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[Oct. 22nd, 2011|12:31 pm] |
So, last night was dinner with friends, followed by drinks/shisha and then a tsundere movie with the housemate. A very pleasant celebration all around. I broke out the usual harebrained scheme for world domination. This time it involved shlepping Jerusalem to the moon and hostile takeover of ASEAN once it's fully formed, i.e. common currency, lowered trade barriers, tentative political alignment. Then the housemate and I were having lunch today and he read an article that claimed minimum annual salary is 16k USD and GS' CEO makes that much in an hour, while exclaiming whether this could possibly be true. It probably is. But that got us both thinking what money means. And here's my take:
I want to have a nice car, not necessarily a luxury vehicle, and decent roads to drive it on. I want to go have a decent meal at a nice restaurant and walk out without having to worry about getting shot and robbed or vice versa. I want to live in a house that's not in a gated community with armed guards. I could go on, but you get the idea. What price would I pay for that? I wonder what I wouldn't.
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[May. 20th, 2011|01:46 am] |
Holy Rollers is a Jesse Eisenberg movie. I somehow thought it would be action-packed and well, thrilling. It was a thought-provoking movie, will give it that much. Just not what the housemate and I were looking to watch as the clock ticked down towards midnight.
Today was like mini-undergrad reunion. In fact, this week, next week and the week after look to be full of reunions. Guess the warmer weather, despite the rain, brings out the social animal in all of us. Folks are looking well, not quite all where they want to be, but getting there. More and more are talking law school, though, and I fervently pray the market's doing much better in four years than it has been lately. Honestly, I'm slightly disturbed by how clearly the lines fall, the inversion between professional and personal success. Perhaps it's unique to DC, perhaps not. Hopefully not? Not sure. Anyway, there are always the lucky few. But it was genuinely reassuring to look around and realize, people are okay. They might not be making six figures just yet and for some, it will never matter if they do or not. I'm slightly envious but not so much. Accepting that their goals are not mine as mine are not theirs has become easier. The best gift, the reason why I feel abashed when complaining about well, anything, is that it's somehow never been easier to reach our goals without knocking each other over the cliff. Who would have imagined this?
At the same time, it also induces some melancholy. My nephew is already seven and who knows how soon the next crop of-ah, crap. I am not thinking this right now. |
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[May. 14th, 2011|09:52 pm] |
I know I'm getting old when white text on black background has become more difficult than the usual black on white. And the excessive sleep on grey weather days. And, well, just a lot of things. But all of that makes me happy because honestly, aside from the worrying about family members getting older and sending checks instead of attending the weddings (because at this point, those big social occasions are nothing more than networking opportunities to me, if even, hence my chagrin at missing my master's graduation today because of exhaustion), the knowledge of growing more and more into my own skin, at the confidence to answer questions because hello, been there, done that, and the sheer relief of another year survived cannot be bought. There will always be regrets but ultimately, I'm kind of coming closer to seeing why people our age focus so much on themselves. After all, who else looks out for your interests (aside from on occasion, family) if not you?
Also, the bach pad lifestyle has become more comfortable. Sure, I wish I had more furniture than carpet and lived in a more convenient location and there wasn't a small child living below but the space is great.
And on an entirely different note, I'm all for raising taxes on everything including the gas for my fuel-inefficient car if it means better roads and public transportation. And better schools, though I have no faith in the ability to standardize education across the country. However, a lot of the people I know who attended public school are to a certain extent saner than those I know who attended private. I'm actually fairly certain that if I ever end up with children and am still living where I am now, I'll send them to public and save the money to help with college loans, since tuition goes up, not down. Although why I even think about that now makes no sense to me, either. |
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[Mar. 25th, 2011|01:26 am] |
It has been too long since I have written anything but bureaucratic obscurities (an oxymoron, yes, I know), such that I scarce know how to describe my thoughts. It appears to me however, after further reflection, that I am disgruntled not only by what appear to be irreparable flaws in my character but also by further disillusionment on my perception of my gender. Though neither of these things would matter if I were only able to (had the balls to?) use both to my advantage. On the upside, I have been reading more about American history of my own volition than I did in all of my time in academia, so I suppose that is a boon. Or just aging.
Otherwise, life is normal. Since the beneficiary form in the event of my untimely demise is secured, the admins were subject to my handwritten print and found some of it illegible. Why I bother sending originals anymore, I hardly know, and I am tempted to just send them a copy with the "correction" in ink. Back taxes to my current state of residence are owed and I hope I will find out why it is so high once I receive the forms in the mail. My father's States-side for a visit and is unmistakably trim and fit; we compared weights the past week and he only weighs about ten pounds more. Sadly, this is not enough to alter my diet and it seems my Lenten resolution is give up moderation.
