Wise Words:
When life gives you lemons -- PUCKER UP!
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Saturday, August 24, 2002
Project MBA: Day 6
So nearly a week has passed since we came up here. Time to check out the progress report:
* The smaller of the bedrooms is finito, paint-wise, as is its walk-in closet counterpart.
* The master bedroom is also nearly complete... those tight areas near the door and window frames need to be painted by my dad, ie the One Who Wields the Brush (I am but a lowly Roller).
* I've started painting the shelves downstairs in that god-awful "eggshell white". My brother says he wants them a different color but wants them pre-painted as a "primer". What the f*ck? I say paint it and get on with it (though I can imagine those shelves would be really nice in deep purple or dark blue).
* The carpet has been steamed. Yes steamed. My brother is sooooo high maintenance it hurts. We've been doing this rough stuff all day, painting and moving boxes and shit like that, and would you like to know what he wears while he does all this? That's right: a Giorgio Armani T-shirt. I myself was styling in my eggshell-stained blue Fruit of the Loom tee. 100% cotton, baby!
* I have decided god-awful "eggshell" isn't good enough; it needs to be asylum white. The paint has brightened up the rooms so considerably it makes the place feel... sanitation-obsessive. Like a hopsital. Like a sanitarium. Like an asylum.
What other news? I desperately need a haircut, but seeing as time is too valuable for that (my dad literally starts packing the car as soon as I wake up) I've decided to put the shears in my own hands-- at least, my mom's. Also, with all the crap I've had to do recently I haven't put much effort into my reading. I had an itch to work on some composition a couple days ago, but that of course drained out of me in the course of time. Instead, I've spent these last few evenings playing Word Racer. I'm not ashamed to admit it-- I do Yahoooooooooooooooooo!
With that in mind... let me just say that I'm happy to see that the Cyberstalker finally updated her blog. I began to worry that she fell into the Gap! Haha... ok, that was a REALLY bad joke.
I must go watch Shrek now, as my brother requests.
21:25
Friday, August 23, 2002
There's not much to post today, but for you Dashboard fans this was fun to read. I find the person's argument lame-- there's a lot I could say about it, but I won't since I'm tired. Instead of typing I've been playing with my template. You like?
22:52
Thursday, August 22, 2002
Fellow WHoBbers: I don't have the energy to type much right now, being it that my dad and I worked on the house all day, stopping only for lunch. I will say, though, that with the closet walls now painted that "eggshell white" the ceiling of said closet looks like SHIT. And I do mean SHIT. We've painted that one closet-- the largest one in the house, mind you-- along with about 1/4 of adjoining room. We've also changed the locks on the front door; that took a buttload of time. Who knew locks could be so annoying?
Just a few comments to make.
One: while trying to remove wallpaper I glanced out the window and saw a woman walking her dog. In a selwar camise. The woman, not the dog! Sheesh. And this evening at the food store I ran into a woman in a sari, so they took care of the clothes I didn't get to see yesterday.
Two: the previous owner of the house was kind enough to leave 2 Coors Lights, 1 Cabernet Sauvignon & 1 White Zinfandel in the fridge. How nice. I can certainly think of someone who might put those to use :)
Three: My limbs are KILLING me from painting and standing on a ladder all day, but my legs are doing seiza all right. Which makes me happy, since my parents think it weird that even with all the furniture around I don't bother to use any of it.
Four: Check out the new Barber link to the side! It goes to a web page designed by a fan, and she's got links to a bunch of other places.
Fi: I'll try calling sometime, but I doubt it's gonna work out.
22:28
Wednesday, August 21, 2002
PS -- another lovely quote from The Politics of Chinese Language and Culture: the art of reading dragons, on grammar:
To many English speakers 'grammar' is so well-known and seemingly irrelevant a category that it has almost lost all meaning and value. 'Grammar' is what conservative teachers insist on in English classes, in contrast to feeling and content, and what conservatives writing to newspapers like The Times lament has been lost by modern youth: the trivial ability to scrupulously avoid split infinitives and to not use prepositions to end a sentence with. [71; emphases mine]
See how much I loooooooooove this book? So tongue-in-cheek it makes me wonder if I've written it!
