two". I love strutting down 43rd street through Times Square and making faces at all the slow tourists. I love traipsing through Central Park and smiling to myself whenever I see another cute New York dog. I think maybe I like New York because it's so real. Or maybe it's just because I'm new to it or it's new to me and I'm making it my own.
And I especially love that time when you think you may like someone and nothing is serious and you can joke about stuff and be carefree but at the same time savor that feeling of anticipation and suspense and play over and over again those thoughts in your head about "What if...?"

It's really a shame that my name isn't Lauren "LC" Conrad and that I don't have my own show on MTV called "The Hills" because America is missing out on my internship shenanigans. I had one of those idiotic New York moments today (me being idiotic, not New York). I was headed to NYPL Human Resources at 19 E 34th St this morning when I saw a sign for The Empire State Building ao I looked up and there it was and there was the entrance to it. I wonder what else I miss by not looking up. America would also get a kick out of seeing the expression of total cluelessness on my face everytime I emerge from the subway and walk the wrong way...everytime!!!
So yes today was my first day of my internship and it was great. I have an official name tag with my picture and everything. Everyone is really nice and I will be processing two dance collections, one has to do with a Russian ballet school and the other has to do with the San Francisco ballet.
Along with the camera crew following me around, I would really love a hose-down crew. I feel like I'm in Thailand during the summer. If I don't sweat off 20 lbs. in the next 6 weeks well, I'll be very surprised. I'm working in the Hell's Kitchen area which is much more to my taste than the main NYPL building in mid-town in terms of neighborhoods. Hell's Kitchen is on the westside which I love and it has the feel of the locals and those adorable brownstones which I can't get enough of. Mid-town is way too jammed with tourists of which I am not one.
My show could be called "The Streets". Word.

Whah. It's 2:30 in the morning and my paper is still non-existent and I'm listening to "99 Luft Balloons (the German version on Jack FM) and googling Vanessa Minnillo. That bitch needs to die. That's the sleep talking or my jealousy or both. Help. I wanna cry or sleep or cry myself to sleep. Why won't this paper write itself? I think keeping a blog is hindering my writing skills. I can't put together an academic paper anymore and this German version is wiggin' me out...

Damn, I'm gonna start buying maternity clothes. My stomach is outta control. I caught a glimpse of myself in a window and I didn't realize my shirt was so unflattering. Ugh, I hate to think of what people's first reactions of me are but I'm pretty sure I'm known as the overweight Asian girl with glasses who talks with a lisp. Sigh.

Hooray! Only one more final to go and my first year of graduate school is complete! I have this overwhelming sense though that this paper will be a terror to write. I sat down to attempt a draft and I realized that I didn't have nearly as much information as I thought I'd had for a 15 page paper. But I can't complain because things could be worse. It could be Friday morning and I could be having this revelation.

I have, like, 5 guys on my list that I'd really like to fuse into one superguy. I think that's my problem now. I used to think my ex was just perfect. Seriously. I thought he had it all and for five years, I never met anyone who even came close to superseding him. Now, I'm finding that I like or am attracted to a lot of different traits and I just don't see how one guy will fit the bill. And I really don't like compromise. Even with my ex, I felt like I came to accept a lot of things about him because the good outweighed the bad but even then, I found myself thinking it would be nice if he so and so or too bad he doesn't yada yada yada...

Speaking of yada yada yada, here is my Did You Know list of Seinfeld trivia:
1) Both Lauren Graham and Scott Patterson (Lorelai and Luke on Gilmore Girls) were on Seinfeld. Lauren played Jerry's girlfriend who was obsessed with speed dial hierarchy and Luke played Elaine's spongeworthy boyfriend.
2) Larry David was in an episode once (or more). He was Mr. Costanza's friend who wore a cape.

Well, this is really a work in progress.

I should be feeling frantic for a number of reasons (finals still not over, leaving for New York in four days and have yet to pack) but instead I feel giddy. No, more like a soda can that's been shaken for a few hours and is ready to burst. I am so, so, so ready for summer to start! This past weekend when my mom was here, I was acting as if I didn't still have a paper to write or a presentation to put together and it felt great. I forgot how nice it is to not have school work looming over you and being able to enjoy a weekend.

I was a bit reluctant to post any pictures from my mom's visit because I look like a fat cow in all of them. Man, when did I become so un-photogenic? It has definitely been a gradual transition to this current state of fatdom. Below is the picture taken by random guy mentioned in previous post. How much more unattractive can I get?

We're facing Mann's Chinese Theatre but my mom, being my mom, was more impressed with the Kodak Theater because that's where they have American Idol. Go figure.