I saw the King's Speech with N. the other evening and it was quite good, though it puts me in mind of the previous administration and how awfully convenient it would have been for this film to have come out during that time. Such interesting times as these are now, it is no wonder that our thoughts turn to a steady hand, stiff upper lip and abstemious humor. You ever notice how no one writes about Isaac the man, as opposed to Isaac the father or Isaac the son? |
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[Feb. 26th, 2011|04:56 am] |
Still looking for a backlit keyboard but on the other hand, acquired the Script's "Science and Faith" album at Borders. Mourning the loss of locations closest to my workplace. The Barnes & Noble is not as enticing for purchases.
Still coughing from breathing while drinking from the fountain of life but it'll clear up sometime.
Ambition is a tricky business because like most corporations today, it's splayed out in a thousand and one different industries. You have your typical social-political-wealthy rock-paper-scissors game, of course, but what of virtue? I know of at least one person who would pointedly ask me how that's defined but that's just it. Fascination with the intangible is what keeps the religious mills running. So it's not that a person doesn't have ambition, it's just one often forgets to ask "for what"?
And God, if I kept anything on this laptop worth losing, I'd create a recovery disk but right now, flashing messages at me is just distracting and unnecessary. |
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[Jan. 26th, 2011|10:12 pm] |
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If anyone has theories on what keeps a relationship from being friends with benefits, I'm happy to hear them. Otherwise, I can honestly say with fervor that what I'm most looking forward to in the coming months is my appointment with my tax accountant. |
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[Jan. 9th, 2011|01:34 am] |
When in doubt, upset, or anything less than drunk on life, give thanks for the loved ones in your life willing to let you rant and rave until you think it's out of your system and then rant and rave some more until you're finally tired and they can get a word in edgewise, especially if it's to deflate your hysteria. I've never been so grateful for human beings as I have these past two weeks. Although because I am what I am, I'll always think inwardly that I'm in the right...perhaps I should become a politician.
Otherwise, wishing for tax forms to arrive sooner rather than later so I can hurry up and get them done. |
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[Dec. 5th, 2010|11:56 pm] |
These past few months have been the most astounding period of my life and these past 30 days have been the most exhilarating and terrifying days of that period. And counting. I literally have everything I ever wanted and none of it is what I expected. So, I am trying to stop analyzing, dissecting, decoding and in short, everything that I am genetically and environmentally programmed to do and just experience this concept that some people describe as happiness. All I can say is that, true to my morbid (and selfish) nature, this would be a good time for my heart to peter out on me because I simply cannot imagine how my life could get better than this.
I owe more to my friends than will ever be described in my autobiography, biographies or last will and testament. |
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[Nov. 13th, 2010|09:51 am] |
Absinthe and the company of good friends are definitely a healthy remedy. Plus, absinthe leaves you with a clear, not muddled head and no hangover. On the other hand, I'm somewhat dismayed that I woke up at 6:30 a.m., have eaten breakfast with coffee, gotten groceries and it's not even ten a.m.
It occurred to me while I'm in the queue at the supermarket that the mark of your affection for someone is that you'd be willing to give up anything and everything for the person at his or her behest. And the mark of his or her affection for you is that he or she never would ask. God, I'm turning into a Hallmark card, and it's not even Thanksgiving. At least if it was a Peanuts Hallmark card! Good grief. |
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[Oct. 31st, 2010|09:52 pm] |
Cousin: Most people do not enjoy polygraphs.
Me: I think it'd be cool to take one!
(20 minutes later)
Me: Oh my God, oh my God, I missed the exit, oh thank God, there's the airport, shoot, shoot, where's the right direction, ah, got it, damn it, should I take 395 South, oh no, too late, have to keep going, am I going to have to go all the way back to my uncle's house, no, darn it, I will go through R____ and yup, okay, where's that road, okay, I'm on it, shoot, there's the exit lane but hey, I can turn right here, the light's green, oh thank God.
...needless to say, I may have cause to revisit that statement if I ever do end up, for some ill-conceived reason, hooked up to a polygraph instrument.
On the other hand, I successfully avoided the rally by waking up feeling like death warmed over, which was exacerbated by J. ringing me at 8, then 9, then 10 a.m. when I had specifically stated in my e-mails and my Facebook message that I would be willing to meet up at noon. Caught me right at the moment when one is about to fall asleep at ten, too! Needless to say, I was not in any mood to drag my hungry, tired and sickly self to make nice with all the invaders rally-ers. Though I was impressed by the older crew that drove into the city for it, including the group sitting next to me at the bar Friday afternoon (I thoroughly amused the bartender by ordering hot chocolate and no, it wasn't spiked).
Work is going well. I'm trying to slow down a little because a) work comes in waves and b) small errors lead to larger errors and c) I need to stop panicking about the small errors because my supervisor already thought I was too serious when he was thinking about hiring me and I don't need him thinking I'm a basketcase as well. Plus, I need visible projects on screen when this one colleague who isn't part of my team stops by to "chat" (+15 minutes). I'm the FNG, damn it, even if I am awesome, I still feel like I'm obliged to prove my worth and chewing my cud will not do.
Huh. It occurs to me that I'm an eligible bachelor after all. This is very pleasing to my already-insufferable ego. |
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