23:27
Day 3 of Project: Move Brother's Ass
Actually, I think I prefer to call it more of a vacation now: I've done nothing productive except read-- and even that I did outside, on the deck, in the cozily 80-degree sun.
So... some things I wanna say about NJ:
1. The state is one giant puzzle. Down in SC, you know you've left town when you've left behind any buildings and all you see are trees. When do you reach the next town? When the density of buildings increases. Here, though, there's nothing to demarcate town from town. Even the signs don't help: today I passed 3 reading, in order, "Twshp [township] of Canterbury," "Welcome to EAST WINDSOR" and "Hightstown fire dept - troop C" -- and they were all less than 50 feet of each other. Either these towns are really small, or they've got some funky city limits up here.
2. The constituent population up here is mucho diverso-- is that a shocker, since I'm used to the homogeneity of the South? Today I glanced at a woman wearing a burqa, a woman wearing a Central European outfit (maybe Polish) and a man with a somewhat Scottish accent. No saris or selwar camises today, though I've seen them around. And a Sikh turban is what you'd find at nearly every gas station up here, no joke. I still remembering marvelling at a woman wearing a sari at the Mail Boxes Etc back home.
3. Reflecting the population, the food served up here is more ethnically authentic. My dad and I purposefully went to Wegman's, one of the biggest markets I've ever seen, just to eat lunch there. Their buffet counter included your typical "Oriental" fare -- sweet & sour chicken, spring rolls, fried rice -- but it also featured shrimp briyani (Indian), beef panang and pad thai (Thai), and Peking spare ribs (Chinese). This made me mucho happy, especially since the Thai food was really, really good.
4. I guess it's the large number of office buildings sprinkled throughout the area, but a lot of people tend to dress up nice when leaving the house. Maybe it was because we were there around lunchtime, but the people at Wegman's were abnormally dress casual -- so many guys in ties. Not that that's a bad thing; I'm glad to know that people up here can dress themselves. But beautiful people at the Home Depot? I was mucho amused when I finally found someone dressed down-to-earth-like, a woman in a skort and an athletic top.
5. The traffic system up here is just plain nuts. The NJ TurnPike is a nightmare for anyone not used to it; you have to make all turns via a loop which takes you to the road crossing it. Most roads up here are narrow and dense. Tight turns are everywhere, as are surprise signals (ie, red lights that you don't even notice). To make matters worse, people drive aggressively, they don't let others slip in front of them, they run all sorts of lights, and they don't signal when changing lanes.
And thus, now that we've got rollers and buckets of "eggshell white" paint, my dad and I shall begin our duties as artistes tomorrow. We stopped by the new place today; I was very happy to see that the place is HUGE. The lower floor is bigger than the current apartment itself-- which will make me very happy, since I'll be sleeping in the living room once we move in. The kitchen is right by the door and it's pretty big too, big enough for a breakfast table by the window. The dining area and the living area are sort of just one big room, although the dining area is raised a bit off the floor. The common area includes a large fireplace and it opens up to a sun room with 2 very large closets. Upstairs there's a master bedroom with 2 closets and full bath, then a smaller room with closet and bath. All in all it's nice, though terribly big for just a single soul. (Like that matters anyway.) The community of this subdivision is much more well-rounded; it's definitely middle-class whereas the people at our current abode are more upper-middle-- but at least there are families and people that actually aren't afraid of the sun. I bet people don't get kicked out of the pool there if they don't have a pass (as I was yesterday, by the yuppie lifeguard whose feet were wading in the water).
23:13
Tuesday, August 20, 2002
WO FANG PI!
Finally, my brother's got the goodwill to offer me his laptop!
...and a battery with only 10% of its juice left. Go figure.
I've made it - alive and sane - up here, all twelve hours, eight of which I drove. I was very grateful when my dad so kindly offered to drive when we made it to Maryland; it sure as hell would've been nicer if he had told me he wasn't planning on driving until we got to the mid-Atlantic region. And if he hadn't looked so smug the whole damn time I was behind the wheel. Thanks, Dad, leave me to drive with all the rednecks.
