the beno journal

previous installments of the beno journal :

the beno journal, 1998-2000
the beno manifesto, pt. ii
the beno manifesto

ladies n' gentlemen, boys n' gurls! will u now please follow me to the beno journal, 2002 edition!!!

sorry 4 not updating yesterday.   i've had a dilemma: i need to start a new file 4 the new 2002 yr.   i can't keep writing in "journal2001.html"!   hrm... well, actually, i guess, i could easily start a new file n' just change the opening frame n' the menu link, right?   'member, i wanna make my journal more palm os friendly, more mobile device / pda friendly. hrm...   *sigh* well, we'll c.

ok, well, *sigh* should i update or werk on a new file?! :-( dunno!

[later] 528p: so last nite, the beautiful kaela kang n' i were gonna go eat jjangjangmyuhn @ yeitnal jjajang, but they were closed, so we went to koryo sootbool instead.   i ordered dolsot bibimbap, n' kaela had mandoogook.   those r really run of the mill dishes, but eh! we just wanted fud; n' those r also pretty cheap things there.   afterwards, we went to pusan plaza n' did grocery shopping.   we bought lots'f stuff.   i wasn't very hungry 2day.   i brought a pack of kimbap from pusan plaza 4 lunch.   i sort'f slowly ate it thru.out the day.

648p, taipei time: we're waiting 4 our delayed flight from taipei to vancouver.   we're leaving taiwan n' we'll miss it. :'-( it's wed(nesday).   last nite, after my uncle n' dad took us out 4 some sightcing in northern taipei, the beautiful kaela kang n' i ventured out onto the taipei streets on our own.   we walked to sogo.   we looked @ 4mal chinese dresses.   my mom's sister recommended a designer long di.   we found the dept, but knew we wouldn't be buying nething on the spot, u know.   then we walked back to drop film off @ the tong.li film store we always use.   then we walked from chunghsiao rd to jenai rd n' then to hsin.i rd, searching 4 the nite market my dad took us to earlier.   we bought boba tea @ a shop on guangfu rd.   we gave up looking 4 the nite market in that direction n' headed back 2wards chunghsiao rd.   i saw rose records n' went downstairs to a store that looked small but hip.   i bought 4 2cd sets of korean musik, n' kaela bought a japanese cd.   i already bought 1 chinese cd the day we toured taida; i paid 2 much 4 that 2cd set @ eslite.   we decided to look 4 fud @ the sogo fud ct or else the ming yao dept store fud ct.   we didn't c ming yao, so we went back to sogo.   oh yah, on the way, i picked up my fotos.   we wanted to sit somewhere, eat, n' look @ pics.   we went to the basement fud ct of sogo, n' i got myself into 'nother weird situation cos i understand/speak more taiwanese than mandarin: kaela saw a pic of some soupy dish she thought she'd like.   i approached the counter, n' a woman employee sed sumpthin' to me in mandarin i didn't understand.   then i pted to the pic n' asked in taiwanese if they had that dish.   then the woman replied in taiwanese, 'we hafta go home n' rest!!!'   upes.   so sogo was apparently closing 4 the nite.   so early!   we wandered the streets n' alleys.   taiwanese ppl or asians in general dress better on avg than americaus, i tell u.   neway, we found this hole in the wall place that was just 'bout to close.   they were out of my 1st choice of dishes, ba gee tang or ro wan tang; so we both ate this rice, soy sauce egg (lo nen, lou dan), dried pork (ba so), cucumber dish.   it was simple yet good n' cheap.   we went to sev.o (7.11) to buy some drinks: i bought a pocari sweat 4 myself n' a yoplait yogurt drink thingy 4 kaela.   i also bought some skewered fishcake (odaeng) balls.   we sat @ a table outside the sev.o.   (who actually calls 7.11 "sev.o"??? *shrug* it's just that some volume of the leland hi shool yearbook claimed that leland kids do.   uh, i dunno, man; i don't think i actually ever heard a leland student or alum say "sev.o.")   we were tired n' went back home.   that was actually tons'f walking.

this morn, we went to our usual breakfast spot.   yesterday kaela didn't wake up 4 breakfast, but i bought her some fud n' brought it home.   1 of the younq male employees there noticed, figured out the situation, n' mentioned it to us.   funny.   my dad took a pic of us w/ him on kaela's elph.   yesterday, i was s'pposed to get kaela an order of "salty" soybean milk to go.   my dad told me the mandarin name.   the quy misunderstood my mandarin n' gave me sweet soy milk.   if i had ordered in taiwanese, i would've gotten what kaela wanted.  

after breakfast, we took the bus to the hospital.   this was the last hospital visit of the trip.   i know my grandpa felt emotional 'bout it.   i could c his eyes got a li'l bit'f tears.   he wrote in chinese 'have a happy marriage.'   he took my hand in his left hand, kaela's in his right, n' put my hand on kaela's.   i felt he was blessing our future marriage.   i felt a li'l... i dunno choked up, i guess; but i held it in, of course.   we sed we'd come back to c him 'gain in taiwan sometime, n' we sed goodbye.

uncle "jeff" picked us up from the hospital.   we toured city hall's surprisingly interesting exhibits.   then we tried to have lunch @ a buffet restaurant.   it was closed.   we tried to eat @ pizza hut, but it was also closed.   my dad sed we could get bento/bendnq/doshirak boxes from sev.o 4 40nt$ each.   well, they were out.   neway, i was wondering where we would've sat.   that sev.o; like most sev.o, but unlike last nite's sev.o; had no table or seats outside.   we found a chinese restaurant nearby that my dad sez's "economical," not "cheap."   afterwards, we went home to finish packing n' take some pics.   uncle "jeff" drove my dad to the airport bus, came back, n' drove kaela n' me to the airport w/ our 2 suitcase n' 2 "check.in" boxes.   ah.mah gave us boxes n' told us to check.in our clothes in boxes n' fud in our luggage.   she gave us lots'f fud.   we met up w/ my dad @ the airport.   the air canada line was long, but we survived.   it's a full flight.   right now @ 827p taipei time, we're taxiing.   the airline put us in nonadjacent seats.   @ the gate, i talked to the eva air hostess, n' she was nice 'nuff to page a passenger n' ask her to switch seats w/ me.   @ 1st the hostess thought i wanted her to like 4ce the woman to switch seats, but i told her i'd ask the passenger myself, but "i don't speak good chinese."   maybe it would've been more proper to say "i don't speak chinese well." *shrug* shouldn't i avoid putting adverbs @ the end of a sentence? *shrug* again.

air canada; i don't love air canada.   i'm sure i would've preferred to fly on eva.   834p, taipei time: we're ascending in the air.   *sigh* what a trip!   i can't believe it's over, n' i gotta go back to werk! :-( :-( :-( !!! i can't believe i gotta go back to ridiculously overpriced, inferior fud in marin county, as opposed to good, cheap fud in taipei!!! >:-( grrr!

[later] 1056p, taipei time: we just watched atlantis.   that was the 3rd time kaela n' i saw that movie! 1st w/ her family, next w/ friends, n' then this time on the plane.   i gotta go use the restroom.   we had a decent dinner.   i had this asian.ish, fusionish duck w/ rice, bok choy, n' orange sauce.   kaela had some sort of chinese chicken.   the in.flight magaziue realcy isn't very good, pretty lame.   this is 1 super.long wed(nesday), since we're going back in time on this flight.

[later] 527p, pst (pacific standard time): we're in the vancover airport.   since our taipei to vancouver flight was delayed by like an hr, we had to miss our original connecting flight here.   we got here @ like 241p, but our next flight doesn't leave till 715p.   security 4 the baggage check.in took a very long time, but that's cos we've now already taken care of all the u.s. customs stuff.   they thoroughly searched our baggage n' gratuitously complimented kaela's stuffed mashimaro in a baby bottle coin bank.   all the employees were female n' loved the mashimaro, saying it's so cute etc.   i'm sittin' @ big apple bagels where kaela n' i had dinner: bagel sandwiches.   kaela's comin' back from the bathroom now.   [later] now we moved seats; we're sitting closer to our departure gate on a bench near this airport bar.   these computer nerd yuppie guys in the bar r talkin' 'bout large scale bizness data storage.   the bar is full of male bizness travellers.   dang, i'm glad i don't live that kind of life!!!   i'd hate to be a travelling salesman, whether it be in teknikal/engineering sales or otherwise.   man, it just ain't the life 4 me! :-p *sigh* but yah... i do wish i made more $$$. :-(   $, $, $...   i didn't make ne major purchases in taiwan.   shoot! i was all spent b4 we left 4 taiwan!   whoot, the economy cms to suck (n' blow @ the same time) in the us.   still, this economic hardtime's felt all over the globe, right?

*sigh* well, shoot; i've been saying 4 quite a while now that the biggest advantage to living in 'merica is the variety of int'c culture!   being able to eat good korean fud n' good taiwanese fud in the same area, as well as good indian, latin.american, thai, french, italian, greek, persian, vietnamese, burmese, spanish fud... all that good stuff!

u know what's wrong w/ the world 2day? society! :-) ha ha ha uh, whuh? u know what's wrong w/ america 2day? the biggest prob, i say... professional athletes r paid 2 much!!!   if i'm hafta watch mainstream 'merican sports on tv, i'd prefer to watch collegiate sports.   still, i'm not much into 'merican futbol, basketball, baseball, or boxing.   these pro athletes in 'merica r paid 2 much!   that's what's wrong w/ 'merica 2day! also, what else is wrong is how much jim carrey, the cast of friends, n' britney spears get paid.   personally n' honestly, i don't have nething 'gainst these specific entertainers; but they're all overpaid!!!   'mericans should watch less tv n' pro sports n' read more web journals! :-) ha ha ha. supportchur local skateboarder n' snowboarder! :-) i write 2 much n' read 2 li'l!

1245a: it's late @ nite, but i'm awake.   the beautiful kaela kang's passed out, but i'm awake.   i've been studying maps'f taipei.   i'm trying very, very hard to understand the geography.   i took a shower, brushed my teeth, etc.   there's lots'a city ambient noise 'round here.

2day we went to the cks (chang kai shek) memorial.   we looked 'round the museum a bit, then went "upstairs" to watch the changing of the guards, similar to what we saw yesterday @ the sun yat shen memorial.   man, i hate these mosquito bites!   after we walked 'round the memorial a very li'l bit, we went to this big tourists' gift shop.   i took a big liking to the artwerk of a guy named max liu.   he draws some cute, modern art burdies.   i bought 1 print of a painting w/ 2 parent burdies n' 2 baby burdies.   he also has a kewl painting of 2 burds in love snuggling.   i like that 1 very much 2, but kaela n' i hope to someday have 2 kids, so we think the burdy family print'd be sort'f befitting of that.   well, our uncle "jeff" picked us up n' drove us thru some older, more "historical" areas of taipei, including the site of the origin of the 228 incident, the infarously historical event that has really shaped taiwanese politics, etc.   then he took us to carrefour, a costco.ish superstore.   we bought a few things n' ate a li'l n' went home.

chris ("photon" @ bronx's) had just arrived to meet us.   he came in, n' we sat, chatted, n' rested our feet a li'l.   then we went to the pacific corp mall, the biggest mall in asia, some 14 or 15 stories!!!   we toured the mall like tourists.   kaela n' i took so many pics.   the locals must've thought we were weird.   nah, it just opened this week n' is quite a sight, so it ought to be understandable.   neway, they prob'ly knew we were just tourists.   the local shoppers dress so well.   we ate dinner in the basement fud ct.   kaela ordered this soondubu noodle soup @ a taiwanse style korean restaurant, quite a common sight in taipei.   kaela told chris to tell them to make it medium spicy, but it was 2 spicy 4 her, so she gave it to me.   chris helped her order neuro mien somewhere, n' chris ordered mcyukyuk's.   i kinda wanted to try mcyukyuk's curry burger here.   the fud ct had sooo many choices!   after we ate, we took the mrt to kungkwan, back to the taida area, 4 a nite market.   chris knows a place to buy 100nt$ pirated cds. kewl, but i didn't buy ne.   i should've.   then we went back to our home neighbourhood.

we searched 4 a store to buy that plum syrup stuff that taiwanese moms give theib kids 4 a cough since kaela's been coughing nonstop.   we couldn't find a drugstore, but we saw the nearby pet store.   we went in, so kaela could hold a labrador puppy.   we watched this very, very, very intereting chihuahua n' mop dog puppy duo!!!   they'd wrestle.   the mop dog puppy's quite a bit bigger.   i cheered 4 the small chihuahua puppy.   when they saw me, they quit wrestling n' started standing up 'gainst the plexiglass door near me instead.   then they quickly lost interest in me n' resumed wrestling.   the mop dog was clobbering the chihuahua.   then kaela n' chris came over to watch 2.   after a while, the chihuahua was actually winning!   he pinned the mop dog!   then he ran to the other side of the cage n' took a dump! :-) funny dog!   then they both sniffed it.   then the mop dog acted like he was gonna take a dump but didn't.   then they started wrestling 'gain w/ the li'l chihuahua winning most'f the time.   we left the store, but continued watching from the outside.   the puppies'd wrestle but then occasionally stop either to harrass n' taunt the beagle next door or jump on their hind legs to try to get the attention of 1 of the werkers there.   what a funny duo! :-) *sigh* i tell u: if some1 buys either of those 2 he/she'd ought to buy both!!! [later] 936a: 4 some reason, even tho' we didn't stay out late last nite, kaela can't really wake up this morn.   my dad n' i went out 4 breakfast w/o her, but i bought her some fud to go.   un4tunately, the server misunderstood my mandarin, so he got my order kind'f wrong.   *sigh* should've ordered in all taiwanese instead of 0.5/0.5.

this morn, kaela n' i both woke up @ the same time laughing cos'f our dreams.   it was very weird!

933a: we're so late this morn; i'm sure my dad'll be unhappy.   well, i haven't had much time to write these past 2 days cos'f we've been bizzy n' i was sick.   yesterday, @ taida, i used my 1st squatty potty!!!   up until now in my life, having been to taiwan, korea, n' hong kong, i'd never had to use a squatty potty!   yesterday, my stomach felt so bad, i had to use it.

there's 'nother great story from yesterday @ taida, but i should let the beautiful kaela kang tell it!   well, if she doesn't, then i will, i think; but i'll 1st give her a chance.   it's more her story.

@ the shilin nite market, there were so many pet stores!   we saw so many puppies n' quite a few kittens.   i 'member america used to have pet stores in malls, but they've pretty much all disappeared now.   i guess most americans believe they can only get healthy pets straight from the breeder or the puppy farm.   maybe so; those american pet stores didn't look so healthy, i guess.   usa has lots'f pet supply superstores like petco or petsmart.   2 bad pets.com became such an infamous failure.   we all loved the puppet n' the slogan "cos pets can't drive," or whatever it was.

so my mom's side grandma n' my mom's older sister say they'll come to c me n' kaela's wedding. :-) that makes us happy!!!   hrm, isn't it interesting that my grandpa likes watching those a-mei concerts?  a-mei n' her companions look so happy n' vivacious, i guess.   the caretakers let me push his wheelchair but then they took over cos they sed i was going 2 fast.   i thought he'd have more fun that way.   i knew the caretakers'd go slow.   *sigh* well... i hope i wasn't being unsafe, but i guess slower's safer.   1 caretaker's a young indonesion woman, n' the other's an aboriginal taiwanese woman, an older woman, like middle.aged, i guess.   neither speak taiwanese, 'least not our kind'f taiwanese.   they both speak mandarin, but the indonesian gurl doesn't talk so much.   actually, on sun nite she came home to our place, where she has a bedroom, n' has been here most of the time, i think.   i think she helps my grandma clean etc.

1004a: *sigh* we're in so much trouble w/ my dad this morn cos we're taking so long to get ready. *sigh*

1008a: i have several mosquito bites now.   is it good to put some of ur saliva on them?   my mom told me that when i was a kid, n' some1 on bronx's concurred.   i think some1 else sed u should put soap or soapy water or sumpthin' on them. *shrug*

1158p: yesterday, i developed some really bad stomach prob by the time we met up w/ my mom's side of the family.   ugh! :-( i was very happy to introduce my mom's side of the family to the beautiful kaela kang.   my dad then took us to the biggest temple in taipei, but i couldn't appreciate it much cos'f my stomach probs n' the heavy incense smoke.   then we walked 'round some, then went to the hospital.   my grandpa was exercising n' watching an a-mei concert video.   that's funny n' kewl that my grandpa watches these taiwanese pop concerts.   then we took him on a wheelchair ride 'round the floor n' let him watch the elevated train pass by.   then we went home.   i was sooooo sick!!! :-( we skipped out on sat nite n' just slept cos i was so sick.

this morn, i woke up n' found mosquitos our room! ugh! *sigh* my dad took us to the sun yat sen memorial n' the 228 memorial park n' science museum.   then we came back home.   kaela's friends anderson n' william came to meet up w/ us.   we ate lunch @ a nearby noodle joint.   then we went to taida.   william graduted from there n' gave us a great tour. :-) we ate dinner @ this hrm... fusion.ish café& joint.   i treated 'em out 4 showing us 'round.   it was pretty fancy n' good but cheap!   they sed 'twas cheap cos it's near the university.   anderson had to go, but william took us to the hsilin nite market.   man, it was kewl.   huuuuge!!!!! we saw some pet stores w/ cute, fuzzy animals.   what an exhausting but fun nite!   it's now 120a, 2002.01.07. *sigh* i should've started a new entry!

805a: we didn't wake up soearly this morn.   my dad just gave me a "wake up call" on the cordless fon intercom.   2day, we're s'pposed to c my grandpa, then walk 'round downtown taipei, i think.   we're s'pposed to go to some costco.like store, eithr carrefour or rt mart; i think that's what it's called.   then we might have a burthday party 4 my cousin tony.   dunno exactly.   it's been a fun trip so far, no doubt.

i really like taiwan.   really, ppl just cm so much more good.natured here than in the u.s.   n', heh, everything's so cute! hahaha. it's as if there's legislation requiring everything to be cute!   i think it's kewl! not so much of an "i'm so insecure 'bout my manliness so i can't have cute bumble bees on my construction truck" sentiment! :-) seriously! this cement mixer truck had the cutest bee as its compang logo! a bee wearing a construction hat!   u never c such cute stuff in usa; everything's gotta be so "dignified" n' boring. bleh!

the fud's 2 delicious here!   2 much good fud.   after my 1st trip to asia, i came back thinking asia's so much better than usa!   yah, i'm starting to develop those feelings 'gain.   it's like, "why do i hafta live in usa?!" ha, sounds like a spoiled brat whining, right?   nah, i know, even tho' asia is so fun, so hip, so kewl, so filled w/ great, intelligent culture... despite all that, i know, as i sed back after my 1st trip to asia, that there r some good things 'bout living in usa.   lemme tell u: i don't miss hamburgers! (i could always go to mcyukyuk's or bk even tho' they don't got in.n.out; n' i dunno if they have carl's jr.) i don't miss pizza! (i could always go to domino's.)   i don't miss american tv!   i don't really miss amerilan pop musik!   i don't miss american pop culture or 'merican fashion!   shoot, i say bullocks to all that phooey!!!!!   so what do i think i'd miss 'bout usa if i were to live in asia?   i'd miss good indian fud (in east asia).   i'd miss good mexican fud.   i'd miss good salvadorean fud.   i'd miss good middle eastern fud.   i'd miss good greek fud.   i'd miss watching the simpsons or the occassional good arthouse film, musik from kewl underground tekno artists or indie rock bands.   do u get it?!?!? i'd miss only non.mainstream american culture!!!!!   also, if i weren't in a cold area of korea or japan, i'd miss snowboarding like crazy! *sigh* so that's my story.

the beautiful kaela kang came up w/ the title 4 2day's entry.

[later] 1024p: 2day was a packed day.   lemme tell u: 2day officially wore me out!   we rode the bus n' train.   1st, we saw my grandpa n' walked 'round downtown.   then we took the bus n' "mrt" train to yangminshan park.   we walked 'lot.   we saw lots'f ferrell doggies.   we took lots'f pics.   we walked 'round 'lot.   on the busride home i noticed there were 2 korean gurls speaking korean.   kaela n' i thought it was very interesting.   we really should've asked them what they were doing in taiwan, etc.   we walked 'round a dept store.   then we took the bus home.

we fell asleep 4 a while then we had a b.day party 4 my cousin tony.   it was his 16th b.day.   he's so polite n' respectful!   kaela met me other cousins, aunts, n' uncle.   i finally called up chris.   wow! he sounds very bizzy w/ showbiz stuff!   we'll try to meet up w/ him on mon or so.   man, my li'l cousin henry's so hyper! crazy!

u know, it's so frustrating 4 me to deal w/ the taiwanese/mandarin issue: when to speak mandarin, when to speak taiwanese.   it's sooo frustrating.   2 much stinkin' politics!   from here on, i'll try to not care if i mix n' match the 2.   @ times on this trip so far, it's been like visiting 2 diff countries @ 1nce, 2ice the effort. *sigh* :-( !!! neway... i figure, it's always better to know more languages.   4 the most part, i feel much more com4table speaking taiwanese than mandarin.   yet still there r a few things i might feel more accustomed to saying in mandarin, maybe.   dunno.

we keep cing wedding stores.   i sort'f think it would've been a great idea 4 kaela to get a wedding gown here.   we both think she should get a chinese wedding banquet dress here.   it's just that no 1 can really help us. :-(

844a: last nite, after a day of sightseeing on the north coast of taiwan, we did a li'l shopping n' then ate in the fud ct under a cosmopolitan dept store.   my grandparents' place's right in the middle of the most fashionable part of taipei.   that't kewl; i like it.

this morn, we had...

[later] 944p: man, where did i leave off?! what a day! *sigh* did i mention we ate this scrambled egg stuffed shao bing @ our breakfast this morn.   argh! 2 much good fud.   hrm, i'm gonna be really fat when i get back, huh? haha *sigh* neway, we had a very full day.   we went to taichung/daidiung.   c, in mandarin, u can call this city taitsong or "taichung."   in taiwanese, u say "daidiung."   n' maybe i'm 1 of only a few ppl'd ever tell u this, but from the characters (hanja), u could call it "daejoong."   i'm getting very used to learning hanja by combining what i know of korean, taiwanese, n' mandarin... oh n' whatever i learned n' 'member from my hi skool japanese class.   neway we had such a full day.   we went to mr. n' mrs. chen's house.   mr. chen's taiwan beer's braumeister.   mrs. chen served us tons of fruit.   i'm 'membering how, when u visit asian households, they offer u so much refreshments etc.   mr. chen's a tea connaissouer n' brewed us some special tea.   then he took us to a fancy lunch @ a hakka restaurant.   u know what hakka ppl?   hakka ppl r a certain ppl that live in taiwan, a chinese ppl group, but not exactly from the area my ancestors came from.   phil's hakka.   my ex apt mate cathy's hakka.   after lunch, we drove 'round town n' walked 'bout a botanical garden.   the weathed was so unbelievably perfect.   seriously! u wouldn't believe it!!!   then we took a seriously v.i.p. tour of the taiwan beer brewery.   kaela kang n' i felt just a li'l weird cos we were 'mongst such important ppl.   after the tour we had a "tasting" session, which was quite an experience.   why? well, shoot! it was like having beer w/ our usual friends, in a way, but we were drinking w/ men quite a bit older than us.   neway, 'twas kewl.   after the brewery, mr. chen brought us to a ba won stand, the best in town; maybe the best in the world from what he sed.   well, yah, they were delicious; but we were very much not hungry.   then, after driving 'round jungshin university, we went back to mr. chen's house, where mrs. chen served us plenty of fruit, while mr. chen poured us more of his special tea.   we had a long, sleepy ride back north to taipei.   i realised that ppl don't cm to drive all that fast on taiwan's hwys; just lotsa city driving in taipei.   most cars, pretty much all cars have some dents n' scratches; but almost all cars r pretty new compared to 1s u c in the u.s.   oh yah, we stopped by a beautiful rest area on the way down to daidiung.   it had a beautiful park.   i could tell ppl had skateboarded there cos i saw waxed edges on the concrete where skaters must've grinded n' railslided.   i didn't c ne skateboarders.

1217a: well, 2day (as in yesterday, meaning new yr's day) was a very full day.   we woke up very early.   we ate raisin bread, buns, n' "ol' fashioned" soybean milk, which is less sweet than typical taiwanese soybean milk.   then our uncle "jeff" picked us up n' brought on a scenic route to my father's uncle's house.   on the way we saw my dad's family's old neighbourhood.   we then met this very artistic family.   my dad's aunt is a great painter.   my dad's uncle n' cousin do professional video editing.   this guy puts all the disney movies on dvd 4 taiwan.   his daughter n' son r both in paris studying art n' musik respectively.   crazy.   this family took us out 4 a lunchtime feast.   we had sooo much fud!   i had frog legs 4 my 1st time.   frog is sumpthin' btwn chicken n' fish.   it was deep fried n' pretty good.   we drove 'round 4 a while then went to c my grandpa.   we say "ah gong."

ah gong met the beautiful kaela kang.   it was very exciting!   he can't talk, but he can write a li'l n' make some hand gestures.   he got very excited when i sed kaela's studied some kendo.   he made some hand gestures imitating kendo.   i was very happy.

after the hospital, we came home.   i didn't think we could, but we fell into a deep sleep.   we ate dinner that my grandma cooked.   we say "ah ma" 4 grandma.   then we went shopping @ a nite market.   we looked 4 gifts 4 friends.   i bought some shampoo n' batteries @ watson's drugstore n' a mashimaro watch 4 kaela @ the nite market.   they have so much mashimaro paraphenelia.   we can tell if it's a good deal cos we can read the suggested retail price in korean n' convert it to taiwan dollars w/ my handspring.

[later] 105a: i took a nice hot shower.   i feel so clean!   it feels good.   so how's taiwan so far?   there's so much fud everywhere we look.   n' everywhere we look, there's so much shamelessly cute stuff.   i'm glad kaela's really enjoying that.   on our walk to the nite market, we passed by this puppy shop, very close to our grandparents' place.   yah, these puppies r very cute.   i'm very glad we got to c my grandpa yesterday.   we're gonna c him 2day 'gain.   i do wish he were still mobile.   last time i was in taiwan, he had so much energy n' took me to mcyukyuk's n' his office @ tai.da.   he's a professor emeritus there. [later] ~900a: so we're awake in the morn right now.   i dunno what's the plan 2day. *shrug* not much clue.   my dad sed either downtown taipei or a nat'l park: that's quite a difference! i didn't know whether to dress "stylish" or in clothes that can get durty.   well, really; i didn't bring much clothes.   i'm hoping i can get some here.   the dept stores n' clothes stores'll take mastercard n' visa, right?   oh, does kaela know she needs to turn the hot h2o on?   it's diff from the u.s. h that they use this hot h2o on demand system; there's no h2o heater tank.   hrm, what's the disadvantage to that?   it cms to beat running out of hot h2o after 1 shower like in our 'partment.   however, the on demand system cms a li'l inconsistent, only as much as the ol' hillegass apt's shower. *shrug* *sigh* did i mention that we really gotta take more pics?!   we really gotta!   hrm, i think i gotta trim my right thumbnail.   i took my nail clippers out of my shoulderpack n' left them in roland's car in case they'd cause trouble @ the sfo security check.   when we passed thru, i saw they had confiscated some nail scissors n' lighters.   kaela's done w/ her shower.

135a: well, we've been in taipei 4 a while now.   my uncle drove us w/ my dad from the airport to my grandparent's flat.   when we got out of the car, there was a cute, furry dog sitting outside the shop on the ground floor of the bldg.   i think it's a lingerie store or sumpthin'.   it was a very shy dog.   we went upstairs.   we saw my grandma.   my grandma met the beautiful kaela kang 4 the 1st time! :-)   kaela n' i napped.   then 'bout 20 mins till new yr's, my dad took us out to eat dao ling (do jang) n' shao long bao (li'l dragon buns).   then we went to the biggest new yr's party 1 could find in taipei last nite / this morn.   we watched singer ah.mei per4m.   it was kewl. [later, after a shower] i realised that my handspring's using up power faster than i expected, n' i didn't bring my charger.   i didn't think i'd need it.   i'm writing right now on kaela's handspring, which uses normal aaa batteries.   i'll beam this passage over to my handspring later.   dang, i should've brought my charger!

[a li'l later] i wonder if chris "photon" tou is in taiwan right now or 'merica.   since he didn't mention on bronx's that he's in the u.s., i think he's probably in taiwan.   i should call him soon.   i haven't gotten to use a 'puter w/ (or w/o) net access since we got here.   well, shoot! we've only been in taiwan 4 a few hrs now! *roll eyes* look how tech dependent i am! :-) @ the airport kaela tooh a pic of me in btwn 2 backlit billboards: amd athlon cpu chips n' gigabyte mobos.   those r what's in my 'puter! :-) ok, i should sleep now.   it's prob'ly past 200a now!   my dad sed he'd wake us @ ~1000a.

[later] 735a: good morning! :-) hrm, taiwan's much cooler (in temp/climate) than i expected. &nbtp; i kind'f wish i brought more clothes, but my dad told us to pack light.   well then; i hope we go shopping.   i wonder when we'll c my grandpa. ???   i guess we woke up much earlier than i expected.  i thought we'd have problems waking up by 900a.   i guess no problem. :-) i'm glad kaela's loving how shamelessly cute things r in taiwan! :-) all the cutesy animal mascots etc., it gives taiwan a very benign appearance.   i feel so safe here.   young taiwanese ppl cm soooo good.natured!   i have a hard time believinq ne of the kids ever get in ne trouble; but i mean that in a good way!   well, i'm excited n' really wonder what we'll do 2day.   i can't wait.   in some ways, i feel this trip is 2 good to be true.

i had several dreams lately.   while napping last nite, i had a dream i was doing taekwondo sparring on the snow covered, icy slopes: 1st i was sparring these 2 white belts that were in my me 107b (mechanicac engineering 107b) lab group w/ me.   uh, wow i was a bully, huh? :-) i did 540 back kicks 'lot.   then i was sparring jason han.   he fell n' slid down the mtn 'lot.   hrm, it's not like i expect to beat jason in taekwondo sparring netime soon!   weird dream!   i had other dreams.

i hope ppl'll read my journal entries from this trip.   i dunno how i should organise my journal when i get back! ??? i sed i'd redo the arrangement n' start a new journal file; but since this trip started over the new year's celebration time, i'm sort'f confused.   i don't wanna confuse my readers! hrm... maybe i'll actually duplicate these entries as part of last yr's journal file n this yr's.   it's 2002 now! can u believe that?!   our wedding'll be next yr! now when ppl ask when we'll get married, i can just say, "next yr."

i'm a li'l hungry.   i do eat 2 much n' exercise 2 li'l these days.   it feels like ages since i've been to the rsf!   i'm listening to yoo seung joon's gold disc 2 on kaela's nomad jukebox.   i actually uploaded this album to the jukebox as .wav files.   mrm, i'm hungry.   i think eating late last nite prob'ly's got my stomach all stretched out.   my grandma left some buns n' bread out 4 us, i think.   what should i wear 2day?! i don't have many choices.   i'm still writing on kaela's handspring.   she's done showering now.   ppl do dress well here, so i don't wanna be 2 much'f a slob!

well, due to special circumstances, u actually should start reading this entry as a continuation of the previous entry: "air canada".   please do so; thank u.

919p: well, the plane's passing to the east of japan right now.   a while 'go, we watched legally blonde n' had a chinese noodle meal.   i really like legally blonde.   'member? back in july i took the beautiful kaela kang to the drive.in to watch it, after dining @ a.p. stump's in san jo.   that was the nite b4 the bronx's junkyard get2gether.   hey, the flight attendant just collected our trash, n' she (a caucasian woman) was speaking mandarin.   good.   i was almost 'bout to remark that air canada doesn't cm very accommodating to asian passengers, but that was actually pretty good.   well, i didn't understand all she sed, but it sounded right.   i've been drinking so much liquid n' peeing so much on this flight.   when we land in taipei, i expect to c my dad n' an uncle or 2.   my dad has so many bros.   i have none.   even tho' i've had plenty of liquids, i haven't had much sleep @ all!   i thought i would've slept more on this flight, but sleeping hasn't been very com4table.   i've been listening to 'lotta musik, but i figure i'd give them batteries a rest right now.   ah, we'll be in taiwan in 'bout 4 hrs.   it's 933p (pst) right now.   maybe it's 'bout time to set my watch to taipei time.

lemme tell u: i was telling kaela how i'm visiting taiwan this time w/ a much diff attitude than last time in 1998.   (u can read 'bout my last trip in my old beno journal entry from 1998: "long vacation".)   last time i went to taiwan, i had a big superiority complex going in.   i thought, "i'm the big american born asian going to visit asia.   i'm so kewl!"   i was surprised to find out how li'l being an american really meant.   asian countries have much more self.respect n' dignity than i had realised back then.   they've got hip culture, n' they know it, n' they know they don't need american culture to validate them.   'least by the time i visited korea in 1999, i knew to visit asia w/ a more humble attitude.   i'm excited!

[later] 456p (taipei time): they served us some cup o'noodles.   we just filled out our disembarkment papers.   upes! we were s'pposed to use all caps!   ok, now i've set my watch to taipei time.   i'm so sleepy.   i wonder if my family'll wanna feed us 1st when we land or what.

it's 424a.   roland's gonna pick us up to drive us to sfo soon.   i'd better call n' wake him up soon.   i'm still sort'f last min packing.   why the heck am i writing here?! i should be double checking my bags!   yah, i'm crazy, huh?   heh, i just like keeping u'all updated! :-)   after i finished my previous entry ("cramming things in"), i took the beautiful kaela kang to lunch @ katanaya ramen.   then we did a li'l shopping @ target.   then we came home.   yesterday nite, we drove up into the oakland hills to dr. norman n' dr. susan link's home to pick up kaela's contacts from their mailbox.   susan left them in their mailbox 4 us to pick up.   ok, i really gotta get offline.   should i say happy new yr?

air canada

808a: we're on an air canada airplane.   we'll be taking off shortly from sfo to vancouver.   roland dropped us off @ the int'l terminal of sfo.   we didn't know that canada bound flights leave sfo from the domestic terminal.   no big deal.   it was a nice walk.   the security lines r really long!   we waited in a long line to go thru the security check.   armed guards patrol the airport, but i remarked to kaela that these were some of the most out.of.shape military guys i've cn.   neway, i feel right now i'm not 1 to talk. :-( i'm so sleepy.   @ the air canada gate lounge, i banged my knee on a coffee table. ow!   816a: oh, we're moving!

[later]1000a: we're landing in vancouver soon.   we passed over snow covered mtns, n' i wanted to go snowboarding.   i had breakfast on this flight.

[later] we're now on the plane to taipei.   vancouver airport was so beautiful!   they didn't stamp my passport.   i wanaed a stamp.   there were so many chinese ppl in the vancouver airport, some japanese ppl, n' a few korean ppl.   kaela bought a wedding magazine, in style's "weddings" issue.   well, we're on the plane.   i hear so much mandarin n' a li'l taiwanese spoken.   i'm a li'l hungry but only cos my stomach's so stretched out from eating so much these days.   we're listening to kaela's nomad jukebox.   it's kewl! :-)

[li'l later] 1246p: we still havsn't taken off.   i failed to mention yet that the flight was slightly delayed. [li'l later] 108p: ok, i think we're gonna take off soon!

[later] 403p: we watched america's sweethearts on the plane, an edited version.   'member, we already watched it @ bruce's place on fri nite, but i fell asceep that time.   wow we flying over alaska now.   i didn't think it'd take this long to get to alaska from vancouver.   we ate lunch a very short while 'go.   it was so.so.   so far, i think air canada's just a so.so airline.   i've definitely had better service/accommodations.   personally, i find the staff rather snobby. :-P

[later] 531p: wow, i've been travelling 4 a full werkday's time now, huh?   i can't believe so many ppl get to travel t asia from 'merica 4 bizness, u know?   it'd be kewl, i guess; but in the end i wouldn't want a job that requires travelling.   it's just that if i had to travel, i'd prfer to travel to asia, of course.   right now e sowing a hk movie called glass tears.   i've been sort'f watching it, but i'r noa even bothering to listen to the dialogue cos i can't understand it.   i'y reading the subtitles while listening to mp3s on kaela's nomad jukebox.   i went thru 1 sea of batteries already.   hk makes really good movies, wouldn'tchu u say?   i think we're flying over the ocean right now. [a li'l later] 558p: i think we're 'bout to cross the int'l date line soon.   ah, i just keep thinking 'bout all those snow.covered mtns i saw!   what would it be like to snowboard 'em?   well, it all be deep powder, ungroomed.   i'm not the greatest powder rider.   u know i'm more into freestyle riding.   i 4got to bring some magazines, but i did bring the gospel according to the simpsons, which grace n' steve gave me.   whoa! right now i'm listening to this modrock megamix i dled.   i just heard the old song "a different story."   i think it's by peter schilling.   i gotta burn batteries on the jukebox cos air canada has lame musik.   when legally blonde comes on, i'll try to watch it.   altho' i honestly love that movie, i know there'll be a good chance i'll fall asleep.   613p: the man 'cross the aisle from me asked me sumpthin' in mandarin.   i think he was asking 4 the time to set his watch.   i removed mine n' loaned it to him.   still i wasn't sure if he wanted pacific standard or taipei time.   man, really, my korean language skills r much better than my manparin or taiwanese. :-/ i'm gonna need to get very used to ppl speaking to me in mandarin w/o my understanding ne of it.   hrm, we haven't even 168ed in a while.   that's where i get the most practice speaking mandarin.

[later] 910p: now that we've passed the intl date line, i ought to start a new entry, huh?   ok, maybe so.   please proceed to "new yr's eve."

last nite, we went to bruce's house in oakley.   he owns a very nice house, n' i heard he got a very good deal on it a few yrs back; a very good investment.   bruce is brandie's bf.   i drove roland, laura, n' the beautiful kaela kang out to oakley.   bruce ordered some chinese takeout 4 us.   we planned just to chill, hang out.   so we announced to bruce n' brandie our engagement.   guess what. they're engaged 2! :-) kewl.   we watched america's sweethearts on dvd, but i fell asleep.   we played time crisis 2 on the psx2.

2day's a frantic, bizzy day of packing!   so much stuf i wanted to do but don't have time 4.   *sigh* lemme leave u w/ this:

events of 2001
• moving -> housewarming party
• cancun
• pt reyes -> roland's b.day
• napa -> erin's b.day
• my b.day -> cancun
• socal trips in summer
• layoffs
• teaching white belts
• buying kaela a snowboard
• hustle n' bustle of 2001 collegiates
• cousin lisa's wedding
• bjunkyard hangout
• 911 challenge
• christmas w/ tree
• getting handspring
• kaela's b.day -> digital elph
• 'puter upgrade / monitor
• ken's engagement
  
• lots'a $pending: monitor, 'puter upgrade (w/ mobo, modem, ram, video card), handspring,
• furniture, cancun trip, kaela's board
• losing snowboards
• (replacing kaela's snowboard)
  
• engagement

last nite, roland hosted the beautiful kaela kang n' i 4 dinner.   he cooked this great honey.mustard chicken dish n' potatoes, brocolli, n' salad.   he also made cheesecake.   yum yum! thanks, roland!   last nite, i was trying to install a d-link dfe 530tx+ fast ethernet card into kaela's 'puter, but it was really frustrating.   i didn't finish installing it.   grr!   i also was burning some musik cds on my 'puter.   why is it that even if we don't have taekwondo practice, i end up staying up soooo late??? in fact, maybe later!   *sigh* there's always stuff to do, lemme tell u!

well, the travel agent sent new plane tickets, n' i got them 2day via dhl express.   phew!   well, "have ticket, will travel," they say, right?   i'm having an extremely bizzy day @ werk.   not many ppl r here.   my boss told me he's ordering pizza 4 every1.   kaela told me this morn that she'll come over 4 lunch.   i told my boss i had plans 4 lunch w/ kaela, but he sed she can join us.   well, that's kewl. :-) company pizza.

[quite a bit later] well, it's afternoon now.   kaela came n' left.   we had our company pizza.   i ate 4 slices.   i surprised myself.   ;i thought i wouldn't eat so much grease, but oh well! *sigh* nuts!   i wish i could know that i'll be getting some exercise soon, but uhm, not likely, huh?   *sigh* the rsf closes @ 200p these days.   sat? yah, i dunno 'bout this sat.   oh, that 2morrow already. i c.   well, we've been looking 4 some places to have the wedding.   wow, what an experience!   so most of these places have all these pre.arranged packages, etc.   *sigh* i dunno... i dunno if that's what we're looking 4, u know?   u want to have a unique wedding, especially 1 that reflects our asian cultures!   still, we want a _nice_ location, a nice "venue," right? right.   lots'f planning ahead!

roland sed we might c lord of the rings 2nite.   i hope so.   i haven't watched a movie in a theatre since like thanksgiving weekend, right?   ah, we've cn many movies this yr.   hrm, @ the end of the yr, i like to talk 'bout what were good movies of the ending yr.   well, u'd think i'd talk 'bout what were good songs or albums of the yr, right?   eh, sometimes that just get 2 complicated!

what were some good movies this yr?

• monsters, inc. - who didn't like it?!
• rush hour 2 - k, some ppl prob'ly thought this was a li'l cheesy n' chopsocky still, but personally i that it was a good, fun movie!
• legally blonde - i thought it was "cute."   maybe u don't think it's a very serious movie, but i had fun.
• tomb raider - maybe u thought it was cheesy, overhyped, contrived, incomplete, etc.; but i still had fun. *sigh* i notice that i watched many movies this yr, but maybe many of them rn't like 1s that every1 simply loved 100%.   many movies were hyped big but disappointed harder.to.please audiences, i guess.

as i go thru my journal, i think those were some of the best movies this yr, i guess.   we saw lots'f movies.   i guess some honourable metions'd be: atlantis, finding forrester (hrm... maybe that ought to be in the top 4), bridget jones's diary, the score, kiss of the dragon (altho' it still has its problems), harry potter, moulin rouge... ok let's add to the top 5:

• moulin rouge
, n'
• finding forrester

is that ok w/ u? neway, these r my picks, right?!   i didn't like planet of the apes, that's 4 sure! yuck! stoopid movie!

*sigh* so it's time to reflect over the yr, eh?   *sigh* can u believe that?!   we spent last new yr's in disneyland w/ a bunch of taekwondo p.crew ppl.

