Tuesday, January 23, 2007

With A Grain of Salt

There are certain things people tell you that seem like a compliment, but it turns out that it isn't. Or it is a nice comment, but you always take it negatively.

There's always the "You look tired," comment which is basically a way of saying "You look like shit." Celebrities say the same when people tell them that they look better in real life. Those are the typical back-hand comments. Here are some comments that I personally find a bit offensive.

"You haven't changed at all."
This depends. I mostly hate people telling me this if it was from someone with whom I went to high school, mostly because I feel like I 've changed so much since then. Perhaps it's because I feel emotionally older. ( God, I hope I am. It's been years.) But I feel like I have a different image of myself. I do welcome this comment, though, if it's someone I hadn't seen in a while. Recently, I got together with a guy who I hadn't seen for literally 10+ years, and it was really nice hearing him say that I hadn't changed since then. Perhaps this is my growing elderly side that is slowly clinging on to the youth I once had.

"You're SO cute!"
I take this comment with a grain of salt. One of my guy friends yelled at me about this, saying, "What is it with girls and hating the word cute? It's the ultimate compliment to be called cute!!" I guess... To me, it just sounds patronizing. Like I'm being talked down to, and God knows I don't really need that since almost everyone is literally talking down to me. I mean, I do enjoy it sometimes and it is a word I use too.
I especially hate it when girls who are younger than me call me cute. It's as if I'm not being taken seriously. When I was teaching in Spain, I overheard one of my students calling me cute in Spanish, after I had gone to her desk to help her with her phrasal verbs. A 13 year old!! I do not need that.
I also don't enjoy it when women overuse the word. "I'm feeling cute, so let's get cute together, and have a cute dinner." It's like pink cupcakes with pink frosting and pink sprinkles. I hate sprinkles and I hate frosting and I hate non-chocolate cupcakes.

Mainly, I just don't like to be looked at a way that I don't imagine myself to be. Let me make things clear: I'm not the person I was 5 years ago, I don't like most girly shit, and I'm not a tiny little Smurf that people seem to think I am. It's just hard to get the message across when you are a stumpy pint size Asian girl with a rather high voice. Perhaps it's time I grow a mustache and a mullet to beef things up a little bit. We shall see.

Sunday, January 21, 2007

My Future Home


NEW YORRRRRRRRRRRRRK.

The (amateur) panoramic was taken from my New Favorite Place, Brooklyn Heights.

I swear, I am moving out there one of these days. At least while I'm in my 20's, or while I feel like I'm still in my 20's.

I went to go visit some friends last weekend in the Big Apple, mainly my college roommate Carmen. It was her birthday weekend AND Martin Luther King Jr's birthday (hence Monday off of work) so timing could not have been better. I've been a couple times before, but this trip has solidified my desire and motivation to move out there. I'm comin' out everyone! I'm indeed Bi-coastal (future tense implied).

It was a whirlwind trip which ended in a blink. I had an amazing time and would like to take this place to thank my GFF (girlfriend forever) Carmen for showing me a great time and introducing me to all of her friends. AAAAAAAND additionally, I got to reunite with all of my Madrid Fulbright friends, which was indeed the cherry on top. It was amazing how it felt like nothing had changed.

Aside from "Happy Birthday Carmen," the other on-going theme of the weekend was "Lisa, you should move here." It was as if someone was dangling a steak ( a big FAT New York steak) in front of me. ( I actually don't like red meat much, but anything New York will make me salivate at this point.)

Recap of the weekend in fotos:


The now regular paparazzi photo. (Lindsay Lohan Version 2.0) (Carmen, send me the other ones and I could do a special paparazzi blog. Our fans will love it. Fans being ourselves.)

BIRTHDAY PARTY!!








I am "belting" out "Gangsta's Paradise" there, although I look entirely too happy for that song.


Birthday kids blowing out the candles!

HUNA REUNION!!



Phew. That took a while to upload. Show me some love, while I secretly plan my return to the city.

peace,
Lisa

Tuesday, January 16, 2007

Golden Globes 2007

I don't care what any of the "Best Dressed" lists say; in my eyes, Helen Mirren could not have looked more beautiful. She looks better than anyone at any age.

On my flight back from NYC, we had satellite personal TVs, which allowed me to watch the entire Golden Globes. The highlight of the moment was when I cried like a baby while watching America Ferrera's acceptance speech. I was so happy for her!!

My trip to NYC was rapid but fun. More details later.

Tuesday, January 09, 2007

Here's a Catch 22

See if you can help me solve this:

A single monther with a sick child can't work when she's taking care of the child, but she can't take care of the kid if she's not working.


It's one of the shitiest Catch 22's ever. I'm currently trying to figure out a way to help her in the long run.

Tuesday, January 02, 2007

Here's something funny.

Joel Stein pleaded readers of LA Times to stop emailing him because he doesn't care,
yet he is the only journalist who has ever written me back.

Aw. Should I feel special about receiving a response from him, or should I feel special about driving him to block off all direct responses about his articles?

Both are equally attractive.

Two Thousand and Seven Begins

As far as I'm concerned, my concept of "years" stopped when it turned 2001. As far as "years", it still feels like 2001, and I can't believe that we're pretty close to the first decade of the 2000s (or the '00s?).

Any snootch, the coolest part of ringing in the New Year was spending it with our Hannah Banana, who returned from Shanghai.



However, our Naoko was missing this year due to the fact that she is in her Motherland. We were wondering how Naoko would take a picture, and the below is what we came up with.

That's quite mild and boring as a Naoko impression.

P then took me to a Black and White party.


The next morning, I dragged my ass and Hannah's to volunteer at the New Year's Festival where we made paper kites for kids for about 5 hours.


So, that's my NYE update. All in all good since we FINNAAALLLY got our Hannah back.

New Year's Resolution? Bah, not my style. At least, not this year. I change ever year. I honestly don't have much to look forward for this year, and I don't mean that in a sad way. I mean it as in ANNYYthing could happen. We shall see.