Needless to say it's boring as sh*t up here, as I have no car, no (ok, very little) internet, no cash (ok, just $25)... Add to that my annoying, always complaining, always whiny parental unit and you've got yourself one very disgruntled WHoB. My mom has been getting on my dad's nerves daily, my dad annoys me, and I'm doing my best to piss off my mom, so we have a very nice triangle of spite going on here. We're up to day 2 and we have yet to touch a single box; I haven't even seen the new place. But today the deal is supposed to close, so maybe we can get a move on soon.
At least I brought some pretty good reading: The Politics of Chinese Language and Culture: the art of reading dragons, Bob Hodge & Kam Louie. It's actually quite good and gives a lot of insight into the complex of Chinese culture, particularly for those who don't have much exposure to the culture and not a strong command of the language. It does seem kinda geared towards overseas Chinese, but who can't love a book like this? After describing how texts such as the Practical Chinese Reader and Ni Hao: An Introduction to Chinese all begin with an exercise on the quintessential made-for-foreigners Chinese greeting, ni hao, it goes on to say
When the students [ie, who study these textbooks] get to China themselves, they quickly discover that not only were these narratives boring, they were also useless for most of their communication needs.
Can anyone say OUCH? Especially for the PCR, created specifically with foreign businessmen who need to learn Chinese quickly in mind. To continue:
And they will find, too, that what contributed to the boring nature of the narrative was the elimination of conflict from it, the removal of any possibility of transgression, with the result that the language forms they learn can never help them cope with the range of needs and situations they will encounter normally. ...Common phrases such as 'you're talking nonsense' (Hu shuo ba dao) may possibly find their way into a textbook, but not 'you're talking shit' (ni fang pi), which at times may be more appropriate. [27]
Ni fang pi more literally means, "you're farting," but you still get the idea. And besides: how true, especially if these students were to meet my mother. I remember when my grandmother had just passed away how we were entertaining some friends at home, gathered around the coffee table and listening to my parents recount memories of the matriarch. And there was the classic tale of a fight between my mother and my grandmother: my brother, very young at the time, was acting up at the table, and it angered my grandmother so much that she just up and says, "Johnny is not my family!" - which, mind you, is a pretty big insult considering he's the first born of her elder son (or that's my reasoning for it, not to say that it's generally a mean thing to say anyway). My mom, having her hands full, got so pissed off with her that she shouts back: "Do you eat shit & shit rice?" It may not seem like a big retort, but really, that's the damn cruelest thing in the Chinese language to say to someone. What I'm saying, though, is that one who studies Chinese only through the quaint but useless Practical Chinese Reader won't have a clue 1) what my mother means when she says this and 2) how grave of an insult such a question can be.
I actually have the conversation recorded on minidisc-- it's so much better if you hear my mom tell it with all her animosity.
12:48
Saturday, August 17, 2002
My dad is so weird -- earlier today he was so worried about going to bed at a good time that we actually ate dinner 2 hours early. Now that it's 1 am, a shocker: he's still up.
Since we're leaving for Jersey tomorrow, this'll be my last post for a while. I thought about making it lengthy to keep you readers amused longer, but my fingers are just tuckered out from typing emails. And I was gonna compile an amazon.com wish list, so... I'll just post one here. This is all in no particular order -- am I ever organized?
Goo Goo Dolls, Gutterflower - I watched a VH1 Storytellers episode with them and frankly am not surprised at how they presented themselves. They're not the brightest of the bunch, nor do their lyrics make any sense, but I still love their suburban, teenage-angst-ridden sound.
Jimmy Eat World, Bleed American - Since I'm now hitting emo big time, I've become a big fan of JEW (and of DC, of course - the band, NOT the college). After 9/11 the album became self-titled...personally I'd prefer to have the album with Bleed American in huge letters on the top. Isn't that what any patriotic American would want?