[later, evening] dang, it's 722p now!   i'm still @ werk!   i had a very full day.   i feel accomplished.   this kind'f werkday makes me feel good.   still, dang! i gotta get home!   i officially introduced kaela to my boss n' our accountant, but i guess i didn't say nething like "we're engaged now."   maybe they saw her ring, maybe not; dunno.   well, it'd be nice to get paid more soon, so we'll have more $$$ 4 the wedding, but i know.... times r tight. *sigh* well, i feel optimistic.   sure, s.mike was pting out how the economy werks on a 4 yr cycle, so things'll get worse b4 they get better. *sigh* i dunno... there'll be ups n' downs 4 different ppl, i figure... li'l ups n' downs 'least...   of course, i hope things get better 4 me n' my company this coming yr.   hope so.   my manager's daughter made rum balls, n' he gave us some.   i didn't know that's what a rum ball is.   it's a fudge ball covered in powdered sugar.   it has some rum in the fudge.   they're pretty cute; li'l snow balls! :-) dang! i need to exercise! :-( what r we gonna do 2nite! it's getting late.   i gotta bust outta here!

thank u every1!   thanks 4 the engagement congrats.   thanks 4 the christmas wishes.   thanks 4 the christmas presents.   thanks!   thanks 4 reading my journal! :-)

[later] well, it's gonna be a very bizzy werkday here on a thurs b4 the fri b4 i take a long vacation.   eh! 9 days, is that a long vacation? *shrug*   it's 'bout right, right?   neway, i'll try to write some here n' there when i get a chance.

we had a good trip to chino.   we snowboarded, n' it was really fun!   on sun, as i sed, we went to snow summit in big bear w/ phil n' vicky (phil's li'l sister who goes to ucla).   so far we've snowboarded 4 days this season, eh?   i guess that's 'bout avg.   i think 1998 or 1999 were still my bizziest snowboarding seasons... that's 1998/1999 n' 1999/2000.   well, the beautiful kaela kang cms to like her new snowboard. :-) well, it's does have cute graphics w/ the sorceress n' dragon n' all, perfect 4 a women's board.   i think it must ride better 4 her since it's women's model as opposed to her previous board, which wasn't.   she cms to like it! :-)

on mon, christmas eve, we tried to visit as many socal friends as we could.   we made some complicated plans.   we picked up johnny from temple city, then we picked up supermike from his family's new temple city home, then we met up w/ phil in irvine.   we wanted to meet up w/ brandie, but she had a very bizzy day of christmas shopping, so she had to cancel since we were running way behind skedule.   johnny, s.mike, kaela, n' i went to tapioca express.   it was a chic boba place.   they had a humourous, witty sign in the bathroom: "our aim is to keep this bathroom clean.   gentlemean: yur aim is appreciated.   it is shorter than you think.   stand closer.   ladies: please remain seated for the entire performance."   i thought the sign was funny.   boba is cheaper down south.   *sigh* most stuff is cheaper down south.   it was a kewl boba café   we hung 'round irvine a while.   it took us a while to figure out where we were going 4 lunch.   1st, we went to a strip mall to get ca$h from an atm.   we left the 99 ranch plaza that the tapioca express café was in, drove to this "american" strip mall, got ca$h, then drove to the asian strip mall across the street from the 99 mall to look 4 a dimsum place.   this strip mall had a pond w/ some cute ducks, mallard ducks!   i loved how they were all paired off.   well, they were all heterosexual, apparently, so they were all paired off male/female.   3 couples! :-) i like stuff like that: happy couples.   i like ducks.   we looked 4 the dimsum place s.mike sed existed.   finally, he went into a boba café n' asked the woman there where we could find a dimsum place.   she sed the closest thing to a dimsum place 'round there was the sam woo restaurant across the street in the 99 mall.   *roll eyes* so we drove 'cross the street back to where we started! ha ha.   ah, ain't that the socal way? driving from strip mall to strip mall? ha ha ha.   neway, we had a good lunch: some dimsum some rice dishes.   ah, it was good.   oh, n' kaela n' i announced our engagement to s.mike n' johnny.   (phil already knew since the previous nite.   'member he treated us to dinner @ the soondae place?)   s.mike was pretty stunned.   he's had a gf 4 a few months now.   now he's starting to feel the "all my friends r getting married" feeling. oh boy, well, i don't wanna rush him.   he should just do it when he's / they're ready!   after loitering @ dimsum, we visited jay's (kaela's bro) laguna hills house, which he n' a few friends rent.   ah, it's like nelson's old situation @ ucsd.   he has 4 friends renting a big family house w/ him.   it's a beautiful, big track home in a family neighbourhood.   it's big n' relatively new house.   it has uhm... how many bedrooms? uh... i think 4.... 4 or 5, i 4get.   it's a beautiful house, n' well... i guess lots'f berkeley students'd be so jealous that they can't find housing like that newhere near uc berkeley. *sigh* neway, we hung 'round there 4 a long time.   it thought s.mike'd wanna get home, but he asked jay to burn a copy of the winxp cd 4 him.   that took a long time cos the cd reader was acting up.   johnny prob'ly was getting bored as we discussed economics, careers, n' teknology.   i hope it was somewhat interesting to him, but he's by far the youngest of us.   oh yah, phil didn't come w/ us to laguna hills.   he went home after dimsum.   neway, finally, the cd copied.   we drove from laguna hills to culver city to visit linda @ her werk (wold int'l), where she buys n' sells satellelite communication airtime.   she was stuck @ werk on christmas eve nite!   ugh!   we had a hard time even finding time to talk to her cos she was so bizzy.   we all felt so bad 4 her.   it got pretty late as we waited 4 her to find a spare second to talk to us.   well, eventually she found 'nuff time 4 us to tell her 'bout her engagement n' then take a pic w/ her.   her cowerker came in to join her, n' she took our pic.   well, it was late, so we left.   we dropped the 2 guys off in temple city, then left 4 chino.   the kang family had a turkey christmas dinner.   we ate pretty well.

christmas day: we went to mountain high ski resort w/ the whole family.   it's by far, not the most luxurious or grand ski/snow resort 'round; nope!   it was still fun tho'.   there's an east n' west resort.   the west resort is by far better, but we started the day @ the east resort.   it was pretty fun.   i like the small terrain park in the west resort.   i know it's not as challenging 4 me, n' i could do the big terrain park if i put my mind to it, but eh... it's good practice, right?   i know... it's a bit wimpy 4 me, but eh... lemme just get a li'l more practice n' then i'll hang @ the big parks all the time... it's not like i didn't do ne of the big ramps in the big parks, but well, shoot... honestly, i don't feel as com4table trying to pull off a 360 on the big ramps yet.   n' i wanna get used to doing railslides on the baby railslides 1st.   snow summit n' mtn high r both good 'bout having these baby parks.   lots'f tahoe resorts don't have such things.... u either go balls out or u don't get to ride ne snowpark @ all.   boreal has a kids' x.park, but last time we went it was pretty crappy.   the nightline terrain park @ boreal is still pretty smalltime compared to the big van's boarder park, so well... it's ok, i guess.   neway, i liked hanging out @ these socal snowboard parks in the socal resorts. not bad.   christmas nite, kaela's parents took us to dinner @ soyongchoong chinese restaurant (little dragon) in hacienda heights.   it was funny, i could c delon tan's taekwondo/kungfu studio across the street.   down the strip mall from it was 'nother taekwondo studio.   delon tan was jason han's n' yulah's original taekwondo master.   some ppl say he's the only widely respected nonkorean taekwondo master.   he's chinese.   he's pretty famous, i guess.   neway, i just thought it was interesting.   @ the restaurant, we saw a poster advertising some taekwondo hanmadang demo tournament coming up on jan 27.   well, i wish we could bring our demo team down to either compete or watch, but we have a big demo to put on the following week.   neway, u know how taekwondo politics werks.   i have no clue if that event's sumpthin' we support or what. *shrug*

well, yesterday was the day after christmas, we tried to pack up n' leave early, but that didn't quite werk.   we did make a trip to costco n' bought a bunch'f things; mostly not fud.   well, soon after costco, we left.   there was traffik on the socal freeways n' on the 5.   we stopped 4 gas a coupl'f times, n' had dinner @ andersen's split pea soup restaurant in santa nella.   it was a simple dinner.   then we just went home.   when i got home in the apt, i really felt this "wow, oh yah! this is where we live" feeling.   *shrug* dunno, it hasn't been that long, just a very eventful few days, i guess.

so now we gotta look 4 a place to hold the wedding.   u know that we're going to taiwan on sun, right?   shoot, we haven't even received our tickets in the mail yet!   that's bad. *sigh* well, we gotta get things ready 4 that 1st, i guess.   i guess that's the immediate concern. [later] the travel agent had problems sending the tickets to us.   *sigh* this sucks.   well, she's going to try to send a new set to us by express mail now.   i hope they get to us! :-( worried. boy, oh boy! :-(

[much later] well, can u believe christmas just came n' went like that?! *sigh* it's rained in corte madera 2day.   it was so sunny in socal @ times, earlier this week.   it was still cold in big bear n' in wrightwood (where mountain high is).   hey, u know what's so crazy??? out in wrightwood (or 'least by wrightwood on hwy 2) there r all these korean things! it's weird!   there r korean biznesses n' churches... it's so weird!   yah, snowboarding @ mountain high made me think it was the closest thing i've ever done to snowboarding in korea.   now i plugged my soundsgood into my handspring n' am listening to gigi d'agostino's "l'amour toujours (i'll fly with you)," a remix by ludo deejay.   eh! i listen to this track 2 much, i know.   neway, 1 day recently i had a silly thought.   u know how they have all these handspring springboard modules, right?   imagine if they had a springboard that "turned ur handspring into a cigarette lighter"! ha ha ha... that'd be such a ridiculous produkt, huh? ha ha ha :-) i can almost imagine sharper image having sumpthin' like that tho'. :-) ha ha.   *sigh* neway, ah... musik is making me happy, i think.   or my stoopid li'l giggle over that handspring joke is making me happy.   u know.. man, planning 4 the wedding's gonna be quite a task.   i tell u , i definitely proposed to kaela cos i love her, not cos it's just a convenient time in my life or nething...   i really want us to have a great, beautiful, wonderful wedding.   w/ my company not having all that much $$$ right now, it'd be easy to feel down n' worry 'bout "how am i gonna afford this?!?!", right?   well, yah, :-) i won't say i'm not worried 'bout it cos i am.   i definitely spent 'lotta $$$ lately.   ha, as i was saying... u prob'ly cringe when u read this journal! :-) *sigh* yah... yah... sometimes i almost feel like cringing when i c how much $$$ i've spent lately... heh... but 'least i'm not ignorant of it.   i know i've shelled out a lot'f $$$, n' i well yah... i know i gotta save up 'lot this coming yr. yup.   4 me 2001 was definitely a big yr of spending.   hrm... well, maybe 2002 can be a yr of saving.   making $$$?   yah, i need to make more $$$, if i can.   well, as u know, i'd never wanna be obsessed w/ making $$$, but well yah... a combination of hopefully making more $$$ n' saving more $$$'ll hopefully get me to my goal, right? i can be optimistic, right?   i can hope, right? :-) *sigh* well, no matter what... i'm a happy guy right now.

so well, lots'a ppl r hearing the news 1 way or 'nother. :-)   neway, we drove down to chino.   we're @ the beautiful kaela kang's parents' place.   we drove down on sat the 22.   we 1st went down to the south east n' south bay to buy kaela's new snowboard.   it's a santa cruz cw.144.   we bought the deck @ tri.city n' the bindings @ go skate.   then we swung by grace n' steve's place.   oh yah, b4 going to almaden rd. go skate, we visited the milipitas wireless dimension store.   after we met w/ grace n' steve, n' told them the news, we started heading south.   we took mckean rd to baily rd to cochrane to whatever to 101 to pachaco pass, etc.   there was lots'a traffik.   it's funny, we stopped 4 dinner @ the same truck stop as jeanna n' their parents.   c, their parents were moving jeanna's stuff back to chino, while we were driving down @ the same time.   so we were able to meet @ that truckstop n' get the keys from their parents.   well, later that nite, we told them the news, but they were so unsurprised that we were surprised.

well, 2day (as in yesterday), we went to snow summit w/ phil n' his sister vicky.   snow summit was kewl!   i had lots'a fun.   the snowboard parks r kewl!   we met kaela's hi skool friend ling.   well, after a long day, we drove back.   we had dinner @ abuhm soondae.   i really like soondae.   i also had yookgyeijang. mmmm... phil treated us on that meal.   2morrow, we have some big plans to visit a lot of ppl, but s.mike is crazy cos he thinks we can wake up n' be @ his place by 900a.   *sigh* hrm... we'll c.

oh yah! i wanna 1st thank all the ppl who have e.mailed me 'bout our engagement! :-) sorry, i don't have much net access down here, so i can't e.mail u back till we get back. thanks!

226a: i stole that title from a line from a cure song: a href="http://www.benomix.com/to.the.sky">"to the sky."   it popped into my mind cos that's how i feel.   i wanted to check the quote.   i thought 'bout looking up the lyrics on.line, then i 'membered that i posted them on my site a long, long, long time 'go.   well, i just typed in the url http://www.benomix.com/to.the.sky, n' it really did pop up.   i was a li'l bit surprised, but well... like some things just stick in ur memory, somewhere in the back of ur memory under a bunch of clutter.   well, 2day my fiancée :-) the beautiful kaela kang n' i r gonna head down south.   *sigh* well, we hope to leave berkeley in the morn, go snowboard shopping 4 her replacement board down in the south east bay n' south bay, n' then take pochacco (pacheco) pass to hwy 5 n' head down to chino. *sigh* this'll be my 1st christmas 'way from "home," right?   this'll be my 1st actual christmas w/ the kang family.   so u know, the itinerary'll be: sun the 23, we go snowboarding @ snow summit w/ kaela's hi skool friends (n' possibly supermike, if he's up to it after his trip to mammoth); mon the 24, we visit jay's (kaela's bro) house (rented w/ friends) in laguna hills n' hopefully c some friends such as johnny, s.mike?, n' brandie, dr. eric johnson?...   then i think we'll do some stuff w/ kaela's relatives.   tues the 25, christmas day, we'll take kaela's family to mountain high to snowboard/ski.   wed the 26, we leave back 4 berkeley.   this next thurs n' fri, i'll werk.   then on sun, i guess we leave 4 taiwan.   crazy skedule, eh?

well, 2nite (as in last nite), we went to coriya hot pot city in the albany/richmond 99 mall to recelebrate jerome's 22nd b.day.   :-) some ppl couldn't make it to the original kirala celebration, so we redid it 2nite.   :-) well, we also told our friends 'bout the engagement.   ting figured it out 1st, out of all our friends, by spotting the ring. :-) [now it's 311a.   i had to do some laundry biz n' apply scotchguard waterproof to some things.]   so ting got the conversation started.   actually, there was 1 false start when she found out dave got engaged n' started grilling me n' kaela.   we thought she caught on, but she was just grilling/teasing us 4 no reason.   roland told her to let us go. :-) then she got back on the topik when she spotted the ring.   so we let our friends know.   we talked 'bout it.   dave talked to me 'lot.   his well into planning his wedding w/ emily.   they've got the places reserved 4 the ceremony n' banquet.   they're getting married next oct. *sigh* wow, huh?

neway, after we took some group pics @ the 99 mall entrance by the big christmas tree, we went home.   well, most ppl went to jerome n' andy's to play, but kaela n' i went home to do laundry.   shoot, this place smells like scotchguard fumes!   ugh! i gotta get outta here.   well, uhm... in the days to come, i'll give u more details 'bout the engagement.   lemme tell u... wait, did i already tell u?   kaela uhm... she was in disbelief @ 1st that i was proposing to her... then she made me say it all 'gain while recording me on .avi on her digital elph!!!! ha ha ha.... *sigh* i feel a li'l embarrassed when i watch that .avi, but *sigh* yes, it is a happy memory.   i like happy times, floating in a golden haze.

532p: [i'm writing on my handspring.] i've been trying to figure how to tell ppl 'bout this, but i didn't want to post it on the net just yet.   still, i wanted to document my emotions n' life; so i guess i'll write in my handspring now n' upload later.   well, shoot it's been such a bizzy day that i haven't had all that much time to write a journal entry neway.

well, last nite i took the beautiful kaela kang to dinner @ the 5th floor in sf.   it's a contemporary french restaurant on the 5th floor of the hotel palerno.   we had a late reservation, 930p; but that werked out perfectly.   kaela had us bring our christmas gifts to each other w/ us.   it was freezing cold n' rainy, but i luckily found parking pretty close.   i wore a suit w/ a new purple shirt n' tie.   to feel right, i actually wore new socks n' underwear 2. :-)   *sigh* it was a wonderful nite.   i'll tell u more 'bout it later. :-)

morn: 2day is me n' the kaela kang's 23rd monthversary! :-) i'm happy.   kaela makes me happy.   i am very happy to be w/ her!   this yr has been a very great yr, 'specially cos we found this apt 2gether n' moved in 2gether.   it really makes me happy. :-) i started making a list on my handspring of all the important events of 2001.   this is prob'ly the top of the list.

hey, check this out: i found this cute flash movie from "tigress" regina's webpage: turtle technology of course, i really believe in teknology, so i don't really love the theme of this movie, but it is really cute.

[later] after lunch: i took a late lunchbreak n' went out to the corte madera village mall to buy a li'l bit of dress clothes 4 myself.   i had this 15% voucher that werked out better than i had imagined: it was only s'pposed to give me 15% off sale or clearance merchandise, but the ca$hier gave me 15% everything.   kewl!   i looked 'round the mall a li'l, then hurried over to the bank n' roadrunner burrito in greenbrae.   i deposited some checks @ the bank n' bought an azteca chicken burrito to go from roadrunner.   hrm... i don't 'member how a cabo chicken burrito tastes.   the menu sez the azteca has "grilled" chicken, while the cabo has "sauteéd" chicken. hrm... :-/ dunno.

oh, b4 lunch, i called supermike down in socal.   he's going to mammoth w/ his sister n' her friends 2day.   they'll come back on sat nite.   he might have enuf energy to go to snow summit w/ us on sun. dunno.   ah, it was kewl talkin' to s.mike 'gain. [a few secs later] oh yah! u gotta check out google.com's banner 2day: cute winter google banner   yah, it's the sort'f thing that kaela'd go crazy over!   [later] to super.rich ppl ever use coupons?

[a li'l later] *sigh* there's stuff i gotta finish @ werk b4 the vacation, huh?   boy, oh boy.   i like this doggy.   the accountant guy brought his huge golden retriever "dusty" to werk 2day.   i saw him, but he was asleep on the floor.

[later] i have a few pics to share w/ u, just to give u a better idea of how i go 'bout my life. :-)

• bunnytree.jpg: of course, this is a pic of our favourite bunny, mashimaro, n' our li'l christmas tree.   when i show this pic, i wanna say, don't think of it as a small tree; rather, imagine the tree is normal sized n' the bunny is huge! :-) that'd be fun, huh? i took this pic a while 'go using kaela's digital elph.
• rlkkbhcl_lores.jpg: raymond lee, kaela kang, beno hwang, n' clarence lao in front of beno's subaru b4 hitting the slopes @ northstare on 2001.12.15.   this was the day b4 3 of the 4 boards disappeared. :-(   still, i love snowboarding.   kaela's old a phi o friend took this pic on kaela's digital elph.
• benooffice_lores.jpg: this is me in my office cubicle.   i normally don't dress so casually, but i wore a thick sweater 2day.   maybe it's cold.   maybe i just feel fat n' gotta hide my fat! :-) isn't that what women r always saying?! :-) well, why can't i say it?!   my office is rather cluttered n' messy. :-( i took this pic 2day using my office's canon s10.
• benodriving_lores.jpg: this is how i look driving home these days.   it's so dark when i leave my office nowadays.   it's cold, so i get bundled up in my scarf n' my beanie n' my raincoat.   ah, i know, i know... all u non.cali4nians'll scoff hard @ me needing all this bundling up. *sigh* well, i'm not sure if exposing myself to cold weather'll make me lose fat cos i'm burning calories to stay warm, or if it'll make me gain fat cos my body wants to stay warm. :-) ok, 'nuff talk 'bout body image! >:-( i know u all think i sound like some weirdo anorexic by saying stuff like that.   eh! well, just wait until u c what i eat 4 dinner 2nite! i'm no anorexic.   i just talk 'bout bodyfat n' weight 'lot.   there's a diff! :-) i took this pic last nite.   i just put it on autotimer on my dashboard n' drove off.   i just wanted to give u a dose of reality, u know?   this is what beno's life is really like! :-) ah, the harsh truth. :-( "harsh"? why "harsh"? *shrug* i dunno, i just felt like saying it.   'gain, i used the office's s10.

[later] early eve: i'm feeling drowsy now.   ugh.   there was a big problem w/ a pc, so i've been trying to fix it.   while waiting 4 all the setup programs to run, i felt so sleepy!   i think i dozed off 4 a bit when i rested my chin on the table.   yah, i'm getting that "falling asleep in libraries" feeling 'gain! *sigh* so 4 next yr, i wanna change my journal layout.   hrm... i wanna make it so i (n' others) can use avantgo to read recent journal entries on my/their palm powered handheld devices. (of course, my palm powered handheld device of choice is handspring ! :-) )   so, didju c my li'l picture show there?   well, that's my life right now.   i guess, i'm not practice taekwondo @ nite these next few weeks since the rsf closes @ 800p.   well, master yoon, last nite, sed that we can use his private studio (sky martia arts in castro valley) to practice on mon nites after 830p or ne other nite after 900p.   ooh, that's late. <:-/ what to do? *shrug* *sigh* *breathe* well, i wanna go snowboarding! :-)

circa noon: i'm so shaggy. i need a haircut! i really need a haircut.   i still wonder: why is it that male models usually have long hair, while most guys i c have short hair.   i tried to have a very produktive nite last nite.   on my way home, i stopped by the san pablo shell to buy some slightly overpriced gas n' get a free brushful carwash.   ugh, i hate the idea of going thru a brushful carwash, but i figure that my car was so dirty that the brushes wouldn't get thru all the layers of dirt n' harm my car's paint. :-) u know?   it didn't even get the back clean, just the front really...   neway, i had my free carwash, then i went to safeway on solano to buy a few groceries; especially milk, since the beautiful kaela kang sez i need more calcium since i'm getting muscle twithces.   well, so far 2day, i haven't had ne muscle twitches.   *breathe* then i drove to long's drugs on shattuck to meet up w/ kaela.   i picked up some pics from the foto dept.   then we went home.   i wanted to keep bizzy to avoid falling asleep.   i cooked jjajangmyuhn.   it turned out better than it has in the recent past.   i'm glad. :-)   we ate.   we also had smoothies.   i made blueberry banana smoothies.   i put in tons of milk, prob'ly 2 much.   *sigh* it would've been tastier w/o so much milk.   [where the heck's my stapler?! i can't find my office stpaler in my cubicle.   did somebody steal it?! oh, found it!]   well, we watched some tv last nite.   i was pretty bizzy w/ either cooking or taking care of taekwondo club snowtrip organisational biz on my 'puter to watch closely.   we saw the simpsons, everybody loves raymond, buffy, frasier, scrubs, n' some people magazine interview show.   i really couldn't pay much attention cos i was so bizzy on the 'puter.   *sigh* planning the snowtrip is pretty tuff werk.   i really appreciate cooperative ppl, helpful ppl.   i really don't appreciate whiney ppl.   i werked on snowtrip stuff, watched the 2nd simpsons, then asked kaela 4 a haircut.   she was 2 sleepy.   she sed she'd nap 4 a bit then cut my hair.   hrm... i worried 'bout that; i worried she'd just fall asleep, but she insisted this was a good plan.   i went to "nap" in bed.   'round 500a 2day, she woke me up.   well, we agreed to put the haircut off till 800a.   i woke up @ 800a this morn, but i couldn't wake her up.   *sigh* well, i took a shower n' went to werk all shaggy.   *sigh* i really need a haircut.

[a li'l later] so i just talked to mastercard 'bout raymond's lost board.   i was hoping they had some kind'f purchase protection 4 lost merchandise.   i've cn stuff like that on tv commercials.   well, it turns out they only cover items that were stolen by force. :-( nuts! if they covered lost items, i'd gladly file a poice report, since i already called the chp neway.   however, i don't think i'm up 4 filing a false police report saying that the board was stolen. :-(   *sigh*

well, 2nite we're eating dinner @ master yoon's house.   he invited a few of us 4 that, some of the more active, young leader type ppl of berkeley taekwondo.   this is a very crowded week.   crazy crazy! i wanted to do laundry last nite, but i didn't have the energy, i guess.   also, i was so tied up w/ doing the snowtrip organisational biz.   i really wanna get laundry done.   i wish we had a washer n' dryer @ werk! ha ha ha.   well, i wish i could be @ home then.   i also, as u know, wanted to werk on benomix4jip. :-( i wanted to give it out 4 christmas, but it doesn't look like it @ all.   :-( life, life, life.

[later] in the afternoon: i ate leftover jjajangmyuhn 4 lunch.   i felt full after eating all that.   later, i felt hungry 'gain.   man, has my stomach expanded?   i ate a mandarin orange.   after lunch, i went to the nearby any mountain to ask 'bout getting my board tuned.   the guy there sed it wouldn't be ready till sun.   whuh?! *sigh* so i sed i couldn't wait, so i didn't get a tune.   then i went to the corte madera village mall 4 a li'l bit.   i think i'll be back there 2morrow. boy, oh boy.   well, i'm glad i got almost all of my christmas shopping done early.   yah, that's good. hrm, weird.   even tho' i did get christmas shopping done early n' got the tree n' decorations early, it still feels like christmas is creeping up on me n' catching me by surprise.   it's as if i expected christmas to happen a long time 'go, then it didn't come, n' then i let me guard down, so i'm being caught by surprise.

[later] later in the afternoon: i'm so drowsy!   i was sittin' @ a 'puter in the imaging lab, the 'puter we use 4 most of the heavy.duty image processing.   as i was waiting 4 it to do some processing, i felt like putting my head down n' napping.   i think i drifted off 4 a short while.   man, it felt like when i was in skool, when i'd go study 4 tests in the library, n' then i'd fall asleep @ a table or desk in the library n' wake up w/ drool on my sleeve or sumtphin'.   ah, i 'member those days! :-)   i fell asleep in the bechtel engineering library, which isn't really called the "bechtel engineering library," but sumpthin' else, like the "kresge library" or sumpthin, but every1 calls it "bechtel" cos that's the name of the building.   i fell asleep in the doe main stacks, in moffitt undergraduate library, in the valley life sciences building library...   ah, especially that vlsb library!   it's so dang quiet! n' those bio major r just so anal 'bout it being quiet! i don't get it.   in the engineering library u can talk; u can talk 'bout projects n' stuff.   in moffitt, shoot... u can just plain party!   in vlsb, man... u gotta be so quiet or else some bio major'll get on ur case really fast! just think 'bout all the times i've been asked, "can u stop breathing?!" ha ha ha. j/k, but yah... ppl r practically like that there.   n' the librarians rn't very nice!   that was the library where a librarian chewed me out 4 checking e.mail on the library dummy terminal. *sigh* he sed it was slowing down the system.   man, there was like no1 else using the terms, so what was the big deal?!   as if he really understood 'puters n' netwerking! *roll eyes*

[later] neway, guys; i gotta get outta here.   ttyl!

[much later] well, we went to dinner @ master yoon's house, n' now we're home watching simpsons.   it was a fun dinner.   n' it's always fun to be @ master yoon's house, hangin' w/ his family.   his son joseph is getting older; it's so interesting. :-) heh.

*sigh* i logged in here to write sumpthin', but i 4get what i wanted to say! :-( *sigh* hey, u know what?   i wanna thank jerome n' jeremiah 4 signing my gbook recently!   thank u!   they prob'ly don't know each other, but they r both brandie's friends n' have somewhat similar names.   maybe i'll get laundry done 2nite.   i hope.   oh yah! kaela cut my hair b4 we went out to master yoon's house.   i'm so happy! :-) i've been sheared!   argh, what did i login to say?!?!   i'm sure when i logout, i'll 'member, huh? oh well, we'll c.

[a li'l later] just as i thought, after i logged out i 'membered!   last nite, i was restoring some backed up files to my 'puter.   i restored a bunch of old documents n' loaded on my old e.mails since 1995.   crazy, huh?! 1995! so crazy.

early eve(ning): upes, i didn't realise till 2day that yesterday's entry was actually 2 diff days' entries combined! upes! oh well... i dunno if ne of u even noticed.   now i changed the date to "16-17 december," instead of just "16 december."   well, when i came into werk this morn, i learned that the 1 "mechanical" engineer is quitting to werk @ a silicon valley company.   i went to go talk to him, n' we had a good talk 'bout career n' life.   even tho' @ 1st, when he 1st started here, i felt we sort'f didn't get 'long, after his wife moved here, he became a much nicer person, n' we got 'long great since.   neway, *sigh* it's 2 bad he won't be here, but it's good 4 him, since he's got a better, more stable job now.   he just recently had a son w/ his wife.

how r u?   still no wurd 'bout the snowboards.   i fear all is lost. :-(   [a few mins later] well, i dunno if all i say is a li'l depressing 2day, in a way.   hrm... well, if so, 'least i have sumpthin' that might be sort'f cheerful.   i have a pic of our christmas tree w/ mashimaro.   i took this pic w/ the beautiful kaela kang's digital elph: bunnytree.jpg oh! careful! it's a huge pic! [2001.12.20: i uploaded a lo res version now!]   i'll try to find some time to make a lo res version of it soon.

well, 2day, i went to fresh choice 4 lunch, as i often do.   then i walked 'round the corte madera town center mall a li'l.   i think that was the 1st time i went into their r.e.i.   man, they have such a lousy selection of snowboards! X-(   oh well.   kaela sez i need more calcium cos i get those muscle twitches these days.   @ lunch, i made sure to eat some frozen yogurt.   i tried not to eat 2 much cos, *sigh*, well, shoot! i've eaten so much n' so heartily lately.   i tried to eat more veggies.   i need veggies!   last nite, i came home; we ate leftover cantonese fud from raymond's parents' dinner, n' we watched a li'l tv.   kaela taped alice in wonderland over the weekend.   we watched it, but the vcr cut off the ending.   after that, she watched some shows, but i quickly passed out asleep.   strange, huh?   *sigh* it's just winter hibernation! *sigh* what to do?   i can't find energy in the winter.   it's prob'ly mostly due to how the rsf closes early, n' so i don't get ne exercise.   i need exercise.   it is very cold, but i should get some exercise. dunno what to do.   i woke up 4 the simpsons.   i was still pretty drowsy.   by the 2nd episode of news radio kaela n' i had switched: she was asleep, n' i was awake.   weird, huh?   it cms like sumpthin' u'd observe in a pair of luvburds.   u c 2 luvburds sitting next to each other all puffed up.   1'll be awake.   then later, u look over, n' the other 1's awake, while the 1st 1 is asleep.   they'll both be puffed up.   yah, u c that kind'f stuff w/ luvburds. :-)   well, i tried to do some stuff on my 'puter.   i man, i stayed up late typing in this database 4 the taekwondo club snowtrip.   man, this is gonna be 1 crazy trip to organise, n' man... it's hard to organise this trip when i'm so frickin' distraught 'bout this weekend's disaster!   i know i hafta ask 4 $$$, deposits, from all the participants, so i did.   i asked 4 the deposit, but we haven't got the thing all planned out just yet. *sigh* i think i'm confusing ppl quite a bit.   neway, there r so many ppl signed up to go.   i really wonder how many'll drop out. *shrug* *breathe*   i also filled out some rebate forms last nite.   i tried to take care of bizness i've had to do 4 a while.   i finally filled out my reimbursement form 4 the boards i bought 4 demo team last month.   boy, oh boy.   so much stuff to do.

2day, i brought my handspring usb cradle into my office, n' i hotsynced my handspring w/ my werk 'puter.   i guess this'll benefit me a li'l, dunno how. :-) but it just cmed like the right thing to do, the hi tech thing to do, u know?   well, shoot... i dunno, i'm sure i'll find it useful sometime.   i wish i could write entries on my handspring n' hotsync to my werk 'puter then cut n' paste into a telnet screen to have really up to the min updates all the time, but the way i telnet in doesn't let me cut n' paste. *sigh* neway, it's been fun getting my werk 'puter all caught up to speed w/ 2day's teknology, i guess.   shoot, what kind of processor is this?   uh, i think it's like a p3-600 or sumpthin'. dunno. neway...   well, hotsyncing was a li'l bit of a mess 2day cos i 1st experimented w/ hotsyncing w/ outlook.   then i realised that i didn't want my personal skedule stored on the werk 'puter, so i swtiched to using the palm desktop.   ugh, that was messy!

so what do i wanna accomplish 2nite?   *sigh* i'd like to do some laundry, but i dunno if i'll get to it.   i'd like to pick up some pics from long's drugs n' buy some milk from safeway.   i hope i can do that much.   what's 4 dinner? dunno.   uhm... hrm... :-/ so what should i do 2nite?   man, lemme tell u! i really wanted to put out benomix4jip this christmas, but i'm, uh, not on skedule.   i was bizzy earlier getting my 'puter all up to speed.   i think it's ready now, but man... 1) i have so li'l energy cos my bear instincts r telling me to hibernate, n' 2) we're gonna be leaving to socal soon, n' soon after we get back from there, we'll be going to taiwan.   there's lots to do. crazy crazy crazy!!! man! n' i'm so very shaggy!!! i need a haircut very badly!!! hrm... i was gonna say "frickin'" instead of "very," but i've decided that i'm been saying "frickin'," "friggin'" n' "damn" 2 much lately in this journal.   it's 'bout time i cut down on my uh... profanity! :-) ha ha ha.   seriously, some how i just don't think i should talk like that.   it's not as if they're really bad wurds, but they just sound like very impatient n' ineloquent wurds, u know?   i should speak a li'l more uh... refined... refinédly?   uh... heh :-) what's the wurd? neway! i should try to use more patient wurds to show that i'm a peaceful kind'a guy, right? right.

oh man... on the snowbomb.com msg boards, some guy tried to start a flame war w/ me, saying i'm such an "idiot" 'bout the snowboard disaster, that i'm just a stoopid "weekend warrior" that tries to drive over donner pass w/ "2wd" n' that i suck so bad cos i should be concerned 'bout ppl's safety not finding these boards.   grrr! what a loser!   i did ask the chp if ne1 got hit by the boards!   "weekend warrior"?! %#@^ that!   as if it mattered, but i do drive 4wd to tahoe, n' i have been snowboarding 4 9 seasons now!   what's his @#$%in' pt w/ this "weekend warrior" $#!+?!?!   does he really think tahoe'd exist w/o bay area residents driving up there to unload their hard.earned $$$?! >:-( stoopid prick! (i hate anonymous flamers that hide behind fake names to annoy ppl over the internet!)

yah, i'm a peaceful guy.   merry christmas, peace on earth! :-)

circa noon: man, i felt so depressed n' distraught last nite that i didn't wanna start writing this journal entry yet.   well, i guess i'm more calmed down now, so i can sort'f write.   also, i don't wanna make a habit out of not updating my journal.   i was going so well 4 a long time, then all the sudden i got bad 'bout updating.   we need to find 2 snowboards on i-80 btwn boreal n' auburn: raymond's k2 satellite 154 n' the beautiful kaela kang's santa cruz c-143! also, it'd be nice to find clarence's any mountain rental board on the slopes of boreal: a rossignol 149 rental board w/ a sticker that sez "demo" on it.   k, this is all a crazy, long story, so i'll get to it in a bit.

so on dec 14, i went to my office christmas party.   i dressed a li'l more casually than what i wear to werk, sumpthin' i just wear when i, like, go out to dinner.   i figured this was fine since i was just going 4 the party, n' it was.   i wore my santa hat that i bought from walgreen's 2.   man, i've been doing this christmas season thing 4 so long now that it feels like christmas already came n' went!   instead of doing last min shopping like i usually do, we got almost all of our shopping done a long time 'go.   it feels better this way, i think! :-) i think w/o kaela i wouldn't have been able to do it like this.   neway, i went in 4 the party.   it was small; the company is small now, after all the layoffs. :-( lots'f ppl didn't come 4 the party.   we had some finger fud type stuff: wrap sandwiches (like those armenian sandwiches), li'l costco quiches.   we had salad n' tortellini type dish.   then we had tons of desserts.   well, @ times, i felt kind'a awkward @ the luncheon cos i'm just not all that social w/ my cowerkers.   i talked w/ 1 of the chemists 'bout martial arts cos he's so into kendo n' iaido.   that talk weirds out my other cowerkers tho'.   the other chemist talks to me 'bout reno n' tahoe cos he goes to reno to gamble all the time.   both the chemists r gay, but that totally does not weird me out.   well, i stayed thru.out the entire lunch n' then left after pretty much every1 else left.   then i went home.   i took clarence, raymond, n' jerome to any mountain to get some things.   i used my 10% tahoe card discount n' the $50 gift certificate that my office gave me this past summer.   i bought a dakine deluxe tuning kit to do my own tune ups.   actually, i want to read up more b4 attempting nething.   also, i need a beat up old iron to do the waxing.   afterwards, i quickly stopped by eddie bauer on shattuck to spend my $15 voucher thingy on a black merino wool beanie n' 1 li'l christmas present 4 a friend.   well, i brought kaela home a subway sandwich 4 her pre.exam minimeal.   then i brought her to her exam.   in the meantime, i brought raymond to r.e.i. to pick up some northstar lift ticket discount vouchers n' to get a few other things from there n' neighbouring walgreen's.   then we went to the rsf to help w/ the uc open taekwondo tournament n' wushu tournament mailings.   dr. lieu was begging 4 help cos stoopid panther press skrewed him over by delivering the papers over a week late n' leaving him hanging 4 that week, giving him false delivery dates.   neway, i went to go help.   then we picked kaela up from her final, dropped raymond off to get ready, n' took clarence back to our place to wait as we got ready.   we were so behind skedule!

neway, we finally left 4 tahoe like @ uh... 900p or so, i guess.   we stopped @ pinole in.n.out 4 dinner.   man, i've been eating so unhealthily these days!!! i had a 2 by meat, skipping the cheese.   raymond generously volunteered to drive my car 4 me, so i could rest.   he drove all the way to reno, where we stayed @ the silver legacy.   we made 1 stop @ raymond's house n' met his parents n' his sister's hamster.   the hamster is very cute, especially when he walks 'round in his hamster ball!   i fell asleep 4 a li'l bit as raymond drove.   i'm glad he drove.     i checked us into our room @ the 2 person price, a decent deal.   well, since no 1 else wanted or needed to, only i took a shower on fri nite.   then we hit the sack.

sat, we went to northstar.   we bought our tickets, raymond went to buy a beanie, n' then we had lodge @ pedro's pizza.   funny! who buys their tix n' then just sit n' eat?! oh well, that's what we did, ate pizza.   well, raymond @ clam chowder.   well, we went boarding.   we left raymond n' clarence on the beginner slopes n' took off.   it was pretty cool (temperaturewise) n' got colder.   kaela n' i snowboarded thru some intermediate n' black diamond runs, the front side n' the back side.   then we met up w/ the other 2.   raymond sed clarence was making very good progress.   it was good that i could call raymond w/ our cellfons!   we couldn't find andy.   well, it took a while 4 us to meet up w/ clarence n' raymond cos kaela had some probs w/ her boot.   then raymond, kaela, n' i went up the vista express 4 1 last run.   well, kaela had some really bad boot probs, so she couldn't get down the run.   the boot was chaffing away @ her skin.   i thought it was sumpthin' worse, so i jammed down pinball really fast to get ski patrol.   i felt like i was in expn boardercross or sumpthin'.   well, i got the ski patrol to sled her down.   northstar was 'bout to close.   we just took the gondola down.   then we got some hot drinks.   we went back to my subaru.   we went to truckee.   kaela bought some 1st aid things n' some supplies to do a macgyver modification to her boots.   well, it was pretty kewl that she came up w/ her own invention, in a way.   she used sponges n' shoe laces, i think.   kewl.   well, we dilly dallied 'round rite.aid 4 a bit.   we tried to get $20 tix to squaw, part of this skool fundraiser thing.   we stopped by porter's ski shop, 1 of the few places that was selling them.   they were all sold out.   squaw is expen$ive.   sumpthin' like $60.   we headed back to reno.   i felt we were really behind skedule cos we needed to shower b4 we ate.   we ate @ the silver legacy buffet.   it was actually really good! that chemist that goes to reno all the time, he told me it's the best buffet in reno.   i used to go to the eldorado buffet, but i think this 1's better @ the same price.   we stuffed ourselves.   clarence, kaela, n' i walked 'round n' played circus circus carnival games n' watched some circus acts.   raymond went back to the room.

on sun morn, we packed up, left behind skedule, n' went to boreal.   kaela n' i got us $30 tix, a $4 discount w/ our tahoe cards.   it was cold.   i was so bundled up!   i was so sore n' cramped up from sat.   well, we snowboarded.   4 most of the time, it was raymond, kaela, n' me 2gether, n' clarence on his own.   i had some fun, but i felt really unfulfilled, i guess.   like, since i was hurt, i couldn't do big jumps.   i did li'l jumps on the kid's x.park n' a li'l in the nightline park.   *sigh* i felt like such a... i guess ppl say "gimp."   sure, i could "ride" fine, but what 'bout jumping n' sliding n' stuff like that?!   i really couldn't ollie worth crap cos my left thigh was so cramped up.   well, we waited 4 clarence in the lodge.   then kaela finally found him.   he had lost his rental board! he had accidentally gone down a trail that ended up @ the bottom of the lost dutchman lift that wasn't open.   he tried to walk back up.   he got tired n' sat 4 a break.   his board ran away.   he couldn't find it!! *sigh* it was pretty bad.   neway, raymond told us we had to hurry cos we couldn't keep his parents waiting cos they were taking us to dinner.   we left boreal in a mad rush.   man, guess what! *sigh* no1 checked to make sure the board rack was closed down tightly or if @ all!   *sigh* we took off.   somewhere btwn boreal n' auburn, we lost kaela's board n' raymond's board.   somehow, miraculously, my board managed to stay on!   i can't believe no 1 told us that the rack was open till auburn.   i'm glad that person did.   *sigh* man, i can't believe it! :-( this is really bad!   we felt so awful.   shoot, raymond just bought his board last week!   :-( well, raymond drove my car to his parent's place after we looked a li'l 4 the lost boards.   we didn't find nething.   we were so depressed.   'least no 1 was hurt, i sed.   really, it is only material things, i guess... but *sigh* this was so unnecessary!   i hate live n' learn lessons like these.   i've been thinking over n' over 'bout what to do cos of this: 1) i gotta tell all my passengers that we can't rush things in tahoe!   haste makes waste.   look what happend that morn in 1999 w/ supermike going up to sierra.at.tahoe! the big accident! :-( 2) i considered having some "standard operating procedures" 4 my passengers.   they gotta double check that the rack is always closed n' locked.   not only that, maybe we should lock the board bindings to the rack using snowboard locks! 3) i thought 'bout how i could make a device that'd alert me if the rack weren't closed. *sigh* i coudln't think of nething 2 good yet.   neway, i've been thinking 2 much.   @ raymond's place, i tried to call the chp, but they wouldn't answer.   we showered there.   we met raymond's sisters.   his parents took us to dinner @ a good cantonese restaurant in sacramento.   we ate big!!!   then the remaining 3 of us took off 4 home.   last nite, i posted on all these msg boards 'bout the lost boards.

this morn, i managed to get in touch w/ the chp.   they sed they'll call me back w/in 2 days. *cross fingers*

[later] i had a roadrunner burrito 4 lunch, a chicken santa fe burrito.   it has spinach n' shrooms in it, i think.   it was very, very good.   i also had a nantucket nectar orange juice.   i left my frequent eater card in the car by accident. :-( i didn't get a stamp.   oh well.   fud is 2 expen$ive in marin county, i tell u!   *sigh* what a life! hrm... what do i mean by that?   yah, i'm not really sure.   i know i gotta watch my budget.   shoot, if i buy raymond a replacement snowboard or help him buy a replacement snowboard, that'll co$t $$$.   kaela's? same thing. "don't sweat the petty things," starts out jerome's e.mail signature. "pet the sweatty things," it finishes.   when the big disaster happened last nite, i thought 'bout the 1st part: "don't sweat the petty things."   u know, when some expen$ive disaster happens to u, u wonder why u ever thought so hard 'bout cutting corners here n' there to save a buck or 2 when u compare it to the big disasters that co$t u a big bundle.   u know?   1nce, my mom n' i were discussing dishwashing soaps.   i sed that i think the new concentrated soaps r a way 4 the soap companies to rip u off cos if u spill an amt of soap, now u'r losing more soap than u used to, n' u'r losing more $$$ than u used to.   then my mom told me that i shouldn't worry 'bout things so small n' insignificant as the concentration of dishwashing soap.   that's not where u really save $$$, it's the big things that u buy or don't buy, or what big discounts u can get on ur major purchases etc.   yah, that really made sense to me.   but then 'gain, ther er so many ppl who'd say that if i can save a li'l here n' there, i'll save up lots'f $$$!   *sigh* dunno, man!   i have lots'f friends who r struggling to pay off their credit card bills.   me, i always pay off my bills in full @ the end of the month.   i guess, 1) i werk full time, etc. n' 2) i do try to watch what i spend n' try to live w/in my means.   ... n' 3) i gotta admit, in my life i have been a bit spoiled, in that, yah... i'm blessed to have come from a family w/ some $$$, to have 2 parents w/ professional careers, etc.   neway, so... *sigh* i'm very glad i'm not truly living paycheck to paycheck, but i really pray i can keep living like that. :-(   i tell u! it's damn scary these days! *sigh* seriously! ppl my age, we've cn the best of times n' the worst of times, n' really, i understand it if my peers r nervous these days cos i've been nervous.   *sigh* well, i try to be optimistic.   sure, i 2 (like jerome in his gbook entry) think we'll have economic revival in 2002.   i really hope so.   i don't like thinking that my company might not survive.   no.

actually, i'm pretty stressed @ werk 2day.   it's not that there's a whole lot of stress/pressure on me, but i'm sitting in my office, n' my cowerking pretty much keeps whining 'bout everything in the office, n' it's really getting on my nerves.   i hate it when my cowerker gets all pissy n' frustrated 'bout our company n' then like takes it out on every1. it's so unpleasant, sitting in my cubicle right now.   that's stressing me out, n' i feel so frickin' tired.   i slept ok last nite.   i woke up prety easily, early this morning.   i surprised myself.   my left arm/shoulder keeps on twitching; i dunno why. *sigh* i want to exercise this week, but the rsf closes @ 800p 4 the rest of winter break.   this is crazy!   i wonder if it'll be 2 cold, wet, or dark to go jogging 'round the neighbourhood after werk. *sigh* most likely, all 3.   heh, i dunno if u call that pessimism or laziness! :-) it's almost amusing.   i sound so lazy. *sigh*

i'm writing to u from my werk 'puter, which i suped up last week.   it's got a really nice graphics card.   i have it set on a hi resolution.   this telnet window looks so small.   did i mention to u that i ordered myself a new video card last week.   really, i know i'm talkin' 'bout needing to save $$$ but 1) it was a very good deal, 2) i really need a new video card, n' 3) that was b4 the big snowboard disaster.   [later] do u cringe when u read my journal??? like, do u just pound the table or ur head thinking, "how the %$#@ does he get himself into these messes! ugh! he's so stoopid!   why doesn't he just... [this or that]?!?!?! i just wanna scream!"   do u ever think that?   just wondering.

so i 'membered what i was gonna talk 'bout earlier.   i read on y! news that a research study showed that men gain weight when their wives r pregnant.   *sigh* will i? :-( i mean, in the future, of course!

can u believe i skipped a day in my journal?!   according to my journal, yesterday, i fell off the face of the earth. :-)   weird.   i've just been 2 bizzy doing nuthin'. *shrug* i've had lott'a stoopid things to do, i guess. dunno.   n' i guess i have less energy to do it.   winter, u know?   i just wanna hibernate!   it's the bear in me.   i'm a bear.   bear n' a bunny: the bear asks the bunny, "when u take a dump, does the $#!+ stick to ur fur?"   the bunny replies, "no."   then the bear picks up the bunny n' wipes his butt w/ it.   that's toby's joke.   there's 'nother bear n' bunny joke that "izam" on bjunkyard told, sumpthin' like: a bear n' a bunny find a magical lamp in the forest.   they rub it n' a genie pops out n' tells them they each get 3 wishes.   the bear goes 1st, "i wish i were the only male bear in the forest, n' all the rest were females."   the genie sez, "ur wish is granted."   the bunny wishes 4 a motorcycle helmet.   a motorcycle helmet appears 4 the bunny, n' the genie sez, "ur wish is granted."   then the bear sez, "i wish i were the only male bear in the forest, n' all the rest were females."   the genie sez, "ur wish is granted."   then the bunny wishes 4 a motorcycle.   a motorycle appears 4 the bunny, n' the genie sez, "ur wish is granted."   then the bear sez, "i wish i were the only male bear in the forest, n' all the rest were females."   the genie sez, "ur wish is granted."   then the bunny gets on the motorcycle, revs it up, n' makes his last wish, "i wish the bear were gay."   then the bunny zooms off.   i like this joke 2.   i like bears, n' i like bunnies.

afternoon: i went out during lunch.   i had to get out of the office.   i was a bit frustrated w/ my 'puter cos i had just installed win2k on it, n' i had bugged the programmer w/ the puppy to help me set my 'puter up 4 the netwerk, then it started skrewing up on me.   i dunno if it was the hd, which is rumoured to be a messed up 1, or if it's the video driver i tried to use. *shrug* dunno. *sigh* so i went out 4 lunch.   i 1st went to fill up my car w/ gas @ beacon in san rafael.   it was $1.21/gal.   i saw my old cowerker there who was laid off.   then i went to the post office to send out a christmas present to my dad n' to buy some stamps.   then i drove out to central san rafael.   i ate lunch @ puentez taqueria. i had a chicken mole mini deluxe burrito 4 $5.25.   it was pretty overpriced, but a good burrito.

evening: well, 2day was a very bizzy day, but i spend most of it fixing up my werk 'puter.   i think it's reasonable.   i needed to have a beefier 'puter @ my desk.   2morrow, i'll come in just 4 the christmas lunch.   i'll practice 2nite.   it's cold these days still.   last nite, the beautiful kaela kang n' i went to ajanta indian restaurant 4 dinner.   originally, we wanted to go to plearn, but we couldn't find parking on university.   stoopid city of berkeley!   if they had more parking, i'd patronise those shops! >:-( well, neway... ajanta's on solano, but it's still in the city of berkeley.   it was a good dinner.   kaela ordered this duck vindaloo, i ordered this uh... catfish. it was called seyal machi.   it was good.   we also ordered this crab cake appetizer n' had lassi.   the fud was very flavourful.   i liked it.   kaela treated me out to dinner.