My mom's visit summed up by eateries:
1) Barney's Beanery in Santa Monica (pictured below)
2) Todai (we only went here because I had a $50 gift certificate, the meal was amusing because we both couldn't stop complaining about how god-awful the food was but we felt compelled to eat nonetheless)


3) Jack n' Jill's (in Beverly Hills)


4) Palms Thai Restaurant in Hollywood (they actually advertise themselves as the place where Hollywood hipsters go and they are famous for their Thai Elvis)

5) Wat Thai of Los Angeles (luckily we went on a Sunday when they had food vendors and my mom was delighted by the assortment of goodies)

I was torn between showing her a good time and dispeling any notions she might be having about moving down here after she retires. Here we are on the UCLA campus.

I knew I'd had enough of LA sightseeing when the guy who offered to take our picture told me to "Be nice" (to my mom). Um, excuse me random, nosy guy but you try being nice after schelping your mom around LA for the last 24 hours. And I wasn't even being grumpy because of my mom, I was being grumpy because it was hot and the glare from the stars on Hollywood Blvd have this nice way of reflecting the sun right into your eyes. F' you random guy who took our picture!

So I lasted about five minutes in the car, with my mother, before finally blurting out "AH, WE BROKE UP!" (so stop tormenting me with your inane questions!). Even as I was saying it, I couldn't believe the words were actually leaving my mouth. To my total and utter surprise, she did not flip out. She reacted with calm curiosity and we proceeded to have a normal, adult, mother-daughter conversation, a first for us. So this is what it's supposed to be like...

I just had the ultimate Bloopers experience. I was walking on Westwood when quite suddenly, I felt sharp claws digging into my head. I was like "What the hell?!" and I waved my hands at the back of my head but I didn't feel anything and I looked around and no one seemed pertrubed which made me wonder if I was just attacked by a ghost bird but I don't think a ghost bird would leave a tingling sensation on my head...
Does anyone remember that episode of Seinfeld where Elaine is called "big head" and then a bird flies right smack into her head? I always knew me and Elaine had something in common.
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Less than 24 hours before my mother descends into L.A and the ultimate sham which I call my life will begin.
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I was trying to casually suggest to Sarah that she should read my blog but instead of receiving a hearty "Oh, yeah, definitely. I've been meaning to" she tells me that employers are now googling applicants and reading their blogs and that I should watch out. Whah? That doesn't sound right to me. I have no problem if they want to read my blog but it better not be a determining factor in whether I get the job or not. That's like blog discrimination... or something.

I think I'd make a really good communist.
My cursory understanding of communism leads me to believe that I would contribute to society whatever it is I can offer and since I am inherently lazy, this wouldn't be very much but hey, we're communists! It's okay. And while we're on this topic, what exactly is so wrong with the bartering system? I want to live in a world where I can sleep in til noon, trade my coffee beans for an US Weekly magazine, and write poems about my cat. No more of this working-hard-so-I-can- buy-nice-things-ethic.

Man, I will be so f'in relieved when finals are over. I already have my summer reading in queue:
1) On the Road (a read again)
2) American Prometheus (2006 Pulitzer)
3) Prep (started but had to pause for school)
4) You Shall Know Our Velocity (also paused)
5) Brief Interviews with Hideous Men (read the first story, not sure if it's for me)
6) Garlic and Sapphires (written by a New York Times food critic, I think)
7) Origin of the Species (yes, the 1859 one by Darwin, although this is merely out of curiosity)

Also, I really want to buy the new Trivial Pursuit Totally 80s edition. One of the little "pies" is a Trapper Keeper!
Also seriously considering filling out the Jane magazine blind date form but submitting a picture of myself when I was 19 and a hottie....
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Can someone tell me why Justin Timberlake is in Nelly Furtado's new video "Promiscuous"?
And why does he look kinda good? I resort to watching MTV Hits when I'm still awake at 2 in the morning and apparently the videos they play are on a continous loop. As a result, I can sing "Hips Don't Lie" in my sleep and I curse the lead singer of The Pussycat Dolls for existing.