Natalie Merchant, Motherland - I love Natalie, I just wish I could keep up with her more often. Don't know much about her fan base, but I'd bet she has a very devout following, however small it may be compared to the legions of Britney fans out there.
Caedmon's Call, Long Line of Leavers - I think Caedmon's is one of the better Christian groups out there. I'm particularly interested in this album because this is their first release on a major label. From what I understand, it has more of a pop sound...
Matchbox 20, Mad Season - This band has a nice Southern sound to me definitely audible on their debut album (Someone else or someone like you) and from what I've heard, on this release too. This is a good sign: unlike sell-out bands that lose their local flavor to sell to a larger audience, Matchbox 20 is holding on to their roots.
Live, Mental Jewelry - I am a huge Live fan; honestly, Live could be the very first band I fell in love with. I remember hearing them back in high school, when their sounds and lyrics were perfect solace and comfort. It's the atmosphere of Live that draws me; I actually just downloaded the video for "Lakini's Juice" (Secret Samadhi) because it's just so... dark. And disturbed, just like yours truly. Live enchants me, it does, and so I'd love to hear some of its earlier stuff.
George Winston, Linus & Lucy - the music of Vince Guaraldi - A disc I found among the vault at my brother's apartment. What I like so much about this recording is that it tells us more about the Peanuts composer than an average fan would know.
A list of classical pieces will come later (it won't all fit on one post). Until next time...
00:27
Thursday, August 15, 2002
Worries with real estate
My family is pissed, and with good reason, too: the asshole that's selling the house to my brother is a jerkwad and a half. First of all, he said that the place is a town home and then rejects that description and calls it something else -- something which requires a larger down payment. Is that not sketchy or what? On top of that, this guy has been late sending us documents and things we need to have on our side of the shit-strewn fence. And if that isn't bad enough, we should've left today but instead we're leaving over the weekend, just so we can clean up the mess that this dumbass has made.
No one is happy about this, least of all me, since I'm basically postponing my life so that we can get this done with. Why must Jersey people be so idiotic? The last person that was gonna sell to my brother sort of handed the property to someone else, even though my brother had said he was interested in buying and had the down payment ready.
I've always thought Yankees can't be trusted. :p
Speaking of Yanks: if anyone's interested, you can find a very adorable photo of my NTP roommate Leonard at the Philedelphia Shakespeare Festival website. He's just as goofy as he looks in the photo, but that merely accentuates his coolness; he's the one who so wonderfully introduced me to Poi Dog Pondering. Greg, another very neat guy I met at the workshop, is somewhat of a local celebrity in Philly, being the "Fearless Leader" that he is; he's got a web page here. Those were some good times.
As Len would say: "Aces!"
14:44
Tuesday, August 13, 2002
to begin: this is a neat but weird article... that's India for ya. (And my parents wonder why I love the subcontinent so much.) Didn't go to Uttar Pradesh, but met one of those annoying merchant types supposedly from there (I met him in Goa, running a store on the beach and selling stuff for much more than they're worth, I'm sure).
Congrats are in order for Elvisette, now that Philosophy Slam finally has some linkage. A bit too much, even? Somebody's a little http-happy.
I still can't believe I journeyed to the boonies to see Biskit & BB yesterday. Not only did I get to meet some old-time country folk and feast on "traditional tomato sandwiches," but I fed their cows. With their schnazzy digital camera they filmed a 30-sec video of me with the pitchfork (though not poking anyone with it, sadly). It was a grand ol' time, though a bit stinky. And I now know a lot more about bovines than I ever cared to. At least I won't have to deal with Biskit for another year, since he'll be en Espana soon.
Speaking of relocating: I just found out this morning that we're not only helping my jackass of a brother move, but we're gonna help him paint the house too. Go ahead, ask me if I'm thrilled. Fi shall "seriously KICK [MY] ASS," as she put it so eloquently in her email, but the possibility of escaping the prison for the city diminishes daily.
12:30
Monday, August 12, 2002
ok, the browser just deleted a long post I had typed up, so while I stew... here's an article that might interest you, courtesty of Elvisette.