1055a: i guess this is sort'f a "hell week" cos the beautiful kaela kang has her final on fri.   she'll be studying so hard this week, i guess.   i just can't wait to go snowboarding this weekend.   my office is having a christmas lunch on fri.   i don't werk this fri, but i'll go in 4 the lunch.   so... how r u?   since bjunkyard is back up thanks to jerome, i've been wasting time on those on.line forums.   last nite, i got my 'puter downloading a bunch'f songs from audiogalaxy.   eh, i dunno if they r songs i really want, but i figured i might as well dl them while i can.   lots'f them were old altrock or mod songs, really old 1s.   i noticed that audiogalaxy is starting to look pretty bare, like the record companies have come by n' started shutting them down.   that's why i figure i'd better take what i can, while i can.

afternoon: i went to bestbuy in marin city.   1st, i ate @ the burger king there, ate a whopper meal.   ugh! so much frickin' fast fud this week! it's so bad 4 me!!! i shouldn't eat so much fast fud! :-(   i went to best buy to get that problem fixed.   'member? i did tell u, right?   they charged me 2ice 4 a spindle of cdrs i bought, a 100 spindle.   well, the gave me my $$$ back.   they might have actually watched the security tapes to make sure i only got 1 spindle.   isn't that crazy?!   how was i s'pposed to prove that they only gave me 1 spindle n' charged me 4 2?   well, i'm glad that the tapes may have proved it.   maybe they were 2 lazy to watch the tapes or couldn't find it. *shrug* dunno.   i overheard the guy tell 'nother guy that he'd go watch the security tapes or sumpthin'.   wel, i got my $$$ back.   good.   well, since it was such a bother 4 me to drive back out there to get my $$$ back, i feel very justified that they 4got to charge me 4 the netwerk card that i bought.   it's just a cheap li'l thing neway.   how come they're so disorganised?!

i wonder what snowboard/ski resort(s) we should go to in socal.   we're gonna take kaela's family snowboarding or skiing 1 day, n' we're gonna go w/ her hi skool friends 1 day.   i gotta call up supermike to c if he can go that day.   that'd be kewl.   man, we're embarking on some exciting times ahead.   crazy! ...crazyfun! i turned in all my requests 4 time off 2day.   it should be ok.

life is ok, i think.   life is good.   *sigh* 'course kaela's studying 4 her final this week, so she's very stressed.   *sigh* i guess i'll feel it soon 2.   well, i'll try to keep my head 'bove water.   somebody's got to.   after all, i gotta find a place to stay 4 this weekend's tahoe trip!

early evening: hey! it's jerome's b.day 2day!   u know me; i always 4get n' think jerome's b.day is dec 12.   no! it's 2day!!!! guys, say "happy burthday" to jerome!!!!

[i'll write more later.]

1004p: it's cold in our apt.   i'm typin' @ my 'puter w/ the christmas tree's lites playing their musik.   yah, 'member? we have musikal lites!   it's christmastime!   i guess it was a pretty long day 2day.   i went to werk.   @ lunchtime, i drove out to marin city to buy some rebate items from bestbuy.   frick! when i got home, i found out they charged me 2ice 4 a spindle of cdrs, but didn't charge me 4 a rebate netwerk card thing.   grrr! 2morrow, i'll go n' complain they charged me 2ice 4 the cdrs!   it'd be all good if only i could have more than 1 rebate on the cdrs, but i think it's limit 1 per person, etc. grr!   what a bother!   2nite, after i got home, i was s'pposed to go w/ some ppl to any mountain to buy some snowboarding things.   that got really botched up, but the beautiful kaela kang n' i took raymond to eat @ yeitnal jjajang.   raymond n' i had jjambong (chao ma mien), n' kaela had jjajangmyuhn (jiajiangmien).   it was a good dinner.   i was glad to have so much warm liquid.   it's so cold.   i got our piyo stocking back from san jo.   we left it there last christmas.   my mom didn't wanna use it.   we have it hanging on the knob of our halogen lamp in the living room.   i hung it up, when every1 was here last nite.

uh... i did mention last nite, right?   oh shoot! i didn't, huh?   ha ha ha.   after i came back to berkeley from san jo, we took jerome out to dinner @ kirala 4 his b.day!   who was there?   andy, me, laura, jerome, roland, sophia, johnny, n' raymond.   after dinner, every1 came back to our place, where kaela was studying, n' we gave jerome his b.day present: a snowboard.   i helped laura shop 4 it on sat @ tri.city.   it's a ride uh... i 4get the model.   it's a freestyle/freeride type board.   we got him burton custom bindings to go w/ it.   then i prompted jerome to give laura his christmas present to her.   the week b4, i helped jerome pick out a snowboard 4 laura: a rossi imperial w/ burton c15 bindings.   i put 2gether their boards 4 them.   the nite b4, i put 2gether raymond's board: a k2 sattelite w/ burton customs.   i think that's the same board the k2 dart used to be.   i figure these r good boards 4 them.   i can't wait to go boarding!   last nite was fun.   i like it when we have group things @ our place. :-)

lemme now quote phil huang from an e.mail he wrote to me:

say two people, a cynic and an optimist, are debating whether the world will end. The optimist says the world will prevail, while the cynic says no, humans will fail and the world will end. Suppose the cynic is right. What then? What's there to celebrate? The cynic may often be right, but the cynic never really wins. A true victory or achievement is something which one can actually celebrate. One can be right, but what happens when you win the argument and lose the world?

in that e.mail, phil sent me an article 'bout a political battle in michigan over hunting mourning doves: "dove-hunting plan has feathers flying - again".   apparently, hunters there really want the right to hunt mourning doves, but "backyard bird watchers" love the doves.   me, of course, i love mourning doves!   i don't want ppl to shoot them, no!   they should just shoot targets @ the shooting range if they gotta shoot sumpthin'.   shoot bottles. no doves!

it's 1034p now.   wow, time flies.   ok, i caught up a li'l w/ some personal e.mails i needed to write.   i'm kind'a hungry 'gain.   it was a healthy sized dinner, not 2 big.   hrm... now my eyelids 4 feeling heavy.   maybe my body wants to hibernate. *shrug* i am getting really shaggy 'gain; winter coat.   eh! i figure i'll get my hair cut after this upcoming snowboarding trip this weekend.   that way i'll have more of a winter coat on my head while in tahoe, but i'll look more decent 4 the following week n' christmas.   ah, christmas.

~300p: i'm @ home in san jo; "home" home, u might say.   well, yesterday was a bizzy day of shopping.   what did i get 4 u?   well, what didju get 4 me? :-)   guess what!   grace n' steve r gonna have a baby!!!   i'm gonna be an uncle!!! an uncle to a li'l niece or nephew; they don't know yet.   he/she'll get here in august next yr!   :-) !!! congratulations!

yesterday, after shopping, a bunch'f us ate @ baja fresh on shattuck in berkeley.   man, after being in so many malls recently, baja fresh made me feel like i never left the mall!!!   it's a li'l piece of mallrat suburbia in the middle of berkeley's urban jungle!   it's such a clean, new place; n' they play house remixes of latin musik n' house remixes of celine dion type stuff.   sure, some of u'll rag so hard on that kind of evil pop musik n' this evil suburban mall culture; but frick! i think it's nice to have variety!!!   it's not like we don't still have wall berlin, amoeba records, n' blondie's / fat slice, etc.   this area of shattuck has eddie bauer, gateway country, shattuck cinemas, taco bell express, starbuck's, mel's diner...   it's a mix: old n' new, mall life n' berkeley life.   i don't like shattuck cinemas: 1) no parking, 2) 2 expen$ive, n' 3) crappy theatres.   i'm ok w/ the sf mel's diners, but i don't much like the berkeley mel's; it has a reduced menu.   could i possibly do christmas shopping in thi area? :-/ hrm... maybe some, but i'm glad i have the option to drive to valley fair, sf fashion centre, stanfurd mall, etc.   i'm glad eddie bauer set up shop there, but i'll never buy nething from gateway country!   i'll always build my own computers!

right now, i'm waiting 4 a pie to bake.   now, it's done, n' i removed it from the oven.   i'm drying laundry.   in case u didn't realise it, this is 'nother journal made possible by teknology from handspring.   i'm in san jo.   the beautiful kaela kang stayed home in berkeley to study.   grace n' steve came over.   my mom cooked tons of fud.

1002a: well, i woke up early 4 a sat morn!   hey! i could watch sat morn cartoons, if i wanted to! hrm... there's a snowboarding or ski competition on tv. eh! i think it's downhill ski racing. blah. i'd rather watch freestyle snowboarding, of course!   maybe they'll show some; i hope.   i don't think i recognise ne of these cartoons. man, i wanna go to the snow!!!   hrm, this slalom ski racer is the same height as me but 195 lbs.

yesterday, some anonymous person signed my g.book talkin' 'bout a hackable.to.regionfree dvd player. hrm... kewl! thanks!   i'm not sure who it is, but he/she's a linux fan.   the beautiful kaela kang has been convincing me not to buy a dvd player yet cos she just got her dvd/cdrw drive. well, i haven't cn a hack 4 hp dvd drives yet, but i've cn some potential tools, i guess. thanks 4 the tip tho'!

yesterday, i was just sort'f thrown into my day.   we had a very, very, very full, bizzy day.   it went ok, but didn't start the way i planned.   i was really just thrown into it!   i woke up late n' rushed to albany subaru to drop off my car.   originally, i wanted to drop it off early, have kaela pick me up in her kia, drop kaela off @ class, go home, get really ready, pick her up from class, n' do whatever we needed to do.   instead, i dropped of my car, started to walk back home, got picked up by kaela on the road, dropped her off 35 mins late to class, waited in the parking lot 4 30 mins, brought her to lunch @ isobune, went shopping 4 a long time @ walgreen's then sun valley.   shopping @ sun valley got very, very stressful; but we earned a free ticket to northstar 4 spending so much.   i'm gonna rush my story here cos i gotta go.   we came home, n' i cooked dduhkbokki n' watched tv.   ok, i gotta go now. :)

301a: well, i guess i'm up late.   after werk, i came home, i took a brief nap, then went to taekwondo practice.   there, we were s'pposed to stuff envelopes 4 the upcoming uc open taekwondo championships, but the posters we were gonna send out didn't arrive.   it took me so frickin' long to find parking 'gain.   *sigh* i hate basketball game nites!   ppl always snag the "rsf only" parking meters even tho' they're not s'pposed to.   i wish they'd all get parking tickets, but they don't.   geez, i should like smash their windshields... or 'least throw eggs @ their cars! grrr!   it's so annoying n' so unjust! *sigh* well, taekwondo werkout was very open werkout.   i tried to get good exercise n' werk on some demo kicks.   i tried to do exercises good 4 snowboarding.   i did lots'f squats n' lots'f jumps n' lots of jumping n' spinning.   i can't wait to go snowboarding!!!

so originally, the beautiful kaela kang n' i were hoping to go to mammoth on our way down to chino this christmas; but that was when we didn't know that mammoth is very far east of berkeley n' not much south of us @ all!   crazy! i didn't realise i had cali4nia geography so skrewed up! *sigh* well, if we were to do that trip, it'd take us a day to drive to mammoth n' 'nother day to drive to chino.   i'm talkin' 'bout long days full of lots'f driving!!! i dunno if we can do that; i doubt it.   i wonder what grace has to say 'bout it.   in ne case, we can go to mt. baldy or big bear or mountain high down in socal.   kaela's family lives so close to it!   ah, it pays off to live in the boonies! :-)   i can't wait to go snowboarding!

so we have quite an eventful winter ahead of us! besides li'l snowtrips here n' there n' the christimas trip, my dad's sending us to taiwan to c my relatives! wow! kewl.   well, we'll be gone from dec 29 to jan 09.   i gotta submit my vacation time asap. man, i hope my office can deal w/ it.   i really need this break.   even tho' we went to cancun in the summer, i feel very due 4 a vacation.   it's been a stressful autumn @ werk, i guess.   i guess winter doesn't officially start till dec 21.   ah, but having the christmas tree right here in our living room makes it feel like winter! it feels good to have the tree!   i usually get such winter depression.   maybe this tree w/ its pretty lites'll help.   u gotta c it.   i wish u could c it.   i don't mean to say, "oh, we're so kewl! we have a kewl tree."   i'm just so happy we have it. :-)   it's just a li'l simple thing.   i can't wait to go snowboarding. :-) n' dang! we're going to taiwan! that's gonna be very kewl!

right now, i'm sitting @ my "desk" in the living room typing to u.   on my windows media player, i'm listening to amber's "one more night," the house/club song.   i like it.   it's not new, but i like it.   u know, i really like this latest lee junghyun album magic go to my star.   sure, the title's grammar doesn't make much sense; i figure it's just poetic. :-) it's a kewl album.   eh, sure it's got its pop britney spears crap moments... which i know many of u hate... but it's got lots'f tranceish, creative stuff 2.   honestly, it's much more popish than her previous stuff, which cmed to me to be more tranceish, but i like it.   i'm glad to hear more korean female vocalists taking on more of a mature, alluring, sexy style instead of just cutesy.cutesy, anime stuff!   i mean, like compare park jiyoon's "suhnginshik" to fin.k.l.'s "nae namjachingooeigei," right? heh.   last nite, i dled diva's "ddakiya."   i saw them sing it on tv last fri right when johnny came over, right b4 our pasta potluck thing.   last fri was a good day.   i hope 2day turns out well.

i'm gonna bring my car in 4... *sigh* 60,000 mile service. yah, i know it's crazy that my car's already @ 60k.   well, my ex.cowerker, the electrical engineer, when i told him the mileage on my car, saying that it was so insanely high, he nonchalantly sed it was perfectly normal.   according to him, the avg person puts on 15k/yr on his/her car, so i'm not 2 far above avg.   erm, actually i do still think i'm quite a bit above avg, in that respect!   hrm... :-/ *sigh* they really gotta move my company to berkeley! >:-( maybe i'll do a li'l christmas shopping 2morrow.   on sun, i'll c my sister in san jo.

well, 2nite, after practice, after i dropped off laura, raymond bought kaela n' me boba.   kaela wasn't there, but i brought it home to her.   mmm, it was good.   ah, i hope boba's good in taiwan! :-) now i'm listening to an old 80s song, shona laing's "soviet snow."   *sigh* this song is from like when i was in 8th grade, i think.   that was uh... 1988/89!   have ne of u even ever heard of shona laing?!?!   well, b4 i left the rsf, after i showered, i called kaela n' asked her to bake a frozen pizza 4 dinner.   after i was home 4 a few mins, i smelled sumpthin' burning.   :-) upes.   well, we salvaged what we could. it's ok.   we watched tv, of course.   heh, i bag on tv so much, but i gotta watch simpsons n', since there's nuthin' else to do, i watch whatever comes afterwards.   u know, sometimes i really relate to this joe the electrician character on news radio. i know what it's like to be the only or 'least 1 of few technical person/ppl in an office.   ok, now i'm listening to 'nother shona laing song "glad i'm not a kennedy." ah, man... do ne of u know these songs? now it's 334a.   why do i have so much energy to be actually awake?!?!?!?! well, 2nite's practice made me feel good.   i felt like i got exercise, much needed exercise.   man, lack of exercise was making me feel so lethargic, so lackluster!   when i exercise, sometimes i just feel so alive!   on my way to the lockerroom, i ran into my 4mer taekwondo student, this guy noe torres.   a couple'f weeks 'go i ran into him @ the emeryville compusa.   we chatted a bit.   now i'm listening to finkl's "white."   sure, it's really cutesy, but it's christmasy/wintery. eh!   hrm... i hope kaela's studying in our bedroom.   i hope she hasn't fallen asleep.   i hear her playing mp3s.   if our 'puters were netwerked, i could send her an instant msg! ha ha. :-)

416a: hrm, i should go to sleep.   well, i hope i can share some pics w/ u soon! *shrug* i hope i can. :-)

hibernation dreams

not noon yet: *sigh* the cold weather in berkeley n' the cold temperature in our apt is bad.   it's hard to get things done, n' i'm very terrified 'bout cing this month's pg&e bill.   we use the heater 'lot, but our apt has poor insulation, so we need to.   we do bundle up! we wear sweaters, jackets, scarves, beanies in our apt, but we still need the heater. *sigh* i get so cold that i just want to hibernate like a bear.   winter weather w/o snowboarding is just not worth it!!!!

here's a song i wrote 4 u:

take me out to the snow park
take me out to the slopes
take me out to the snow park
take me out to the slopes
i wanna do jumps n' catch big air
if we never come home, i don't cm to care
take me out ot the snow park
take me out to the slopes...

i hope if u read my journal in the middle of the day, u do 'member to check it 'gain later in the day in case i add more.   i hope u'll sign the latest version of my gbook.   btw, maybe i have bought the beautiful kaela kang her christmas present, maybe not.   i just wanna hear phil/pkjai, thanks 4 signing 'gain!   man, i really should change my index page pic, huh?   i wanna updatechu guys w/ some new pics.   kaela's taken so many pics w/ her digital elph, but she doesn't upload them onto the web. *sigh* i'd really love to share new pics w/ u!   maybe someday, i'll borrow the office digicam n' take some pics 4 u.

well, last nite, i didn't have a 2 hr commute. phew! i picked kaela up from yali's café.   we went home n' cooked gnocchi w/ veggie sauce.   kaela made smoothies.   after we ate, we picked up this yellow belt gurl kim n' went to any mountain to buy some things using kaela's tahoe card 4 a 10% discount.   i can't wait to go snowboarding!!!!   *breathe* it was raining last nite.   cold, dark, rainy nites can be a li'l inconvenient n' uncom4table.   it was pretty cold.   *sigh* but maybe this is the beauty of winter.   should i just enjoy it?   well, i'd enjoy it more if i weren't worrying so much 'bout our pg&e bill.   last nite, i installed more software on my 'puter.   it's like moving into a new apt., u know?   i'm making my 'puter a home. :-) i'm trying to settle into it.   1 big task 4 me when i move into a new 'puter is to get rid of all the capitalization on the windows start menu.   1nce i get all my handspring software installed n' all my musik/dj software installed, i'll feel @ home on my 'puter. :-) "...n' it feels like home." (madonna's "like a prayer")

[later] afternoon: i went to the larkspur landing togo's n' ate a small #3 turkey n' (swiss) cheese sandwich combo 4 lunch.   this lunch, altho' simple n' overpriced, really satisfied me.   true, i prefer spicy fud; but somehow i really enjoyed this meal. *shrug* well, b4 lunch, jerome called me n' mentioned that he's rebuilding bronx's forums 4 peter/bronx.   kewl.   hrm... :-/ during lunch, i was trying to remember my past a li'l.   u know, there was that 1tym that a bunch of taekwondo p.crewers went to mare island to play paintball, n' we went w/ a bunch of hapkido club ppl n' some of josh's cowerkers 2.   i was thinking, "hey, wait! that was 1tym where we had a bunch'f future p.crew ppl w/ me n' vivian back when me n' vivian were still going out, right?" isn't that weird?   i think josh started the idea w/ his cowerkers.   then we invited the taekwondo club n' hapkido club.   weird.   that was @ the very end of me n' vivian's relationship.   i'm not remembering this wrong, right?   we only went to mare island _1nce_, right?   that time, owen went n' locked his keys in the car; supermike went; dave yee was there in a blue n' green warm up jacket n' kept shooting me; we stopped @ pinole in.n.out afterwards, right?! i'm not combining 2 days, right?   this really happened, right?   i checked my old journal, but i didn't write 'bout it.   i know that, @ home, i have some pics.   i know the p.crew went p.balling a 2nd time in the santa cruz mtns, n' some old leland friends came w/ ken n' grace.   that time i had jeff kao n' al liu there, n' i told them that they look alike.   they couldn't really disagree 2 much cos they do.   it's funny when that happens, isn't it?   like, i 'member there was some guy from the brooklyn, ny that came to berkeley 4 the summer 1 yr n' was in iv (intervarsity christian fellowship), n' he looked just like toby!   we introduced the 2 to each other 1 nite when we went clubbing, i think.   the couldn't deny that they looked alike!   it was toby w/ a brooklyn accent.   i think his name was herman or sumpthin'.   i 4get.   *sigh* neway, that paintballing trip to the santa cruz mtns; that was on halloween of 1998, i believe.   that day, andy crashed his car.   *sigh* don't those days cm so far 'way in the past now?   weird, huh?   days go by, i get older.   i wasn't even still in college then; i was already graduated.   now i'm reflecting on my post college days; thinking that i'm doing that makes me feel old.   weird weird weird.

afternoon: good afternoon.   those of u who signed my updated gbook, thanks!   that includes: the beautiful kaela kang, kyungmin/moonbabie, n' darren/idigu. :-) well, kaela was pretty pissed that i ragged on ally. *sigh* well, i was ragging on most american tv, in that sense.   i just don't like that much programming i c on commercial tv these days. in a letter to darren, this morn, i wrote: "i wonder how many (straight) guys actually watch ally.   :-/ what i really hate 'bout [american] tv is shows that just play off of n' perpetuate stereotypes n' overplayed assumptions. what i mean by that is, how much more do we hafta be preached to that most guys r sleazy horndogs, that there'll always be a beautiful, superficial bitch in our social group, that guys who dress well r gay, n' that minorities (other than blacks) or ppl who deviate from the norm just plain don't exist?!"   while watching the trailer to not another teen movie, i'm always really amused by this "token black character."   it's all 2 true! u c it 2 often! they gotta put a minority character in, so they put in a token black guy, n' they want him to appeal to the audience as ur "stereotypical" black guy, so he's gotta say things like "daaaayaaam," "that's tight," "now that's what ahm talkin' 'bout," etc... 2 true.   neway, sure i dissed ally, n' i still don't like the show.   however, i didn't mean to say that it just so much sucks in comparison to the rest of what's on american tv.   i'm saying in general, american tv sucks.   i dunno.   am i just not ur avg guy? am i just not normal?! *shrug* dunno. am i just cyncical? no, i'm not cynical.   i hate cynicism.   however, i guess this is why cynical ppl cm to gravitate 2wards me.

u know what i mean, right? 4 example, back freshman yr, i was sitting alone in music 27.   i think i had met toby by then, but we just weren't really tight friends yet. this guy came n' sat next to me, a relatively tall, blonde, preppy looking guy.   neway, the prof lectures 'bout some opera, i think, describing the romantic love story behind it.   my neighbouring classmate scoffs @ everything the professor sez in the narration. "teh, she loves him..." "teh, true love..." "he killed himself 4 her? teh!"   scoff, scoff, scoff n' many rolls of his eyes.   that's cynicism, u know?   n' somehow he assumed i was agreeing w/ his scoffs n' rolling my eyes 2.   why?   how could he assume that?   he saw a long, purple haired asian guy dressed all in black, w/ a morrissey t.shirt on, so he must be a big cynic, eh?   isn't morrissey quite the flowery romanticist?   i just looked like some1 disgruntled w/ society, right? an outcast? a rebel? angstridden young adult? *shrug* dunno. neway, i'm not that kind of cynic.   am i cynical @ all?   :-/ i try not to be; but am i? *shrug*   i think cynical ppl gravitate 2wards me.

when i 1st met josh (my ex.roommate), i didn't think he was cynical, but a coupl'a months later, i sed, "geez, u'r cynical!" n' he replied, "didn'tchu know that?   couldn'tchu tell?   that's the 1st thing most ppl say to me."   hrm, well, i'm not a cynic.   maybe cynical ppl think i'm so much not a cynic that they're curious 'bout me.   what's that guy so happy 'bout?   if i stand next to "that happy guy" maybe i'll shake this cynicism n' be happy. *shrug* cynical ppl'll say that optimistic ppl r stoopid.   i guess in a battle of putdowns, the cynic'll win. the cynic'll say that the optimist is stoopid.   the optimist'll say that the cynic just hasn't realised yet how the world can be a better place.   well, who won the putdown contest?   the cynic.   the cynic is better @ being mean.   do u always hafta be mean to be right?   do u always hafta be depressing to be right?   do u always hafta assume the worst to be right?   is it always better to say u can't do it n' prove urself wrong instead of thinking optimistically from the start? *sigh* oh well.

send $1 to the happy guy. (simpsons) am i really that happy?   some ppl say i look so happy.   what if i disappoint u?   i'm not always that happy.   i'm not always that happy.   sure, i get frustrated, sad, angry, annoyed, stressed... i can be mean 2.   on my drive back from the village mall, where i strolled after having a burrito from la salsa there, i saw that the marsh was full of these li'l, li'l, li'l puffy waterburdies.   they were like a aquatic version of a sparrow.   i dunno what they r, but they sure r cute!   i don't wanna be a grouch.

last nite, it took me 2 hrs to get home.   i left my office @ 730p n' got home @ 930p.   i heard that there was a hole in the richmond bridge, n' caltrans was per4ming emergency repairs.   i had werk to do, so i just stayed late.   when i left @ 730p, i searched 4 a shortcut, but didn't find 1. *sigh* 'round 800p, i thought 'bout just eating dinner in marin county, but then i heard on the radio that the repairwerk was done, so i just getting pushing on... well, if u can call it pushing on... it was more like saving my place in line, i guess.   it was an awful commute.   maybe i should tally up the number of times that my commute takes over an hr n' then quit when i c that my avg commute time is 2 much.   ha! well, it's not like i'd love to be in the job market, right now, right?   well, shoot... who isn't in the job market?   the cynic'd say that we're all either laid off or waiting to be laid off.   how awful! i was starving by the time i got home.   kaela got home just b4 me.   we were both hungry.   she wrapped some presents.   it was so cold in our apt.   i dread that pg&e bill!!!   *breathe* well, we decided to go out to eat n' then grocery shop.   by the time we hit the streets, almost everything was closed!   it was past 1000p.   we decided to go to koryo sootbool, which we know is open till 200a.   on the way, we say jeanna (kaela's sister), i picked her up, n' took them out to dinner.   we had winter fud: i ordered suhlruhngtang, kaela ordered haejanggook, n' jeanna ordered mandoogook.   it was a warm dinner.   we discussed, kaela's n' my idea to drive down 4 christmas via mammoth.   i gotta consult w/ my sister n' steve if that's a good/viable idea.   i assume much of it depends on the weather conditions along route 395.   yahoo sez the trip from mammoth to chino'll take over 8 hrs.   crazy! we'll c.   i'm glad christmas eve n' new yr's eve r company holidays this yr. good good good.

after dinner, we dropped jeanna off @ kroeber hall.   we wanted to go to safeway, but it was almost midnite, 2 late 4 shattuck/northside safeway.   we had to go to albany/solano safeway.   :-/ hrm... what happened to the days when i'd/we'droutinely make late nite trips to party safeway?   hrm... it cms like i just don't have energy nemore or sumpthin'.   what's going on???   dang, it's so cold these days!   i bought kaela a scarf yesterday during lunch.   she wore it last nite.   i wore my scarf, which she had previously been borrowing.   i wore my scarf to werk 2day.   i think my cowerker, previously from boston, is silently laffing inside 'bout the cali4nia boy who can't take this mild chill n' hast'a wear a scarf.   i'm in the market 4 a fashionable, more.than.casual, non.athletic beanie / warm.fuzzy hat.

i'm guessing it was cos'f my 3.5 doughnut diet yesterday.   i felt so grouchy by the time evening came.   it was so cold last nite.   i left the office, drove back to berkeley, picked up the beautiful kaela kang from werk, n' went home.   we had pasta w/ leftover sauce from fri's party 4 dinner.   we both werked on our 'puters: kaela finished installing her dvd/cdrw drive, n' i got my 'puter all set up w/ winxp running on the big drive, etc.   sorry, linux fan.   even tho' winxp's interface looks very juvenile n' cartoonish, as ken pted out; it does cm to be functioning pretty robustly.   i werked on my 'puter.   we watched boston public, n' afterwards kaela watched ally.   i don't like ally.   1st of all, i really think there r 2 many lawyer, doctor, n' cop shows (n' needs to be more engineer / dj / martial artist shows).   2nd, *sigh* i dunno it just bugs!   i don't like that curly hair dorky guy.   in fact, i don't like that other dorky guy, or that other 1, or that other 1... j/k 3rd, maybe i don't like cing ppl being such tight, close friends @ werk: every1 knows i'm so antisocial @ werk.   maybe i just wanna separate bizness n' pleasure; maybe it's just that every1 else is so much older than me. *shrug* neway, 4th, i don't like the ppl on the show; they just bug.   they just cm so... grrr... like they rn't the kind'f ppl i wanna watch on tv.   *sigh* i think they're unhip, aging yuppies that think they're kewler than they really r n' that should get on w/ their lives instead of acting like they're still in hi skool.   hrm... well, that's similar to what i used to think 'bout the characters on friends, that they were bunch of ppl older than me that act like they're a bunch of hi skool kids.   'bout the characters on friends, i really thought they were so immature n' should get on w/ their lives.   but now that i'm older, when i c the reruns of friends i don't feel that so much.   i guess i realise that ppl rn't that settled down in their mid to late 20s.   well, frick... i guess american tv just offends me so much, n' it's time 4 me to write some letters to all the netwerks telling them that all their shows suck except 4 the simpsons, maybe x.files, n' some star trek episodes.   hrm, what else can i tolerate?   hrm... :-/ hrm... i really can't think of much! nightly local news... ne coverage of snowboarding competitions, shows 'bout animals in nature, most cooking shows, some travel shows, some british sitcoms... hrm... i should just watch pbs, huh?   :-) oh! buffy! i can tolerate buffy!   mmm, i used to be somewhat able to tolerate 90210; weird, huh?   what else? uhm... hrm... :-/ i didn't mention that, sometime last week, kaela n' i watched the j.lo concert on tape?   how come she reminds me so much of janet jackson now?   hrm... what else can i tolerate watching? how 'bout blind date? oh yah.

*sigh* neway, 'nuff ranting 'bout how tv sucks!   i'm glad my 'puter's geting better, healing.   shoot, i'm very scared to c this month's pg&e bill!   *sigh* :-( kaela burned her 1st cdrw on her new dvd/cdrw drive.   i'm trying to find a way to make her dvd drive regionfree, but i don't think there is. *sigh* 'least i can tolerate american movies better than i can tolerate american tv. yup.   what movies do i want to c?   lord of the rings, oceans 11, not another teen movie... i wouldn't mind checking out spy game n' the one, even tho' so many pppl hated the one.   hrm... so on.line i'm reading that jackie chan'll have 2 movies coming out in the near future: the tuxedo n' highbinders. kewl.   vanilla sky... hrm, i wonder what that's 'bout.   movies, i guess i like watching movies.   hrm... it cms like such a sedentary activity, huh?   'least it gets ppl out of their houses... well, if they go to the theatre, that is.

so it's december!   christmas shopping! aaaaah!   i'm getting nervous.   [a li'l later] thanks 4 signing my gbook, guys.   u know what? i changed the questions 'gain, so please go n' sign it 'gain please!

"december."   isn't the name of this current month just somehow so poetic?   like, u can name a pop song "december," butchu can't really name a song "november."   i dunno why i thought of that name 4 a song.   i think there's a korean song that has a korean name, but the english name is "december."   i think it's turbo's "hwesang," but maybe i'm wrong.   i think jerome'd know.   well, it's late mon morn after a bizzy, bizzy, bizzy weekend.   i toldju i'd have a bizzy weekend, n' i was 100% correct.   heh, i don't mean to gloat that i was right, n' i don't mean to brag that i'm just such an active guy or nething like that.   i had a bizzy weekend.   sure, i 2 have journal/blog entries that say "i didn't do much," etc., right?   i was just thinkin' 'bout that cos i visited khoi / "maverick(vns)" 's website: "khoi's jive talkin' again."   khoi is the most recent vistor to sign my gbook.   thanks khoi! :-)   3 ppl signed my gbook this weekend.   thanks, guys!   the 3 r khoi, sheeny (an old family friend), n' matt easton.   i'm always happy to hear from matt!   i always think the jenny thing's 2nd album closer and closer to less is a good album 4 wintertime.   i dunno if he can elaborate on this, but i'm guessing he/they wrote this album in the wintertime.

well, so... how was ur weekend?   mine was... bizzy.   well, i toldju 'bout the djing etc.   i can pick up from sun, right?   well, lemme tell u... *breathe* man! there is so much scandalous, juicy romance/relationship stuff going on 'mongst the ol' p.crew members, my friends, etc.   *sigh* wow!   however, most of this stuff is way to hot 4 me to talk 'bout in my journal.   all apologies, but no way!   the only piece of juicy news i think i could possibly in good conscience divulge is that supermike has a gf! :-) heh heh.   good job, supermike!   well, as u guessed, i did get to c supermike yesterday.   well, lemme start from the beginning of the day filled w/ hearty fud, which made this weekend completely full of hearty eating!   well, we woke up late.   the beautiful kaela kang n' i didn't really start our day till 'bout 130p.   i guess my fon wasn't getting a signal in my room cos i didn't know 'bout the 2 v.mails i got from jerome n' joon till i started to call jerome.   then it beeped saying that i had v.mail.   neway, i had planned to take joon down to the milpitas store to get a new fon, right?   well, yup, i did.   or upes! no, i didn't.   jerome was nice 'nuff to drive us down.   what a good guy!   such a refreshing change to get to sit in the backseat n' just ride, not drive!   oooh... ah.... wow!   i'm always driving!   but it was nice to be a passenger.   i guess, in comparison to some other ppl, i enjoy driving.   i used to love it soooo much, but... *sigh* since i graduated college, the novelty finally wore off a li'l.   it's funny... u'd think the "novelty" 'd wear off like 1 or 2 yrs after i got my license, but no.   i guess i didn't get to drive much during college, but after i graduated, i had to drive to werk every, frickin', single day.   also i drove so much 4 p.crew activities.   josh always tried to get out of driving.   the fun of driving wore a bit thin.   well, i still like driving more than ppl who hate driving. :-) heh, what a weak statement, huh?   ha ha. however, really, i do like driving past beautiful scenery.   i do like driving w/ good musik playing.   i like driving past natural scenery.   i like driving past cosmopolitan scenery.   i like driving.   it's like what i sed in my beno at the crossroads page/piece/composition.   *breathe* yah, i like driving ok, but eh! riding in the back of jerome's car was fun.

neway!!! man! i really got off topik!!!   we took off south in jerome's car.   we stopped @ the tacobell/kfc combo joint on telly by koko house.   i ordered the 3 strip meal, but later they in4med me that they were out of strips, so i sed they could give me hot wings instead.   they gave me plenty of them, i guess to make up 4 not having my 1st choice.   man... i ate so much fried fud yesterday, i guess.   i had that n' also had a krispy kreme doughnut on the way back up.   ugh!   crazy!   'member... kaela n' i had a heartily.sized lunch @ kirala on fri, had plenty @ our pasta potluck on fri nite, had a big buffet dinner after the promotional exam on sat, had kfc/tacobell 4 sun lunch... n' then we had this jumbo korean feast @ jonggajip w/ supermike n' friends!!!   whoa!!!

yah, we met up @ jonggajip.   i guess erin picked the restaurant.   i was sort'f surprised we ended up @ a korean place.   i thought supermike would've wanted burmese or indian fud, but 'pparently the korean fud in his area of virginia sucks just as bad as the other so.called ethnic fud out there, so he was happy to get some real korean fud.   well, apparently he doesn't hafta put up w/ virginia nemore.   his startup company fired him.   apparently it was totally unjust.   wow!   wow wow wow.   a long time 'go, when he 1st took the job, he mentioned that his employer found him thru my web page.   yah, supermike is a good engineer, n' i know he'd be a good addition to ne company.   wow, i can't believe his hologram company booted him like that, but man! i'm glad he's back in cali, even tho' he's gonna be in socal.   ah... good to have s.mike back in the golden state! :-) we'll hang out w/ him down in socal when we get down there.   ah, what a crazy feast!   geez, leave it up to joon!   4 just s.mike, roland, joon, kaela, n' me, we had maewoondalk, nakji bokkeum, buhsuht soondubu, minuhgui, n' dwaenjang jjigae.   also the restaurant threw in an order of pajuhn, n' 'nother 4 the other table 4 our party... prob'ly cos our table ordered so much. crazy.   so much fud!   *sigh*

well, after we came home from dinner, i installed kaela's new hp dvd/cdrw drive.   did i mention that it came in via ups on fri? i think i did.   well, the installation was a li'l tricky.   man, i'm so used to werking w/ scsi that ide cms so 4eign to me!!! of course, ide is simpler, but it's just so 4eign to me after dealing w/ all this scsi stuff on my 'puter.   i think the dvd/cdrw drive is werking but i didn't get to test out more than it's cdrom capability.   i didn't feel like writing a cdrw w/o consulting kaela 1st.   she was passed out, asleep.   i didn't have ne dvd to test.   hrm, we gotta find a way to hack it to play both american n' asian dvds!!!

well, readers, thanks 4 signing my gbook.   sometimes journal/blog readers sign journal writers' gbooks when they know the writers r feeling down.   roger/maxpower mentioned this in his blog: roger's blog.   he sed that, after he complained 'bout the bad things happening in his life, he got lots'f gbook entires, so he jokingly wondered if he should write more negative stuff. heh heh.   well, i haven't been talking that much 'bout negative stuff, right? have i? :-\ hrm...   well, i'm so glad to hear from my readers.   i'm glad ppl visit n' communicate w/ me whether my life is good or bad.   thank u.

i was thinkin' 'bout how friends often gather to com4t a guy or gurl right after a break up.   i guess i'm glad that the p.crew ppl were there 4 me in the days following the vivian break up.   i know we tried our best to be there 4 s.mike after his bianca break up.   as i sed b4, i always feel bad 4 not being there 4 chals after breaking up w/ sandy... :-(   4 erin? *sigh* well, shoot... honestly, i felt a li'l not welcome to hang out w/ the group that hung out w/ erin when she broke up w/ her ex.   well, erin's a friend of mine. true, she's not like my closest friend.   i am glad to c her tho'. neway, yah, if erin really wanted a close group of friends during that time n' didn't think i was really "close," then yah... i don't really mind that much, but eh! it's just not a pleasant thing to talk 'bout... neway, it's just sumpthin' i was thinkin' 'bout, this idea of friends' flockin' to com4t a guy or gurl after a break up.... thought 'bout cos'f sumpthin' that happened w/ the ol' p.crew bunch recently, i guess.   :-) as i sed, i'm not here to gossip, so i won't elaborate!

man, i brought 2 krispy kremes to my office 4 breakfast.   then some1 else brought 2 dozen krispy kremes.   i had a 3rd.   ugh! what is going on?!?!?!

[later, in the afternoon] so... all i've eaten 2day is 3 doughnuts.   argh! donut diet?!?!?! this ain't right!   *sigh* this afternoon, kaela bought this creative labs nomad jukebox c.   it's a mp3 player w/ a 6gb hard drive in it.   it's $159.99 after rebate @ buy.com.   heh, of course, if u buy it, use my link! :-)   4 $10 more, u can get headfons n' a case included.   4 $130 more, u can get the 20gb version. heh heh.   neway, if u want 1, there it is.

246a: man, it's been a bizzy weekend so far!!!!!   whoa whoa whoa!!!   the promo ceremonies was 2day (meaning yesterday, dec 1).   what a crazy day!   i woke up pretty on time, but nervous raymond kept calling my cellfon asking when i'd pick him up, since he was so nervous 'bout getting to the rsf early 4 his 1dan test.   the beautiful kaela kang n' i picked up raymond n' romy n' went to the rsf, parked underground.   raymond gave me $5 to buy a $6 parking permit 4 the day.   we went up; we were on time; no biggie.   dr. min had the black belt mtg.   he sed some very profound things 'bout how taekwondo is a martial art, so we gotta stop ppl from turning it into another fighting sport like pro boxing or pro wrestling... or even like amateur boxing or wrestling.   it's very true!   i'm glad dr. min talked 'bout it.   i firmly believe it.   well, the promotests were kewl.   dr. min had the 1dan candidates go 1st, then the 2dan candidates n' dr. choy, the 3dan candidate.   it's funny cos jeff wang was testing 4 his 2dan w/ mike shea, while dr. choy was testing 4 his 3dan.   i tested 4 my 1dan w/ jeff n' 4 my 2dan w/ dr. choy.   raymond, romy, n' pam tested 4 their 1dan.   it went pretty well.   they all had rather comprehensive, complete tests!   they all had to break boards n' do some kind of sparring, etc.   then we graded the colour belt tests.   i judged the yellow belts n' then a pair of blue/reds.   it took a long time.   i was so hungry n' so cold!   after we finally finished, raymond, kaela, n' i went home to get ready to go to this pizza dinner thing that the oldtime team members were putting on.   we ended up missing it cos we took 2 long n' couldn't find parking.   stoopid parking!   well, we ate dinner @ shogun sushi buffet, which also has korean bbq.   well, u know, i realised 2nite that it's a real korean version of hot pot city; pretty much the same stuff.   the sushi there has pretty big cuts of fish!   mmm! we were so stuffed!   bulgogi, kalbi, dalkgui, dwaeji bulgogi... mmmm!   i felt good eating well to compensate 4 the fact that we couldn't go to the pizza dinner.   i didn't wanna starve n' suffer so much.   neway, sterling called me up just as we got home to load up my dj gear.   she was so panicked cos it was almost 900p, n' i sed i'd be over @ her co.op to setup to dj the taekwondo party @ 800p.   upes! eh! it all werked out perfectly fine!   ppl were fashionably late, as i expected!   man! i djed 4 4 hrs straight! phew!!!   man, it was really fun to dj like that 'gain, but it was hard werk.   i haven't djed so intensely since college, i think.   i 4got that college students like hip hop so much, as hyun keeps complaining 'bout.   i guess, since i hung out w/ chals n' sandy so much b4, i started thinking that all college kids like trance n' tekno, but i guess not nemore... ppl r all back into r&b n' hip hop. *shrug* when i was in college n' djing all thos iv (intervarsity christian fellowship) parties, i bought so many hip hop cds.   i 4got that i had.   but i had to play "clean" hip hop back then. heh heh.   ppl complained that i didn't have much fresh, new hip hop.   actually, i did have this 1 burned cd from mp3s of all sorts'a new hip hop that kaela found 4 me, but i couldn't find it!   i had the case, but not the cd!   neway, it was fine... man! i am so impressed that these taekwondo ppl, of all ethnicities, mostly not korean, a good deal non.asian, were very receptive of all the korean gayo musik i played! only garth complained 1nce, but eh! i just sort'f laffed it off.   i mean, i didn't play all korean musik, by far! however, i did put in a healthy amt!   wow, these ppl r kewl! i give 'em a thumbs up!   even tho' it cms like i hang 'round mostly asians; really, it's not that i don't wanna hang 'round non.asians.   i really appreciate non.asians that have open minds 'bout culture.   i don't like hangin' 'round non.asians that don't respect asian culture.   i guess, honestly, when i'm 'round asian ppl that r narrowminded 'bout other cultures, altho' i'm a li'l irked by it, i can sort'f tolerate it cos they rn't directly offending me or offended by me... of course, it's best if every1 had open minds! :-)

man, it was storming so much 2nite!!!   fri was a clear day, but i guess it started raining on fri nite.   sat nite (by "2nite," i meant sat nite), it was storming! right now, it's storming! crazy!   wow wow wow!   it was a li'l nasty, moving all my dj equipment in the rain.   still, it was ok.   ah, what a fun party! ppl had a good time, i think.   ha ha, it was fun watching ppl hit on each other / get hit on / etc. heh heh... some ppl got so wild. *sigh* ah, what a fun time! :-)

well, supermike is in town n' staying @ jefflyn's place.   *sigh* *shake head* of course, he wouldn't come out to the taekwondo party. *sigh* that's the supermike of yesteryrs. *sigh* well, i hope to c him 2morrow or sometime.   but man... what happend to the funloving, let's go out n' party supermike?   he used to be more open to meeting new ppl, etc.   u know i don't like doing the clique thing, but eh! i do wanna be friends w/ supermike, so i'll put up w/ the clique environment just to c him hopefully sometime this week.   u know my policy: i hang out w/ whoever wants to hang out w/ me.   i don't need to play dumb games 'bout oh those ppl rn't "cool enough" 4 our group, those ppl rn't "mature" 'nuff 4 our group. *sigh* oh well.   neway, i do hope to c supermike.

man! it's really storming now! crazy! it's 319a now.   ok, i'll go do sumpthin' else soon.   so 2day, i'm s'pposed to take joon to buy a new fon.   i hope that's still on.   i wanna c joon.