Well, it had to end sometime. My birthday is officially over. It had a nice run. I enjoyed some delicious Taiwanese dumplings with Wes and Crystal somewhere out in the San Gabriel Valley and then politely sat through "The Break-Up". I don't really want to dwell on how much I didn't enjoy this movie because honestly I like Jennifer Aniston and I wish her the best and it just makes me said that she keeps making terrrible movie after terrible movie. It just was not a funny movie whatsoever. It was awkward and dramatic and the antithesis of good.
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Birthday: The Musical
11pm- Freestyle mix (think Jocelyn Enriques, MG, etc.)
1am- good hip hop, by which I mean the afore mentioned Naughty by Nature
11am- "Under Pressure" by Queen
9pm- "When I Come Around" by Green Day
2am- "Nothing's Gonna Us Now" by Starship
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I can't believe I'm actually saying this but I had a really good time sitting in traffic on the 405 today. It's an absolutely gorgeous 80 degree day and in spite of the circumstances that landed me on the 405 in the first place, I was not at all grumpy about the traffic. I was in one of those moods where I wanted to prolong my stay in the car so I could finish listening to a song or songs in this case. I started out with "All I Ever Wanted" by Mase, "Just Friends" by Musiq in the middle, and ended with "Playa's Holiday" by TWDY. Now that last song is especially sentimental to me because I listened to it every morning as I drove to school in my camaro and I would think to myself "Yes, it is going to be a lovely day."
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Trader Joe Recommendations and Praises:
Buy the Belgian Butter Almond Thins, they're divine and
I bought the 99 cent eegs and they have an "enjoy by" date stamped on each egg. How cool is that? I actually googled how to tell if you're eggs are fresh and what you do is fill a tall glass with water and drop the egg in. If it sinks, it's still good but if it floats it's expired. But I don't have do this anymore, now do I?

Have been 25 years young now for 2 hours and 16 minutes. Let's recap shall we?
-1 Gin & Tonic
-1 shot of jager
-3 pieces of cake
-1 favorite song: "Hip Hop Hooray"
-1 favorite pal: Crystal
-1 new "acquaintance": John, friend of Crystal
Not bad, not bad and the best part was that the cake wasn't even for me. We went to two clubs and each had someone there celebrating a birthday. Let's hear it for June 3rd! Whooo!!! Let's hear it for Firecracker in Chinatown! Whoo!!! Let's hear it for cute-ass guy at Firecracker who called Crystal out for wearing her Giants T-shirt! Whoo!!!
A night of no expectations was unexpectedly met with good times.
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Add birthday email from The Kola Nut Club KOLA 99.9 in Riverside to my list of salutations.
As well as a forced "Happy Birthday, Nee-nuh" from the ex-boyfriend/roommate.
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And the mellow birthday celebration continues:
So, I literally turned back time this morning but not in the way that Superman did when he spun the Earth around so that Lois Lane wouldn't die. My back to the future was because last night, in my foggy haze at 3am, I set the alarm but somehow also managed to set the clock one hour ahead. So this morning when I did the snoozing game for like three hours and thought it was 1 in the afternoon, I checked my phone for missed calls and noticed it said 11:43am. What the hell? But my alarm said 12:43pm. Hands down the best feeling ever. I commenced rolling over and sleeping for another hour.
At one point during my half-sleep, I remember wondering to myself why my parents hadn't called and then I realized I left my phone in my purse and sure enough I had two missed calls at 8 in the morning. I called the parents and talked to my dad and I told him I felt old now that I was 25 and he actually scolded me and started talking nonsense about the "life cycle" and how you're only as old as you feel. Apparently he's 57 but feels like a young 50.
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Perusing my new issue of Jane mag and my eye caught an ad for "Just a Drop", the personal bathroom odor eliminator. "If you're at a party, friend's house or at work, one drop in the toilet before you go effectively eliminates bathroom odors on contact-every time!"
Immediate thoughts that crossed my mind when I saw this:
1) ooo, I gotta try this
2) sounds like something David Sedaris would write about
3) how many people out there are really worried about the lingering smell they leave in the bathroom?
4) so does that mean if I do the "courtesy flush", I have to add another drop? Or does this also eliminate the need for a courtesy flush? I personally do not like the idea of my excrement sitting, waiting, wishing right below me and piling up. eww

Awwww...so sweet! Thank you Wes for the birthday shout out and card #2 arrived in the mail today from my chum Anne. Here's to being in our mid-20s!!!
That said, I feel like I'm in high school again and I'm kinda lovin' it. There are a few choice boys that I look forward to running into on my daily outings. And when I do see them, I of course, do the oh-so-subtle-look-away-do-I-even-know-you-head-turn that is bound to keep me in my singleton status.
Also, I am definitely getting too old to be pulling all nighters to write papers. As of right now (6:30pm) I have been up for 40 hours straight. Except for the stars I saw in the shower this morning, I am doing a-okay.

Yikes, I have hella papers to write before this quarter is finally over. I will be so relieved once I'm on my way to New York. I think I'm going to have to put my birthday on hold. There is just no way I can revel in the gloriousness that is me this weekend. I've joked before that my middle name is "clutch" and the reason I procrastinate so much is because, so far, it has yet to kick me in the ass but I know one day my luck will evetually run out.
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Well, would you look at that? Southwest Airlines was the first to send me a birthday card... oh happy day.