missed connections

it's about time to resuscitate this baby.

this narration from Shopgirl really resonated with me.

Some nights alone he thinks of her
And some nights alone..
..she thinks of him.
Some nights these thoughts occur at the same moment.
And Ray and Mirabelle are connected without ever knowing it.

kinda reminds me of how when you're stalking someone's facebook and wonder if that person is looking at your profile at the same time. it's these moments of serendipitous connections that balances a world of too much disconnect.

ready for a change

ever have one of those days where you hate (maybe hate is too strong a word..unsatisfied is more like it) everything about yourself?

it begins when you trip too many times in the street, and continues when you feel like everyone is staring at you on the MTR. you try to shake it off as self-inflicted psychological stress, but it just keeps getting worse. you feel uncomfortable in your own skin. suddenly your clothes don't fit well, your hair feels greasy and has too many split ends. you walk into work and have awkward conversations with your colleagues (more awkward than usual), you can't concentrate on your work because you keep thinking about those stares on the train. you spill soup on yourself during lunch and have to keep wiping your face while wondering why in the world your chopsticks keep missing your mouth. you wonder if it's your terrible aim or whether your mouth is just too damned small. suddenly these little harmless episodes of clumsiness turn into frustrations about why you're eating lunch alone instead of with friends. your mind flashes back to the last fight you had and turns to why you're still single. you ruminate on your academic and workplace failures as you chew on your noodles and think "man, i suck!"

but it seems that all it takes is a little somethin somethin to make all of the above go away. a funny email, an unexpected call from a friend, a good haircut, a poke on facebook, a really good news article, a cute puppy spotting, or really cute song lyrics:

And the rattlesnake said, "I wish I had hands so I could hug you like a man." And then the cactus said, "Don't you understand, My skin is covered with sharp spikes That'll stab you like a thousand knives. A hug would be nice, But hug my flower with your eyes."

Year of the Rat

prompted by my mom's semi-superstitious nature, I visited wen wu temple in soho last sunday to request some protective gear for the year of the rat. needless to say, I had no idea what the protocol was and wandered around like an idiotic tourist, getting burning incense all over my coat and hands, while suffocating from the overwhelming smoke radiating out in all directions from the incense sticks. I thought: if my prayers to the buddhas were in English, would they be lost in translation? if I were going to spend 300 hkd on offering materials, I'd better get my money's worth. in the end, I emerged from the temple triumphant (although a bit smelly), having made the rounds to greet each deity and purchased a cell phone strap bearing a little jade ox, apparently my compatibility partner. any oxen out there interested? our elements match up perfectly- what more could you ask for?

in the wee hours of the mornings

"after the lamps of logic have been snuffed and rationality has shut its eyes, life on earth becomes boundariless and blurred. Individuals who were separate during the day begin to lose uniqueness, to leak distinctiveness, melting into a soft psychic collective. As the hands of the clock slice deeper into the shadows, physics weakens, yielding to metaphysics, and the rigid you and I of things breaks down. During the wee hours, we’re all in this together, our spirits spooned like lovers’ bodies"

I love your indian flute (timbaland & magoo)

there's a wedding scene, or more accurately, a mating dance, from "the namesake" that ranks as one of my favorite movie scenes. indian culture is so fascinating: their music is especially infectious and impossible to get out of your head, kinda like the pinkberry song. not to mention their food..!

with that said, I will probably be going to india next week! this is so exciting. my first trip outside of china since arriving in hong kong. goodbye noodles and fishballs! just think of all the indian spices and delicacies/anatomical parts of animals my taste buds will be exposed to! in the words of ratatouille, "once you muscle your way past the gag reflex, all kinds of possibilities open up". time to train those reflexes with some durian.

I really hope that "probably" turns into a definitive YES. and pray that I will survive the street food of delhi.

shaggy vs kimchi

look at this little cutie. he almost blends right into the sand. we found him on a lonely stretch of beach on lamma island. he was looking up at us, desperately in need of a trim, but even more in need of a home.

when I get my dog, I will name him/her kimchi. not only because I have an affinity for all things korean, but because it is a name c. and I have picked out long ago for our bunny. just because we never actually got a bunny [sigh], doesn't mean I can't use the name in commemoration of the-bunny-that-never-was.

hurrah on my first post! [pat on back]