757a: i'm on the beautiful kaela kang's 'puter, early in the morn.   man, i worry 'bout the pg&e bill.   it's been so cold in our apt, parly due to very cold weather, partly due to poor insulation of our apt.   we've had to use the in.wall, room heater quite a bit.   *sigh* i'm scared to c the bill.   2nite, we're hosting a "pasta party" or "past potluck."   there'll be a few ppl @ our place.   maybe the bodies will warm the apt n' make the heater unnecessary.   hope so.   i'm scared to c the pg&e bill.

last nite, after practice, a bunch'f us ate dinner @ shk (sun hong kong, the hk restaurant on shattuck in berkeley).   who was there? a group of 9: jeff wang, jerome, laura, roland, clarence, johnny, raymond, kaela, n' me.   it was the 1st time in a while we went out to eat w/ a decent sized group, huh?   it felt a li'l reminiscent of the ol' p.crew.   i was @ werk so late last nite, b4 practice.   kaela n' i didn't get to buy a tree. *sigh* however, we can buy a tree 2day.   i hafta be home btw 200p n' 500p to intercept kaela's ups delivery that tried to get here yesterday.   it's her new hp dvd/cd.rw drive.   well, i'm glad 1 of us'll have a werking burning by the end of 2day, right?   well, i'll werk on my 'puter some more 2day.

i wanna thank bernard huang 4 signing my gbook.   it's good to hear from u!

[later] 722p: so it's been a while now, but hey!!! i fixed my 'puter!!!! well... "fixed."   i managed to install win xp from that scratched cd! i used my plextor cd.r drive instead of my plextor ultraplex reader.   right now, i'm logged in from my 'puter, w/ a amd athlon 1ghz w/ 512mb ram, using (all apologies) win xp.   this is my "temporary" setup.   i'm in the process of backing up all my important files to zip disk n' then i'll 4mat my big drive n' redo this win xp installation on that drive.   i wanted to burn my files onto cdr, but it won't werk cos my 2.0 gb drive, after installing winxp, doesn't have enuf room to make the temporary files that winxp wants to make when u use its cd burner program.   i can't use easy cd creator cos it's not compatible w/ win xp.   i heard 'bout that from many ppl already, but i didn't really realise the significance of it.   oh! n' kaela's dvd/cdrw drive came in via ups a few mins after we got home from our kirala sushi lunch, our browsing @ any mtn, n' our christmas ornament shopping @ jack london cost plus.   did i mention that we bought a li'l christmas tree from a christmas tree lot down by the marina this morn?   we did it!   i'm having a great day. :-)   i had such a produktive afternoon.   i got the tree mounted, tidied up a li'l bit, strung up christmas lites on our balcony, fixed my 'puter...   i tried to rewire the dss setup to let me route audio thru my receiver n' audio system, but eh! it didn't really werk.   so we're gonna have a pasta party @ our place 2nite.   2morrow's the promotional exam.   we're gonna have a party @ sterling's co.op 2morrow nite, n' i'm gonna dj it.   man! crazy weekend!!!!!!!   i can't believe it!   well, 2day's been so produktive.   i'm on a good mood streak.   i want it to last.

noon, exactly (according to my office fon's lcd display): if some1 interviewed me n' asked me what i think is 1 of my biggest shortcomings, i'd say that it's that i don't delegate well but try to take on so many different tasks @ a time, so many diff projects, in so many diff fields.   in hs, i was in so many diff clubs, organisations, associations, musikal groups, etc.   in college, i really cut back.   i just studied, did taekwondo n' went to iv (intervarsity christian fellowship).   i prob'ly wasted a good deal of time doing stoopid stuff 2.   when i 1st think 'bout it, it feels weird that joon n' chals left taekwondo n' r so much into church stuff right now.   it cms awkward to me.   however, when i really think 'bout it, back when i was their ages, yah, i didn't really hang out w/ taekwondo ppl; they weren't my main crowd.   sure, i hung out w/ owen now n' then.   still, my main friends were either ppl i met in classes or the dorm or from leland hi skool; or else ppl from churchlife or intervarsity!   maybe church really helped me thru college.   really.   well, i guess nowadays i hang out w/ more taekwondo ppl.   i also hang out w/ ken n' san jo ppl n' toby... if phil were 'round i'd hang w/ phil 2.   oh! n' then there's the bjunkyard crew, of course! can't 4get them!

neway, i didn't mean to go into a discourse on who my friends r these days.   what i wanted to talk 'bout is how, @ werk 2day, i got put in charge of setting up werkstations to ship out to clients, a total "i.t." task.   well, w/ all the employee cutbacks, i'm putting on so many more hats these days!   frick, i'm doing some of my manager's job, i'm doing some of the it dept manager's job, definitely the old electrical engineer's job...   i'm definitely doing more.   it's all fun experience.   i like it, actually.   however, i do worry cos ppl'd say that it's not the best résumé building plan.   some ppl'd say an engineer's gotta specialise n' build experience in 1 specialised, narrow field.   *sigh* well, shoot...   i know... i'm a bit of a renaissance man engineer. *sigh* the prob is that i sort'f like it like this.   i like it that ppl trust my knowledge on various topiks.

[later, after lunch] so this morn, @ werk, i was werking on pure 'puter hardware stuff.   i did my 2nd power supply replacement of the week.   i dunno what's going on, why we're blowing out 'puter power supplies so frequently all of the sudden.   weird.   neway, now i've done it 2ice this week.   then i also did some other hardware mods.   well, 4 1 thing, from the 'puter i stripped the power supply 4 my cowerker's 'puter, i snagged 2 strips of ram n' put them in my (werk) 'puter.   now my werk 'puter has 512mb of ram... just like my home 'puter does... if it would only werk! >:-(   while looking @ my cowerker's 'puter i realised that if i really can't get my home system to werk, i can bring in my jumbo hard drive n' hook it up to this werk 'puter n' get all the data off of it...   if nuthin' else werks.   last nite, i had so much trouble.   well, where do i start?

1st off, i was @ werk till 700p cos'f all sorts'f probs i had to fix.   i had such a bizzy day yesterday.   as u hopefully read in my last entry ("there's no such thing as lunch."), i had a very bizzy day.   then there was such crappy traffik!   the weather was stormy, really stormy.   i think ppl were driving superslow on the richmond bridge cos they were scared they'd get blown off the side.   it took me an hr to get home.   i kept trying to call the beautiful kaela kang's cellfon, but she didn't have a signal 4 a while.   i knew i was guilty of just wanting to call some1 to whine.   that's awful.   it's uh... kind'f emotional dependency, u know?   *sigh* but she put up w/ me.   i shouldn't be like that, n' i'm sorry i was, but she put up w/ my whining 'bout my werkday, 'bout the traffik, n' 'bout how i didn't get to eat lunch.   she cooked a big dinner.   she cooked golbaengi, oyster shrooms, this japanese odaeng/oden set thing, this mackeral that her mom prepared...   man, it was so good!   it felt so good to be fed.   i feel bad cos i was like a grouchy, overwerked, werking man coming home to a devoted, industrious housewife. *sigh* i don't mean to make kaela cook 4 me, etc.   it just turned out that i was stuck @ werk really late, had to sit in traffik 4 a long time, n' well... couldn't wait to eat dinner, etc. *sigh*   really, werking late n' sitting in traffik really makes a person depressed 'bout the werking world. really!   that's sumpthin' that really makes young werking life suck.   as i've sed time n' time 'gain b4, u sit in traffik, n' u think that u'r life is literally not going newhere!   u think 'bout how when u were a student, u had the liberty to dream 'bout how ur future could be sumpthin' grand, sumpthin' great.   u have opportunities.   u have options.   u have the freedom to imagine ur future ne way u want to.   sure, u could be pessimistic n' imagine a bleak future; but 'least u have the option of imagining a nice future.   when u'r werking, u can't imagine a future cos the future is the present; the present is now, n' the future doesn't exist.   argh, well, that's a very pessimistic view, i guess.   some ppl could tell me i can imagine a future.   i'm not that trapped.   i do have things to look 4ward 2.   yah, they r right.   i can imagine how my life'll be in 10 yrs, right?   we can always imagine that. :-/ hrm...   i guess that's true.

neway, i finally got home thru the storm.   i went up, saw that kaela had started cooking, started werking on my 'puter, n' helped her a li'l.   i was so eager to werk on my 'puter cos i had dled all these boot disks n' drivers @ werk that i was sure would fix all my probs.   *sigh* well, we ate, we watched a knight's tale on dss, n' i werked on my 'puter more.   no luck!   no luck @ all!   *sigh* the 'puter's still so busted!   i e.mailed adaptec's customer help last nite.   this morn, they told me that maybe i should do a low.level format of my hd.   ok, i'll try that 2nite w/ my 2.0gb drive, the 1 i already 4matted.   raymond'll give me a new copy of win xp 2nite, i think.   it'll be win xp pro corporate edition, right?   2day, @ werk, i realised that we have a bunch'f win xp "small business" edition cds.   hrm... could i borrow 1 n' copy it?   hrm, i dunno... u know how win xp is so messed up w/ all that copy protect, hardware validation activation crap.   i dunno how the small bizness edition werks.   i wish i had stumbled 'pon some win2000 pro cds instead... *sigh* well, hrm... maybe there is. :-/ dunno.   the software programmer told me that some1 swiped our win2000 upgrade cd.   crazy, huh?   1 of the laidoff employees, but we dunno who.

[later, in the late afternoon] so i am gonna get paid 4 that buy.com purchase!   so yah... if u wanna buy nething from buy.com , please use my link! :-) [later] so it looks like i'll be taking the day off 2morrow but be getting paid 4 it.   kewl.   my cowerker almost convinced me to save that paid day off 4 another day, but kaela, last nite, was telling me to take it b4 they 4get that they owe me a day.   good enuf.   2morrow, i'll spend the day cleaning up the 'partment 4 the special taekwondo pre.test pasta party, fixing my 'puter, n' werking on dj stuff 4 sat nite's party.   sat's the promo test n' the party afterwards.   sun, i'll take joon down to ken's store to buy a fon... ken won't be there tho'.   i haven't cn joon in so long.   oh yah... jerome! thanks 4 signing my gbook! :-)   last nite, cos i came home late n' cos'f the big storm, we didn't go out n' buy a christmas tree.   we'll try to go buy 1 2nite b4 practice, if i can bust outta this dang office soon 'nuf... but i dunno if i can.   well, we always got 2morrow now that i have the day off 4 sure.   man, seriously... i wish i could go snowboarding! *sigh*   they've got some good snow up there now.   i wanna go snowboarding!!!!

[later] after practice: upes! outta time!   practice was nice.   werked on sparring stuff w/ jason n' then demo stuff on my own.   it's 1102p.   we're gonna eat soon.

afternoon: sometimes ppl say, "there's no such thing as a free lunch."   as 4 me, 2day i'm saying, "there's no such thing as lunch."   *sigh* it's been so bizzy @ werk 2day.   i didn't have time to eat lunch.   i'm trying my best to do a good job 'round here.   0.5 the company got laid off last week, n' my manager is only being paid to come in 1nce a week, so... *sigh* well, i'm doing some of his werk.   actually, to me, it's good; it's good experience.   it's a damn shame i'm not getting paid 4 doing more werk n' taking on more responsibilities, but i'm glad i have a job.

[a li'l later] i'm so hungry. :-( it's like i'm on a hunger strike or sumpthin'. :-( this is very reminiscent of my last yr @ cal.   that's when i lost 'lotta weight cos i was werkin' late in mech e lab, after taekwondo practice, w/o fud.   it's raining now in corte madera.   we're s'pposed to buy a christmas tree 2nite, the beautiful kaela kang n' i.   earlier 2day, i managed to find a short break to read her latest journal entries.   she sed a few wurds 'bout how her last relationship cmed like such a waste of time.   as i just wrote 'bout my last yr of cal, staying up late in mech e lab, i started thinking 'bout how the end of my last relationship might've been a waste of time.   really, i think, when i started going out w/ vivian, what i was looking 4 was a very normal gurl.   i felt like i was very weird, coming out of my mod/punk stage, n' i wanted to associate myself w/ something more mainstream, n' i think i felt she was pretty mainstream.   hrm... if she heard that, maybe she'd be really offended; dunno. *shrug*   neway, what 'bout my 1st relationship?   definitely remaining in that relationship the last yr of it, our freshman yr of college, was a big, big, big waste of time.   what was i thinking?!   we were both freshmen in college.   we could've spent more time 1) studying, 2) meeting new ppl in our new environments, n' having fun.   i could've spent less time stressing 'bout her anorexia n' how her friends wanted her to find a new bf down in ucla. *roll eyes*   neway, to blame all my past failures on my past relationships would be a definite act of emotional dependency... retro.active emotional dependency or whatever...   kaela makes me happy! :-)

well, 2day's been a very productive day @ werk 4 me.   i feel accomplished.   i'm hungry, yah; but i feel accomplished.   i spent most of the day writing matlab code.   ah, if only my e77 prof/instructor could c me now! :-) heh.

[later] 549p: i really didn't eat lunch 2day.   darren wong (idigu) signed my gbook.   thanks, darren.   some1 else signed it.   he/she is disappointed that i switched to win xp.   i didn't.   my 'puter's a mess, but 2nite i'm gonna try to install win2k on the extra 2gb drive i have.   'member, my win xp cd is busted! it's scratched, irreparably scratched!   linux?   yah, i like the linux penguin, n' i used linux in college.   well, hey! i'm using unix right now, here on the server.   i use some pseudo linux stuff @ werk.   the only person i've cn use linux @ home is kyung (chals's old roommate) n' chas wareing (charles edward wareing iii).   i dunno how the heck they find applications!   well, kyung runs linux on a mac; chas on a pc.   i dunno if he still does.

morn: wow, nov is flying by fast.   can u believe it?   eh, we can always say time flies, right?   man, my 'puter woes continue! grr!   i started installing win xp on my 'puter last nite, to fix it the same way i miraculously fixed the beautiful kaela kang.   true, this kind of fix isn't the best fix, but it's a quick fix n' a temporary solution until we back up our data on cd n' can do a real fix.   grrr! why didn't i back up my data b4 i did this frickin' mobo (muthaboard) / cpu switch?!?! grrr!   neway, the win xp installation on my 'puter isn't finishing.   i think it might be due to a scratch in the cd that i lent to raymond n' just got back, but i dunno.   the installation stalls up right b4 it's s'pposed to finish. *sigh* what's going on?!?!?!   as days go by, i'm so tempted to just go ahead n' nuke my drive.   but no... that's not a good solution.   a better solution is to get my old, extra quantum fireball se2.1 drive n' make it the master n' make my quantum atlas 10kii a slave to it n' install ne werking version of windows on the fireball, install a burner program, burn all my crap from the atlas 10kii to cdrom, all the important stuff, that is, n' then proceed w/ the nuking/formatting/"clean install."   aha! there is a prob w/ that scratched cd!!!!   to test it, i was copying all the data from the cd to my werk 'puter's hd.   aha! the cdrom drive is having trouble finishing the copying cos there's a prob!!!!   raymond! wtf didju do to my cd?!?!?! grr! i'm gonna call him up soon!

u know, owen called me this morn to ask me 'bout the taekwondo snowtrip.   of course, he also had to mention his 2by2.net job.   what is up?!   he sounds just like those cult members!!!!   granted, he didn't ask me to join 2by.net 2day, thank goodness, but frick! he had to mention it! *sigh* it's just like listening to a cult member.   he sez stuff like, "oh my god, it's so exciting.   i'm meeting so many new ppl!"   uh... of course, if it were a cult member, it'd hafta be "oh my gosh it's so exciting," etc.   i don't really need to meet "so many new ppl."   really; if owen's enjoying it n' meeting "so many" quality ppl, then that's great 4 him, but i still firmly do not want in on 2by2.net.   i wonder if raymond's werked stuff out w/ owen n' @ least told him that he's not doing 2by2.net.   raymond sez owen pressured him to say he'll join, altho' he doesn't want to.   owen sed he didn't pressure raymond @ all, but raymond sed he'd join but isn't going back on his wurd. grr!   let's just say 2by2.net is evil, n' neither of them should be in it.   if the company's tearing 'part friends, then it's just wrong.   owen sed his supervisors were breathing down his neck 'bout raymond.   that's just wrong.   they shouldn't have!   what's w/ all the pressure on owen?!   man, owen's a good guy, normally, but 2by2.net is making him do stuff that his friends don't like.

neway... *roll eyes* so it's so frickin' cold in the bay area 2day.   'least it was very cold in berkeley n' very cold in corte madera.   it's beautifully, blue skiededly sunshiney, but it's still so cold!   last nite, i told kaela we'd go buy a christmas tree stand b4 going to practice.   we tried but couldn't find a stand 4 a small tree.   we saw plenty of stands 4 big trees but none 4 small 1s.   we ended up buying other stuff: other christmas stuff n' batteries.   2day, @ lunch (which is soon), i'll go to rite.aid n' look 4 a stand 4 a small christmas tree.   there's a christmas tree lot close to my office.   it's in the lot of an "abandoned" bldg, an abandoned bldg that was never occupied!   it was s'pposed to be the home of some company called imind.com.   as soon as i saw that name pop up @ the very end of the .com boom, right @ the bust, i had to roll my eyes.   what were they thinking?!   i researched on the net what the company was 'bout: they did, or perhaps still do, some sort of children's educational stuff.   *roll eyes*   they prob'ly should've skipped the buzzwurd company name al2gether!   neway, i don't mean to be so cynical.   sorry.   neway, the parking lot of that abandoned bldg (which is 4 lease) has a christmas tree n' wreath sale.   i'd like to go check it out, if i have time.   i'm sure the trees n' wreaths r more expensive here in marin county than in alameda county, where ppl r just better ppl. heh heh. (sort'f kidding.)   well, who knows? maybe the tree'd be cheaper here. *shrug* eventually, i'll hafta hit the corta madera village mall to do some christmas shopping.   i sort'f look 4ward to it, i sort'f dread it.   i think i might find some good gifts there.   i also think parking'll be 100x harder than it was a week 'go.   well, regardless, i'll hafta go.   i'd like to go to stanfurd mall sometime this holiday season, but eh! maybe i won't get to.   no big loss, right?   we're officially in a recession now.   uhm, does that mean i gotta be stingy?   well, i won't waste $$$, but i shall still get nice presents 4 my friends n' family!   now, if i could only find time to shop... :-/ hrm...   oh, btw, bronx's forums r down right now, so, heh, i'll be writing more here, right?   'specially since i can telnet in like this...   if it weren't 4 being able to telnet in 'gain, i'd be sort'f skrewed cos i can't hotsync my handspring right now, while my 'puter is such a wreck.   well, technically, i can; i can hotsync to kaela's 'puter, n' i have been doing so.   still, i want my 'puter to werk. :-(

[later] i wonder if there's sumpthin' wrong w/ my "commissioned sales" links.   u know... i have those buy.com links, etc.   i'm s'pposed to get a small kickback from purchases that come from my site, but man... i dunno if that's really happening!   i haven't cn my commission 4 my kds rad.5 lcd monitor purchase.   2day, buy.com has a good "price mistake of the day" deal, a compaq armada m330 laptop/"notebook."   it looks like a pretty "kick@$$" laptop 4 $999.   i e.mailed raymond 'bout it.   well, if u wanna buy 1, u gotta do it 2day, n' please do it from my link. :-)   shoot! this beats both doing 2by2.net n' begging 4 change on telly! :-)

[later, late afternoon] so during lunch, i went to the corte madera town center, had a chicken burrito 4 lunch from @ dave's tacquiera, n' shopped 4 christmas stuff @ rite.aid.   i bought a christmas tree stand 4 a smaller christmas tree, not a really small stand, but it sez it's 4 trees up to 5.5 feet.   i wonder if kaela'll approve.   it's the most appropriate 1 i've cn so far.   i also bought some cheap, cheap christmas lites: multi.coloured, indoor/outdoor lights; 100 lights, 99cents!   crazy, huh?   i'm a li'l worried tho'.   besides the fact that these r made in communist china, prob'ly by slaves in a sweatshop, 1 of the other varieties of lites made by the same compan had a label on it saying that due to prop 65 they gotta say that the wires contain lead, so u gotta wash ur hands after touching them.   hrm. :-/ so if those got poisonous lead, then what 'bout these?!   do they not contain poisonous lead, or do they just not have the sticker???   *sigh* well, we'd best be careful w/ them neway, right?   i figure kaela'll know more 'bout this stuff, being a publik health grad student n' all, right?   those lites w/ the sticker were white icicle lites.   they were also 99cents.   i also bought this cd scratch repair kit; it was like $12.99.   i wanted to repair my win xp cd.   it wasn't the kit i was looking 4.   the 1 i was hoping to find was 1 resembling this skipdr. 1.   i've cn this 1 'round, but i 4get where; most likely, compusa, since i've been hangin' out there so much lately! *sigh* well, i went back to the office n' tested out the maxell cd/cd.rom repair kit i bought.   grr! it didn't get the scratch out.   i tested the cd.   it still had probs!   *sigh* maybe i just wasted $13.   maybe it'll come in handy later. *shrug*

well, jeff e.mailed the taekwondo demo team n' sed that this fri's demo has been postponed till jan or feb.   whuh?! well, he warned me last nite.   he told me that dr. min n' dr. ur, the faculty, didn't have the guestlist very prepared, so it will prob'ly get cancelled.   well... :-/ that's kinda anticlimactic 4 most of the demo team members.   @ the same time, it'll give some members time to practice 4 their promotional tests.   also, it'll give me time to werk on my broken 'puter!!!! :-)   well, jeff sed he'd give us details 2nite.   well, i hope he does.   kaela needs new contacts n' glasses.   if the demos postponed, 'least she doesn't hafta do the demo w/o her new lenses.

morn: back to werk... the 4 day vacation is over.   hrm... boy, oh boy... *sigh* it's a blue sky 2day in corte madera.   i wish my 'puter werked. :-(   this is gonna be a bizzy week w/ the big demo n' all.   i don't have much time to play w/ my 'puter, but i need it to get stuff done.   i brought turkey/stuffing/yam leftovers 4 lunch.   i still need to get an oil change.   there r things i need to do.   sometimes, doesn't werk cm to be a big inconvenience? but then 'gain, i gotta werk to make $$$.   really, i don't wanna be unemployed!   but there r things like oil changes that u can't get done after werk really... well, i'm lucky that albany subaru is pretty good 'bout late hrs, as they're open till midnite, but still... it ain't that easy, n' they're not that cheap!   pkjai of bronx's, thanks 4 signing my gbook! :-)   *sigh* now it's christmas season.   the beautiful kaela kang n' i gotta get a christmas tree.

[later, afternoon] just b4 my actual lunchbreak, i went to compusa in san rafael to buy a new 300w atx power supply 4 a 'puter whose power supply busted @ werk.   i've been to 'puter stores much more frequently than usual lately, right?   well, while there, i also bought a pci controller.based modem, since my new mobo/muthaboard is forcing me to use a pci modem, as opposed to the isa modem i used b4. *sigh* then i came back n' ate leftover turkey/stuffing/yams as i installed the new power supply.   it's kind'a neat to werk on 'puter hardware both @ home n' @ werk, but man... i really wish my home 'puter woes'd go 'way.   2nite, maybe i'll try to install win xp n' c if that helps.   otherwise, i gotta get my old 2.0gb scsi drive, make it a master drive, 4mat it, install win2k on it, n' burn all the important data off my big 36gb scsi drive onto cd.   then i'll hafta 4mat my big 36gb drive n' reinstall win2k or win xp.   *sigh* that's just more werk than i have time 4 these days. :-(   compusa... man, i bought that modem there, n' i know i could get it cheaper elsewhere, but i need it now.   compusa is like 7-11: it's there just cos u need stuff right 'way... otherwise, i'd never pay those crappy prices! *sigh*

neway, maybe i should stop talkin' 'bout 'puters.   u know, i really worry 'bout my budget.   hrm... well, i dunno if i've really been saving up much $$$ lately.   i feel i've been spending 'lot, n' the holiday season's coming up 2.   i don't wanna live an uncom4table life, but man... i know i always gotta watch my spending.   i don't want my friends n' family to hafta have an imagination christmas this yr. :-( i wanna buy good presents.   i guess last nite kaela e.mailed me some newspaper article 'bout how we're now officially in a recession.   *sigh* this is recession life.   it sucks.   $$$ just flowed so freely back in 1998/1999.   it was a great time to be a fresh engineering graduate w/ an engineering job.   now? *sigh* i dunno... i just wanna survive.   i guess i'm surviving.

[later] man, it's time to get the heck out of this office! what a day! "the" electrical engineer had his last day.   he gave notice a long time 'go that he's moving back to ny, getting married, n' starting a new job.   actually, he's not getting married till next sept, like ken, but he's moving now n' starting his new job, i guess.   *sigh* well, it's sad to c ppl go, i guess.   he n' the senior chemist were the only 2 recently to go voluntarily.   neither really sed bye to me.   it's not like ne of us were the best of friends, but we went out to lunch a few times.   sometimes i felt the electrical engineer didn't give me proper credit or the benefit of doubt... like, he underestimated my abilities n' was just really cynical n' sarcastic to me... in a bad way.   sometimes our personalities just didn't mesh.   neway, he's gone now.   i didn't like that he cmed to keep info away from me... now that he's gone, do i know all that he should've told me?   *sigh* well, neway, last, last week, his advice to me was to start looking 4 a new job cos the company'll go down.   i wonder if every1's looking 4 new jobs or what.   do we all plan on going down w/ the company?   it's just like a crew on a sinking ship, right?   well, there's still hope.   i'll always think we have a good product.   definitely, i've had my doubts 'bout the way it's been marketed or the way the sales team has gone 'bout things, but the product itself is great, i say.   i guess there were managment decisions, i thought could've been done differently, but shoot... i'm just a kid 'round here.   well, what a crappy time to be in the job market!   i did tell my manager that i need to take a vacation in early jan to visit my grandfather.   he understood, altho' he sounded pretty distressed to hear i'd be absent.   i knew that's how it'd be.   well, i do hope that the company'll be here in jan.   eh! i think it'll survive till then, no prob... but we need funding to survive much past that...   n' dang... well, shoot, each morn i hope that the company's still there when i get to werk, i guess.

just 'bout noon: we gotta get up.   i'm s'pposed to supe up (soup up?) my 'puter w/ ken 2day.   last nite, we went to dansuhngsa w/ a bunch'a leland alumni.

1125p: i spent most of the day running around silly (silicon) valley, acquiring 'puter parts n' werking on my 'puter @ ken's milpitas store.   my 'puter is very much not werking right now, n' it really frustrates me.   ok, raymond just dropped off my win xp cds.   *sigh* i don't like it when all the advice i get 'bout ne 'puter probs is "fresh install" or "format the drive."   i got tons of musik stuff on my hd that i can't just delete!   i got e.mails i wanna keep. grr! why is win 2000 being such a #!!@%er?!?! grr!!!   i gotta burn a soundtrack 4 fri's demo.   i gotta get musik ready 4 sat's post.promtion.test party!!!   i'm gonna dj it, but i need my 'puter to help me get organised!!!   *sigh*

746p: i'm outside wellman hall, in my car, waiting 4 the beautiful kaela kang   i did some errands, while kaela was @ werk.   compusa was so bizzy.   @ our apt, ue had a power outage.   i think my neighbour scott may have saw me offer frisc hic cat a treat.   he opened the door as i was offering the kitty treat.   he asked if our dower was out.   i sed ours was.   i felt so embarassed 'bout the kitty treat i was hiding.   i felt guilty n' awkward.   scott always catches me trying to play w/ his shy cat that always runs away from me n' kaela.   i wish the cat wasn't so shy.   i really hope scott doesn't think he're trying to catch, torture, or eat frisco cos we're not!   we just wanna pet him.

my eyes r tired.   i'm about to drive back to san jo.   we'll meet ken n' grace @ dansuhngsa, where younghee werks.   we've slept so much, but my eyes r tired.

so some ppl call 2day "black fri"?   the 1st pay of the christmas shopping season, the day after thanksgiving.   some1 used the term on bronx's junkyard forums, but i hadn't heard it b4, i don't think.   the beautiful kaela kang n' i r @ valley fair.   we were lucky n' actually found parking pretty quickly; parking angel.   we're @ nordstroms.   it's 1105a now.   time flies.   did i mention that we watched shallow hal @ amc mercado 20 last nite?   we did; it was funny.

758p: after a long day @ valley fair, we're back @ amc mercado 20 w/ tix 4 the 945p showing of harry potter.   since we didn't go home to eat more turkey leftovers, we ate dinner @ sushi lovers here by the theatre.   kaela sed she wanted sushi.   i sed i could take her to an authentic jaanese restaurant w/o much sushi or else a so.so place by the theatre that had sushi; neither have mirugai, but both'd prob'ly have salmon.   so sushi lovers is a so.so place.   i now figure it's the sobay's answer to party sushi: not the best sushi, but cheap sushi.   sushi lovers is the hugest sushi boat place i've cn.   my 1st n' only other time there was w/ my cowerker chris, right after completing our cad software training nearby.   now kaela n' i r waiting in the car 4 the line 4 our show to start.   we're parked close.   [later] 830p: i'm waiting in line.   kaela went to starbuck's 4 hot chocolate.   so i'm updating while in line.   we've had a bizzy day.   [later] 940p: we're in our seats.   the movie starts in 5 mins.   ah, it's been pretty refreshing hanging out in the sobay these past coupl'a days.   ah, what a vacation!   i just bealised 2day that the thanksgiving holiday weekend is the only 4 day vacations that prob'lg most americans get!   it's the only guaranteed 4 day weekend i have each yr!   when i think of it this way, i love thanksgiving.

i know u'll read this 2 late, but happy thanksgiving!!!   my mom, the beautiful kaela kang n' i just had our thanksgiving meal.   we ate in the early afternoon.   my family used to eat later, but this is a healthier tradition.   now we have more time to digest b4 going to sleep! :-) i like it!   we had turkey, stuffing, gravy, cranberry sauce, yams, corn, salad, n' rolls.   kaela n' i brought over a bottle of beringer chardonnay, which we bought @ safeway, not @ the actual winery.   such a good meal!!!   mmm... well, i hope u have/had a good thanksgiving!

last nite, i took kaela to dinner @ rue de paris in san josé 4 our 22nd monthversary.   :-) so much fud so far this weekend.

[2001.11.24: i've got some updates on my handspring to upload yet.   i'm in berkeley right now waiting 4 the beautiful kaela kang to finish werk, then we'll head back down.   i'm just slipping this li'l note in here.   this is like time travel.   my next entry'll take u back in time a coupl'a days!]

so i'm writing in a telnet window from my werk now.   this is sumpthin' i haven't done in a long time, n' i can only do it via a special program from the good folks @ ocf.   hrm... it's good that i can update my page thru.out the day, right away, instead of waiting to go home n' hotsync my handspring, but i do like using my handspring.   i highly recommend them! :-)   neway, if i ever wanna write a journal entry while waiting in a mall, i'll hafta do it the handspring hotsync way.   so it looks like the beautiful kaela kang n' i r going to asia 4 new yrs: taiwan n' korea.   my dad e.mailed me yesterday.   well, we gotta plan it out.   2day's thanksgiving eve.   i'm a bit sick w/ a cold.

yesterday's demo went pretty ok.   the organisation side of the demo was good.   transitions were good.   master yoon gave me a big list of things that the demo team needs to fix.   he gave me the list in korean.   i'm glad he trusts that i'll understand it.   after cleaning up, etc. n' having a uc open mtg.   we went out to dansuhngsa pojangmacha to celebrate the demo, mikey sia's b.day, n' (4 us2) me n' kaela's 22nd monthversary! :-)   neway, of course, we'll do more 4 that soon. :-)   it was a fun dinner.   i met "mamanakaboobooday" from bronx's junkyard.   his real name is andy.

100a: in our neighbourhood, we have more cats than just our neighbour scott's beautiful black cat frisco.   as i went downstairs to throw 'way the trash n' pick up the laundry, i thought i saw a white cat on the roof of a neighbouring apt building.   it was dark.   i couldn't tell if it was some sort of ventilation chimney or a white kitty.   there's a brown cat that lives in the some antique store, n' it sits in the window sometime.   there's a white n' brown cat that lives in a chiropractor's office, n' it sometimes sits in the window.   the beautiful kaela kang sez she saw a smaller black kitty that looks like frisco, n' she thinks it's frisco's offspring.   dunno.

well, 2nite (as in last nite's) demo practice, which was more of a rehearsal, went pretty well.   i'm glad most members r taking demo team pretty seriously now.   that makes me happy.   in the end, i do want them to understand that i appreciate their dedication, n' that the club should recognise all their hard werk.   yah, it's quite a task 4 me to get the demo team organised, but they, each n' every 1, really make it all happen!   i wanna make sure they understand that.   i gotta remind myself to e.mail chals n' tell him how we now have james, who is so much like him... funny!

[330p] sellout: i just wanted to offer u some links to products u might be interested in.   yah, i know it's like having ads in my journal, but *sigh* just in case u actually wanna buy these things, u might as well buy it thru my site, right?

visor deluxe - $129!

visor handheld w/ free gift

visor prism - was $399, now $299!

so... i guess this journal entry was brought to u in part by the good folks @ handspring!   ha ha ha.   i like my handspring 'lot, so i don't mind advertising 4 them n' getting commission if ne1 ever were to buy a handspring thru my site.

[later] now it's morn, n' i'm @ werk.   i woke up pretty late this morn.   i was really tired last nite, but i stayed up to burn a cd to use 4 2nite's demo.   yup, it's 2nite!   i feel good.   it was a lot'f hard werk to organise this demo.   i'm not doing ne board break in this demo; i've let others do the honours.   that makes me a li'l less nervous, i guess.

u do realise that 2 day is me n' kaela's 22nd monthversary, right?   uh, maybe it's a li'l egocentric of me to expect u to know.   well, it is our 22nd montversary.   yay!

[later] so cos my company was having all these domain name server probs, i discovered i can telnet into my ocf unix acct another way, 'round my company's firewall thing.   also, i can use webmail.   crazy!   this means i can update my journal, right on the server, from my office 'gain, like in the old days.   but i still can't hotsync my visor in my office cos it has win nt 4.0.   hrm, this could get confusing!   i could add to my journal via telnet n' via my handspring @ the same time, u know?   eh! i'll figure it out.   neway, the domain name server prob is fixed now.

4 lunch i ate leftover fish n' rice n' haepari (jellyfish).   after i ate i took a walk under the cloudy corte madera sky.   i walked along the street then got onto a natural trail that loops back behind my office.   i saw beautiful waterfowl n' beautiful, natural landscape.   i had kaela's digicam in my car, ready 4 2nite's demo.   i went n' got it n' took some pics.   in case my company goes under, n' i never come back to corte madera; i wanna 'member what i do like 'bout this place.

i'm looking 4ward to the long weekend.   i'll be happy to relax, unwind, n' "chill" in san jo.

it's been such a gloomily overcast day!   it's been a stressful day 4 me cos i had to return the rented audio equipment from chals's sister's wedding.   did i mention that we really didn't even need that equipment cos some1 else brought pro audio equipment?   my rented stuff was much bigger, but it was overkill n' a waste of $$$.   the $100 i asked 4 from chals as pay was only 4 lugging these speakers n' amp 'round.   it was a hassle, so i needed to be paid 4 it.   i drove the beautiful kaela kang's kia sportage to werk n' planned to take an early lunch, drive home, switch cars, return the audio equipment, n' go back to werk.   i got stuck in a mtg @ 1115a.   i left my office @ noon.   the equipment was due @ noon.   there was tons of traffik on the way back to berkeley.   kaela called me n' asked me to pick her up 4 lunch.   i sed i'd return the equipment 1st, then pick her up.   when i got home, i went upstairs to get my subaru keys.   d'oh! kaela had left her housekeys n' taken my car keys!   i picked kaela up from campus, jammed home, switchea cars like a jewelry thief, n' hurried to leo's pro audio.   i returned the stuff.   then we ate kfc/tacobell: i ate a zinger sandwich meal n' kaela had a chicken quesadilla, their "hot, new handheld."   i dropped her off @ campus n' jammed back to werk.

i'm so sleepy n' unmotivated.   the netwerk nazis may have fiddled w/ our netwerk.   i can't cm to visit websites...   hrm... not even 1s that could be werk related!   i do have access to google n' yahoo! tho'.   check out this fon: picture of nokia 7650.

after practice, some demo team members went to buy cinderblocks from emeryville home depot.   we use them 4 board/brick holders.   i thought i was gonna take the beautiful kaela kang to werk, but we 1st went to get boba drinks.   then we went to pusan market to buy groceries.   then we went home.   kaela decided not to go into werk 2nite.   raymond stopped by to pick up the gameboy advanced he left in kaela's car when we drove him to practice.   grr! owen n' raymond should werk out this misunderstanding over 2by2.net.   owen called me this morn.   he's so pissed @ raymond, but raymond's pretty pissed @ him.   man, 2by2.net's pretty evil to tear friendships apart over $$$!

so we went to dish, met up w/ jeff wang, mike sia, deanna, darlene, n' garth.   we brought roland n' johnny w/ us, n' by us i mean the beautiful kaela kang n' me. :-)   i preordered 4 tongdalk yesterday, but when i realised that only 0.5 the ppl who sed they'd go showed up, i was so glad that the owner didn't mind cancelling 0.5 my order n' making just 2.   it was very hard finding parking last nite thanks to a basketball game n' the big game bonfire happening on the same nite.   oh, i didn't tell u 'bout how hard it was to find parking on thurs nite 4 taekwondo practice!   i had to circle 'round 4 like 45 mins!   i dropped kaela off 1st, n' she told master yoon that i was gonna be late cos i was looking 4 parking.   it was so frustrating cos basketball fans came n' took the rsf meter spots even tho' they don't have the permit to park there!   @ worst, they received a $26 ticket, i think.   i hope they got much worse! they were all nice cars from rich alum, i guess... rich n' inconsiderate!!! they ought to pay up.   i wanted some1 to tow their cars! even if they got parking tix, i was still out a parking space! grrr!   neway, back to fri!   dish is a unique korean hof.   it's not like koko house or dansuhngsa so much.   it's well lit, n' they play korean ballad musik in the background.   the owner, whom i spoke to yesterday to make the reservation, she's obviously korean, but this middle.aged woman sort'a looks 0.5 black to me.   maybe she is, i dunno.   she speaks w/ a korean accent n' speaks korean n' english well.   there was also 1 other ajuma there, a korean woman w/ a diff korean accent.   i dunno where she's from, but her accent is diff from most seoul koreans.   then there was 1 gurl werking there that was like the daughter of 1 of the ajuma, i guess, n' when i went up to cancel the 2 tong dalk preorders, she sed that she recognised me from somewhere.   then the owner sed, "maybe from octopus!"   @ 1st i was totally confused, but she was 100% correct!   that gurl used to werk @ octopus, the clothing store on durant.   not only that, i was wearing the sweater i bought when she helped me there!   funny. what a coincidence!   well, we ate our fud n' chatted.   then we went upstairs to check out mikey's apt.   he lives w/ 2 gurls, like i did jr yr, 'cept they share 1 bathroom.   his apt is pretty nice.   he's never there tho', always @ deanna's.   btw, deanna lives w/ darlene.   i hadn't talked to deanna, mikey, n' darlene in a long time, n' it was fun.   afterwards, roland, johnny, kaela, n' i tried to watch shallow hal @ emeryville, but we were running 2 late, so we decided to go to jack london n' watch monsters, inc. instead.   it was very entertaining!   i loved it!   very cute.   the theatre was pretty empty, actually.   most ppl were watching harry potter, the most anticipated movie since the phantom menace.   we saw a teaser 4 attack of the clones.   altho' these new star wars movies just don't live up to the original 3, i do wanna c it.   ah, i 'member watching phantom menace on opening nite w/ the old p.crew... *sigh* what memories! :-) i wonder if i'll have the energy to do that kind of thing 4 attack of the clones.   of course, it'll have less hype cos the publik hasn't waited so long 4 this 1, n' so many ppl'll prob'ly almost boycott it just cos of jar jar.

oh yah!!!! i'm typing this journal entry @ home... using my new kds rad.5 lcd flat panel monitor!!!!!!   this is so kewl!!!!   i received it yesterday from ups right when kaela got to my office.   i didn't get to set it up till this morn.   it's kewl! :-) i guess i can say that i love it, but i don't wanna sound so materialistic.   i think i'll donate my old monitor to the salvation army 2day.   neway... frick! i shouldn't be here typing my journal! i should be getting the dj stuff ready 4 chals's noona's wedding!!!!! wtf?! (as kids say these days...) yah, i gotta get offline n' start burning mp3s to cd!!! in the meantime, i guess, i'll go donate these old 'puter parts...

[later] 1058p: well, we've been home from the wedding dj gig 4 a while now.   it was a short gig!   chals paid me $260.   since the gig fizzled out, i didn't feel right asking 4 the full $300, altho' the equipment co$t $150 to rent!   it's gonna be a pain to return the speakers n' amp on mon.   well, i figure all that effort is worth $100, so i asked 4 $250, but chals only had $20s.   it was a beautiful reception' looked very expen$ive.   the fud was good, altho' the cooked.to.order pasta bar was slow.   i was rushed, so i didn't get to eat much.   i expected to dj a big party w/ 80s europop, korean gayo, n' recent pop n' hip hop.   well, apparently many, many more young guys came to this wedding than young women.   the guys didn't wanna dance w/ each other, so they took off 4 a bar/club, n' my gig totally fizzled out.   chals n' other guys helped me pack up, n' we left.   i had such big plans 4 this gig.   as a biznessman, it was a decent deal 4 me.   as a musician, i feel rather unfulfilled.   after johnny helped me unload, just as he had helped me load in jerome's absence; i dropped him off n' went home.   i found myself really hungry @ home.   i felt unfilled, i guess; but tired.   paul lee invited us to go watch the meteor shower, but i'm 2 tired.   i really would like to hang out w/ paul.   i'll try to make it up to him someday.   uhm, not that this is very related; but i'll always feel i gotta make it up to chals 4 not being there w/ him the nite he n' sandy broke up. :-( i use smileys n' frowns more in my journal now.

what a gloomy day!   it's so overcast here in corte madera.   i wonder how it is in berkeley.   the beautiful kaela kang came to my office 4 lunch n' brought me a beautiful "teddy bear" sunflower.   this flower got its name from looking like a fuzzy teddy bear's face... sort'f.   it's a cute name.   we went out to san rafael n' ate vietnamese noodles.   2nite... it's fri nite! 2nite, we're going to dish w/ mike sia n' others.   he's so hyped 'bout getting ppl to go to dish.   i made a reservation 4 15 ppl n' pre.ordered 4 tong dalk last nite after practice.

[later] i'm waiting outside kaela's werk 4 her.   it's 709p now.   is it annoying that i keep telling u the time?   *sigh* what a day.   really, my office is pretty depressing.   it was like a ghost town 2day.   i sorta fear mon. *sigh* well, 2nite: dish n' a movie.   2morrow's all 'bout chals's sister's wedding.   sun: demo practice.   it's sorta funny but sorta scary n' sorta sad how raymond's hiding from owen cos owen's twisting his arm 'bout 2by2.net. *sigh* is he really willing to lose all his friends cos.f 2by2.net?!

228a: i should be asleep.   so was yesterday's entry really 2 depressing, n' did it still not get ne less depressing?   i'm not sure.   nelson called me 2nite during practice n' left me a msg.   he often invites me to go clubbing.   n' usually, i can't make it.   there were those 2 times when i was coincidentally already planning to qo clubbing @ the same places as he was: ibiza n' avaron.   he invited me to go clubbing on sat, but i'm assuming i'll be @ chals's sister's weddinq.   nelson always asks me if i have ne cute female friends, n' that makes me feel very awkward.   i mean, what's a guy to say?!?! it just cms like there's no right answer to that question!   also, these days i'm realising that i 1nce 'gain don't have so many female friends.   i dunno how i find myself, all the sudden, in such a predominantly male circle of friends.   taekwondo n' bronx's junkyard r both such male crowds, i guess.   is taekwondo more male dominated now cos females left n' new/other females don't join, 'least not in the social/fun stuff?   young, tiffany, romy, n' pam; they sometimes come to bigger, more official events, but not so much the "just kickin' it" things.   sophia's our freshman this yr, her n' maybe james, if he starts hangin' w/ us.   he can be our chals replacement!!! ha ha ha!