10:54
Saturday, August 10, 2002
cyberstalker draws ever closer
OK... so this morning I've been lazily blog-browsing, right? Having checked out the more familiar cyber-stops, I happened to come across one whose title caught my fancy: "When I Was Cruel". Such a lovely title, no? Fits me well, but sadly, it's not mine.
[Actually, the title would fit me a lot better if the predicate were in present tense. ;) ]
And so it is, "Megan," that our blogs shall be henceforth linked! Let this auspicious occasion of cyber-alliances be forever celebrated! Let our humble posts be united as one against the vileness and crudeness of the cyber-world which surrounds them!
...
Aye, but I get carried away.
09:17
Friday, August 09, 2002
gawd, how I hate my parental unit.
Explanation: first off, I knew that we might be staying a while post-workshop at my brother's, to help him actually find a new habitat. But, a couple days post-NTP, they announce that after being home for about a week, we shall actually head back to help him move his shit over. And, since my mom hates reckless driving (and my dad, in his own right, is a terrible driver himself) we're going to stay up there until after Labor Day, which means we won't be home until September.
As if that isn't bad enough, before I left to do Noh I had scheduled appointments with the orthodontists, dentists, oral surgeons and other necessary parties to get braces. Those were set for late Aug and early Sept, so that I could get that out of the way ASAP to start job-hunting. Now with the change of plans, though, it looks like I might not start looking for a job until NOVEMBER. Which is a god-awful time to look for a job, considering it's the beginning of the holiday season and people need $$$ then.
In short: I'm screwed and shall forever be sponging off the 'rents.
I understand that my brother should come first right now, since he's the sole breadwinner of the family. But doesn't my future count any? Granted, at this point in time it doesn't seem that I shall actually have a future... but gawd, I'm just pissed at this.
Sorry to rant, folks, but I needed to get that off my chest.
14:20
So, readers: do you miss me? That is, if you exist?
Of course you don't.
I'm back home now, after 3 weeks of seza, shitome and bruised knees. If anyone's interested, I'll probably post a synopsis of the workshop later, so stay tuned. As for now, just know that it was draining and stressful -- in short, like any summer-scheduled, non-air-conditioned learning experience.
Since I've been back I've been much lazier than I was pre-NTP: less piano, less helping around the house, more sleeping. (And - dear God! - even less eating.) Part of it is that I'm sleeping a helluva lot less than I used to; back in Bloomsburg I only slept 6-7 hours a night, whereas over the summer I would sleep for at least 8. And of course I need to rest; who knew that Noh took so much effort? [Here I shall insert, with much reluctance, one of the many puns I endured during those 3 weeks: "Noh pain, Noh gain!"]
Worse yet: in the past 2 nights I've watched 2 Disney movies. Last night's feature was Aladdin; tonight I visited Pride Rock and bowed before The Lion King.
But it all has a logical explanation: I'm regressing, floating through adolescence back to childhood. Now that the major goal of the summer (NTP) is over, what is left? And since my life, along with those of my parents, revolves around my brother's change of habitat, everything is in limbo, including the challenge of getting a job. And then there's the fact that the fist-sized organ stuck between my lungs feels broken...
But I digress. To follow up on something I mentioned in my last post: someone out there that knows Fiona reads my blog -- and quite honestly, I'd like to know who you are. Not that I don't like having a possible cyberstalker -- ooh, the danger of posting on the Web! -- but that I think it'd be cool to meet you, whoever you might be.
En plus, we could dish about how strange our mutual acquaintance is at times. That is, if she gives you my email address. ;)
00:46
Thursday, August 01, 2002
I don't know what the f*ckin' Bloomsburg University library is doing to my posts, but here I am retyping it again.
In case you people were wondering: I'm fine. A bit bruised, thanks to the workshop, but still alive.
the only reason I'm updating is that, according to a frou-frou friend, there exists a person who reads my blog. And, since I have never met, nor seen, nor even know the name of this person, I am both surprised and frightened. To think that I'm a celebrity!
Yeah, right.
Back to kamae.
17:18
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