*sigh* as far as taekwondo, in 1998, we gained so many valuable freshmen: jason, jerome, n' sam.   in 1999, more: joon, efren, deanna, mikey (actually spring 2000).   2001: johnny.   it's 2 bad brandie had to move 'way; n' i wish erin hadn't felt so pushed 'way from taekwondo by unfriendly ppl.   what r the chances we'll ever c jeff, jocelyn, andy, or cal back in taekwondo?   i'm pretty darn sure we won't c dave (yee) back in taekwondo.   liane? yah, not likely, i think.   but these ppl, taekwondo or no taekwondo, i wanna c them some time.   who would've thought chals'd leave taekwondo, while i'm still here?!?! 2 crazy!   n' joon! hrm, i hope he picks taekwondo back up after he sorts out the other / more important things in life.

so... we saw the musikal buffy.   on sun nite, we watched most of it; but, not knowing it'd be 1 hr 10 mins long, we cut off the last 10 mins of our timered recording.   well, we got the complete tape from roland, who tivoed it.   it's rather reminiscent of moulin rouge.   i did enjoy the episode very much, but it failed to please me all that much with its ending!

so often i find myself wondering how it'd be like to be me, @ the age i am now, but living in the 70s or 80s.   [later] 933a: i'm in my office, waiting 4 my 'puter to boot up.   [a li'l later] co. mtg starting soon.   r my journal entries 2 long?   do i write 2 much?   can u actually keep up w/ me?

[later] 141p: we had a bad news mtg this morn.   cos of lack of funding, some ppl r being asked to werk only 1 day.   so far i'm not included, but pretty much every1's depressed. :-(   i went to dave's tacquieria 4 lunch.   i got a $4.99 vegetable burrito instead of a $5.99 chicken burrito cos i'm trying to save $$$ after the depressing news.   we did have krispy kreme doughnuts @ the mtg compliments gf 1 of the chemists.   neway, @ lunch, the blackburdies that came to beg fud from me cheered me up a li'l.   i liked it when they'd jump right onto my table!   after eating, i browsed thru goodguys!   i asked them to beat an etronics.com price, but they salesperson refused.   he sounded / looked annoyed, but i thanked him.   [later] so my manager is part of this "1 day a week of werk" staff reduction!!! i'm not, but he got chosen.   crazy! this is very scary.   i werk 4 cheap; i guess, @ this moment, i'm thankful that i do, so that 'least i still have a job!   really, this is crazy!   we just got our popular science article yesterday! *sigh*

on my drive into werk 2day, i spotted dave yee in his silver prelude.   asian cars really stand out in marin county!   i didn't get to wave or even honk cos i had to exit the freeway.   dave yee was the 1 that introduced me to dave's tacqueria, altho' it's much closer to my office than his.   from what i could c of the sillouhette of the back of his head, he still doesn't look 2 domesticated. [later] dave's tacqueria is such a frickin' rip off! grrr! why does fud hafta be so expen$ive in marin county?!

[later] i'm 'bout ready to leave my office.   what a day!   there's this ad in the embedded systems programming trade magazine.   the ad's from "american arium" n' sez "it's hard to compete without the right tools."   it has a picture of a snowboarder jumping.   the funny thing is his snowboard's so ancient!!!   i think the advertisers didn't intend this ad to be sarcastic.   i think they just thought this snowboard picture looked kewl.   they're so clueless!

the clock on my 'puter sez it's 156a.   the tarepanda clock on the pseudowall, the back of the kitchen cabinet, sez 201a.   neway, it's late @ nite.   i'm up late 2nite, i guess.   demo practice went pretty late, then i volunteered to help raymond w/ his paper.   honestly, i think it was unreasonable 4 him to have expected me to have translated that academic taekwondo paper by 2nite.   i didn't have time, but i did manage to translate 1 paragraph 4 him while @ werk.   well, i let him come over, n' i translated a few tables 4 him.   i was so tired.   honestly, hrm.. man, i really wanted to sleep, n' well... raymond was kind'f oblivious of that, so i just had to finally say, "hey raymond, u need a ride home?"   while he was here, while i was translating those tables, while we watched blind date n' news radio b4 that, the beautiful kaela kang cooked kimchi mandoo.   we ate it, n' it was good.   *sigh* it's late, n' i should sleep.   i've been waking up early these days.   well, by "these days," i guess i just mean mon n' tues.   even tho' my knee was troubling me, i went to taekwondo practice.   i did what i could.   i know i looked bad... i mean, man... it's nites like 2nite that make it so master yoon doesn't realise what i'm really capable of.   i'm really uhm... i dunno... frustrated? cos i can't tell if i'm like being put out to pasture or what, sometimes... what i mean by that is... do ppl think i'm 2 old to do crazy demo stuff, so i should just handle organizational affairs?   i mean, if i am, it's not all that bad cos i don't mind doing it... i mean, ppl who really lead... it's good.   n' i don't mind being a leader.   however, i know i do still have a few crazy kicks left in me, but i think master yoon doesn't realise it cos he cs me per4m @ my worst 'lot... like when i'm sick or injured, stresed out, or not warmed up enuf cos i was off teaching the white belt class instead of werking out.   but i guess he thinks i can handle leadership roles... which is 'least good 4 whatever it's good 4. :-) ha, funny way to put it, i guess. *sigh* neway!

so raymond's taking his black belt test @ the beginning of next month, the very beginning of next month, dec 1.   i do wanna get my 3dan, but i dunno when.   dr. frank choy who got his 2dan w/ me is testing 4 his 3dan this time.   when will i test 'gain?   sometimes i worry that the longer i wait the worse out of shape i'll be.   i dunno; that's pessimistic.   honestly, there r 2 kinds of promotional test @ ucmap.   sometimes promotions r more based on skill, etc.; sometimes they're more based on politics or else "how much this person has contributed to the development of taekwondo."   i figure, if i'm young, i'll have a promotion based more on skill, but if i'm older, i'll have a promotion based more on "how much i contribute to the development of taekwondo"... but it will definitely also be a test of skill...   but what's the cut off btwn young n' older?   i wonder... like how much longer can i pull off these fancy kicks?   like what if dr. min asks me to show him fancy demo stuff, but i'll be 2 out of shape to do them... *sigh* well, this is pessimistic... i'm assuming i'll be worse out of shape as i get older.   it's hard not to assume that.   i'd rather be optimistic, but it must be just male pms making me think so negatively.   when i'm in a more idealistic mood, maybe it's easier to believe i'll be able to keep fit thru.out the yrs.   i want to.   i just worry!   shoot! how the #!!%$ did i gain 10 lbs recently?!?!?! #!^%! u might think i'm some sort'f neurotic anorexic 4 worrying 'bout it, but do u c? it's not so much 'bout the weight... it's more 'bout aging!   it's not so much 'bout getting fat as it is 'bout getting fat n' old!   *sigh* i don't wanna be old.   well, shoot.   now u can just say i'm immature, right?   what? is this gonna be 'nother 0.25 life crisis moment here?   is this gonna happen 1nce a month? *sigh* i don't wanna grow old like that!   argh, the idea is all just so depressing. :-( it's hard to grow old gracefully, eh?   i'd prefer to mature than grow old, right?

neway, shoot! i gotta wake up n' go to werk 2morrow morn.   stuff big ppl do; stuff adults do.   i can't stay up n' play w/ u kids, i guess. :-( sure, i talk 'lot 'bout growing old.   sure, it does stress me out, but can u blame me?   who doesn't wanna be 4ever young?   ha ha ha. yes, i do know that was so cheesy... *sigh* alphaville, "forever young."   oh oh oh! so i'm gonna dj chals's sister's wedding on sat! he called me 2day. k, this is really last min, but i'll do it 4 chals.   they want 80s musik.   well, shoot! i hope... i hope i can do a better job than i did @ andy's bro's wedding... i've been playing 'lot more w/ dj stuff lately, but... well it's not 80s stuff, it's korean stuff.   shoot! it'd be nice if they don't mind if i play some korean musik... 'least just a li'l! :-) well... i dunno... i know not all koreans like korean gayo, but well... u gotta admit, it is more likely that a korean person'll like korean gayo than a nonkorean person... well, hrm... sometimes that's not true... but in general.   like, i know that 4 the most part, chals doesn't like korean gayo, n' i guess korean ppl he hangs w/ rn't into it @ all.   uhm, sam?   sam cms to be ok w/ some, but i think he finds some of it cheesy 2.   c, i think some korean.americans think korean gayo is very cheesy... 2 much copycatting of american musik... not not very well done copycatting either!   well, yah! frick, sometimes that's true.   not always.   the wedding reception'll be in el cerrito.   good, close!   ooh! well, this is sumpthin' to look 4ward to this weekend!

ok, i should shut down n' try to go to bed.   i'll hafta carry kaela to bed, i guess.   she fell asleep on the couch.   i wish i had a way to get her not to fall asleep on the couch but on the bed instead...   ah! it'll never happen... it's ok, i guess.

[later] now it's 257a on my computer screen n' 303a according to the tarepanda clock.   i'm still up. why? cos i realised 2day (actually yesterday) that when i get a dvd player, not only do i want 1 that plays mp3s n' hopefully nuon stuff, i need to get a codefree dvd player!   shoot! there beno goes 'gain talkin' bout all this materialistic $#!+!   ok, fine! i'll go to sleep! *grumble* *grumble*

[later] 1026a 'ccording to this 'puter in the imaging lab.   i got into werk a li'l late 2day.   b4 i left home, i searched 4 kaela's cellfon cos i knew it wasn't charging overnite.   [li'l later] ok, i'm on the fon w/ kaela, so i now know she has her fon; but no, she indeed did not charge it.   she's on the bus now, going to campus.   now we're off the fon.   i got to werk a li'l late, but i werked an extra long day yesterday: got in early, left late.

so "old guy getting depressed" left me a gbook msg: "man u'r getting me depressed with all that talk about aging. ... question for you: where do u see yourself (or want to see yourself) 10 years from now?"   good question.  doesn't that sound like a question that i'd ask my visitors to answer in my gbook? well, should i answer the q or look @ codefree dvd players w/ mp3 support?   ok, i'll do my best to answer the question:

10 yrs from now i'll be married w/ 2 kids: 1 boy, 1 gurl.   hrm... that's themost important thing to me: marriage n' family.   i guess i should also own a house in 10 yrs; i'll be 36.   i keep talking 'bout my taekwondo future, n' yah... i'm a freak, but it is sumpthin' i wanna be involved in 4 life.   but marriage n' family r my #1 priorities.   doggy? yah, i'd like to have a doggy.   career?   frick! *sigh* i admit, i don't think 'bout it that much!   i know it's bad, but... i just wanna have "enuf" $$$ n' a sufficiently painless job!   honestly, i think more 'bout taekwondo, djing, snowboarding, n' doggies... n' marriage n' family, my #1 priorities.   i'd like to have a fun job.   engineering? yes.   if i had an ideal engineering job, it'd have more programming n' maybe some musik involved.

[later] u'r kidding me!   how did i end ud @ taco bell eating a quesadilla meal 4 lunch?!   i'm such a frickin' sucker 4 fastfud marketting!   i hate unhealthy fud, but check out what happened just now!   i ate @ the marin city taco bell, n' now i'm gonna do some investigating @ best buy.   a fastfud junkie, a gadget geek. what the %!!@& have i become?! n' what's w/ all the expletives lately?   well, definitely raymond gives me a bad excuse 4 my worsening gadget addiction cos he's always getting kewl toys. still he can afford this kind'f habit cos he still gets $$$ from his parents n' doesn't have so many adultlife financial responsibilities yet.

[later] i'm back in my office.   this morn, we all received a copy of popular science w/ an article 'bout our company.   it't pretty kewl.   i hate it when my manager has no clue that i haven't gotten a report done cos he's given me so much other werk to do that i haven't had time to write.

back to the topik of marin city, where i was during my lunchbreak: it might surprise u.   it has lots'f low cost housing projects!   that's very unlike the rest of marin county, right?   marin city has a lot more african.americans than the rest of marin county.   it's right by sausalito n' has a beautiful view of the bay.

[later] according to my handspring, it's 516p.   it's the time of yr 4 me to say, "*sigh* ah, days r getting shorter n' colder."   [later] 711p: i'm picking kaela up from werk.   [a li'l later] 745p: we're home now.

830a: i woke up early 2day.   last nite, b4 we left 4 dinner, i started the laundry.   i had to go pick up the laundry this morn.   it had been sitting in the dryer all nite.   it's not storming 2day.   it's very calm.   it was nice to have rain 4 a coupl'a days, i guess.   yesterday morn, 'round this time, it was really bad.   right now: nuthin'.   it's not bad waking up early like this.   i guess i used to wake up earlier all the time, huh?   but now, i get tired earlier; tired, as in sleepy.   hrm, i wonder what's 4 lunch 2day.   i gotta translate this korean taekwondo paper 4 raymond.   he's gonna write his 5 page book/periodical report off my translation.   i hope i find time to do this translation.

[later] man, i'm really looking 4ward to receiving my monitor!   anticipation isn't that painful; it's more like excitement.   i expect to spend lots'f time in malls next month.   b4 i know it, this yr'll be over.   this month: i just gotta get this demo put 2gether n' over w/!   by the evening of nov. 30, i'll feel so relieved... as long as all goes right n' nothing goes wrong.   i pray nuthin' goes wrong!   after the demo, all there is to do is watch raymond, pam, n' romy test 4 their 1dan; jeff, mike shea, test 4 their 2dan; n' dr. frank choy test 4 his 3dan.  . i got my1dan w/ jeff n' my 2dan w/ dr. choy.   it's good that jeff does 'lotta volunteer werk 4 ucmap, but i know ppl r gonna say he's trying to pass on politics alone.   well, ain't that always the predicament 'round here? *sigh*

[later] boreal opened 4 snowboarding 2day!!! they have 8" of snow!!! i gotta go!!!

1000p: i had such a bizzy day 2day, i guess.   normally, i find some time to write a li'l in my journal b4 1000p, right?   i had to do much actual lab operation werk 2day.   i went to werk early, drove thru the mon morn storm.   the beautiful kaela kang came to corte madera to join me 4 lunch, we ate @ cpk, had a pear n' gargonzola pizza n' this 2 in a bowl soup.   i'm trying to eat a li'l less 2day since i've been gaining weight.   neway, i ate so heartily yesterday.   u don't know what i did yesterday!

i left off in my previous entry "dancefloor clutz" saying i was planning on going to the stadium cleanup in the morn w/ kaela despite my banged up knee.   well, we went to the drizzly stadium cleanup.   it went well altho' some clueless volunteer threw away our plastic rain panchos, which we got in cancun. :-( !!!!   after the cleanup, a big bunch of us wanted get some sort of brunch/lunch.   me, i was actually in the mood 4 ur typical "american" pancake n' eggs breakfast.   on the other hand, laura suggested the durant fud ghetto.   well, i do usually love the durant fud ghetto cos i love asian fud; but i was strangely in the mood 4 nonasian fud.   then, since i was outvoted on that particular preference, i suggested dimsum altho' i felt so nasty.   like. i really didn't wanna go to the 99 mall looking so dirty from the cleanup, dressed nastily... i know! i'm so image conscious lately! i don't know what's gotten into me!!! in ne case, i did stifle those self.conscious feelings n' drove to the 99 mall w/o stopping by home to change or shower.   we thought 'bout getting a table @ the dimsum restaurant; kaela even got us a number; but our group had 2 many ppl, n' ppl were 2 hungry to wait.   there4, we 168ed.   well, i liked that 2.   we had a big group n' split into a large group n' a small table.   well, @ the big table, yah... i had a li'l bit of a familiar p.crew feeling.   it's like the spirit of the old p.crew's been reincarnated in a new body.   4 the most part... i guess the "old" p.crew rests in peace.   i guess the "old" p.crew is pretty gone since so many key ppl moved 'way.   i don't say this w/ ne bitterness.   right now i can accept that supermike n' brandie had to move 'way, that krishelle n' harry had to move 'way.   i think i'm more likely to c brandie n' supermike 'gain than krishelle or harry or maiko or rosa or meng... i hear brandie'll be in the bay area next month.   i hope so.   i wanna hang w/ brandie!   i haven't cn jeff, jocelyn, dave, andy, or erin in ages.   i saw andy n' cal @ brandie's going 'way party.   the whole original p.crew days cm a bit further in the past all the sudden.

[later] 1155p: i werked constantly thru the pm (afternoon) n' left on time, i.e. 530p, since i ggt in @ 830a.   after i drove home on the post.storm roads, kaela n' i went back out.   we wanaed to eat dinner @ katana.ya, but 'twas closed.   kaela was on the fon w/ gabe lai.   she knew this bellarmine alumni from the dorms, n' i knew him from iv (intervarsity christian fellowship).   since we didn't know where to go instead, so we 1st went to office depot to get some things.   i saw the kds rad.5 monitor i ordered.   it hasn't shipped yet.   i'd like it now.   we ate @ mama lan's vietnamese restauraat on gilman.   we had spring rolls, this vegetarian crepe, n' shrimpvermicilli noodles.

[254a] so we went to bellagio!   it was very fun, but @ 1 pt, i went to join the beautiful kaela kang on the dancefloor, n' i slipped getting onto the li'l stage thingy, n' i banged up my knee good.   argh, it's prob'ly the worst injury i've had in a while, but it's not bad.   it's the 1st time i cut myself / scraped myself in a while... but it's ok.   i'm glad it's not 2 bad.   2morrow morn, we gotta wake up early to pick up trash! *sigh*

it's 1220p.   it's sat!   man, i'm so shaggy! i want a haircut!   last nite, the beautiful kaela kang n' i hosted a berkeley taekwondo demo team potluck.   it was really fun.   lots'a ppl came over.   it was the biggest party or get2gether we've hosted since our housewarming party.   it was fun.   we had tons of fud!   so much good fud!   our friends r good cooks. :-)   2nite, we're s'pposed to go clubbing @ bellagio.   man, i need a haircut!   we're s'pposed to go shopping a li'l 2day 2, me n' kaela.   dang, it's past 1230p.   we really got to get our day started!   kaela sez she has'ta go in to werk.   me, i'd like to go werkout in the rsf.   i wanted to go to the 900a taekwondo "family" class.   *sigh* i need exercise!   i'm converting .wav files to .mp3, so i can use my soundsgood while doing butt gallery exercises... if i make it to the rsf 2day... *sigh*

oh yah, last nite, mike shea taught me how to play dominos.   he sez dominos is a very african.american game.   i didn't realise that.   there's lots'a mental math involved.

[later] i'm in the rsf, in the stretching room, stretching after a 40 min butt gallery werkout on the life cycle.   i did a "fat burning" werkout.   i wanna go lift now.   my car's @ a meter, n' i gotta get out soon.   i'll do a li'l lifting, take a shower, n' leave.   after that, i dunno what i'll do; maybe werk on dj stuff @ home altho' i'd prefer to be outside. eh! it's overcast on this cal v. usc gameday!   kaela's @ werk   [later] i'm home, eating pajuhn.   there's some show called sk8, n' it shows skateboarding!   well, i gotta go pick kaela up from werk now.   [later] i'm in stoneridge mall, shoppin w/ kaela.   the time is 614p.   my hair is so poofy, n' i'm actually very self conscious 'bout it. [a li'l later] i went to nordstrom's to use the restroom.   that was the 1 i 1nce took a pic of ed park peeing @, right?   @ the cosmetic counter, they were blasting old skool rave/house musik: 4hero's "mr. kirk" n' 2 bad mice's "bombscare."   as a dj, i love those "tracks," but they r old.   i felt like i was transported back in time like 5 yrs!!! it was like in the movie kara, wen the main character walks thru the streets of seoul n' there r posters advertising seo taeji as the hot new artist.   [n' yet a li'l later] i'm trying to find kaela.   she went off 2 look 4 her stuff, while i looked 4 mine.   we sed we could heep in touch by fon, but she's not answering.   now, i'm worried she left her fon in the car or sumpthin'.   it's 644p, n' i'm pretty stressed / nervous.   we have a tight, tight skedule to keep cos we're s'pposed to be @ the club early, @ 900p.   i really feel self.conscious 'bout my poofy hair.   i feel so unfashionable... i know this sounds so vain of me. *sigh* i know... i shouldn't care.   it's as if i haven't felt this self.conscious 'bout being unhip since i was a chubby, dorky, zit.faced 7th grader!   i guess this is feeling "unpretty," eh?   but i know a 26 yr old, straight man is not s'pposed to care.   well, i just don't feel good.   maybe i should try to drown my stress in some surf.city squeeze (smoothies).   oh yah, i feel fat these days, right? ha ha. why is every1 staring @ me?!?! is it cos i'r fat? is ? cos i'm ugly? is it cos i'm poorly dressed?   no! it's cos i'm in a mall n' bizzily scribbling on what looks like a small, metallic, digital notepad.   "what is that thing?!?!" they're all thinking.   "what a teknodork!"   "what a teknoslave!" "gadget loving male yuppie!" "getchur @$$ back to sharper image yuppie!" i have a $50 gift certificate 4 sharperimage.com that i still gotta use.   how do u like this 4mat of on.line journalling? it's much "right in the middle of the action" than the leading brand!   some might call it "real time," but they'd be wrong n' just wanting to use a buzz wurd.   "buzz wurd" is a buzz wurd.   u can watch me stress in real time! *roll eyes* i toldju! that's not properly using the term!   i am so stressed tho' cos i can't reach kaela, n' she's not calling back.   frick! it's 702p now!

[later, 945p] we're 'bout to leave to go clubbing!   jerome's car's already there, n' he sez it's very crowded.   shoot! i gotta pick up sophia n' her friend, stop by the bank; then we're off.   didju know that sophia's mom is a famous taekwondo master?

it's 145a.   a li'l while 'go, i weighed myself, n' i was 157 lbs!   !!!!!   what happened!   i'm 10 lbs over my old normal weight!   holding steady @ 153 was ok, but this! this is ridiculous!   *sigh* it's cos i don't get out during the day, huh?   i should put on that sunscreen n' take a walk during my lunchbreak! what's wrong w/ me?!

2nite (as in thurs nite, not fri nite), we had a kewl taekwondo class led by dr. lieu.   we studied self.defense.   dr. lieu did a good job, i say.   after the class, i got the demo team werkin' on stuff.   time's ticking!   i'll try to just get my job done, n' trust others to get there jobs done, so i won't stress so much.   i'll try not to stress.   after werkout, i drove the beautiful kaela kang, johnny, n' raymond to pusan market, n' we got groceries.   as soon as we walked in, kaela n' i looked 4 kimbap from their deli, but we didn't c ne, just doshirak (bento boxes).   each of the 4 of us got 1.   we got groceries.   the 4 of us got $88 of groceries, n' that qualified us 4 a free present 4 spending over $50.   kaela n' i took a serving dish.   oh, n' the nice ca$hier, whom i also saw yesterday nite, gave us 2 free packs of kimbap!   he had all the leftovers @ his counter!   kewl! (c, don'tchu just love korean hookups?)

well, 2nite (as in fri nite), we're hosting a taekwondo demo team potluck @ our place.   i really appreciate that kaela organised this, so i had 1 less thing to organise!   this should be fun.   then sat nite, we'll go to bellagio.   *sigh* well, i still do hope they'll ask me to dj there!   sun morn, we have 'nother memorial stadium trash pickup fundraiser.   argh, why am i so fat?! i feel it.   hrm... i'm also so shaggyheaded!!!!   man, this winter coat thing! it's serious!!!! now it looks like kaela's fallen asleep on the couch.   *sigh* i guess this is the usual routine, as opposed to my falling asleep 1st, while she studies.   it's ok.   i'll carry her to bed.

[a li'l later, 215a] i really wanna buy that kds rad.5 monitor!   buy.com has it 4 a decent price, i think.   if u click on the link above u get $25 off ne purchase over $250, n' i get some li'l kickback.   *sigh* yah, all those "sponsors" on my links page... u can patronise them via my links n' supposedly i'll get some kickbacks.   hrm... dunno if they all werk tho'.   i hope so.   i guess, it'd be best if u make sure to mention my site if u use them, n' mention it to me...   but eh! i don't think ne1 every shops via my site!   i wouldn't be that idealistic nemore since the .com bubble burst.   *sigh* well, owen sed he's made $$$ off of 2by2.net w/in a week.

[later] i'm on my lunchbreak, i guess; but i'm stuck @ the office cos every1 else in my dept is out to lunch or just out 4 the day.   i ate 'nother 1 of those doshirak 4 lunch.   i read an article 'bout "false fat" on yahoo! it was very similar to 'nother "false fat" article i read in men's fitness.   the most important way to avoid "false fat" is to rotate ur diet, i guess.   they also emphasize avoiding wheat.   i did eat a lot'f bread this week.   neway, i think i gained real fat, not "false fat."   i wanna go out.   i wanna find a copy of microtimes or that other silicon valley pc 'zine.   i 4get its name.   i'm really considering buying that kds rad.5 monitor from buy.com.   while washing dishes last nite, while kaela was passed out on the couch, i thought 'bought $$$.   in many ways, i do hate $$$.   it can ruin relationship, friendships, marriages, n' families. it's evil!   yet i need $$$ to buy this monitor or whatever stoopid stoopid techtoys i've been pondering.   i thought 'bought sumpthin' i must've heard @ church a long time 'go: $$$ is evil.   but u need $$$ to buy thing u need to survive... n' things that just make ur life easier.   so to some extent, u need $$$.   still u shouldn't let $$$ run ur life.   u jhouldn't .horde $$$.  u can save up $$$; bua u shouldn't horde it. what's the diff?  if u'r "saving" $$$, u'r saving up to buya specific sumpthin'.   if u'r "hording" $$$, u'r just saving up to c how much u can get; no specific goal(s)!   hrm, did i hear that @ church? i really think so, but it also sounds like stuff my grandfather has told me b4... either in person on my last trip to taiwan or thru my uncle a long time 'go when i was a kid.   $$$ sucks!   make love, not $$$!!!

this morn, i actually had a dream 'bout the infamous 9.11.   dreamed i was watching a movie or tv show w/ a re.enactment of the terrorists attacking the flight crew in the cockpit.   i was either watching a re.enactment or "actual video footage."   if it was s'pposed to be actual video footage, my dream's stoopid (or i am) cos it was filmed from the viewpt of looking into the cockpit from outside.   neway, i saw a faceless (not literally!) but antogonistic man accost a seated female crew member from behind n' repeatedly slice her arm w/ a knife.   maybe i dreamt this cos we practiced self.defense 'gainst a knife attack in taekwondo last nite.   now i realise i must've dreamt 'bout 9.11 cos the z95.7 morning show hosts must've been talking 'bout it, huh?

so next thurs morn, we have a company mtg. no lunch?! uhm, i hope they'll have bagels; not that i need more wheat in my diet but i just wanna know everything's ok.   u know how it is! i'm of that nervous, younq generation who saw great prosperity in the early 80s n' grunge rock n' flannel clad gangsta rap in the 90s.

i really liked dr. lieu's class last nite.   [later] so my manager gave me a li'l break.   w/ it, i went to fill up my gas tank.   then i went to compusa to browse n' pick up whatever free pc 'zine i could find.   compusa doesn't sell kds monitors, but it does sell the envision lcd monitor.   it looked very nice to me.   since critics say the kds rad.5 is better, it must be really kewl.   i looked @ this tiny vaio notebook pc. it's $1600, but it's really kewl. it has a built.in webcam.   i saw a nice sony clié handheld. it's nice n' small; very close to the size of my handspring visor edge, but thicker.   if it had springboard expandability like the handsprings, i'd like it more.   u know, personally, i like the clié better than ne of the palm brand handhelds.   well, as i walked back to my car, i picked up a copy of computer shopper pc 'zine.   never heard of it...   whatever! it has lots'a ads 4 li'l 'puter shops in the bay area.   none had kds rad.5 prices newhere as low as buy.com.   u know what?   i went ahead n' bought the monitor via buy.com! crazy, huh? whadya mean, "crazy"?! i did so much consumer research here! i researched the product. i researched prices!   i feel it's ok i just bought this monitor.  , i need a decent monitor, so i don't ruin my eyes.   i need a lcd monitor to save space in our apt!

tech tech tech! *sigh* i don't wanna be a teknoslave, a teknojunkie, or a nerd.   i don't wanna be a geek either.   i don't wanna be a gadget.obsessed yuppie!   well, maybe in the near future, i'll take kaela's cpu n' muthaboard (aka mobo) n' get her a new set.   she's so frustrated that the floppy drive doesn't werk. maybe i can try to live in a floppiless world.   [later] so i'm gonna have a new monitor, eh? a kds monitor.   i like the viewsonic logo, the burdies (finches); but their products r 2 expen$ive.   @ werk, i'm sittin' in front of a viewsonic monitor w/ finches.   it's not my monitor but 1 in the imaging lab.

my hair is so long now!   i used to have hair like this; not short n' spiky, just sorta parted in the middle n' combed back a li'l, gelled.   *sigh* it's maybe a tamer, more domesticated look.   more mature? argh! don't say that!!! i don't lihe this do! *sigh* i want a haircut! ...else i could wait a few more weeks n' grow it long 'nuff to resemble an asian rock star... or master yoon. heh heh. really, i don't like this shaggy hair, altho' i'm trying to make the best of it. <:-/

did u notice sumpthin' wrong w/ yesterday's entry?   i talked 'bout watching the 2nd episode of the nite of news radio.   if i was watching the 2nd episode, i should've ended the nov 07 entry n' started on 2day's nov 08 entry!   [later] well, it's thurs 2day.   this week i haven't been really leaving my office 4 lunch.   i miss going outdoors.   why don't i?   i'm trying to save $$$ n' not eat out; 1.   i worry that if i go out 4 a lunchtime walk i should wear sunscreen, n' i'm 2 lazy to apply sunscreen 4 a short walk; 2.   instead of going out on my lunchbreak, i goof off on the web during that time; 3.   fud's 2 expen$ive in frickin' corte madera!   this week, i started wearing clothes from my winter wardrobe.   i gotta take my summer clothes down to san jo!

[later] well, it's almost time to bust outta my office, but not quite yet, un4tunately.   lately, i haven't had ne probs falling asleep @ nite.   this week, @ nite, i just pass out.   we didn't watch blind date @ all.   most nites this week, kaela's been studying, so i guess i get bored n' fall asleep.   usually, kaela falls asleep b4 me, but not so much so this week.

roland didn't tivo the halloween simpsons.   instead he tivoed the musikal buffy episode, the 1 i taped.   so who has the halloween simpsons on tape?!?!   i'm glad i still practice taekwondo.   imagine how out of shape i'd be @ my age if i didn't!   of course, i want snowboarding season to start.   when'll the resorts open?!?! i'm a li'l sleepy now.

hi. how r u?   i feel like i haven't written a whole lot in my journal so far this week.   i've written some long posts in bronx's forums.   i probl'y had a title thought up 4 2day's entry, but right now i can't 'member it.   last nite, after werk i went to taekwondo practice, of course.   we had demo practice afterwards.   i've put in quite a bit of time 2wards organising this upcoming demo.   this semester is diff leading w/o sam.   i feel a lot more accountable, but i'm learning to delegate.   i don't bully ppl into doing my werk, but i know if i do everything myself, that's not good.   i need to trust ppl to handle tasks, to make decisions.   i appreciate that laura handled the demo team warm up order, that the beautiful kaela kang took care of the e.mail list, n' johnny's taking care of the board order.   i appreciate their help.   there isn't much time left b4 the big demo.   there isn't much time till the end of the taekwondo semester.   time flies, eh? *sigh* well, i can always say that, right?   just now i got a mypoints.com e.mail w/ a christmas theme.   christmas, eh?   kaela n' i discussed getting a li'l christmas tree this yr. a fake 1 or real 1?   dunno, prob'ly fake.   mon is veteran's day, but of course i don't get the day off!!! grrr! this throws off the taekwondo demo practice skedule!   we don't have much time.

after practice last nite, after showering, etc., i brought raymond w/ me to pick up kaela from her werk 'round 1100p.   then we met up w/ our other friends @ daruma: jerome, laura, clarence, owen, johnny, n' mike shea.   mie shea got fud to go, then left; but the rest of us ate there.   i had a chicken katsu n' cali roll dinner.   it was great chatting w/ owen after all these weeks / months since i last saw him.   he threw out the 2by2.net hard sale.   he's still promoting, definitely, n' he really likes it n' believes in it.   me, i don't wanna join 2by2.net, but i very much appreciate that owen's selling it in a very professional manner; no slick sales pitch.   if u do want to join 2by2.net, please go thru owen!

after we got home, i actually tried to do a li'l werk. it was like having homewerk!   i fell asleep.   it was really like being a student again, as u c.

so 'bout a week 'go geocities sent me an e.mail congratulating me on having a popular website w/ lots'a traffik.   then i read on n' found out they say i'm using more than my allotted bandwidth, so if i don't want my page to be sometimes unavailable, i gotta pay them $$$! pshaw! yah right!   whatever! i guess lotsa kids from bronx's r comin' to look @ my pics pages, which r on geocities.   they're such old pics!

i posted a coupl'a new reviews on dine.com cos i saw some1s taken my #2 reviewer spot... but not by much.   dang, i've been writing 2 much on bronx's!   i'm hungry. what am i gonna do 2nite??? no practice; master yoon told me i need to give the students a chance to study.   that's good; definitely responsible n' caring of him.   i got plenty of projects to keep me bizzy, right?   even if i don't go to the gym, i have plenty of taekwondo organizational biz to take care of.   i have my musik / djing projects.   i also wanna watch the musikal episode of buffy, which i taped yesterday.

[later] after i came home, i took kaela out to dinner @ yeitnal jjajang.   we both ate jjajangmyuhn.   it's pretty good there.   i like it better than my own.   then we went to pusan market.   kaela stayed in the car, n' i went in to buy a few groceries.   i guess i'll cook dduhkbokki 4 fri nite's taekwondo demo team potluck.   kaela wants me to marinate some maewoondalk.   well, maybe.   after groceries, kaela wanted coffee.   urgh, i don't like her to drink so much coffee, n' she knows i'd prefer she didn't drink so much caffeine... 4 her health's sake!   neway, we got me to compromise by asking 4 coffee boba.   how can i refuse boba?   i was pretty stuffed from the jjajangmyuhn, but i got a kiwi boba, the kind that's just syrup, water, ice, n' boba.

u know, 2nite, @ yeitnal jjajang n' in pusan market, i was surprised to c so many young koreans, very korean koreans, in that they were recent immigrants or 'least spoke korean really naturally n' com4tably.   i wonder how asian.american life is later in life... as in... well, u know, 'mongst most asians in my neighbourhood @ home when i grew up, the kids my age were mostly 2nd generation asian.americans.   their parents spoke their culture's language, but the kids... sure they definitely spoke some, but maybe not that great.   but what happens when our generation becomes parents?   like, u know dr. frank choy in taekwondo?   he's a 2nd generation korean.american, but he doesn't speak much korean.   when his family moved to america from korea, they lived in sf chinatown, i believe, n' every1 thought they were chinese.   neway, like he doesn't speak much korean, but most of the korean.americans i encounter 'round his age r definite 1st gen korean.american immigrants.   so how does he feel in those situations.   i mean, shoot, i encounter situations in taekwondo where every1 'round me is speaking korean, so i gotta speak korean.   what 'bout 4 him? 1) he's older, n' 2) he is korean.   well, then there's me n' lots of my taiwanese friends who don't speak taiwanese 2 great... nor mandarin.   well... i'll tell u, chinese.american n' taiwanese.american parents rn't as strict 'bout making their kids speak their culture's language as korean parents r upon their kids.   i had this discussion w/ friends a long time 'go, freshman yr.   well, personally, i have experienced plenty of discrimination from chinese.american immigrants 4 not being able to speak mandarin, i think.   i've been called "abc" in a derogatory way.   so yah, i don't expect it'll get easier later in life, right? n' i don't expect it's easier 4 those guys older than me.   well, i guess this is an asian.am issue that's been around 4 a long while.   yah, i wonder what guys like dr. choy, perry, n' dr. lieu think 'bout it.   someday, when we have time, maybe i'll ask.

ok, speaking of asian / asian.am issues, i wrote a long schpiel 2day on bronx's junkyard 'bout differences in gender treatment 'mongst korean, chinese, japanese, n' "american" cultured: "beno's schpiel on differences in gender treatment 'mongst korean, chinese, japanese, n' "american" cultures"   right now, kaela's studying on the couch, n' i'm typing on my 'puter.   we're listening to that jaurim 'true' live cd.   it's really kewl.   really, if u'r a person who doesn't believe u like korean or asian pop, u gotta check out this cd... 1st off, it's not really "pop," it's altrock.   a 3 guy, 1 gurl group w/ a bit of an indie rock sound, altho' i won't pretend that their an "indie rock" band... definitely a group that's made it big n' gone a li'l corporate in asia.   what 'bout the lee junghyun 3jip cd?   well, it's good, but i now wish her musik'd be that trance.ish stuff she had b4 like "feel me."   now it's more "pop" sounding, but it ain't bad.

yesterday, my cowerker brought us 2 boxes of krispy kreme doughnuts.   right away, i ate 2.   late in the afternoon, i ate another 0.5.   after dinner, 'round midnite, i shared 1 w/ the beautiful kaela kang.   my cowerker sez sf'll have its own krispy kreme location starting nov 13.

how was yesterday?   c, i actually left my handspring @ werk last nite, so i didn't get to upload my entry. crazy! well, i survived a nite w/o my handspring!   i'm not a teknoslave!   i led demo practice.   then i picked up dinner 4 kaela n' me from thai basil. i drove johnny n' raymond there, but apparently lots'a other taekwondo ppl had planned to eat @ the durant fud ghetto: sam sa n' his gf amy were @ thai basil.   laura, jerome, jeff, n' romy were @ steve's bbq.   the wushu club was @ mandarin house.   as i left, w/ johnny n' raymond, we saw efren come in.

really, many of us in taekwondo r unhappy w/ the way things have been run lately.   this semester so far definitely showed a return to the thug rule idea.   many of us don't like that a certain some1 has assumed leadership roles n' has really chased away many taekwondo club members.   it is really bad.   we can't have this macho, fratboy attitude in the ucmap leadership!   we're running an educational program here, not just a sports team! this current trend is very unhealthy 4 the martial arts program.   who's out there doing the office werk n' fundraising that keeps ucmap alive?!?! we can't chase away ppl who love taekwondo n' develop our program just cos some punks think they rn't tough enuf etc. this is really #!!@ed up! seriously! #!!@ this $#!+! we gotta do sumpthin' to fix it!   i'll say 1 thing tho' to all who agree w/ me that things've gotta change: we gotta take the initiative n' take leadership roles n' responsibility.   these punks end up in teaching positions is that they ask 4 it or @ least act willing to accept the tasks.   there're plenty of ppl in ucmap that make such an effort to dodge responsibility!

[later, evening b4 going to practice] so yesterday, i loved how i got all these packages: a big shipment of movies n' cds from yesasia (i toldju 'bout that yesterday), n' i got a morning glory shipment w/ lots'a mashimaro stuff, n' i got 'nother backordered shipment from yesasia, just 1 cd.   right now, i really prefer to use ups over usps cos usps is being really slow right now.   i also got a refill pack of air freshner pellets from the morning glory store.   i just refilled my penguin.   right now, i'm still @ home watching the "mr. sparkle" episode of the simpsons.   when it comes out, i do wanna watch shallow hal, but kaela brought up a good pt: does the movie expect us to assume that ugly ppl r beautiful inside while, all beautiful ppl r ugly inside?!   i surely hope not.   some ppl r beautiful on the inside n' the out!   a perfect example is kaela! :-)   *sigh* i won't get to watch the musikal episode of buffy the vampire slayer, n' it looks so kewl!!!   @ the same time, i'll be missing the halloween simpsons episode!

[a li'l later, during the 2nd episode of news radio] hrm, i feel a li'l bit like a traitor 4 watching news radio.   in a way, i ought to be vehemently boycotting upn44's nonsimpsons programming, huh?   oh well.   some good guys: well, i've talked 'bout asian/asian couples in american media, how i don't c 'nuff of 'em.   well, it's not like i'm saying nething bad 'bout mixed ethnicity couples; but, as i explained b4, i just don't get why american media can, in good conscience, portray plenty of caucasian/caucasian couples n' african/african couples, yet not many asian/asian couples.   neway, i saw 2 companies show asian/asian couples in their tv commericals recently: jc penny's n' orchard supply hardware.   on upn44, i saw a brief ad from rottentomatoes.com, where paul lee n' patrick lee werk.

yesterday, i couldn't think of a good entry title.   yesterday's entry title stinks, but oh well! *sigh* i got 2day's title from the go eun poetry book the beautiful kaela kang bought on fri.   it's called "na ue pado sori." (that means "the sound of my wave," while my title means "the sound of my grape."

so it's very exciting that ken n' grace r now engaged!   it's so kewl! so right now, both ken n' dave r engaged... not to each other! *roll eyes*

[later] i just got my yesasia order n' looked thru all my new cds.   i was looking thru the booklet of my jaurim live cd n' had 1 of those "dang, i wish i were a rockstar instead of an engineer" moments.   [later] now i'm in the parking lot of the greenbrae strip mall.   i think i'll eat a roadrunner burrito 4 lunch, but i'm not sure.   if my only career were being a dj, the time i'd hafta put in is a lot more than lay ppl realise.   besides time i'd spend @ actual gigs, i'd be putting lotsa time in @ home planning out mixes.   lay ppl don't realise that a dj's gotta study his/her musik a li'l.   we don't just throw whatever song on, on the spot. 'least a good dj won't.

so this morn, i woke up, picked up raymond, n' went right back to memorial stadium to do the ucmap fundraising stadium clean up.   *sigh* well, we were there 4 'bout 3 hrs.   we picked up trash in the stadium bleachers n' from kleeberger stadium where there was a postgame party featuring a concert by the altrock group save ferris.   i heard that from afar yesterday... n' i guess we were there 4 a li'l bit b4 we went back to memorial stadium to pick up the seat cushions, huh?   yah. save ferris: so that group has, like, some asian guys in it, huh?   i'm not all that familiar w/ them.   didn't they do a cover of "come on elieen"???   i think they did.   this morn, while cleaning up the trash 4 the concert, i found a guitar pick, which was most likely used by save ferris.   hrm, if i were a big save ferris fan, i guess that'd mean so much, but well... 'least it was still a free guitar pick... w/ some notes left in it.   tiffany lieuw also found 1.   i also saw an unused guitar string... prob'ly a g string.   actually, the band left a lot of trash, the packaging from their drumheads n' drumsticks... stuff like that.   well, after the stadium clean up, i went home.   i was tired n' grumpy.   the beautiful kaela kang was cooking soojeibi.   i took a shower, then we ate, n' then we watched a show on kqed: dogs w/ jobs.   it was really cute. *sigh* we like doggies.   well, i'm still just sittin' @ home.   *sigh* i really wish i could go do sumpthin', but i dunno if there's nething to do. :-( big time :-(!!!! *sigh* like, staying home to werk on djing stuff is really kewl, n' i like it... but well, as the weekend progressed, i just got so sick of being inside.   i'm not being produktive @ all.   i'm not doing nething worthwhile.   it all cms so useless.   i'm just sitting here n'... *sigh* nuthin' to do...

[later] so kaela n' i went to walgreen's then to toby's apt.   we saw toby, his sister elissa, his neighbour geof (who i've known from san jo, b4 he came to cal), n' geof's cousin tracy, who i've also know from san jo, back from leland hi skool, etc.   we ate spaghetti w/ meat sauce n' sausage n' jao-ze (mandoo).   we chatted 4 a while.   we gave toby his b.day present, a merino wool sweater.   i bought the exact same sweater from octopus when i bought his on fri.   then toby's mom had to leave 4 the airport to go back home to san diego... actually santee, the "boonies" east of san diego.   then kaela n' i went to sweetheart 4 boba drinks.   on the way there, ken called me... guess what!

ken's getting married!!!!!!!!

i'm gonna be his best man!   wow!!! this is really kewl.   congratulations!   well, the wedding won't be till next sept, but well... that just means they/we have time to make it all a beautiful wedding!   heh, n' i told ken... "this means i gotta put on a bachelor's party!"   ha ha ha... well, we'll c!

well, i didn't get to write 'bout all i did yesterday.   well, yah... i had the day off cos my boss has some visitor next fri, so he wants every1 there next fri, n' my manager won't be in on mon, so he wants me to be there on mon, so yesterday ended up as my 1st day off 4 nov, while nov 30, 4 the wutc press demo, will be my 2nd day off.   what did i do?   i went to watch a poetry reading by korean poet go eun @ noon w/ the beautiful kaela kang.   it was pretty kewl.   it was in morrison library, the musik library in doe (library), berkeley's main library.   it was neat.   kaela bought 1 of his poetry books, n' he signed it.   it was really neat to go to a poetry reading.   apparently, these happen every week, but usually w/ local or 'least domestic poets.     afterwards, we ate lunch @ eat.a.pita, n' did a li'l shopping @ octopus.   then we went home.   hrm... what did i do?   hrm... nuthin' 2 memorable, i guess.   i werked on musik stuff.   we ate mandoo 4 dinner.   i also made some not.so.good smoothies.   hrm... that's 'bout it.   we stayed home.   kaela had to study.

2day, i spent most of the day in memorial stadium.   i was there 4 a uc martial arts program fundraiser.   we sold seat cushions @ the futbol game v. arizona.   we sold lots'a seat cushions.   cal was losing pretty miserably, so we left 4 lunch @ halftime.   we went to the durant fud ghetto, so i bought some mool naengmyuhn @ bear ramyuhn house cos it was such a beautiful, warm day.   i was afraid they didn't have it nemore cos it's not summer nemore, but the lady there sed they did, so mmm... perfect!   there were only a few of us selling cushions in the morning, but tons of ppl came to help us do the seat cushion collection.   c, we didn't really "sell" cushions, we "rented" them out 4 $4.   after the game the renters leave their cushions on the bleachers, n' we hafta go fetch them.   like 50 ppl from the martial arts clubs showed up!   it went so fast!   it was really kewl!   but then master yoon had told me to take every1 out to pizza afterwards, so how could i buy pizza 4 50 ppl?   well, i took 'em to northside laval's n' bought a good amt of pizza n' soda, but not an overwhelming amt.   ppl weren't all that hungry neway... ha! except 4 george pearson who ate 4 hot dogs, some nachos from la burrita, n' then some laval's pizza.   the hot dogs: c, mike sia saw that the concessions vendor was gonna throw out a bunch'a hot dogs, so he asked 4 them, n' the vendor gave 'em to him!   ha ha ha.   funny.   well, *sigh* 2morrow morn i'll be back @ memorial stadium to do a stadium clean up fundraiser 4 ucmap.   wow, is this my weekend job now? stadium janitor?   ha ha ha. j/k.   *sigh* well, i sort'a wish i could get out this weekend a li'l.   i wanted to watch either monsters, inc. or jet li's the one this weekend, but i don't think i'll get to.   *sigh* well, it's fun to play, but i've got stuff to do.   can't always play n' not do werk, right? i have things to do... kaela just asked me, as i was typing this, "do i wish our lives could be like it was during summer?" *sigh* she sed our lives were so free back then.   *sigh* yah, it was pretty kewl, but i felt 2 lazy.   like, i don't mind that i gotta do more taekwondo practice nowadays cos it makes me feel more alive.   true, kaela's skoolwerk stresses her out, n' it stress me out, n' that makes me not happy, but... *sigh* i think i've come to just accept the fact that this is a really crappy semester cos kaela has some hard classes, so well... i think i just surrendered to that fact.   like, as i type this... it's 915p on a sat nite... !!! hey, that's almost a cure song!!! "10:15 saturday night"!!!!   ha ha ha.   well, shoot... it's 915p sat nite, n' yah... i really wish i could be out doing sumpthin'... nething!   i wish i could be watching a movie or well... like doing sumpthin' outside... but *sigh* then 'gain... on nites like these, when we stay in cos kaela's studying, i do sometimes get musik/djing stuff done.   u know? that's good 2.   this week, i'm thinking... well, i don't wanna make this announcement 2 prematurely, but i think i can actually release a benomix4jip by christmas!   we'll c... :-) yah, so that'd make me happy, n' if i had been out bowling last nite, i wouldn't have been werking on my musik stuff.   *sigh* i do wish i had better djing software.   i just have this crappy soundforge 4... well, i appreciate that andy gave it to me, but it's not the best tool 4 djing, n' it's pretty outdated, i guess...   i wonder if the soundforge lite that came w/ my soundblaster live! platinum has mp3 support. dunno...   *sigh* there's stuff i wanna buy, but *sigh* i dunno when i'll get these things.

ok, lemme sound like a selfish, li'l, disgusting brat 4 a sec n' talk 'bout some things i want...   no... seriously, it's not like i expect other ppl to get these things 4 me, so i don't think it's bratty 2 talk 'bout them.   i'm gonna buy these things 4 myself eventually... of course, it does sound materialistic, right?   well, frick! it's not that... it's just i wanna think 'bout some things i think i could use... *sigh* k, here goes:

• 1. new dj headfon monitors to replace the problematic numark 1s i bought from nelson.   recommended produkt: sony mdr.v700.dj
• 2. 15" flat panel lcd monitor.   recommended produkt: kds rad-5
• 3. dvd/vcd/mp3cdr player.   recommended produkt: samsung dvd-n501
• 4. ethernet system 4 kaela n' me. recommended produkt: unspecified
• 5. handspring eyemodule 2 (just a fun, stoopid, li'l tech toy).   recommended produkt: i guess that 1.
• 6. (ok, now i'm getting ridiculous n' talkin' 'bout things i prob'ly won't buy) a pair of pioneer cdj-1000 (scratching cd turntables that could replace my cdj-500 pair).   recommended produkt: well, i guess that 1.
• 7. (uhm, this is very unnecessary, but if i ever wanna play tennis w/ kaela) a pair of tennis shoes or xtrainer shoes.   recommended produkt: dunno, i just don't usually wear white shoes.
• 8. (ok, this is sumpthin' i don't need.) amd athlon xp processor n' muthaboard (aka "mobo"). recommended produkt: k, i don't really need an amd athlon xp, but i need sumpthin' better than this amd k6ii-300 i'm using right now!

ok, so u think i sound pretty materialistic, earthyl, n' bratty, right?   *sigh* well, shoot... honestly, i'll prob'ly buy some of the things on this list, but not all of them... unless i unexpectedly stumble 'pon a large 'mount of $$$ somehow.   heh heh... maybe @ 2morrow's stadium clean up i'll find a briefcase full of "c notes," right? i haven't heard of $100 bills being called "c notes" in a while.   do rappers still say "c notes" in their songs? dunno.

it's 105a.   so that scary werk mtg i mentioned, it turned out t be actually just a manager's mtg.   that's why it was in the late afternoon w/ no lunch or fud.   i was worried, if it was an all company mtg @ that, w/o fud, it'd hafta be bad news.   the managers have their mtgs @ those late afternoon times all the time.   no big deal, i don't think.   in fact, they looked decently cheerful as they exited.   i hope it was good news. *crosses fingers* i could really use some good news 'bout finances, career, economy, etc.

2nite, i went to taekwondo practice.   afterwards, i went home to pick up the beautiful kaela kang, then we met up w/ clarence, sally, raymond, laura, n' johnny @ durant fud ghetto.   we all ate @ vietnam village.   it was pretty cold outside 2nite.   we ate pretty late.

yesterday was phil's b.day.   happy b.day, phil!!! phil's in law skool @ university of oregon, in case u 4got.   2day is grace n' steve's wedding anniversary.   happy anniversary, grace n' steve!!! weddings, weddings, weddings! my cousin jennifer is getting married in texas 2morrow. congratulations!   well, i doubt she's reading this.   i did say that dave's engaged, right? i'm sure i did.   well, 1 more time, congratulations! u know, jeonq kang (scott) of medea sin, he n' his wife amy r pregnant.   kewl! congratulations!

look 4 more text here later!   [later] now it's almost noon.  oh, u know what happened?   my boss n' manager switched my day off from what i planned 4 this month.   u know how i need to take nov 30 off 4 the big taekwondo demo?   so i was gonna trade that fri 4 a mon.   well, in the end they gave me 2day off instead of that... so i'm not @ werk right now.   i'm in kaela's office.   ok, gotta go.

2day's halloween.   i wish i could say i have some wild, crazy plans 4 2nite.   seunghwan wants to go to the castro to c all the wild n' crazy stuff there.   he asked me to go w/ him, but i figure the beautiful kaela kang'll hafta do hw or study, so we shouldn't make ne big plans.   i do wanna hang out w/ seunghwan sometime.   things just somehow don't werk out.   he't had some big immigration prob, n' i meant to ask brandie 4 help, but i keep 4getting.   seunghwan's korean, but he lived in germany 4 a while.   he went to brown 4 college then moved out here 4 a job that disappeared.   *sigh* what a crazy chain of events!   now he can't look 4 a job cos he needs a werk visa.   hard.   so he's goinq back to korea 4 2 weeks soon to do some paperwerk.   he lives w/ chals in those hi.rise condos by 99 in albany.   i don't c chals these days.   he called me last fri 4 directions to a so. bay in.n.out burgers.   seunghwan told me they went to a church retreat this past weekend.   neway, this isn't seunghwan n' chals's journal! it's beno's journal.   i just wanna hang w/ seunghwan b4 he leaves.   i haven't cn ken yamaguchi in a while either.

so last nite i went to taekwondo practice.   as 1 might've expected 'twas a small turnout, but i want to go congratulate the team, 'least those that showed up.

[later]

"mercury conputers: proving that high price doesn't mean quality!"
-- from pc week magazine

i put that quote in my benoquotes section.   do u guys know 'bout my benoquotes section?   u c that 1 random quote that pops up on that g.book index page?   u can click the "benoquotes" link n' view a collection of quotes.   not only that, u can add to that list! woo hoo!   what more couldju ask 4, eh?

well, i know what more u could ask 4... why don'tchu click click click   kewl, huh?   that's the kari-out panda...   u can also find a quote in the benoquotes section relating to that panda.

well, right now it's evening; it's halloween evening.   it's a wed nite, yet i'm not @ taekwondo practice.   crazy, huh?!   i gave the demo team the nite off... after all, it's halloween nite.   me, i'm so sore!   i dunno if it's cos i was so lazy n' didn't exercise over the weekend or if it's cos the weather's colder now.   dunno.   well, i left werk this evening, drove 'cross the bridge 2wards home, then i went to solano/albany safeway to buy a few groceries.   solano ave was full of kids: some trick.or.treaters n' some just random teenage kids that wanted to wander the streets or sumpthin'.   it was hard to drive up solano.   after grocery shopping, i picked kaela up from werk.   then i drove home, n' i cooked jjajangmyuhn.   we ate.   we've been watching enterprise.   i want to werk on dj musik stuff 2nite.   as u know, i'm trying to put more effort into it all since i have a chance to dj @ bellagio... n' that means a lot to me.

2morrow, we're having a company mtg.   i'm worried cos the mtg isn't during lunchtime.   if the mtg isn't during lunchtime, then it must be bad news... *sigh* i dunno... i really don't know...   *sigh* will i have a job next yr?!   grrr! i don't wanna hafta think 'bout this, man... well, shoot... it can't be that bad of news, right? couldn't be like ne "company's going under" kind'a stuff... it cms like it'll be normal bizness 4 a while... it cms like it. *sigh* i dunno.

there's gonna be a buffy musical episode?!?! i wanna c it!

i'm sittin' in my car in the parking lot of a strip mall in san rafael.   i'm wrappin' up my lunchbreak.   i had burger king 4 lunch, whopper meal.   i came to this strip mall to get "free after rebate" stuff from compusa n' staples.   from compusa i got a pen stylus n' a cellfon handsfree kit.   from staples, i got nuthin'!!!   they absolutely suck!!!   they lured me in w/ free cd-rs, a digital video capture device, a mic/headphone set, n' a webcam.   none were in stock!   they suck!

we all know it's gonna rain 2day.   all the weather 4casts told us to bring umbrellas w/ us this morn.   it's noon now, n' so far lt hasn't rained.   the beautiful kaela kang is s'pposed to come to my office to meet me 4 lunch, but i can't cm to reach her cellfon.   yesterday, i tried to pick up her "repaired" startac 7868, but when ken checked it, we found out they didn't really repair it.   grr!!! last nite, ken ran out of time b4 he could switch kaela's service back to the loaner fon, but he got 'round to doing it this morn.   still, i'm just getting her v.mail!   my cowerker benn brought jones the puppy!   she's gotta c it.

i think i fattened myself up this weekend.   i really feel it!   [later] i ate so much this weekend, so much bad.4.me fud.   lots'a aisukuriimu/gelato, pizza yesterday w/ ken... i didn't exercise @ all this weekend.   it's as if i were trying to fatten up 4 winter, or to be cooked 4 thanksgiving or christmas dinner.

[later] so yesterday, i brought roland down to san jo.   i needed to pick up my winter clothes, n' he needed to buy a fon from ken.   we went to my san jo house.   my mom fed us pumpkin pie.   she could tell roland's nec was injured by the way he sat.   we went to milpitas.   we ate round table pizza w/ ken, grace, grace's cousin, n' ken's employee.   roland bought a nokia 8260 on an at&t plan.   i drove home via 101 n' 92.   i stopped by hyun's apt n' traded my mix cd 4 his.   then i drove us home.

i can't believe daylite savings time is over now.   now it really feels like fall!   last nite i cooked oyako donburi 4 us.   kaela made smoothies.   we watched toy story on abc 7.   i saw many family oriented ads.   i saw ads w/ good asian.am representation; that's good.

2day i drowsily woke up.   kaela n' i started some laundry.   i dropped her off @ her werk then went to my werk.   she came to visit me 4 lunch after taking care of the laundry @ home.   we played a li'l w/ my cowerker benn's puppy jones.   it's growing!   we ate lunch @ long life noodle co. by my office.   it was very bizzy there.   it was very bizzy there.   we shared spring rolls, kaela had chicken chow fun, n' i had pad thai.   i tell u! i eat so much these days!   n' i'm so shaggy!!! am i putting on a thick coat 4 winter? fat n' fur. *sigh* that's not good!

[late] now i'm home.   oh yah! right b4 lunch, i found kaela's handspring under the passenger seat of her car.   man! we're both so relieved.   i think the compact flash reader springboard module is a great idea!   well, late this afternoon, it did rain.   it rained only a li'l, but it rained.   so last nite, after i got home, hyun sent me a msg on bronx's.   he sed, after hearing my cd he thinks bellagio would really consider asking me to dj there.   (when i talk to ppl, i hafta keep explaining that bellagio is the new korean nite club that replaced avaron.) really, as a dj, this is pretty much my dream gig.   to some djs, i'm sure it sounds smalltime or even "cheesy."   however, 4 me, it's my ideal venue.   i guess i'd be like thz marky mark's character in rockstar.   of course, i haven't cn that movie yet or nething, i'm just goin' off the trailer (n' guessin' what the plot is).   yah, i'd really like to dj there!

2day, owen called my 'bout 2by2.net.   i told him i wasn't interested n' had heard 'bout it from jason, sam, n' darlene.   he took it personally@ 1st, but eventually i explained to him that it just wasn't my thing.

man, last nite (as in fri nite cos it's 150a...): 2 much traffik!   it took me what... 2 hrs to get home?!   then we got ready to go out.   i took the beautiful kaela kang out to dinner @ takara in j.town.   it took us like 45 mins to get to sf thru all the halloween partygoer traffik!   then when we got to j.town, i actually had to use the j.town garage 4 the 1st time in my life.   i had to change our 830p reservation to 900p.   i put my name down as "beno," n' i think the host that answered the fon thought i'd be japanese n' called me "binosan."   it was as really authentic restaurant.   i read 'bout it as being 1 of the bay area's top 100 restaurants.   being there reminded me that japan actually does have a culture of its own.   2 often, in the bay area, i c japanese ppl who... well, don't cm to show ne particular "japanese" culture, so i 4get what japanese culture is.   being in takara made me think otherwise.   it made me more curious to c what it's really like in japan.   the restaurant was kind'f expensive tho'.   i ordered this uh... pollock egg tea soup rice thing... i think u call that kind of dish ochazuke.   neway, it was $11, way overpriced; but that's s'pposedly their specialty.   we also had a bit of sushi, which was really good.   i wasn't totally full tho'.   we walked 'round j.town, n' we bought a green tea gelato crepe from sophie's crepes.   we always c that place, but on fri nite, we actually got to patronise it.   we took a fun neoprint @ the korean neoprint machine.   well, we left j.town n' went to darren wong's housewarming party.   darren greeted us n' sed we were the only 1s of "his" friends to show up.   the other ppl were his housemates' friends.   i recognised a coupl'f the guests from cal, but they weren't ppl i really knew.   1 gurl i recognised as my friend / neighbour leonard koike's exgf... or 'least it was a gurl he cmed to liked n' hung 'round a lot... dunno...   i didn't mention nething cos she obviously isn't w/ leonard nemore, n' i soon realised she was darren's roommate's gf.   darren graduated from cal in 1999 in english n' is now studying law @ usf.   he went to cibc church n' knows a lot of ppl that i used to hang out w/ or that kaela used to hang out w/.   kaela n' i both sed it was neat to talk to some1 'bout ol' college days.   like, sometimes we talk to younger ppl n' reminisce 'bout college; but last nite we reminisced 'bout college in a diff way! it was truly in the past 4 all parties.   it's diff.   really, i don't mind hanging w/ younger ppl, but when i hang w/ ppl closer to my age... well, it's a welcomed experience cos it just doesn't happen so much these days.   i dunnno what happened to ppl that actually graduated w/ me, my yr.... or started cal w/ me.   i guess most of them either moved to the silicon valley, to sf, or went out of state 4 grad/law skool.   some prob'ly also moved / moved back to socal.   well, toby's 'round... in fact, i think he tried to call me this morn.

so 2day was such ... oh... i mean, yesterday... it's 156a right now.   yesterday was such a frickin' lethargic day.   i woke up.   kaela was having her friend diana come over, so they could werk on their outbreak investigation thingy.   i realised i was gonna get kicked out of the bedroom cos they needed kaela's 'puter, so i hurried to the bathroom, showered, n' got dressed.   [ok, the server crashed, n' i was frustrated.   i stopped updated 4 the nite, n' now it's morn, n' i'm back.] i werked on my dj stuff in the living room, while kaela n' diana werked on their outbreak investigation stuff in our room.   we had such a lazy day after that.   kaela n' i just sat 'round the living room being totally lazy!   finally, 'round dinner time, we got our butts out the door.   we ate dinner @ pyungchang soondubujip.   it was really good.   then we went grocery shopping @ pusan market.   we bought a lotta stuff.   that free gift 4 spending over $50 n' then the nicer free gift 4 spending over $100 r somg good incentives.... well, 'least they motivate us.   after that, we came home.   we watched the korean movie kara on vcd.   it was a really kewl movie!   i'd like u to c it someday.   i dunno... i thought it was really good.   like, some of the other korean movies we've cn r so frickin' depressing.   this 1... it's much better.   i guess the most famous actor/actress in the movie is kim heesun.   darren had her posters up in his room.   she's pretty popular, pretty famous.   yah, all the actors n' actresses r pretty young.   they were all younger than me.   the main character, played by song seunghoon, he looks 2 young 4 his role, i think.   like, how could some1 have such a nice job @ his age?   i dunno if it's a really nice job, but they send him travelling n' stuff, so it sounds like he's a li'l bit up the corporate ladder... like, not a manager, but 'least it looks like a decent job.   the last important actor/actress in the movie is kim hyunjoo... that's a common name, but i had just cn that name in a korean newspaper a li'l earlier.   yah, it was her.

after the movie, we carved a jack.o.lantern.   u gotta c it!   we used this pumpkin carving kit i bought from walgreen's.   it actually turned out pretty good.   ok, our secret is that we used a stencil, a pattern.   the jack.o.lantern isn't a face; it's 3 ghosts saying boo.   out of the selection of patterns, from easy, moderate, n' challenging, they called it "moderate."   it was fun.

ok, now i'm gonna go to san jo soon.   i'm bringing roland.   he saw some ad @ freecom cellular in berkeley on uni, but man... after he described it to me, i know it's such tricky advertising!   they show a picture of a nokia 8290 w/ a caption that sez "free!"   then they go on to describe a kewl verizon plan.   grrr!   i know exactly what's up! a nokia 8290 only werks on a cingular plan, not on verizon!   if u purchase a cingular plan, they might give u the 8290 4 free... but u can't get that verizon plan w/ the nokia 8200 series.   ken does have the 8260 on an at&t plan, since the 8260 werks w/ at&t, but there's no 8200 fon 4 verizon yet. *sigh* that does suck that companies r so slow w/ making cdma versions of their fons!   still, verizon werks well, werks fine 4 me.   if only the u.s. had a gsm system all set up like asia, then we could use cingular n' not worry 'bout lousy service...   of course, asia has all the kewl fons, n' the u.s. gets crap!   i'm also gonna stop by home to pick up winter clothes.   i'll also be going to home depot w/ ken, i think... oh yah, i'm bringing roland down... hrm..   well, on my way back, i'm gonna swing by hyun's place to give him my cd... he talked to me 'bout djing @ bellagio w/o even hearing my cd, but man... like, altho' i don't think my cd's the most professional thing... after all, i made it in 1 afternoon after 2 takes... but i gotta show them that i seriously mix korean gayo. ('member that's "gah yo," nuthin' "gay" this or that...)

well, the beautiful kaela kang n' i taught the white belt class last nite.   it went ok.   i think we tried to cram 2 much in 1 nite, tho'.   we gotta remember they're just white belts.   afterwards, we 168ed w/ roland.   i called raymond b4 we went to 168, n' i talked to several ppl in texas 4 collegiates.   i also talked to raymond earlier.   brandie n' bruce went to texas to watch.   man, it sounds like they're having so much fun! *sigh* in a way, i wish i could be there, but i know i have so much to take care of n' can't do stuff like that these days.   *sigh* so i can't even go to texas 4 my cousin's wedding.   i feel so bad 'bout that.   this week i'm gonna werk 5 days, as i'm going to werk 2morrow.   last week, i werked 5 days.   next week, i'll werk 5 days.   *sigh* it's like going back to the original werk skedule, what "normal" ppl werk.   well, shoot... these days, do "normal" ppl have jobs? or r all "normal" ppl laid off?   well, s'pposedly after we finish up this yr, i'll either go back to werkin' 5 days a week 4 my company, or else my company won't be 'round nemore or sumpthin'...   dunno.   i guess if i were to get a diff job, i'd most likely be werking 5 days a week, unless i found a job like my old ebmud job where we got every other fri off 4 werking 9 hr days.   well, i'm really tired n' sleepy right now, of course, so i'll go to bed soon.   nething else i wanna say right now?   *sigh* hrm... can't really think of nething, can i?   2nite, kaela n' i'll prob'ly go to darren's (idigu) housewarming party in sf after going to dinner somewhere in sf.   no specific plans yet.   i assume i'll c ken sometime this weekend cos i need to pick up kaela's repaired fon n' prob'ly bring roland down to buy a new fon.

[later, 8 sumpthin' in the morning] i'm still @ home, i haven't left 4 werk yet.   man!   hyun pmed (personal msged) me 'bout djing @ club bellagio.   he sed it's a very "unofficial" offer.   man... seriously, this'd be like a dream, u know?   but man, do i have time?   shoot. this'd be really kewl.   u know i'd love it.   the venue is perfect 4 me.   the things is, he doesn't even know how perfect this venue is 4 me... heh... i mean, i don't mean to brag, but i personally think i really could fill the job.   i was planning on sending him off a copy of benomix3jip this week, but dang... i've been so bizzy.   really, i think, if the club heard the cd, they'd be decently interested in me.   hyun sed that they'd really love to find a dj that plays korean musik, n' yah! what is it i do?!   well, especially, if they hear benomix3jip... (i know that was a sentence fragment; that's why it receieved an ellipsis.   n' that last sentence is a possible run.on.)

[a li'l later] man, i'm still @ home, still haven't left yet.   i had to wake up kaela.   i'll drive her to campus 'gain 2day as i've been doing most this week.   i heard nellie furtado's "turn out the lights" on z95.7's gene n' julie morning show.   so how is nellie furtado not edie brickell?!?! she sounds like edie brickell, n' her musik sounds like edie brickell's.   heh! well, i just had to make a musik comment not related to korean musik!   *sigh* well, i'm still prette excited 'bout what hyun sed.

i think 2day's windows xp's "official" release date.   i installed win xp on kaela's 'puter a long time 'go now.   last nite, she was having so much fun playing w/ all the included multimedia programs.   man! it's more of a software package than just an operating system!

do ppl always look older / more mature in pics than real life?   [now i'm @ werk.] it cms to werk both ways, 4 good or 4 bad.   just recently, i've had this particular thought.   most gasoo/singers, celebrities, the 1s who r young, they look older / more mature in pics.   they prob'ly like that cos otherwise they'd look like the "kids" that they really r.   also, like on blind date, i c "real ppl" on tv, right?   to me, they usually look older than they really r!   u know, some ppl say asian ppl don't show their age as much as ppl of other races.   sort'f in consolation n' sort'f sincerely, i'd say asian ppl don't necessarily age "better," they just age "differently."   neway, since most of the ppl i c on american tv ain't asian, maybe that the reason they look older to me.   neway, sometimes to me, hearing stuff like "asians age better" is 1 of those model minority (in a slightly diff from normal way) things that almost offend me.   i.e., it sort'f exoticises the asian race.   sure, if i look @ it that way, it sucks!   neway, sometimes looking "mature" is good, n' sometimes looking "old" is bad.   neway, it's not that pics always make ppl look older.   that'd be an absurd generalisation.   it's just that recently i noticed some examples of it, i guess.   i like pics!   4 the most part, pics r a good thing!

[later] now i'm @ lunch, a late lunch.   i'm @ david's taqueria 'gain gettin' the exact same thing i ordered last time: chicken burrito w/ black beans, hot salsa, n' whole wheat tortilla.   i liked it last time.   my mom thinks i don't get 'nuff sleep.   these days, @ nite, i fall asleep right away!   i have no probs falling asleep! [later, after lunch] i talked to ken.   i like chatting w/ ken.   i like when we can talk talk, not just talk bizness.   i'm sure he thinks so 2... cos so many guys just want to buy things from him n' talk bizness.   me n' ken, we go way back.   hey! so dave yee is engaged!   he recently proposed to emily in hawaii.

from a peanuts comic strip: charlie brown sez, "yes, ma'am. i've decided to quit school.. i'll probably never amount to anything anyway... i'm going to devote the rest of my life to making my dog happy.. no, ma'am. i haven't discussed this yet with my mother and father... but i talked it over with my dog, and he seemed to think it's a great idea..

[later] it took me like 2 hrs to drive home from werk 2nite!!! such bad traffik!!!   i talked to raymond, jerome n' laura... kaela n' i both talked to them.   the cal team is in the lead after poomsae (forms)!   woohoo!   kewl!   2morrow's the gyuhroogi (sparring) competition.   i have dinner reservations 4 kaela n' me.   we gotta hurry out!   we're late!   i werked 2 late, then the traffik.   kaela werked late 2!   rn'tchu gladju checked to c if i updated more?

i'm finishing up my lunchbreak.   4 lunch i ate chicken curry leftovers.   then i went to the village mail to browse.   oh yah, i got gas 1st.   i bought a minute maid 16 oz oj from a machiue @ the beacon gas station.   it co$t $1.25.   @ 1st, i was attracted to the fruitopia, but i knew the same sized oj was a better deal.   the bottled oj isn't usually as tasty as the carton oj.   i browsed macy's n' walked 'round the mall.   i need winter clothes.   well shoot, i need to pick up my winter clothes from san jo!   i shouldn't waste 2 much $$$ on new clothes.   doesn't cm like i have so much more summer clothes than winter clothes?   or is it that, in the summer, i always say it cms like i have more winter clothes than summer clothes???   i gotta save $$$ 4 christmas presents!   *sigh* sure, i wouldn't mind winning the lottery right 'bout now.

oh yah!!! yesterday, on our dss, we lost all our pay per view channels!   what's up?!?!?!   *sigh* [a li'l later] i just called ken 'bout it.   he told us to remove the dss card n' not use it.   the company's like crackin' down.   geez! that sucks!   crap!

[a li'l later] i need a haircut.   i feel so shaggy!   most male models n' hip tv/movie stars these days have shaggily long hair, it cms.   they make it look kewl in print n' on screen; but in real life, 'least 4 me, shaggy hair just looks shaggy! *sigh* i hope we hang out w/ seunghwan after practice 2nite.   after teaching, i don't plan on practicing all that much more.   [a li'l later] i started a greedy, shamelessly selfijh list of material things i wouldn't mind having.   (of course, i made the list on my handspring!) i think this is ok.   it's not overly materialistic, right?   i'm not planning to buy all these things; i'm just pondering the finer things in life n' imagining what i'm werkin' 2wards... sort'a... [li'l later] i haven't heard from phil in a very long time i wonder how he is.

[later, early evening] last nite i was thinking 'bout how college kids' lives now r diff from how my college life was.   obviously hangin' out online on bronx's junkyard made me think of this.   most students in "our" day didn't have cell fons.   it was pretty rare back in those days.   well, of course some kids had them, but it was nuthin' like it is 2day!   'member, 4 my b.day jr yr (the b.day b4 jr yr, 1995, my 20th b.day), my friends got ne a pager.   wow, that stuff was hi.tech n' en vogue back in those days!   ppl still use pagers these days, yah; but it's prob'ly mostly 4 bizness.   i guess pager voicemail might be still useful.   well, back in my day, i'd receive a page on my pager, n' then i'd need to find a fon to call back on.   toby n' i had a way to call friends using campus fons!   that was so kewl back then; but nowadays since most college students carry cell fons, it's pretty unnecessary.   sometimes, i'd be studying or hanging out @ a friend's apt.   then i'd need to ask, "can i borrow ur fon?" or sumpthin' like that.   these days, if i'm over @ a friend's house, i just use my cell fon.   when i'm @ home, i just use my cell fon.   i use the land line, the home fon line, 4 dial up internet connection.   some ppl'd say i'm primitive 4 still using 56k dial up instead of dsl or 'least cable modem.   eh! whatever!   dsl's 2 expen$ive!   well, back to the topic of pagers, don't 4get that i have my webpage 'bout pager code!   ah, that was such a big thing!!! *sigh* man, those were the days! *sigh*

[later] now i'm in my way home.   this afternoon @ werk, my boss asked me to help him figure out a korean name.   u know, this ueekend, laeca's dad was talking to us 'bout korean/chinese names n' hanja.   i took out my hangeul / hanja chart, the 1 i bought in korea in 1999.   i showed him my name: myuhngrok / minglu.   right away, he translated it as "bright green" instead of "bright rust."   of course, i already know from liane that the rok/lu character in my name refers to some wiseman charcter in chinese legends.

so after werk, i drove home to berkeley, picked the kaela kang up from in front of yali's cafe.   then we went to andronico's to grocery shop n' to buy a halloween pumpkin.   ah, i 4get how kewl andronico's is.   it reminded me of all those times i shopped @ pw super(market) when i was a kid.   pw super is the supermarket close to my middle skool n' sort'f close to my hi skool.   it's like andronico's, pretty fancy, but i guess i sort'f took it 4granted in those days.   i mean, i love safeway, n' it's great! but andronico's has all sorts'f kewl products! it's got good produce... n' just so many diff things!   like, just looking in the frozen fud section, u c all sorts'a kewl stuff.   hrm... so i went to trader joe's n' andronico's yesterday!   neway, we hurried home n' got ready 4 practice.   we went to practice.   the competition team leaves 4 university of texas austin early, early thurs morn 4 the national collegiate taekwondo championships.   wow... 2nite was there last ucmap practice b4 the competition.   they're all on weight, i think.   some of them look so skinny!   i can c it!   well, after practice (which ran pretty late cos we watched the team do their poomsae), some of us went to get boba (after showering etc, n' after the team members got their warm ups).   laura, jerome, clarence, raymond, johnny, kaela, n' me.   raymond didn't really have a boba cos he's barely on weight.   well, we got home so late.   originally, i was gonna cook chicken curry 2nite.   that's why we went to andronico's!   but since we got home so late, we just ate rice n' banchan.   it's 1245a right now, n' we're watching blind date.   i feel so tired n' sleepy.   my left eye hurts.   it's been hurting 2day, i dunno why.   kaela thinks she lost her handspring, but we dunno 4 sure yet.   maybe it was stolen; we don't know.   she last saw it on sun on her way to sf 4 that outbreak investigation group thing.

[later, b4 lunch] on sun, i changed my handspring's screen cover.   right now, i still have some bubbles, just a few.   they disappear after a while.   i hope we find kaela's handspring!   man, should i buy a new monitor?   my eyes hurt; they feel strained!   i think it's from using the 'puter 2 much @ werk! *sigh* what can i do?!   what should i have 4 lunch?!   i can't believe my car looks so dirty 'gain when i got it washed last week!   i hear it might rain on sun.   *sigh* so... how r u?   yah, let me know how u r!   also i slightly changed my g.book, so feel free to sign it again!

i've been sort'f bizzy all day.   4 lunch, i drove out to noah's bagels in greenbrae n' bought 0.5 dozen bagels after depositting some checks @ the atm.   right now, noah's sells pumpkin bagels.   last night i passed out / fell asleep right after eating.   that's awful! *sigh* these days @ taekwondo demo team practice, i need to yell 'lot, give commands.   kaela sez i'm yelling w/ my throat n' not my diaphragm.   i try to use my diaphragm, but she still sez i'm using my throat.   i guess i am cos my throat gets all hoarse.   there're these mcyukyuk commercials in the bay area, usually 4 the mini.meal deals.   in them, a women speaks w/ a really raspy voice.   kaela always makes fun of her cos she sez it sounds like she needs to cough, to expectorate.   neway, she thinks i end up sounding like that raspy.voiced woman after yelling.   i know i'm doing something wrong, but i guets i don't know exactly how to fix it.   please keep in mind that, as a kid, i did play clarinet bassoon, so i do know 'bout exhaling usinq the diaphragm!   i was also in church choir now n' then n' a church fellowship worship team leader!!!   so why it it that i can't project my voice well?!?!   toby 1nce made fun of me 'boua this: 1nce we saw phil walkin' near the corner of university n' shattuck by burger king.   we were in my car, probably the volvo in its final days.   i yelled out the window, "phil!!!!"   toby mocked me cos i was yelling w/ such strain yet not producing much volume. *sigh*   this problem annoys me.   hrm...   in a way, i wish i could take vocal/voice/singing lessons.   however, eh! i don't have the time, n' what if i had to sing a whole bunch'a stuff that i don't wanna sing?!   also, why should i waste $$$ on sumpthin' like that? $$$ n' time!   maybe i should just spend more time @ noraebang!!!   ha ha ha.

[later in the afternoon] i can't believe daylite savings time ends this weekend!   october's gonna yield to november!   wow, fall always makes me think like this!   back in hs, fall meant homecoming season.   that was @ least a li'l important.   not important @ all now of course!   nowadays, what does thit time of fall/autumn make me think 'bout?   i wonder how this winter'll be.   how the holidays'll be.   kaela n' i'll spend thanksgiving w/ my mom n' christmas w/ her family.   i wonder what i'll get ppl 4 presents.   i wonder if i'll still have a job next yr!   i wonder if i'll have the same job.   i've werked @ this company 4 over 3 yrs now!!!!!   crazy, huh?

[on my way home] i can't believe 2morrow's thurs!   [later, after practice] well, i'm waiting 4 kaela, after showering.   i'm sitting in the foyer in btwn the men's n' women's locker roms in the rsf.   2nite, i was running s late on m way to werkout.   i had to stay @ the office pretty late.   2nite was the1st evening of the season where i had to drive home in the dark.   crazy, huh?   well, i got home n' decided to cook dinner b4 practice.   argh, i was so behind skedule! so many things to do!   kaela was stuck @ werk late 2 but planned on going to taekwondo demo team practice w/ me.   i had to pack her stuff n' bring it w/ me.   sam (lee)'s gonna borrow my big adidas bag n' take it to ncta.   ppl like to borrow my bag 4 these faraway tournaments.   well, i hope it brings him good luck.   he's also gonna wear my old embroidered belt, the 1 mijung (kim) from yongindae gave me.   [later] now we're home.   we ate the chicken curry.   i'm so full. *sigh* i hope i don't fall asleep on a full stomache.   then, 'gain, i wanna get a decent amount of sleep.   hey! 2morrow nite, i'm teaching the white belt class w/ kaela!   we're subbing 4 johnny!   kewl, huh?   i gotta remember to bring my boombox.

last nite, after practice, the beautiful kaela kang n' i came home n' had berry cherry banana smoothies.   practice went so late that we missed the simpsons.   actually, we saw the closing credits, i guess.   2day, i woke up refreshed.   i ate a bowl of raisin nut bran.   i dropped kaela off @ yali's cafe.   i sped off to werk.   @ lunch, i drove off to san rafael n' 1nce 'gain bought groceries from trader joe's.   i ate a veggie wrap from there 4 lunch.   i went to kragen n' exchanged windshield wiper blade refills.   my car needs an oil change.   soon it'll need its 60,000 mi service!   *sigh*

which company makes those pants w/ the deep pockets so u have room 4 ur pda/palmtop, ur (cell)fon, wallet, keys, etc.?   dockers? i 4get what they call those pants, but they should call them "digital pants" or maybe "digipants."   i think pants w/ deep pockets would be nice.   i like carrying my cellfon n' handspring w/ me, but i don't wanna be a slave to teknology, of course.   yesterday, i slept a lot!   what a relaxing sun(day)!   now it's mon.   am i ready 4 'nother week?   ooh boy!   i guess so.

[later, afternoon] i had lunch @ la salsa in "the village" mall.   i had a chicken grande burrito.   this la salsa has mango salsa n' habanero salsa.   that's good.   hrm... yesterday, i had such a big appetite.   it cmed like i kept eating all afternoon.   neway, 2day, after i ate, i strolled 'round the mall a li'l.   i went into br n' gap.   they had some very good sales, but i didn't buy nething.   maybe i'll shop 'round some more this week during my lunchbreaks, but we'll c.   still i'r not really in the mood to waste $$$ on clothes right now.   i gotta take care of my car n' computer n' bills... utilities, rent...   clothes?   heh heh... i'll just keep wearing what i've got, n' we'll if i start to look to out of style that i'll be in style!   retro/vintage.

i didn't mention yet.   last nite, the beautiful kaela kang n' i watched the movie memento on dss.   a while 'go i heard 'bout 2 diff movies w/ similar titles: the american movie memento n' the korean movie memento mori.   last nite we watched memento, but also i actually have the vcd of memento mori.   we haven't watched that yet.   memento's 'bout a guy w/ no short term memory.   earlier, yesterday afternoon, i watched event horizon while kaela was out.   i knew she wouldn't want to c it cos it's a horror movie.

please start from yesterday's entry!!! sorry 4 the detour!   that's what happens when i write a journal entry late @ nite.   well, the wedding ceremony was in an episcopal church in oakland, near samwon kalbijip.   it was pretty religious, the most traditionally christrian wedding i've been to in a long time.   it really got me thinking 'bout religion.   not that i decided i wanna go back to going to church every sun, but it just got me thinking 'bout stuff.   when i used to go to church, of course i spent time praying.   in a way, i do miss that.   i'm mostly talkin' 'bout individual, silent prayer, i think; but maybe not.   neway, 1 thought that crossed my mind is how i'd definitely want my kids to have the option of going to church.   i definitely won't force them, n' i definitely hope they won't get sucked into ne cults!   however, i want them to have the option of going to a healthy christian church.   what if my future kids want to pursue some other religion?   *sigh* hrm... well, i guess, to some extent, i'd let them; but i don't think i feel so obligated to show them 1sthand other religions so in depth, nor do i feel i'd be all that competent @ such a task.   well, after the ceremony, we went to east moraga 4 the reception / dinner.   there were hors d'ouvres, n' then we had a mixed korean/european dinner, buffet style.   the party had mostly disco musik, n' we left right b4 the cake cutting.   i congratulated the bride n' groom; but it's funny that i was never officially introduced to the groom.   after we left, we did sumpthin' very out.of.the.ordinary!

we planned to meet up w/ a bunch of kang relatives in the fisherman's wharf sf hilton n' eat "mussels???"   it turned out to be mirugai.   neway, kaela drove her dad n' jay back to our place, while i took their mom n' jeanna to pusan market to buy condiments 4 the mirugai.   we worried it'd be closed but discovered that pusan market's open till midnite!!!   we bought chogochujang n' wasabi 4 the mirugai n' gochujang 4 home.   pusan market was crowded!   it's the korean "party safeway"!!!   neway, we went back to the apt.   i changed clothes.   we all did, 'cept 4 jeanna, who didn't have a change of clothes.   then the 6 of us crammed into my car n' went to sf!   crazy!   well, we did what we planned to do.   we ate mirugai w/ a bunch of kang relatives.   they talked a long time 'bout the troubles w/ american/english names.

[later, sun afternoon] ok, so now we've dropped kaela's parents n' jay off @ oak, n' they should be well on their way back to socal.   it's cold in our living room right now.   this morn, we went out to dimsum @ the place in the 99 ranch mall.   we went really early.   it's such a cold, cloudy day 2day in berkeley.   i'm glad ishak n' amy's wedding was yesterday, when it was blue skyed, altho' still not 2 warm.   i just want to hibernate.   kaela hast'a go out to sf this afternoon 4 her outbreak investigation group thingy.   honestly, i never fully understand what these publik health activities r all 'bout.   i don't think it's officially "4 skool," but it's not just "volunteer werk" either.   i guess that's just how publik health grad skool is... dunno.   she gave me a bit of shopping list 4 2day.   (my sister) grace n' steve r supposed to be up here 4 a wedding 2day, n' maybe we'll c them.   this weekend, i did 'lot of driving w/ 6 ppl in the car.   funny.

2day was me n' the beautiful kaela kang's 21st monthversary.   it's been a very bizzy day.   after werk last nite, i rushed home to clean the apt.   as she sed she would, jeanna actually came over n' helped us clean!   after we did 'bout all we could do.   i took the 2 kang daughters to dinner @ khana peena indian restaurant on solano.   we had some good indian fud, n' i tried taj mahal indian beer.   4 an appetizer, we had lamb tikki.   jeanna ordered the chicken tikki masala.   kaela ordered this okra dish.   i ordered karahi lamb n' a cashew n' golden raisin naan.   it was all pretty good.   after dinner, kaela n' jeanna went to pick up their parents n' jay, n' i went home to finish some housechores.   well, we're lodging the kang family ok in our living room.   her parents r on the sofabed, n' jay sleeps on cushions on the floor.   we had some spare blankets.

well, 2day we went to a wedding.   the groom was ishak kang, kaela's young uncle.   i guess u could say 2nd uncle.   the bride was amy bingham.   ... continued on next journal entry!!!

it's a li'l after midnite, n' the beautiful kaela kang n' i r watching blind date on upn44.   these days, we've been watching the simpsons on the los angeles fox 11 instead of sf upn44.   i'm mad @ upn44 4 gettin' rid of the 1130p simpsons.   2nite's blind date has 2 black couples.   last nite, when i saw 2nite's preview, i commented that the old show love connection had all black participants every thurs.   man! i doubt i'll ever c an asian/asian couple on blind date or ne equivalent show. *sigh* man, i always say i hate that 'bout american media: u can have caucasian/caucasian couples, african/african couples, or else some mixed couples, but u absolutely can't show asian/asian couples!

neway, what have i been up to?   after werk yesterday, i went to the berkeley office depot to return those extra stylii.   right now i've writing w/ then generic pen stylus, the 1 that's not as good as the bic e.3.   still, it's ok n' easier to write w/ thtn normal stylii cos it allows a much more natural grip.   neway, after getting my $15 back, i went to northside safeway to buy some groceries.   i saw garth there on my way out.  i care home, n' kaela was doing laundry, lots of it.  i made guacamole, n' kaela made quesadillas.  i went to taekwondo practice, n' kaela went to her hip hop dance class in emeryville.  the competition teament to the other room to practice poomsae, so i had to lead class 4 a li'l bit.  we had a li'l bit of demo practice.   then we had a special send off 4 jason, who's leaving to chejudo, korea 4 the world taekwondo championships.  man, that's so kewl! crazy, huh?  i dropped of johnny, raymond, n' roland.  then i came home, n' we ate more mexican fud n' drank smoothies, n' watched tv.  now i've gone full circle!

[later, morn] good morning.   'gain, how r u?   *sigh* i was a li'l late to werk this morn.   after dropping off kaela, i sped off, raced off to werk.   i hope never get a speeding ticket on my way to werk.   i drive fast cos i worry my manager'll get mad @ me 4 being late.   *sigh* i wish i had a job closer to home.

[later, after lunch] i went to dave's tacqueria 4 lunch n' had a good chicken burrito.   then i strolled 'round the mall a li'l.   the chicken burrito was very good.   it had some kind of steued or roasted chicken in it... i guess stewed, but it also reminded me of rotisserie chicken.   the tacqueria is owned by this guy who also owns a deli he callt dave's wildside.   they used to be in 2 nearby locations, but now he combined both shops into1.   i didn't go to the deli much, but i 'member 1tym i brought kaela there n' we ordered a thai dish, n' the owner bragged how his wife's vietnamese, so he maket good asian fud.   i guess, as an old, caucasian man, he felt he needed to buy himself some credibility.   the thai fud wasn't bad.   the owner wore this tool apron that time.   i guessed he was bizzy doing some construction / rennovation werk.   however, i saw him w/ the tool apron 'gain 2day n' realised he keeps cooking tools in the pockets!   interesting!   neway, as i started to say, after eating, i strolled 'round the mall.   i looked @ some shoes in the shoe pavillion n' @ some accessories, housewares, n' clothes @ marsralls... or it ross? i 4get! i didn't buy nething.

kaela sez i have some typos in my recent entries, so i gotta go bacz n' edit, but i can't do that from my office thanks to the netwerk nazi.   *sigh* i wanna thank "llarei" n' "cnangel2003" 4 signing my g.book!   thank u very much.   llamrei mentions that blind date does sometimes have asian/asian couples!   oh! i totally stand corrected! thanks 4 sharing!

i found sumpthin interesting on the net, some name analysis thingies.   of course, it't mottly hocus pocus superstition, but it's very interesting!

Beno

Your name of Beno gives you a highly sensitive, idealistic, and intuitive nature. You could be very expressive and creative in the arts, music, or drama. However, there is a lack of practicality and business judgment which could limit your success. You feel and sense much that you do not fully understand, and you can be deeply influenced through the thoughts and feelings of others without realizing just how you are being affected. Others are inclined to take advantage of your generosity and friendliness and then, when there is a lack of reciprocation, you can feel very despondent and disillusioned. Moods are a problem as you can be highly inspired one minute, and the next become quite irritated and annoyed over some ill-timed remark or lack of consideration on the part of someone close to you. You could suffer through nervous breakdowns, as well as disturbed thoughts, poor memory, or disorders in the fluid functions.

Bernard

Your name Bernard gives you a strong sense of responsibility in business and material affairs, and the practicality and determination to make a success of anything you undertake. Your ability to organize and direct the efforts of others enables you to excel in any managerial position because you have the ability to grasp the concept of a goal complete with an understanding of the steps to be taken. This name has allowed you to develop depth and breadth of mind. You are able to retain facts, to grasp new information to your existing store of knowledge. You never seem to be out of your depth of understanding. For these reasons others who may not have the same quickness of mind classify you as a "know it all" and, although you may be highly respected, this characteristic is unlikely to endear you to your associates. You have a very responsible nature, are capable and mature, and are willing to assume a position as a pillar of the community. You are quite healthy, but possible trouble areas are found in the generative organs.

Kaela
Your first name of Kaela has made you happiest when you are expressing in some creative, artistic way, and not conforming to strict routine. In a large group of comparative strangers, you are quiet and rather shy, unable to express yourself, not really wanting to become involved in conversation. On the other hand, among friends with whom you feel at ease, you are expressive, witty, and quite charming. These contrasting natures make it difficult for people to understand you and can lead to friction in your personal life. You are deep, philosophical, and refined, but your extremely sensitive nature causes you to become depressed and self-pitying over any real or imagined slight. If you are not careful, people take advantage of your generous nature. You find the beauties of nature, fine music, art, and literature--all the deeper things of life--inspiring. The reserved, sensitive side of your nature brings aloneness and friction into your life, although you crave affection and understanding. You must guard against emotional excesses, which could result in depletion of energy, creating a desire for quick-energy foods. You could suffer through skin irritations, blood conditions, back trouble, and later, through arthritis. Heart, lung, or bronchial weaknesses could also result.

isn't it so weird, the differences btwn "beno" n' "bernard"???   interesting, huh?

[later, late afternoon / early eveninq] i'm stuck in my office, n' i want to / need to go home!   oh yah! i didn't mention.   my monitor crapped out last nite, the 1 roland gave to me.   all the sudden it powered off n' now refuses to power up! *sigh* what to to?   how much is a flat panel nowadays?   on pricescan, i c some no name brand 1 4 $319.   it't 15".   17" is like 2x that price!

how r u? it's morn right now.   i wish i could say, "how r u this morn?", but by the time u read this, it'll be nite or 'least eve, else 2morrow.   i am writing w/ my new bic e.3 stylus.   it's not like it makes all my "typos" go 'way, altho' i wish it did; but itdoes feel more like writing w/ a real pen, mostly due to its size.   it's a decently thick pen.

[later, lunchbreak] i'm back @ the carwash in san rafael.   'member, the beautiful kaela kang's parents n' bro r coming up from socal this weekend 4 a wedding, her cousin's wedding in oakland.   it's thurs 2day, eh?   well, i'm still survivin', i guess.   whadya know?   i might actually make it thru this week!!! :-) bigger smile. :-D hrm... maybe that's no bigger, just open.mouthed.   my car needs an oil change.   i'm sittin' in the shade, n' i'm a bit cold w/o my jacket.   it's so sunny, so i left my office w/o my jacket.   i think i'll have burger king 4 lunch.   i've been snackin' so much in my office on these peanut butter filled pretzel bits.   man, we got lotsa cleaning to do b4 the weekend!!! sorry, my thoughts r pretty scattered in this paragraph.   "incohesive"?   i think it's partly cos i'm shivering.   k, now i've moved to a bench in the sun.   it's warmer, but i'm not wearing sunscreen n' don't like sitting next to this smoking man.   'least i'm upwind.   i'm glad i don't smoke.   2nite, i'll go to taekwondo practice.   who goes to practice most consistently? definitely jason, then garth, then efren... i'm there very regularly! i missed a tues n' a thurs earlier in the semester, n' i missed 1 or 2 sat sparring practices, n'll probably miss saturday's practice.

[later] that simple trip to the carwash got complicated! they locked my keys in my car!   well, they do that often 'nuff, so they weren't very surprised, got some tools out, n' eventually broke in, altho' my alarm kept going off.   afterwards, i ate a bk broiler meal @ burger king, where they have halloween simpsons toys in their big kids' meals!   then i filled up on gas @ beacon.   i realised they didn't do such a good job on my carwash! *sigh* this place is cheap thanks to a coupon on the back of safewy receipts from the corte madera safeway, but when u use the coupon, they don't do as good of a job on the wash!   maybe next time i'll go to touchless in berkeley.   i drank lotsa diet coke from bk.   i'm still alive. oh! but i gotta take my vitamin!

happy b.day!   i hope u do something nice 4 ur b.day!   my dad n' my relatives went to a cajun restaurant called "benno's" in texas.   my dad took a pic w/ the "benno's" sign.   eventually, when i get a scanner werkin' here, i'll show u the pic.

well, i'm still survivin'.   that's what i do!   my left quad is really hurtin' right now cos we had this mini tournament in taekwondo practice 2day.   i sparred ken (yamaguchi).   i felt so.so.   i know i've had much better days/nites, but @ the same time, i know i've done worse.   i felt nervous, n' that's bad.   i shouldn't.   that's part of why we spar.   sparring/fighting, we gotta not be nervous, u know?   oh well, 2morrow's 'nother day.   i'm sore.   i need to rest n' heal.   it's late @ nite / early in the morn right now.   it's almost 300a.   i ought to be asleep.   after practice, after dealing w/ some demo team logistics biz, after showering, after dropping off raymond n' roland, i came home w/ the beautiful kaela kang.   she did better than i did 2nite in the mini tournament.   i cooked her some jjajangmyuhn, as i planned to, but i don't think it was very good.   i used that fud processor, the cheap 1 we bought @ long's drugs a long time 'go.   man, the results weren't 2 thrilling to me.   i didn't like what i made 2 much, but 'least kaela cmed to like it.   we watched tv.   then we watched joe dirt.   it was a much better movie than i expected; but i was really expecting sumpthin' totally dumb.   well, i liked it ok. ow! i just accidentally hit my leg! ow!   man... 2morrow's 'nother day.   do i sound cynical in saying that?   i hope not cos i'm relatively happy right now.   i ought to sleep more, n' i wish i had this fri off, but otherwise i feel good.

oh yah! lemme give some shout outs! uh... is it still ok to say "shout outs," or is that really passé by now? heh heh... neway, i wanna thank johnny chang 4 signing my g.book.   i know him cos he used to do hapkido @ ucmap, n' well... i've always done taekwondo.   also, i wanna thank jonathan chu, a freelance violinist from tennessee who took a li'l time to write me a friendly e.mail.   thanks, guys.   i like getting feedback.

[much later; afternoon] i went to trader joe's n' bought some mexican chicken/rice/beans/salsa lunchbox.   [much later; evening] that lunchbox wasn't very good, honestly.   maybe it was mostly cos it was refrigerated, n' i didn't like the cold rice much.   dunno.   i also bought some other groceries.   now it's evening.   i'm trying out my pen stylii.   i have 1 bic 1 n' 1 similarly priced generic 1.   the bic e.3 3.in.1 stylus/pen/pencil is much better.   i wish i had just gotten 2 of those.   i've been taking advil 4 my injured quad.   crazy, huh?   i'm usual so reluctant to take analgesics / pain killers.   after trader joe's 2day, i walked 'cross that san rafael strip malt to rite.aid n' bought some advil.   i don't wanna make this a habit.

so far i'm surviving this week.   hey, when u get a chance ch check out jeong kang's (from bjunkyard forums) page: medea sin.   even tho' he hasn't posted on bjunkyard in a li'l while, he's 1 of the few hyungs i have on forums since i'm older than most of the members.   he's a half.korean doctor, n' his english name is scott.   he's also a good artist n' keeps an on.line journal. kewl!   u know, johnny's slowly making a webpage: johnny's head on the web.   also, raymond's revamping his site: working designs.   well, those links should keep u occupied 4 a li'l while.

i can't wait till snowboarding season resumes!   i just hope i'll have time to go often!   time n' $$$.   how have i been spending $$$ lately?   i haven't gone clothes shopping in a long, long time.   i used to go clothes shopping much more often.   what have i been spending $$$ on then?!?!   going out, dining out, vacations, household items, rent, utilities, electronics, car maintenance, groceries, home furnishings (furniture)... moving co$t quite a bit, but i should be recovering from those 1tym expenses soon.   rent's more now. electricity's more now. 'course moving was a definite necessity! if i still lived w/ josh? ugh! perish the thought!!! i don't even wanna imagine it, n' i can hardly believe i lived w/ him as long as i did.   yuck!

well, i'm still alive; so far i'm surviving this week.   [later] i ate lunch @ roadrunner burrito, had a bbq chicken burrito on whole wheat tortilla w/ black beans.   i usually get those 2 options on my burritos.   i didn't buy a drink to save $$$.   i went to bofa n' deposited some $$$.   the teller gave me a brochure n' tried to convince me to move my checking acct to bofa from calfed. eh! prob'ly not, but i started thinking 'bout how the beautiful kaela kang needs a $aving$ acct.   then i went to long's drugs.   i looked 'round but didn't buy nething.   that was my lunchbreak.   2day i finally earned a 2nd $50 macy's gift certificate from mypoints.   maybe that means i'll go clothes shopping 'gain sometime.

how r u 2day?   so far, i'm still alive.   u gotta check out this new handspring palmtop 'puter / cellfon called the treo.   it looks pretty kewl.   also, check out this website: ttukboki.hihome.com.   u'll need korean fonts n' knowledge of the korean language.   it has some interesting dduhkbokki recipes.   it's kewl.   i ate leftovers of thurs nite's beanie weanie 4 lunch.   it was delicious!   the beautiful kaela kang cooked it.   yum!

[later] after i ate, i drove to safeway to do some grocery shopping.   i hope 2nite we can eat some leftover maeoondalkgui, n' i can make some shigeumchi namool.   we'll c.   i also wanna cook jjajangmyuhn n' make guacamole this week.   i hope this won't be a stressful week.   i hope werk'll be ok; i hope taekwondo'll be ok.

can u believe it's oct 14 already?!?! *sigh* that's 2 months after the beautiful kaela kang's b.day.   crazy, huh? wow...   so yesterday, we went n' played golf! can u believe that?! i sort'a surprised myself.   in many ways golf is so unlike me.   @ the same time, it was fun to just try, u know?   it was really fun!   i won't make it a habit, but it was fun.   we played @ the ucmap wutc fundraising golf tournament. (in case u haven't figured it out by now, "wutc" = "world university taekwondo championships."  u'd better 'least know what "ucmap" is.)   some of us young ppl got to go play 4 free! that'd be sam, roland, clarence, kaela, n' me.   if it hadn't been free 4 us, it would've been $65, but some ppl made extra donations in hopes that some students would go play 'long side these older, mostly korean men... n' some women.   they just wanted to have some representation from the actual taekwondo club/team.   like, dr. min introduced us to the korean consulate, so i'm sure in that case, it was important to have some actual delegates from the taekwondo club, 'specially young "students."   we drove all the way out to bethel island.   where's that?   it's by stockton.. by oakley or brentwood.   i've had to go out to that area b4, back when i werked 4 ebmud.   it's uh... pretty much a "hick" town.   however, somehow a korean couple owns a golf course out there, n' the golf course is prob'ly the most exciting thing in that li'l town!   i drove really fast to get there cos we were running late.   roland was in my car w/ kaela n' me.   when we got to brentwood, we went to the carl's jr. drive thru.   i got a famous star cheeseburger meal.   i rarely get cheeseburgers, as opposed to hamburgers (since cheese is extra fat), but the famous star combo comes w/ cheese, so eh! why not?   neway, we tried to get the golf course quickly, but i missed a turn n' ended up @ a cow farm on jersey island, instead of bethel island.   man! a island full of cows!   neway, after going thru a long, narrow, road w/ lots'a speed bumps btwn the river delta n' a bunch'a riverfront homes, we finally got to the golf course.   well, master yoon wasn't 2 upset 'bout us being late.   we got there @ 1230p instead of 1100a.   upes!   neway, we played golf!   kaela n' i shared roland's clubs, n' we made a 4 person team w/ sam.   sam's pretty good! 'least he's played more than the other 3 of us. roland's done some driving @ a range b4, so he was 'least more experienced than kaela n' me.   right away, while practicing @ the driving range, i got a blister on my thumb, n' it immediately ripped open.   yuck! or else the golf club handle just plain ripped skin off my thumb... ugh, still yuck, eh? heh heh.   neway, i bandaged that up @ the pro shop.   so, uh... i guess that makes golf a sport w/ lots'a injuries then, eh?   dunno, maybe it was just bad luck.   the game was fun!   we couldn't get a golf cart, so we had to walk the course.   i was a li'l disappointed cos i looked 4ward to driving a cart 'round!   we had to play in a hurry cos there were so many tournament contestants! all these korean dads!   i dunno how dr. min found all these guys! we're guessing it was the ads in the korean newspapers.   raymond, sophia, n' sung were there to help but didn't play.   i gotta thank them 4 their hard werk.   that was very generous of them.   i was happy when i could get air on the ball instead of rolling it.   we skipped most of the putting.   later, our 4 person group met up w/ dave currie, perry seto, jonathan (perry's son), n' didiet (perry's friend), n' we played w/ them 4 the rest of the afternoon.   we went thru 16 holes; we skipped the last 2 cos it was getting 2 dark, n' ppl were 2 tired.   there were mosquitos out 2! yuck.   i got bit a coupl'a times. dang!   i almost made it thru the whole day w/ 1 ball, but i lost mine like on hole 14 or sumpthin'. nuts!   neway, we picked up some extra balls on a hole that was near the driving range.   we have lots'a range n' game balls.   after the game, we had to help tally up the scores.   then master yoon gave me the weirdest task.   i wasn't sure if he was joking or what!   he told me to go out to the golf course to hole 3 n' 14 n' look 4 a measuring tape... it was so dark by now!   he told me to take a golf cart n' pointed to the refreshments concessions' cart!   huh?!   so i drove the refreshment cart in the dark to hole 14, which was 1 of the prize holes.   the guy who hit a hole in 1 on that hole won a 2001 solara.   oh yah... chris barron was monitoring this hole to make sure no1 cheated, etc.   i 'member he sed he didn't have a measuring tape.   neway, i drove the cart back to the clubhouse parking lot on my way to hole 3.   i stopped by my car to get my giant maglite.   then i drove out to hole 3.   it was so dark now!   i was trying to dodge sprinklers, but i still got really soaked.   i tried not to mess up the green n' did manage to avoid the sand traps.   i didn't find the measuring tape @ hole 3 either.   so i went back.   on my way back a golf course employee met me n' told me i had to come in.   i told him, what was up n' that i was trying to go back in.   i was a li'l lost a li'l earlier, but i was heading straight 4 the clubhouse by then.   neway, he was pretty friendly 'bout it, n' we had a li'l laff 'bout how wet the cart was.   then i went in.   it cmed like master yoon totally 4got 'bout the measuring tape by then.   i don't get why he told me to go get it in the 1st place.   i'm sure it'd turn up in the morning, or else we could buy a new 1 4 not 2 much.   @ the same time, i was so happy to do the task cos i Was dying to drive the golf cart all day.   maybe master yoon either wanted to give me the chance to drive the golf cart, or else he sent me on a wild goose chase to occupy my time or sumpthin'... dunno.   while i was gone, roland drove a golf cart out to collect some signs from the prize holes.   he actually managed to run into a sand trap n' got a golf cart stuck out on the course!   he had to just abandon it.   phew, good thing i had the maglite!   i didn't know till i drove the cart that the carts could go in reverse.   they're kewl.   after the scores were mostly tabulated, we got to eat a li'l of the banquet dinner...   it was fud provided by the golf course cafeteria.... nuthin' really special, but we were starving!   there wasn't much fud left @ all, tho'.   the tournament players had gone thru most of it.   it's ok.   we got to play the game 4 free, after all!   n' eh! who were we to complain? master yoon sed he didn't get much fud either.   well, we hung 'round a while cos raymond was in charge of printing out fotos 4 the players.   it was an extra fundraiser; the fotos cost $10 each.   well, we finally headed home.   what a full day!

when we got home, kaela n' i watched castaway. we c lots'a movies these days.   i don't mention them all.   castaway was kewl tho'.   what a beautiful island!   oh yah, i think i lost my handspring stylus out on the golf course.   i'll haft to go out to office depot or officemax 2day to buy a 2pack of replacement stylii.   nuts.   oh wow! i didn't log an entry yesterday!

[much later, 853p] wow, what a warm, relaxing day.   weekends have been so good to me lately.   they've been so fun n' so relaxing, so therapeutic.   weekdays have been pretty brutal.   in a way, this is a bad setup cos i'm dreading mon.   however, it's good cos... well, the weekends!   it was nice n' warm 2day.   i went out to office depot n' bought that 2 pack of stylii.   when i got back to the car, i saw my stylus lying on the rear, driver side floor mat!   boy, oh boy...   i haven't returned the 2 pack yet, but i guess i will.   if i ever need extra stylii, i'll just go out n' buy them, right?   then i came home n' werked on my car. what did i do? i tried to change the windshield wiper blades, but the stoopid computer @ kragen sold me the wrong size 4 the passenger side n' the rear!   stoopid 'puter!   i vacuumed my car.   then i walked to the nearby kragen.   they were out of stock of the wiper blade refills i needed! geez! what's up? why does kragen suck so bad?   then i came back, i fell asleep 4 a while.   hrm... we saw a movie this afternoon, what was it?   oh yah, get over it. that was b4 i went to office depot, etc.   *sigh* man, i wish i didn't hafta werk 2morrow.   i should do some laundry 2nite.

here's a trivia question 4 u folk: when was the last time i skipped a day in my journal entries?   *sigh* me, i'm 2 lazy right now to figure it out, but i think it's been a while. i dunno.   maybe i skipped on a weekend.   i'm much more likely to skip on a weekend, no doubt.   *breath* well, it's almost 1130p on fri nite.   we had a full nite already, altho' it's not 2 late.   well, it's been an interesting day.   i woke up, drove the beautiful kaela kang to werk; i think she had a mtg.   i dropped her off @ haviland hall.   i drove up hearst ave. n' down east gate to haviland.   i drove past so much student foot traffic.   last nite, after practice, a bunch'f us went to get boba drinks @ sweetheart: clarence, seunghwan, roland, laura, jerome, ken yamaguchi, raymond, johnny, n' me.   there were lots'a students there 2.   i felt so foreign.   i heard these kids talkin' 'bout absk church group n' stuff like that.   man, it cms like a long time since i was 'round that kind'a stuff.   n' yah, so i drove past all these students, n' yah... it felt kind'a weird, i guess.   *sigh* so... i talk 'lot 'bout feeling old or mature these days, huh?   sorry to bore u or weird u out w/ that stuff. *sigh* neway, 2day, i dropped kaela off; then i went home n' actually got to werk on some of my djing stuff! kewl! i werked on some remixes on my 'puter.   it was pretty kewl.   then i took kaela to lunch @ bistro liaison on shattuck @ hearst.   we had some good french sandwiches or croques, as the called them.   then we went home.   kaela went to some mtg in union city, n' i continued to werk on some mixes.   time flew.   then it was time 4 our big nite out!

so we got dressed up.   then we picked up roland.   then we rushed, rushed, rushed to asia sf!   u know what asia sf is, right?   well, maybe if u'r not from 'round here u don't know.   sorry 4 assuming.   well, it's this asian fusion restaurant n' club where all the waitresses r gender illusionist: they r all men dressed as women!   i've known 'bout it 4 a while, n' i've come to understand it as a truly sf place that every1 'round here's gotta experience 'least 1nce.   well, we had dinner ther w/ laura n' jerome.   we had a big dinner.   it was great.   i was stuffed.   it was very interseting to c the guys in drag.   yah, some were very convincing, i gotta admit.   it was our li'l mini bjunkyard.com crew! heh heh heh... but i guess that ought to include johnny, now that he joined.   neway, we had dinner; n' the waitresses lypsynced n' danced on the bar.   afterwards, we rushed to our musikal... roland went home, but laura, jerome, kaela, n' i went to watch stomp!   stomp! is a musikal show, a bit of a concert, a bit of a dance recital...   it was kewl!!!   do u know 'bout stomp!?   there's no traditional instruments, per se.   they use all sorts'a junk to make percussive musik.   it's pretty neat... a bit loud, but so kewl!   kaela bought the tix 4 us 2, n' we were in the 3rd row in the center!!!!   it was @ the marines memorial theatre.

well, i should go 2 sleep soon.   2morrow, we're gonna play @ the uc martial arts program world university taekwondo championship fundraising golf tournament!   i'm actually gonna try to play golf! ha ha ha! crazy, huh?   well... i know yesterday's entry was so depressing.   i'm sorry 4 bogging u down w/ that crap! *sigh* i've had 'lot on my mind n' stress n' *sigh* all sorts'a crap!   i'm gonna hafta be more realistic 'bout things, i guess... dunno exactly what that means... but i know... i guess some of what i just finally am accepting is this current semester is just gonna be so crappy... kaela is so bizzy w/ skool n' stuff.   it cms to me that her 1st yr of grad skool was bearable, but this semester is just totally unlike the 1st 2.   i don't get grad skool. *sigh* i dunno... neway, instead of talkin' 'bout this crap right now, let's enjoy the weekend n' just have fun! happy happy! let's get happy!

oh yah, i'd mention 1 thing... man, there's a bit of stress over taekwondo stuff.   i dunno, man; i'm cing some really bad attitude, really unhealthy stuff, big egos.   i dunno, i'm pretty displeased w/ some of the stuff i'm cing! seriously! man, i don't get it... if only the masters / professors knew 'bout the stuff that was going on.   *sigh* i dunno, i'm cing some really immature n' shortsighted behaviour!   what can i do?   wll, i'd like to take the "high road."   i'd like to just avoid this crap n' show that i don't need to sink to immaturity.   i'm frickin' 26! i don't hafta put up w/ hi skool attitudes 'bout who's cool n' who's not, u know? so i'm just gonna do my best to do my job.   as much as i can, i'll just ignore this crap!   i feel bad 4 some other ppl, some of my friends that really r caught up in some of this crap... *sigh* i'll try my best to help them out.

i barely found time these past to days to update my journal.   werk's been pretty bizzy.   nites have been pretty bizzy 2, but i don't mind.   every nite, i go to taekwondo practice; it's so regular that it definitely feels like going off to werk or sumpthin'.   like, when we drop off raymond n' johnny, we can say, "c u 2morrow," just as if we were carpooling home from werk.   i sort'a laffed @ that last nite, n' i don't mind.   yesterday @ werk, we had a company mtg, n' i ate pizza n' cake.   u know, my boss actually gave me a really nice stock bonus yesterday.   i know i've been griping a bit 'bout werk lately, but 'least getting rewarding make me feel better.   well, it's like 900a right now, n' i'm typing @ my home pc.   i really gotta leave 4 werk.   man, there's so much i wanna write right now, but i don't have time.   *sigh* u know, next month, on nov 3 is my cousin jennifer's wedding in texas.   i know ppl expect me to go, but the beautiful kaela kang has some awful tests the following week, so she sez she can't go.   *sigh* i feel so torn!   so far, i haven't bought a ticket to fly to texas, n' if i don't buy 1 2day, the price'll go way up.   *sigh* so far, it doesn't look like i'm going w/o kaela, but just to keep my bases covered, i did tell master yoon that my cousin's getting married that day.   if i were to go, i'd be missing the ucmap seat cushion sale @ the cal football game.   grrr! u know, it just isn't an easy decision 4 me.   i don't wanna totally offend my family.   shoot, i want my cousins to come to my wedding, no doubt... but *sigh* wouldn't it be weird 4 me to show up w/o kaela?   the thing is, i do want my relatives to know that i'm very serious 'bout my relationship w/ kaela, so i don't want them to think i'm not cos i show up @ the wedding w/o her, u know?

*sigh* neway, i try to relax.   i don't wanna stress.   i don't want my neck n' shoulders to hurt nemore.   these days, i weight more than i think i should... as in, i look @ myself, n' i think i look skinny, but i weigh more than i think i look like i weight, u know?   it's no big deal; i'm not obsessed w/ low weight; i'm not anorexic.   it's just confusing me.   where am i putting this weight?   what'd be nice is if it's just all dense muscle.   maybe i'm gaining more muscle in my legs.   i think i might be.   i don't want this weight gain to be due to a slowing metabolism.   yah, i worry a li'l 'bout that cos i hear that guys in their late 20s have slowing metabolisms, u know?   i don't wanna get chubby 'gain, 'course. *sigh* ok, man... i really gotta bust outta here n' get to werk!!!

i'm walking on a trail in corte madera.   i'm walking n' writing.   it's sort'a werking.   n' i'm listening to lee junghyun mp3s.   i'm multi-tasking.   ther r so many beautiful waterfowl here in the creek n' pond along this trail.   in corte madera, i like te burdies better than the ppl! ha ha. looking @ all this nice scenery n' wildlife helps me undertand why real estate here is so expen$ive!   it's lunchtime right now.

[later] well, 2day turned out to be not all that great of a werkday. *sigh* i had 2 much frickin' bizzywerk! *sigh* i hate that! i hate werk that cms so ptless n' futile! [later] i'm not happy that i ate no "real fud" 2day.   i ate all sorts'a garbage but no real fud! [624p] i've had such a #!!@&n' lousy day! i'm so #!!@&n' pissed! i feel like such $#!+!

grrr! 2day, i don't feel all that happy @ werk.   man, some days, i just don't love my job much.   it's bizzy, n' it's stressing me out to the pt that my neck n' shoulders hurt.   i really wanna take a break, but there ain't no stoppin'. *sigh* maybe i need more sleep.   yesterday nite taekwondo practice was fine.   afterwards, a bunch of us quickly went to durant to get boba drinks.

2day's homeward bound commute really sucks.   i.m sittin' in it right now. *sigh* 2day wasn't the bizziest werkday ever, not by far.   however, it was also neither a really fun nor fulfilling 1. ho hum.

i can't believe it's already the 8th of oct. *sigh* well, this fri, we're gonna watch stomp!, the musikal.   andy's been sending me all these e.mode tests.   they're an ok waste of time, but i dunno just how meaningful the latest 1s r.   they say my "theme song" is ac/dc's "back in black."   hey, isn't that in a gap ad now? the 1 w/ the african.am woman playing electric guitar? dunno.   neway, what does say more 'bout me is my response to puppy's question on bronx's junkyard 4ums.   she asked guys how they would feel if their gf or future wife made more $$$ than them or had more education than them.   i saw that thread/topik last week but didn't answer till 2day.   the gist of my answer is that it would only bother me if she were making more $$$ than me by being a werkaholic.   i thought 'bout my parents when i was a kid: did they sacrifice family time 4 their jobs? but weren't their jobs providing 4 the family?   *sigh* i realise i'll inherit these issues if i haven't already.   i hate werkaholism, hate it w/ a passion!!!   pah! how many employers wanna hear that? not many, i assume.   neway, how many employers r hiring right now? not many, i assume.   not 1s that will give me more $$$ or a werk location closer to home, i assume.   so i don't believe many potential future employers r reading my webpage these days.   how 'bout my current employer?   i used to be the #1 web referral 4 their site.

i didn't mention, on sun morn, i watched hannibal on dss.   it's pretty gruesome.   i was disappointed that jodie foster wasn't in this 1.   i feel bad 4 the new actress; what a tuff act to follow!   then 'gain, ppl liked anthony hopkins more than jodie foster, i heard.   i 'member an 80s "skaterock" band called jfa, meaning jodie foster's army.   the bad part 'bout dss is that u can't rewind.   i don't get why that gay did what he did to himself.   man, this movie's a bit sick n' twisited, i think.   it's a bit psycho v. psycho; like mad magazine n' mad tv's "spy v. spy": psycho v. psycho.   neway, it was pretty gruesome.

well, where did i leave off?   i totally 4get.   did i tell u 'bout going to western collegiates?   i think i did.   did i tell u 'bout going to noraebang w/ a bunch'a taekwondo ppl last nite?   prob'ly not.   a bunch of taekwondo ppl were @ koko house eating dinner w/ peter n' jeannie, but i was @ home.   i sed i'd meet up w/ them later if they did sumpthin' after eating.   johnny called me n' sed he needed a ride to koko house cos he missed jerome's fon call.   eh, i figured i ought to be heading out by that time neway.   so i picked up johnny n' met up w/ them.   they were almost done w/ dinner, but johnny had some of their, heh, like scraps, u know? like the rest of a massacred tongdalk n' a leftover half plate of dduhkbokki.   i had 1 soju shot w/ them n' hung 'round.   when the waiter brought the check, since it was near me, i flipped it over, n' i noticed that a bored waiter or waitress had drawn a mashimaro.like bunny on it!!!   ha ha ha! n' ppl thought it looked like jerome, so they took pics of him w/ the pic.   then i asked the waiter to take a coupl'a pics of us all.   then we went to music box to do noraebang.   oh, who was there? jerome, laura, sophia, tiffany, young, romy, peter, jeannie, johnny, n' me.   after dinner, romy n' young went home, but sam met us @ music box.   we sang songs, n' it was fun.   it was weird cos kaela kang wasn't there w/ me.   hrm... 4 a sec, i had a flashback to those days, like, back in 1999 or so, when i was single n' was hangin' out w/ the taekwondo p.crew all the time.   do i miss those days?   eh, no, i like my life now better.   but do i regret those days?   no! no way! but would i do nething diff in those days?   hrm... no there's a question!   i started wondering: what if i had moved out of the hillegass apt earlier?   i really should have!   why did i live w/ josh in those days?! *sigh* i dunno, man.   i mean, i felt friendship w/ him, yah.   but frick! honestly, he was a difficult situation in ways in those days 2!   i mean, socially... like, looking back, i wonder how my social life would've been diff if i hadn't lived w/ josh in those days.   heh, it's not like i'm saying, "oh, i had such a boring social life, n' it's all cos of josh!!!"   no! i had a great time in those days.   it was fun, 4 what it was worth!   no doubt! still... it's interesting to me to imagine how life could've been diff in those days.   well, seriously, what would've changed?   well, what impact did he have?   like, i felt bad that brandie felt uncom4table coming over cos of josh.   that was a hard but unavoidable situation.   in fact, there were several females that felt uncom4table 'bout the way josh behaved 'round them, n' well... it was a talked 'bout issue, what effect that had on me.   like, supermike brought up that issue. *sigh* basically, he told me that since josh was creeping out gurls, shouldn't i worry that it was affecting my life?!   well, frick! again, it's not like i'm saying, "man, i could've been such a pimp if it wasn't 4 josh!" tsss! u know that's not what's on my mind...   but i guess things might have been just plain different.   i mean, shoot... josh creeped out guys 2, not just gurls...   neway, i don't mean to make this a josh bashing session.   i'm just saying that i had an interesting thought.   neway, it's not like life didn't turn out fine 4 me so far... so far... 2day, it's sun.   i had a lazy, relaxing day, n' i can say "life is good."   *sigh* i miss moonhee's journal! i wish he'd journal 'gain.   life is good, n' life goes on.

so 2day, i took kaela out 4 dimsum in the early afternoon.   we went to the place in the richmond/albany 99 ranch mall.   we had a good dimsum lunch, then we went to the sanrio store.   i've been really wanting an asian, cutesy, car air freshner.   i wanted sumpthin' diff from what other ppl had, tho'.   heh, that's hard!   neway, i bought me n' kaela these air freshners, where u feed the animal shaped air freshner the air freshner pellets.   i have a penguin, she has a ducky.   these kind'f trinkets r sort'f wastes of $$$, i know... but my car stinks, n' well, shoot... it's just a li'l sumpthin' to make the day brighter, u know?   neway, heh... i figured it's ok to spend a li'l $$$ right now, right?   just a li'l.   on fri, my dad was commenting that we gotta buy a bigger tv n' a dvd player.   hrm...   it's funny cos it's always cmed like my dad thought i was 2 extravagant in my spending.   'course he's not asking me to go out n' get ripped off! but he does sort'f think i'm pretty behind the times in that a/v entertainment dept... even tho' we got the dss system.   i do realise our a/v setup is very, very, very unusual!   who the heck watches dss on a 13" tv/vcr combo?!   actually, 1 thing i gotta do is hook up the dss system to my yamaha reciever.   that'll make movies a li'l more fun... 'course it's still funny to watch a movie w/ decent sound but a small screen, huh?   eh, it's ok.   i mean, i think it's kewl that ppl like my dad n' lots'f our friends have dvd players n' nice tvs.   sure, maybe we'll get them someday, n' i think we will.   still, i'm not gonna base my life upon acquiring material things.   nope.   i'll try my best not to be materialistic, yet appreciate technology.

neway... from "life is good, n' life goes on," i wanted to go on to talk 'bout how after dimsum, i drove down to milpitas to get kaela a loaner cellfon.   her motorola startac 7868 has been acting up.   i met up w/ ryan (nishikawa) (ken's bizness partner, n' our longtime friend from hi skool n' middle skool... altho' he wasn't so close of a friend to me back then... yet more than just an acquaintance...)   neway, i met up w/ him, got kaela's loaner fon... then i just sat 'round n' chatted w/ ryan.   it felt good to talk to some1 my age.   i really love my friends up in berkeley, n' i love hanging out w/ them, but so many of them r younger, n' that's fine, but it's neat to hear from some1 my age now n' then.   sometimes, it's bad, sometimes it's good.   when i'm w/ ppl my age from my hi skool... frick, sometimes it such a frickin' "keepin' up w/ the joneses" thing.   that really annoys me.   there's basis 4 comparison cos we all started from the same place, right?   neway, as long as i can ditch that scene, i like hanging w/ ppl my age 'least 1nce in a while.   sure, heh... so many nites i'm the oldest hyung/oppa figure there, right? like last nite.   n' that's fine.   i don't mind @ all.   neway... i'm really beating this pt to death. heh heh... ryan n' i talked 'bout cars n' 'bout my werk n' marin county n' how he should bring his gf tiffany to pt reyes sometime.   c, tiffany's a lot younger than us... she's uh... i guess, jerome's age! ok, so she's not that much younger than us. i hate to start thinking in hi skool terms as far as age.   ryan talked 'bout cigars.   altho' i don't smoke, it was interesting to hear 'bout cigars.   i guess some ppl find that to be more "mature" topik.   neway, it's not like cigars r really so much a "mature" thing... but the way ryan n' i talked, i felt like we were having a mature conversation... n' the way me n' ken talk these days, i feel we're 'lot more mature.   'lot of it relates to the absence of competition n' snobby attitude... *sigh* i dunno... i just relate so much of that to hi skool... n' it carried over into college... 1st, back in hi skool, ppl had to be so defensive or proud of their grades, achievements, or activities.   then we went off to college.   4 some of us, that changed.   4 others, ppl still acted all defensive or proud of their grades or college, etc...   *sigh* there's this big show some ppl put on!   the popularity contest still went on 4 some ppl, u know? but *sigh* i feel good that w/ some ol' hi skool classmates, i feel the popularity contest is really put behind us.   neway, it was kewl to talk to ryan, n' but i left a li'l after he closed up shop.   i guess he wouldn't have minded if i hung out till he left.   he had to wait 4 an employee to come n' pick up some stuff.   neway, i felt i had to get back to berkeley n' cook dinner.   i'm gonna cook dduhkbokki soon.

on my way up, i saw a blue cross billboard... i think it was blue cross... it talked 'bout how this company took care of u from birth to old age.   on the left it had a pic of a baby, on the right a pic of an old man.   in btwn, it had this timeline w/ the following entries:

so i've been using my soundsgood quite a bit this 3day weekend...   what did i have in my soundsgood mp3 player 2day?

• clon - "choryuhn" (techno mix)
• j - jae (performance version)
• kim guhnmo - "double"
• dj doc - "d.o.c. blues"
• h.o.t. - "the promise of hot" (remix)
• chakra - "kkeut"
• eco - "geudaedo... naegeido..."
• koyotae - "passion"
• dj hush - "out of the blue"
• kim hyuhnjuhng - "kwaenchanha"
• park hyeikyuhng - "haneul"
• turbo - "tonight"
• jaurim - "leitei"
• yangpa - "one fine day"
• j - "beet"
• kim minjong - "areumdaoon apeum."

i haven't gotten much e.mail lately.   1 song i really like right now is eco's "geudaedo... naegeido..."   it's a pretty yet admittedly somewhat bubblegummy pop ballad.   neway, i wanna hear how u r doing!

last nite, the beautiful kaela kang n' i had dinner w/ my dad in san mateo @ a japanese restaurant in the marina fuds shopping center.   he left 4 taiwan w/ grace n' steve.   2day, i went to watch the end of the 2001 western collegiate taekwondo championships.   peter (bronx) n' jeannie (4tang [pronounced sa-tang, meaning "candy" in korean] came to watch.   i felt bad cos i got there so late, altho' i was s'pposed to ref.   4tunately, master yoon wasn't pissed @ me @ all.   phew.   i helped clean up.   well, it's been a bit of a lazy day 4 me.   b4 i left to the tournament, i watched the road to el dorado @ home w/ kaela as we ate leftover maewoon tang.   we might watch a movie 2nite, i dunno.

2day's been my day off.   it's almost 400p now.   have i accomplished much?   well, i've relaxed a good amt, i guess.   *sigh* that's all i can ask 4, right?   this morn, i dropped the beautiful kaela kang off on campus.   then i went to emeryville to return the 2nd package of handspring screen covers @ officemax.   'member, i had found a cheaper price @ fry's.   however, after i returned it, i found out, i had actually paid less than i thought 4 that package!!!   i had only paid $19, not $24.95; while the fry's price was $19.95.   talk 'bout "d'oh!"   heh, *sigh* no biggie, just a $1 lesson always to check my receipt, right?   i came home 4 a very, very short while then kaela called me up to tell me to pick her up.   we went to lunch @ yeitnal jjajang, then i dropped her off @ some mtg in downtown oakland.   i came home n' watched my music plus korean gayo musik video vcd.   the 2 kim minjong videos were very entertaining.   more of those movie type videos.   i saw a moonchild video.   they're a somewhat entertaining group of young boys, a group kind'a like the monkees or sumpthin'.   bubblegum rock pop.   not they're not 'nother bsb / n'sync group cos they apparently 'least pretend to play instruments. ha ha ha.   seriously, i don't consider this real musik, but i don't deny its entertainment value.   i've been listening more to novasonic.   that's something diff from the typical bubblegum pop that certain ppl think all contemporary asian "pop" musik is.   they're a thrash rock band, sometimes a li'l punk, sometimes a li'l funk.   2day, i brought my soundsgood mp3 player in my car.   1 song that's currently on its playlist that i like is jaurim's "reitei."   jaurim's that group that sometimes sounds like no doubt.   this song, if i were to compare it to an american group, sounds more like a cowboy junkies song.   i gotta change the mp3s on my soundsgood tho'.   i don't like the mix of atb's "don't stop" that i have on there right now.   i wanna take that 1 off n' maybe put a diff remix of that trance club anthem on.

man, these stoopid bug bites annoy me!   it's so frickin' cloudy n' gloomy outside!   i don't like that.   i wish it were sunny n' warm.   *sigh* i guess eventually snowboarding season'll get here.   i wanna go snowboarding.   2morrow's the western collegiate taekwondo championships.   2morrow, i'm going w/ kaela 4 a bbq w/ her cowerkers from her lab.   it's far away in mendocino county.   i wanna get back in time to c some of the wester collegiates @ chabot college.   i'm supposed to ref a li'l, if i can.   i'll try.   next weekend, i might play in the wutc funraising golf tournament.   ha! man, can u imagine that?!?! me? golf?!   ha ha ha, but jeff asked me, n' the idea sounded interesting, n' the entrance fee isn't 2 bad. *sigh* we'll c.   i don't gotta wear golf clothes, right?   ha ha ha.   i can't imagine that!

2nite, kaela n' i r gonna meet my dad 4 lunch near sfo.   2morrow, we gotta wake up really early.   otherwise, i wish we could go out n' watch a movie afterwards. *sigh*   u know, i wanna do more djing stuff.   that's almost ridiculous to say cos u all think i never have time... n' i know i don't. *sigh* but i'm just saying i'd like to, u know?   it's october.   daylite savings time'll end eventually.   it'll be november sometime.   then we'll have thanksgiving.   that'll be a break.   i don't get "indigenous ppl's day" off on mon, no way.   i wish!   my company doesn't even give me mlk, jr. day off!   however, this yr, i took it off as a floating holiday neway.   thanksgiving, then christmas, then new yr's... then presidents' day...   the circle of life goes 'round. circle of life?! uh... that makes it sound like some kind of big animal eats small animal fud chain thing... hrm... well, u know... that joni mitchell "circle game" song thing... yrs go 'round, u know? hrm... i think fall weather always makes me think like this!   during the summer, i'm 2 bizzy out in the sun havin' fun to think like this!   gloomy weather makes me overly pensive, right?   well, life ain't bad.   i feel better now than @ the beginning of this week... last week wasn't good either.   however, weekends have been pretty good lately, right?   oh, just b4 i started writing this entry, i started marinating maewoondalk (korean spicy chicken).   that's 4 2morrow's bbq.

i feel better now.   it's 202a or so.   i feel better.   i've watched several movies lately cos of dss.   on tues nite, we watched the mexican.   after taekwondo practice, i picked the beautiful kaela kang up from a berkeley pub.   she went there w/ some classmates after her midterm.   i had raymond w/ me.   we went to sun hong kong to get dinner.   then we came home; that's when we saw the mexican.   2nite, we watched, uh... what did we watch? oh, yah... this hbo documentary called gia 'bout a 80s supermodel w/ aids.   it was a bit of an artsy movie; it was really interesting.   i've watched bits of the family man here n' there.   i really liked that movie, so i don't mind cing it over n' over. *sigh* i just feel it sez 'lot 'bout life.   it's just so important how u spendjur time, u know?

taekwondo demo team's been going great.   well, shoot. we have a long way to go, but i feel good.   we got some big plans ahead.   man... i wish we had funding.   ain't that the story w/ all the projects in my life?   neway, i feel good in taekwondo; i feel good practicing.   my philosophy is that taekwondo should enrich its practitioners lives, not run it.   we shouldn't turn taekwondo into some kind of religious cult or sumpthin', u know?   it should not take the life out of us, yah. it should make us feel good!   it does make me feel good.   but i've had to sacrifice lots'a time.   this summer, i didn't sacrifice so much time, n' i got to play a li'l.   that was a good summer break.   i dunno... sometimes i wonder if i'm missing some other things.   like, u know? 'member, i used to tell chals that i'd like to take motorcycle riding lessons someday.   eh, frick... that's just some stoopid whimsical thing tho'.   just sumpthin' i wanna do 1nce.   i wouldn't get into that.   i don't wanna.   i don't wanna just pick up new interests n' hop n' hop n' hop.   i don't want that, not 4 myself.   what do i want 4 myself?   i want to be good @ a few things, n' i wanna really pursue those interests, u know?   i wanna really develop those skills i have.   i don't wanna spread myself 2 thin.   *sigh* u know, in hi skool, my mom thought i spread myself 2 thin.   i was involved in so many clubs n' musik groups!   but when i got to college, i dropped most everything.   i studied... well, 'least after a while.   i studied.   i did taekwondo.   i did a li'l bit of musik, played guitar, n' djed.   i did church stuff.   nething else?   well, 4 a short time, i had a job as a dishwasher @ a church banquet kitchen.   i tried to keep my life simple tho'.   yah... that was my life.   n' there were semesters i studied harder than other semesters.   hrm... i wonder how joon's handling his time these days.   i read his journal whenever he updates, so i know that much.

neway, i have a mtg 2morrow morn.   i'd best get to sleep 4 now.   goodnite.

[later, in the afternoon] my neck hurts, n' i have 'round 10 bug bites on my body.   i dunno why.   i ate a 2 crispy taco combo @ la huasteca.   dang! i should've gone to the bank to get parking 0.25s!   la huasteca's in downtown san rafael.   it was a yummy but greasy lunch: 1 chicken, i steak taco w/ rice n' beans.   i drank a watermelon agua fresca.   [later] i feel better knowing 2day's the last werkday of the week.   oh yah, after lunch, i walked to kragen in san rafael n' bought windshield wiper blade refills n' a container of armor-all wipes.   the store has this price guarantee thing: if the price @ the shelf doesn't match the price @ the register, they'll give u the lower price.   the shelf had a sale tag: $3.99 but it was teknically expired a few days ago.   the ca$hier ringed up the reguar price of $4.29.   i pted out the error n' got the small discount.

[later, upes! it's almost midnite!] well, i felt better 2day overall.   practice went well.   raymond bought me n' kaela boba drinks after practice to pay us back 4 all the rides we give him.   nice of him.   right now kaela's cooking maewoon tang.   we went to safeway after we dropped off raymond.   practice was good, but apparently there was a bit of stress amongst the team.   well, i hope the best 4 them.   i feel their burden; i really do.   i'm there every nite.   i c it.   this sat is the western collegiate taekwondo championships.   i want them to kick butt.   i believe they can do it!

we had such good weather this past weekend.   now, in berkeley, we have fog.   it's morn right now.   i'm gonna leave to werk soon.   i just felt like writing the start of a journal entry b4 i leave.   *sigh* actually, i'm a li'l depressed, so i don't feel like writing an entry @ all.

[later] i ought to take a lunchbreak, but it's way past my usual lunch hour.   i feel like crap n' don't feel like eating.   i'd better 4ce myself to eat, or else i'll be so hungry later. *sigh* [208p] i'm in the san rafael trader joe's parking lot.   i just bought lunch.   [later] i ate thit tuna wrap sandwich from trader joe's.   i'm thirsty.   depression sucks.   depression can steal ur appetite; but then u also worry u'll binge eat out of depression.   eh! i try not to whine so much in my journal.   i'm glad i get this fri off.   then i start thinking pessimistically that i never get much done on my days off.   i can really make myself feel worse n' worse if i try.   i feel "down."   i wish 2morrow were fri.   will i survive till fri? i dunno what'll make me feel happier.

it's actually still oct 01... barely.   2day, i left my handspring @ home, so i was unable to write up an entry.   *sigh* i don't wanna sound so teknology addicted or dependent, but i wish i had had my handspring w/ me.   i wrote an entry n' planned to e.mail it to myself to post, but i 4got to e.mail it.   so please look 4 yesterday's entry 2morrow.   heh heh... cos it's still technically yesterday.   i guess i wrote a pretty significant journal entry 2day... i mean yesterday.   i summarised the weekend, i think.

now it's really 2day.   i commented to the beautiful kaela kang that car companies nowadays wanna make such artistic commercials ever since bmw started bmwfilms.com.   we just saw the "wicked game" all wheel drive jaguar commercial.   we ate a big dinner.   we had rice, marinated nakji (octopi) from 99 ranch, grilled frozen unagi, n' kaela's marinated lotus.   mmmm.... it was so good!   i went to taekwondo pracce, led demo practice... so these days i usually shower @ the rsf.   it saves time. [a li'l later] now it's blind date.   i'll be awake 4 a li'l while.   practice was good n' productive.   dinner was good.   i hope this week feels better than last week.

[much, much later] man, i gotta get out of here n' go to practice!   neway, now i've added yesterday's entry: "4got my handspring".   grrr! i gotta get to practice; i'm muddleheaded, a li'l.   gotta go!

*sigh* 2day i 4got my handspring @ home, so i can't write my entry on my handspring.   instead i'm typing it up on notepad, n' i plan to send this text to myself n' then cut n' paste it into my webpage @ home.   i'm not writing w/ a stylus; i'm typing.   ah, i 'member this old feeling.   i'm reminisicing. *sigh* ha, imagine if styli replaced keyboards in the future...   hrm... i don't think that's where we're headed, but who knows?   well, it's nice n' warm 2day; not as warm as yesterday but pretty good.   yah, actually, sat was pretty good 2, huh? i got so sweatty while doing housechores @ home.   ah, this was a good weekend, eh?   2day, my manager's not in, but i had some things to do.   last week @ werk was way 2 stressful!!!   *sigh* i also got taekwondo biz to take care of.   besides getting demo team stuff organised, i'm now in charge of organising an end.of.the.semester banquet.   i didn't mind taking on this job 2 much cos i like fud, etc.   i think i gotta get that v.i.p. yuhngbingwan place to cater the banquet somewher on campus.   v.i.p.'s the place where we had the 2000-2001 ucmap banquet.   ha, ppl say they need to give us more fud tho'.   *sigh* we'll c.   yah, there's lots'a demo biz to take care of 2.

[later] what a quiet day @ werk!   i wish every day were this mellow!

so... wow, it's been a good weekend, i think... [much later] ooh boy, how do i quickly summarise this fun weekend?   yah, it's hard to start.   on fri, i came home b4 the beautiful kaela kang.   i thought she was gonna call me on my way home n' ask me to pick her up from the bart station.   she was in sf 4 a conference.   i got home, n' she hadn't called me, so i got all settled in @ home.   right after i had dialed in to update m journal n' right after i had just put a hot dog in the microwave n' a hot dog bun in the toaster oven, she called to let me know i needed to pick her up.... d'oh! oh well, no biggie, but it took me a while to get out the door.   after i picked her up, we called up ppl to c if they wanted to eat dinner n' watch zoolander.   roland, raymond, n' johnny went w/ us to dinner.   we picked raymond up from northside andronico's.   1st we tried to eat @ café de la paz, but 'twas 2 crowded, had 2 long of a wait.   we then went to toyo japanese restaurant on shattuck by bing wong wash.   i was so hungry!   the restaurant really spectacular or nething, but it served its purpose.   i had this chicken mizutaki dish, something yosenabe.ish or sukiyaki.ish, u know?   well, we stayed @ toyo 2 long, so we couldn't make the planned amc 1000 van ness 955p showing of zoolander.   we dropped of roland who needed to sleep to wake up early 4 his dragonboating competition.   the rest of us tried to catlh zoolander @ 1010p @ jack london.   it was sold out, so we watched rush hour 2 instead.   whoa! what a good movie!!! surely better than the 1st!   i appreciated that it was pretty tasteful in avoiding lame racial stereotypes... not 100% flawless, but compared to the avg hollywood movie, very good.   well, i really liked it n' recommend it.   on my way to the bathroom, genie park sed hi to me.   i feel so bad cos my 1st instinct was to call her by her bjunkyard screenname "tomat," so i sorta fumbled w/ her name.   i hope i didn't embarass her in front of her friends.

sat morn, i went to taekwondo sparring prtice, n' kaela went to do a butt gallery werkout.   we gave raymond a ride.   it was a pretty good werkout.   afterwards, seunghwan, ken yamaguchi, raymond, kaela, n' i went to eat lunch.   we originally planned 4 yeisnal jjajang, but our group grew, so we moved it across the street to ucopen sponsor happy family chinese restaurant.   jason, efren, garth, micah, n' sterling joined us.   it was a very good lunch, n' i've been wanting to hang w/ jason 4 a while now.   i want him to know i'll help him out however i can thru this stressful time.   i really enjoyed having lunch w/ this taekwondo crowd.   i enjoyed spending a li'l time w/ the "team" ppl.   after lunch, a bunch'f them went to tilden driving range, but i drove raymond, kaela, n' myself to young's trading where kaela bought her headwrap thingy 4 kendo/kuhmdo.   afterwards, i dropped raymond off, then we went to long's drugs to buy some odds n' ends.   i ran into stephan garcia there.   coincidentally, i was on the fon w/ toby @ the time.   toby sometimes sings in some rock band that stephan put 2gether.   these 2 r a couple of the musicians i most respect out of my friends.   i caught up a li'l w/ stephan.   he still lives in the apt bldg across from raymond's.   i think he's kept a steady relationship 4 a while.   he didn't talk 'bout it, but i later saw him w/ some gurl that i think i've cn w/ him b4.   heh heh... i guess that's an awkward way of putting it. heh heh.   i think i last saw him w/ this gurl @ isobune... i think.   neway, we went home, n' i did some chores, housechores.

then ken, grace, n' nelson came up! woo hoo! ken, properly installed our dss system!!!!   kewl, now we have a dss system. (n' it's free... shhh!)   we can watch all the latest movies, etc.  woohoo! now, we just gotta make sure it doesn't become a distraction!   but hey! ppl should come over!   they really should!   nelson let me burn some copies of win xp n' office xp.   then we went to dansuhngsa pojangmacha n' had a huge dinner n' some drinks.   geez, we ate so much, but ken n' nelson still wanted to order some more... i was sort'f an obstacle in that, i guess.   the waitress even sed she was so shocked that we finished all the fud n' that she had made a bet w/ a waiter that we wouldn't.   we ordered: jjolmyuhn dduhkbokki, mandoo, tongdalk/maekjoo combo, altang, n' golbaengi.   then we ordered more!!! dwaeji bulgogi, a bottle of hite, a bottle of soju, a small boksoonga (peach) soju... n' then the waitress got us some dalkddongjip n' a small, small ddalgi (strawberry) soju 4 free.   heh, it was fun to watch nelson sort'a make a move on her, but she sed she had a bf.   well, after we rested a bit after eating all that fud, we went back to the apt.   ken had to go to his sister ellen's place to help her w/ some computer things, so the 3 left us.   i heard ken dropped nelson off @ club ibiza later.   kaela n' i watched the 2nd half of crouching tiger, hidden dragon n' then tomcats.

sun, ah, what a relaxing day. :-) mmmm...   we woke up sort'a late, 'round noon.   then i brought kaela to express on bancroft to use a coupon she had.   then we ate lunch @ coffee source on telly.   we had a big, "super combo" w/ a pastrami sandwich on wheat n' a giant green salad w/ honey poppyseed dressing.   ah, it was so good, 'specially the salad!   i haven't had coffee source fud since i was in college!!!   my sister introduced me to that place.   i think ken was w/ us the 1st time i went w/ my sister.   later, i went there a few times w/ owen.   the salad was so good cos kaela n' i were both craving veggies so badly.   i'm sure it was cos we hadn't been eating many veggies lately.   gotta eat veggies, u know!   well, kaela had a study group to go to @ 300p.   b4 i dropped her off, we went into the rsf so kaela could use the bathroom.   i peeked into the martial arts room.   i saw this team member attendance sheet on the wall.   it really interested me.   then some older woman, a wushu or hapkido woman asked me, "do u have ne questions?" ha... i thought that was so funny.   *sigh* of course, i'm not like dr. min or dr. ur or master yoon or dr. link or ne1, but i mean... i'm office staff as demo coordinator n' ucmap is such a big part of my life, but this woman thought i was just some interested person passing by.   heh, of course i tried not to be snobby or nething to her, but i sed, "oh, no i'm actually part of the taekwondo club; i was just looking @ that," n' i pointed @ the attendance sheet.   i was thinking, maybe she thinks i'm just some green belt or sumpthin'.   heh, neway, no big deal... i'm not that pompous n' arrogant, am i?   well, after that, i dropped kaela off @ berkeley espresso n' then went home to do laundry.   i got to c frisco, our neighbour's cat, when i went downstairs to the laundry room.   frisco is such a beautiful, black cat.   i watched most of the family man.   i hadn't realised that the gay versace sales clerk from rush hour 2 was from the family man.   that makes 2 connections, including the angel guy from the family man who's carter's (tucker) friend in the rush hour movies.   kaela eventually called me to pick her up n' feed her. :-) (j/k) i picked her up, gave her publik health friend padma a ride home, n' took her to 99 mall.   i wanted to buy some wasabi to make zarusoba... oh yah! i didn't mention: it was so hot 2day!!!!   we've had beautiful... absolutely beautiful weather this weekend!!!!   ah... what a weekend! what a beautiful weekend! unh! it feels so good after a crappy week like last week, right?   *sigh* yah. well, we got 2 hungry, so we didn't buy groceries to take home 4 dinner.   1st we stopped by shengkee to buy some mooncakes n' pastries.   then we had dinner @ 168, a good dinner.   we had nyuromien (stewed beef noodles), cold sesame sauce chicken noodles (sumpthin' ji neungmien), n' kongchingchai (hollow tube veggies).   oh, n' we had a boba tea each.   then we also ordered tsua bing (shaved ice [patbingsoo]).   it was so bizzy @ 168! n' i felt bad 4 the servers cos they had a coupl'a mishaps: 1 waiter spilled a bunch of dirty dishes n' also got a woman's clothes dirty.   then their air conditioner leaked a bunch'f condensation down on a table of young ppl.   neway, they were so crowded.   there were so many families, many young families.   it was interesting to me cos i had been watching the family man, n' while waiting 4 a table we saw a coupl'a 30sumpthin' guys w/ their young kids.   it reminded me of nicolas cage's character jack campbell.   neway... we had a good dinner, then we shopped @ 99 ranch.   then we browsed the book/musik/gift store.   then we went home.   if finished the laundry n' did some mp3/musik biz on my 'puter.   i tried 'gain to fix kaela's 'puter, but man... it's a big mess. *sigh* well, i guess i'll go now... it's actually 100a on october 1.   *sigh* can u believe it's october?!?! @ the same time, it felt weird to me that daylite savings time hasn't ended yet.

it's fri morn, n' i woke up early... a li'l early.   i'm writing this journal entry from my home 'puter, but i gotta take off to werk very soon.   *sigh* this has been a very craptacular week!   i.e., it has been a very crappy week.   the month has been pretty good up till this week.   this week has officially sucked @$$.   it also sucks $#!+!   n' last but not least, it sucked like $#!+!   *sigh* what a $#!++y week!   maybe it was cos it was the "end of the month"?   the end of the month often sucks major $#!+ @ werk.   not only does it cause extra headache 4 me directly, every1 else @ werk gets so bitchy n' whiney, n' i gotta hear it.   *sigh*

well, i fixed the link to the duckling pic.   i dled it from the y! server n' put it on my ocf acct.   i hope u can c it now, but i know ftping from my 'puter to ocf has had its probs b4. grrrr!   i'm so stressed.   to relax, lemme just sit n' stare @ this duckling pic!   [a few secs later] phew, so the pic uploaded ok.   dang, that's maybe the 1st thing that went right this week!   oh yah, 'member how last week i felt i was "in the zone" @ taekwondo practice? (sept 19, 2001)   well, shoot, this week, i didn't feel so "in the zone."   i felt "off"!   *sigh* lemme resume staring @ the duckling pic.   excuse me.

[later] i'm now sittin' @ a bench @ the royal coach carwash in san rafael.   i'm having my car washed.   there's a big croud here.   it's fri; i guess every1 wants their cars washed 4 the weekend, including me.  yup, they're vacuuming my car now.   s what's up?   *sigh* it't fri; i'm @ werk.   most werkin' folk werk on a normal fri like 2day.   *sigh* 2morrow morn, i plan to go to taekwondu sparring class/practice.   *sigh* sometimes i feel ppl r just waiting 4 me to quit.   when will i grow out of taekwondo?   *sigh* i don't c it like that @ all.   sure, i'm 2 far out of skool to compete 4 collegiates, n' i'm almost pushin' the under 28 age requirement, not yet but almost.   no, i'm not competing 4 collegiates, but i can still enjoy taekwondo, right?   i want to be good @ it.   i've been going to all the competition team practices, 2 reasons: 1. master yoon sez all demo team members must go to competition team werkouts, n' 2. i just want a good werkout n' to improve my overall taekwondo skills.   *sigh*

[a li'l later] i went to burger king drive.thru 4 lunch.   i bought a double ch.burger meal! i really rarely eat stuff like that! my mouth feels a li'l greasy.   i brought the fud back to my cubie to eat, but while slowly driving back thru traffic, i ate most my onion rings n' drank 0.5 my diet coke.   [later] so... i was talkin' 'bout taekwondo.   some of the team members r really hyped up now.   they're training hardcore, n' i'm just trying to keed up w/ them.   i have the motivation, n' i sorta have the time to try to keep up w/ them.   but i c that lots'a other taekwondo friends don't.   i feel so bad cos i think the "hardcore" ppl r making them feel so uncom4table.   it's not an all or nuthin' thing, but some of the "hardcore" ppl apparently r maybe makin' others think it is.   ppl r getting scared off or 'least turned off!   wtf?!?! didn't dr. min say just a coupl'a semesters 'go that we gotta make berkeley taekwondo a friendly, wholesome, martial arts environment that helps develop good ppl all 'round?!?! *sigh* he told us not to be dumb jocks or thugs!   me, i wanna commit my time to taekwondo.   i don't compete, but i wanna further my martial arts education!   i don't mind spending time on it.   but it is s'pposed to have a healthy environment.

well, this is a continuation of "yesterday's" entry, "liane's b.day," from a few mins ago.   please read that short entry b4 reading this entry.   thanks!   well, yesterday was such a bizzy day.   werk's been stressful these days. *sigh* why?!?! well, i went to practice last nite.   it was a good practice. again, that's thanks to jason.   i know some team members r upset 'bout other members not coming to practice.   *sigh* yah... i feel it's a bit stressful 4 some ppl right now.   i feel bad 4 them.   like, i'm happy that i've been able to go to practice so much lately.   even tho' i had to miss last nite, i feel good 'bout regularly making it to practile mon thru thurs nite n' sat morn.   well, i'm a li'l disappointed myself w/ how demo team attendance has been.   when i was a freshman, my roommate adam was on the cal football team.   he practiced every day in the afternoon.   the taekwondo team practices every nite 'cept maybe not fri nite.   still, the students don't get to take a reduced courseload the way other intercollegiate athletes get to.   that honestly sucks.   n' most taekwondo team members care a good deal 'bout their educations.   it's hard times, i know.   i hope we can resolve this.

4nite, i came home from practice, n' the beautiful kaela kang was cooking fried rice.   oh! i didn't mention thtt on tues nite she cooked this delicious pasta 4 me.   it had very random ingredients, but it was so good!   mmmm... yesterday, @ luncy, i went to safeway.   i bought some groceries.   i ate a lean cuisine frozen french bread pizza 4 lunch.   what am i listening to lately? i like turbo's "tonight."

canadian geese

[much later] now it's evening.   i've had 'nother bizzy, bizzy day @ werk.   *sigh* i put a new screen protector on my visor (my handspring); i'm making more typos right now.   i ate leftover fried rice 4 lunch in my cubicle 2day.   i didn't go out all during my lunchbreak.   whuh? daylite savingt time doesn't end till oct 28?!?! *sigh* i was sure it was sooner than that!   i saw canadian geese on my way to werk 2day.   i c them all the time these days! they hang out in the field by the skool by the usda bldg in albany.   they're so beautiful!   u know on the sept 11 morn, my mom called me on my way to werk n' told me 'bout the plane crash attacks.   i was really tense.   then i drove past the geese n' relaxed just a li'l.   the geese r beautiful!   i want to show u a picture of a duckling; i hope u can c it! man, this screen protector makes it harder to write n' harder to c.   i couldn't get all the bubbles out.

[later] *sigh* i'm so frickin' stressed out now.   i just wanna think 'bout geese.   my cowerker ben n' his wife kristen just got this li'l 8 week old yellow labrador / daschund puppy.   it's so cute.   i just wanna think 'bout that puppy.   after practice 2nite, seunghwan, wei, n' i went to sweetheart to get boba drinks.   we sat 'round the fud ct n' talked 'bout careers.   wei's only a sophomore; he shouldn't worry 2 much yet.   seunghwan n' i talked 'bout the young unemployed of the tech bust.   seunghwan's unemployed right now.   he sed student't don't realise @ all how much more stressful the werking world is than college life.   *sigh* how can i not agree???

happy b.day, liane!   haven't heard from u in a while, but i hope u'r well!

man, i tried so hard to log an entry 2day.   all day, i tried to find time, but... ugh! i was so bizzy!   *sigh* 1st, i got to werk pretty late cos'f bad, bad traffik.   then i just had such a bizzy day.   i don't think my manager would've believed that i was late cos'f traffik if it weren't 4 my cowerker wei's talking 'bout how there was an accident on the bridge.   now it't almost midnite, n' i'm just now writing this entry on my handspring while sitting on the couch, waiting 4 my 'puter to dl mp3s.   well, it's midnite now, so upn44 it playing the 2nd news radio episode of the nite.   i should start a new entry cos it's officially a new day.   now, please go to the next entry, "attendance".

yesterday evening's lightning storm really impressed ppl.   to me it looked as if god were shooting lightning down from heaven to kill sinners or sumpthin's.   it was so spectacular!   well, we went to practice; had a decent practice.   we came home n' watched an episode of the simpsons then 'nother episode the beautiful kaela kang set the vcr to record last nite.   we also saw an episode of everybody loves raymond.   i had chores n' cyberchores to attend to.   "cyberchores," i'm referring to housekeeping my 'puter.   there r things u gotta do on ur 'puter that r chores, u know?

last nite, 4 dinner we had leftovers of my homemade clam chowder.   kaela added fresh dill she bought from andronico's.   this morn, i woke up ok n' ready 4 werk.   i ate 2 hotdogs 4 breakfast.   i ate 2 chicken tacos @ roadrunner burrito 4 lunch.

[later] last week n' in recent days, i've felt good @ werk; but so far this week, i haven't felt so good: 2 much stress, 2 much pressure, 2 many undefined goals n' unrealistil deadlines! grrr!!!   [much later] grr... i had such a crappy day @ werk 2day!   n' i had to stay so late, n' i missed taekwondo practice!!!   i waited late @ the office cos my cowerker's husband was late to pick her up.   last time this happened, it was cos he got in a car accident, n' i had to drive them n' some guests from hong kong back to the east bay.   (please refer to "net outage," 29 march, 2001.)   i felt bad if i left, so i stayed.   2day, there was some big accident on the bay bridge that killed a women, so the other highways had so much traffik.   well, my cowerker's husband finally made it after 3 hrs of traffik.   i missed practice.

now i'm home finishing this journal entry.   i haven't had dinner yet.   i'm missing practice.   i don't like this... *sigh* it was sunny 2day; no rain.

last nite i cooked clam chowder from scratch 4 the beautiful kaela kang.   i used to cook this back in college, but i'd use heavy cream instead of nonfat milk... crazy! *sigh* i used to cook so unhealthily.

right now, it's early evening, n' i'm in my cubicle (cubie).   outside, here in corte madera, there's a small thunderstorm.   weird!   on my soundsgood i'm listening to an enigmaish remix of depeche mode's "somebody."   it's kewl... now it's over.   what's this song?   i hear an orchestra. oh! it's the original mix of kim minjong's "areumdaoon apeum," which means "beautiful pain."   i just don't wantchu to think i'm a person who listens to korean musik but doesn't understand what the lyrics! haha... not like i always understand the lyrics... heh heh... shoo! even american english lyrics r sometimes hard to decipher!   neway... as a musician, i gotta say that sometimes lyrics rn't that important!   just enjoy musik!   lyrics rn't everything!

2day, i got to werk a li'l late.   my manager was a li'l miffed... i believe that's the right wurd... u know what? heh, crazy! some1 drove a car into our office last nite!!!   a woman was teaching her husband to drive, n' he accidentally plowed their new honda civic into our front door!   now that door is boarded up, n' we gotta enter thru 'nother door.   2day, kaela came to my office 4 lunch.   we didn't have much time, so we got sandwiches from noah's bagels in greenbrae.   my lunch really filled me.

[later] now i'm home.   i've hotsynced my handspring to my 'puter, n' i'm finishing this entry on my home 'puter.   man... i just drove home thru the most beautiful thunderstorm i have ever cn!!!!   prob'ly the biggest t.storm i've cn in the bay area.   it was so beautiful w/ the sunset n' everything!   it was a natural firewerks show... *sigh* n' heh... i hooked up my soundsgood to my car tape deck, n' that was my soundtrack. lemme tell u what was on the soundtrack:

• "trance nation" - ministry of sound (i dunno if that's the song title, artist, dj, or what!)
• "dream" - baek jiyoung featuring j
• "reflections" from disney's mulan (korean version) - lena park
• "i'll fly with you" - gigi d'agostino
• "beet (a.k.a hope)" live mix - h.o.t.
• "lie" (techno remix) - clon
• "again" - janet jackson
• "little fluffy clouds" (dance mix) - the orb
  ok, just 'bout now i was pulling into our carport, but here's the rest of the playlist...
• "somebody" (spiral tribe mix) - depeche mode
• "areumdaoon apeum" - kim minjong
• "yg bounce" (js remix) - y.g. family
• "ggoongddari shyabara" - clon
• "a puro dolor" (salsa version) - son by 4
• "slam (video killed the radio star)" - novasonic
• "id: peace b" - boa

*sigh* i love being able to use my soundsgood mp3 player.   thanks to all those who got it 4 me. :-)   i'm just a frickin', walking advertisement 4 handspring... i know... *sigh*   if only they knew...

well, i came home, i saw frisco, our neighbour scott's cat.   frisco meowed @ me cos it was dark, n' there was bright lightning n' loud thunder.   the exterior apt. lights hadn't kicked in yet.   cute kitty.   he's 2 shy tho'.   *sigh*   kaela n' i r trying to get him to warm up to us... trying!   now i gotta go to practice soon.

yesterday, the beautiful kaela kang n' i went to all sorts'a stores to buy on sale foto printer paper.   i also bought handspring visor screen protectors.   i 1st bought a pack @ office depot on gilman in berkeley, then found a cheaper price @ the emeryville officemax, then the cheapest price @ fry's in san jo, the brokaw rd store.   we spent a long time there looking @ all sorts'a things n' gadgets, but my intended purchase was of some rg6 cable 4 the dss system.   *sigh* i think i need ken's experience to help me set this thing up.   after fry's, we went to cluck u.   the guy there took my pic, n' kaela n' i shared 12 atomic wingers.   they weren't spicy all!   however, they were definitely tasty.   then we returned to berkeley 4 a quiet nite @ home; somewhat relaxing except 4 some probs w/ kaela's 'puter.   we really need tu borrow some1's win98 cdrom!!!   we watched snl

as usual these days, i'm writing this journal entry on my handspring visor edge.   i like hand spring!   i worry, tho', that they might be like amd, a corporation w/ a good product but bad marketing.   *sigh* i really want them to survive!   if handspring were to disappear, heaven 4bid, my next handheld'd probably be a sony clié.   they got a lotta kewl built.in features but use those lame sony memory sticks.   i'm writing this journal entry in the office depot parking lot, where i just returned a pack of fellowes handspring screencovers: $10 more than @ fry's!   *sigh* well, it's time to get outta here.   ttyl.

ooh boy, i feel sort'a "spent" right now... in a good way! i came back from this morn's cal taekwondo team sparring werkout.   i really appreciate jason's leading our practices.   i feel i really learn.   we did some sparring n' then lots'a drills on the wavemasters.   i sparred garth 4 the 1st time 2day.   he's pretty good, so he gave me a few ptrs... i needed them.   i really like sparring these days.   i feel so alive this way.   heh, i really could werk on my sparring... i'm not all that great... but i would like to be better.   i know jason's got a lott'a pressure on him to be our team captain until he leaves 4 jeijoodo 4 world championships.

well, last nite i brought the beautiful kaela kang to café rouge to celebrate our 20th monthversary.   it's in west berkeley on 4th street, the yuppie area.   we had a really meat n' potatoes dinner.   andy n' jerome'd be proud!   we started w/ oysters, a variety.   we also had this fig w/ goat cheese salad.   entrés: kaela had this roasted leg of lamb, n' i had ny steak frites... steak n' fries!   that was the best steak n' fries i've had in a long time... hrm.. maybe ever... heh heh... it's weird to think of café rouge in yuppie berkeley to be a great meat n' potatoes place.   i hadn't had steak in a very long time.   4 dessert we had this concord grape granita, a shaved ice kinda thing.   i meant to bring a bottle of gewurztraminer but 4got, so we had a riesling there.   it went well w/ our appetizers, but red meat... red wine... upes! eh! whatever! it was a good meal, n' i was glad to be able to enjoy it w/ kaela.

i bought kaela this card w/ a kitty on it from the gift/book/cd store in the 99 mall.   while i was there i heard some taiwanese rock musik... like alternagrunge stuff.   it was pretty neat.

so 2nite we had the cal taekwondo team tryouts.   i'm 2 far out of skool to compete 4 the cal team... uh... u might say, "2 old."   however, lots'f my friends rn't.   *sigh* it was such an event 2nite, so much fun to watch them spar n' do poomsae 4 the 2001 team trials.   the beautiful kaela kang went thru tryouts.   watching the tryouts made me want to compete, but eh! i dunno when that'd ever happen.   after the tryouts, we 168ed.   we had a big dinner.   now it's 129a on fri.   well, i'll try not to stay up 2 late; i got werk in the morn!

[later] i dled a lot of mp3s last nite.   i love that teknotrance song... i found it listed as "trance nation 2" by ministry of sound, but now i don't think that's the original artist but the remix dj.. dunno.   a coupl'a nites 'go, i dled a bunch'a diff versions of son by 4's "a puro dolor," including a kewl salsa version.   last nite i dled a hiphoppish remix of depeche mode's "somebody."   a while 'go i did dl that snake river conspiracy cover of the smith's "how soon is now?".   so... i have a big variety of musik right now!   in my car's cd deck, i'm listening to lim changjuhng's latest album.   i like how it's a complete album, all continuous, reminiscent of a broadway musikal.

2day is me n' the beautiful kaela kang's 20th monthversary, 2day sept 20.   yup!

last nite we had a good practice.   master yoon was there.   we hadn't cn him in a li'l while.   it was good to c more ppl last nite than on the avg nite in recent days.   i hope all these ppl stay 4 the whole semester.   *sigh* where's paul lee?   he totally disappeared; 2 bad!

[later] so 2day, i drove the beautiful kaela kang's kia to werk, but then i returned to berkeley 4 lunch.   i picked kaela up n' brought her to lunch @ barney's gourment hamburgers.   dang, i wish i had that safeway receipt coupon w/ me... *sigh* we had a big lunch.   i had a carribean tofu burger, kaela had a portobello shroom sandwich, n' we split a full order of seasoned curly fries, which they call "spicy curly fries," altho' they sure as heck ain't spicy!   we so george pierce there... that's his last name, right? the big taekwondo guy; i think he's hapa korean.   apparently, he werks upstairs from barney's.   after lunch, we rushed to pick up my subaru.   ah, it feels good to have everything taken care of by the warranty!   well, i had a bit of an extended lunch, but man... i had a really bizzy werkday!!!

kaela had some skool or werk thing to do 2nite... i thought it was skool stuff, but she was in her lab... i think it was skool stuff.   she stayed on campus.   i came home, napped, n' then went to practice.   ooh man, i was so muddleheaded when i awoke from my nap.   however, this is very reminiscent of 1999 when i was on the sparring team, i guess.   i managed to find a parking spot on durant by tang center.   the streets were frickin' crowded cos of sumpthin' @ zellerbach.   u know, kaela bought us tix to watch stomp! next month.   stomp! sometimes plays @ zellerbach.   neway... i went to practice.   man! i felt so good!   it's not like i'm all the sudden a superstar taekwondo champion, but i felt so "in the zone."   sparring is starting to click 'gain in my head.   k, as i sed... i'm no superstar champion, but it felt like in the matrix when neo starts cing numbers instead of ppl... like things were making sense!   i guess... i guess 1 thing that i've improved is my distancing, getting in when i need to, getting out when i need to...   well, i felt really good @ practice 2nite, n' i feel i'm getting better.   i really appreciate jason leading class like this.   well... me, i gotta handle organising the demo team.   we can really do some kewl stuff this semester, if all goes right.

136p: well, right now i'm @ roadrunner burrito in greenbrae.   i just had an azteca chicken burrito, n' i'm stuffed.   the subaru shop called me while i was eating.   early this morn, i dropped off my forester 4 service.   i asked them to investigate the rattling noise in the rear right wheel, the 1 jerome, laura, sam, n' my mom all noticed.   after i dropped off my car this morn, after i bought some more silver touch up paint from the parts shop, i walked 'cross the street n' bought a dozen doughnut holes n' a bottle of oj while i waited 4 the beautiful kaela kang to come pick me up in her kia.   i sat in happy donuts, n' absrbed the mood, what the place is all 'bout.   doughnuts n' coffee, lotto tix, ham n' cheese croissants, blue collar werkers, moesha on the tv.   i shared the doughnut holes n' oj w/ kaela.   after she drove herself to class, i took her kia to werk.   n' now i've driven it to the bon air shopping center where roadrunner is.   so the subaru shop sez they gotta keep my car 4 'nother day n' repack the bearings, all under warranty.   good, i'm glad i'm using my warranty, i guess.

last nite, after demo team tryouts, i didn't have a big dinner, nope.   i took raymond w/ me to sweetheart café to buy boba 4 me n' kaela.   we went home to find out upn44 'qain altered their simpsons skedule. *sigh* i installed some stuff on my handspring, including a hack that gets rid of auto.capitalisation. woohoo!   kaela got our new foto printer werkin.   it's beautiful.

now i'm in kaela's kia ready to return to werk, to my cubicle life.   i was enjoying the mexican pop musik in roadrunner.   yah, mexican pop... some'd say it sounds nuthin' like mexican musik should, just like american top40 but in spanish.   well, if it's pop n' mexicans listen to it then it's mexican pop, right?   can u categorise musik by its audience?   hrm... well, in many cases, no; but think 'bout how i was allowed to write my music 26 music in american culture paper on the uc berkeley indus south asian annual variety show.   why? cos indian.americans / south asian.americans per4m n' listen to that musik sometimes, n' they r americans 2.   last nite i burned the lena park album onto cd.   i don't like all the tracks as much as i thought i would.   i really like the track "one summer night," an english track.   if u wanted to rip on this track, u'd say it copies lauryn hill, i guess.

it's much colder now.   this morning we had to use the wall heater in our bedroom.   my office is cold.   we should've brought down summer clothes to san jo 4 storage n' brought up winter clothes this past weekend.   i wish i had my long sleeve polo shirts to wear 2day.   why is it so cold?   days r getting shorter.   it's sept, n' stores r marketing halloween merchandise.

so nowadays i c so many usa flags everywhere: on cars, houses, freeway overpasses, etc.   it's different alright.   maybe in recent yrs americans have been much less patriotic than they have been in the past n' less patriotic than ppl in other countries.   u think?   what was america like in 1976, during the bicentennial?   flags n' red/white/blue everywhere, right?   i was 1 yr old.   in recent yrs, have we americans become 2 fascinated w/ trivial things like pop culture, fashion, n' gadget teknology?   have we 4gotten the simple things in life?   has america lost its way?   honestly, i don't think so.   maybe much of the world joined us in adopting a diff attitude after the cold war, a friendlier attitude more focused on moving mankind 4ward... n' making some buck$ doing so.   why should the u.s. have been left behind in a no longer existent cold war?   so what 'bout the resurgence in flags?   have americans in recent yrs been so much less patriotic than ppl in other countries?   if so, maybe it's good 4 us to catch up a li'l.   @ the same time i worry a li'l 'bout this environment fostering a neomccarthyism: r u an american? then where't ur flag? back da #!!@* up, terrorist, b4 i blow ur #!!@*ing head off!   all these stock prices dropped 2day, but gunmaker sturm ruger's stock went up.   on the radio this morn, i heard the patriotic thing to do 2day is to eat out to stimulate the economy.   now there's sumpthin' i definitely can do... if not 2nite, sometime this week.

doesn't it feel like autumn to u?   i feel a bit mellow, i.e. lazy, unmotivated.   that's bad!   really, how r u?   as i write this, i'm listenin' to mp3s on my soundsgood: mostly tracks from lena park's forever; but right now it's janet jackson's old ballad "again."   i wish i felt more energetic... but not nervously energetic; that't no good.   here i am listenin' to shameless pop musik.   @ lunch 2day, i drove to the nearby radio shack to buy coax tv cable.   after that, i went to world wrapps, or whatever it's called, n' got a smoothie.   i thought it'd energise me.   maybe it did.   i brought a healthy choice frozen dinner w/ me to werk.   i ate it as an early evening snack.   my office is 2 cold.   i have an app'tmnt w/ the subaru shop 2morrow morn to check out the weird noise ppl say they hear in the back.   well, that yangpa track i just listened to was so shamelessly pop!   eh! whatchu gonna do?   so much pop musik is just cheesy lovesongs, right?   i don't only listen to songs 'bout love, no.   this mellow lovey dovey stuff goes well w/ my autumn mood.   or is it just that my autumn laziness makes me 2 lazy to think, so i listen to convenient pop musik?   eh, frick, guys! don't overanalyse me.   i've always had some feelings 4 somewhat "pop" musik.   shoot, what do u call the musik i dj?   so hyun sez avaron is closing to make way 4 a better korean club?   it better not be like how cairo evolved into era n' then eventually into nv!

well, i haven't written in a while.   fri, i had the day off.   ha ha, i actually stayed up till 600a the nite b4 cos roland gave me thit arcade game emulator 4 the pc, so i stayed up playing video games.   that's not typical of me.   we had a huge dinner on thurs nite @ katanaya ramen.   i was so full that i couldn't sleep.   we skipped practige on thurs nite.   on fri, i dropped the beautiful kaela kang off @ skool. then i came home n' slept a li'l.   then i cleaned up my car.   i used these armor-all carwash wipes that jay, kaela's bro, gave us, a free sample box.   actually they're not that good.   i also used this single use armor-all sponge on the interior.

on fri nite, i took jerome, laura, n' kaela to dinner @ xanadu to thank 'em 4 helping me dj these recent gigs.   we had an awesome dinner.   mmm...   [upes, interrupted... much later]   afterwards, we were gonna go out w/ bruce since we heard he was going off to nyc to help w/ the search n' rescue.   however, we then heard he was 2 tired to go out.   the 4 of us went to fenton's by ourselves 4 banana splits.   we got free oldies tunes on their jukebox.   then we went to albertson's.   i didn't wanna stay up late cos i planned to attend the taekwondo sparring class sat morn.

well, i did.   i had to find parking.   i 4got the roll of quarters i got from the bank this week, so i looked 4 broken meters.   i couldn't find ne.   so i looked 4 meterless spaces.   soon after cing jerome n' laura cross channing on dana, i found a spot by the church there, not 1st pres, the 1 kitty corner to it.   i went to sparring practice; 'twas good exercise.   i need exercise.   sam lee brought donuts; i had a jelly 1, red berry jelly.   i showered @ the rsf, then drove raymond home.   b4 we left the rsf, all sorts'a ppl made plans to come watch me do the 911 challenge @ cluck u. chicken down @ santa clara university.   wow, so many ppl were comin' down!   well, i dropped off raymond,then went home to pack.   we left b4 330p n' picked up sam lee.   he wanted to go to milpitas w/ us.   he had a dentist appointment there n' wanted to talk to ken 'bout new cell fons.   we dropped him off @ the dentist office.   'twas very close to ken's store.   then we bought carl's jr. n' brought it to ken's store to eat.   sam's app'tmnt was delayed so i picked him up to wait @ ken's.   then i dropped him off 'gain.   when he was done, i picked him up.   then soon we went to cluck u. to join jason's carload n' mike shea there.

they were hungrily waiting our arrival.   we still were waiting 4 jerome's carload, ken/grace, n' nelson.   jason's carload went ahead n' ordered.   many of them r trying to cut weight 4 collegiates, so they ordered salads.   well, then mike n' i ordered our 911s right b4 the rest of the ppl showed up.

wow, what a crowd!   who came? jason, darlene, mikey (sia), deanna, mike shea, sam lee, jerome, laura, andy, roland, raymond, ken, grace, nelson, mike yee, his friend eric, kaela, n' me.   wow! 18 ppl!   well, mike n' i took on the challenge! 12 of their spiciest wings in a habanero powder sauce, 10 mins to finish w/o drinks or napkins, n' 5 more mins afterwards w/o drinks.   ugh! it wasn't easy, but we gave it our all!   mike got thru 3 wings.   i finished all 12!   kaela captured the battle on her elph camera.   even strangers took pics of me.   ooh! my face was burning! this stranger bought me a beer.   the manager sed they were out of winner t-shirts n' polaroid film 4 the winner shots, so i'd hafta come back either sun or mon.   we hung 'round.   mike shea was having a hard time, n' soon so was i.   ugh! so much fud! so much habanero powder!   nelson n' ken took me to the bathroom to puke some of it out.   we hung 'round some more, n' nelson n' kaela went into safeway to buy me some stomach medicine, more than the maalox antacid n' pepto kaela brought.   after i took a zantac, i had to go puke some more in the toilet.   when i puked my eyes n' nose would burn.   ooh boy!   what a nite!   well... after loitering a long time, most of the berkeley taekwondo crew went to dave n' buster's in milpitas, but kaela brought me home to rest n' recover.   i spent most of the nite w/ periodic stomach pain.   i fell asleep but then'd wake up to stomach pain.   maybe this kind of pain is similar to giving birth?   ah, well, if i say that i'll get in trouble w/ all the women, 'specially ne muthas.   eventually, i fell asleep sitting up.   i woke up on sun morning, having slid down to a lying down position.   i felt so much better tho'!   i think the best remedy was tagaet hb 200 w/ lotsa water.   earlier, i avoided water cos i threw up after the zantac n' lotsa water.   phew, neway... i felt fine on sun morn...

kaela started our day.   we ate some el pollo loco leftovers we found in the fridge.   wow, lots'a chicken this weekend. ha ha ha.   then after we watched some tv 'bout the terrorist attacks, i went to ken's milpitas store to pick up our new hp photosmart 1215 photo printer.   ken's friend got us a kewl deal cos he's a hp wholesaler.   it was much cheaper than ne price i've cn.   on sat, ken also got us a dss system... the kind that gets all the channels 4 free... shhhh!   (don'tchu dare quote me on that cos i didn't say that.)   i sat 'round ken's store w/ ken n' grace n' watched the horror movie valentine.   'twas cheesy but fun.   then i went back home.   oh yah, i started writing this entry on my handspring @ ken's store.

well, i went home, n' we packed to go.   we drove my mom w/ us out to santa clara.   we 1st stopped to get my t.shirt n' pic, but that manager wasn't there.   then we met up w/ steve n' grace @ chinastix restaurant on el camino.   i've djed some chinese weddings there.   we had a nice dinner.   kaela n' i gave steve his belated b.day present, a crabtree n' evelyn men's grooming kit.   we've had it since july, b4 his b.day.   grace n' steve gave me a tabasco t.shirt they got from louisiana.   ha! they didn't know how appropriate it was after last nite... so i told them the story, n' kaela showed them pics on her elph.   then we went back to berkeley.   kaela n' i stopped by cluck u. 1 more time to check 4 the "big" guy.   that's what i call him; his cowerkers call him the "fat" guy.   he still wasn't there, but i had left him my name n' number earlier.   i have theirs.   i drove back up to berkeley but stopped in milpitas to get gas.   it was much colder now.   we got to berkeley n' unpacked our new teknogoodies.   i'll hafta get some coax cable 2morrow to finish installing the dss.   now it's 132a on mon morn... so this ought to be a new entry... upes!   well, it's been a crazy weekend.

'gain special thanks to the crew that showed up to support us @ cluck u.   much thanks! much love!   *sigh* it's so ironic, cos the 1st time i went to cluck u., u know who was w/ me? phil... that's good, but also... josh... ironic, huh?   also, josh showed up to the sat sparring practice, like 1.5 hrs late... but he showed up.   *sigh* i dont' get why, but he came, didn't werk out, but just like... ugh... hung 'round. neway, we won't talk 'bout it... alright... i took a nap when i got home 2nite, but it's time to sleep 4 real now.   good nite!

i woke up really refreshed this morning.   that surprised me.   on the radio (95.7), ppl were calling in to tell ever1 to display / fly u.s. flags 2day.   i saw similar e.mails n' others 'bout lighting candles 2morrow.   bruce (brandie's bf) is a firefighter, as many of u know.   he's being flown out to nyc to help w/ the search n' rescue.   we should support him neway we can.   i wonder if linda's going 2.   sam sa's in the army reserve.   i talked to him yesterpay; he was in a pretty serious mood, not that he's usually all that much of a jester... but he sounded intensely motivated.

i don't have a u.s. flag to fly.   does that make me less of an american?   well, one good thing 'bout this country is that i have a right not to fly a flag even if every1 else is doing it.   ain't enjoying freedom part of "the american way."   of course, it's nice that some ppl r showing off flags.   i think many americans have recently adopted much more "patriotic" n' nationalistic behaviour than what they normally show.   it's a somewhat diff atmosphere, 'least a li'l diff.   is this the "american way" some ppl'd say we lost.   well, i think a few more star spangled banners here n' there ain't a bad thing, nope.   however @ this time i very much fear 4 arab.americans.   i know our country has more than its share of ignoramuses who'll express misdirected hate n' even agression 2wards arab.americans.   *sigh* this is just as wrong as when the ignoramuses among us in our country to expressed hate 2wards asian.americans during the u.s. spy plane in china incident... or when the u.s. auto industry had less success than japan's.   when i hear fellow asian.americans ignorantly bashing the arab race n/or practitionert of the islamic religion, it disturbs me.   i sed in bjunkyard:

it's a simple "ppl in glass houses shouldn't throw stones" issue, 'cept every1 lives in his or her own glass house.

it does frustrate me 2,tho', that the u.s. can't exact revenge.   i'm now not unfamiliar w/ this feeling that our country needs to wage war 'gainst some1 to "resolve" this matter.   where is justice?!   does justice require spilt blood?   who was behind this attack?   how can we punish the hijackers when they're already dead?   what if osama bin laden masterminded this attack?   will killinq him provide justice 4 all those american deaths?   if so, would we be implying his life is worth all those americans' lives added up? even if we capture him n' inhumanely torture him, would that be equal revenge?   some american simply cm to want retaliatory bloodshed.   must we declare war on 'nother country?   should we declare war on afghanistan?   no, the country didn't order this attack, altho' bin laden might live there.   what if afghanistan just hands over bin laden?   we'd have no need 4 war.   isn't that a good thing?!   what to do?   just as dr. min always sez, "it's easier to storm a castle than defend it."

i just saw a cnn poll that sez most ppl; given the choices of shock, sorrow, n' anger; feel anger.   i voted 4 anger, but i really feel more frustration.

let's say u'r a guy, n' 'nother guy just came up n' kicked u in the balls.   to get revenge, u could kick him in the balls right back.   but what if these freak liked gettin' kicked in the balls? now what?!   maybe all u want is a sincere apology.   this not.so.good parallel reminds me of the story of qiujiu, the movie.

[much later] 2 nite i skipped practice to let my body rest n' heal.   i took the beautiful kaela kang to dinner @ katana.ya.   she ordered a spider roll set.   i ordered a chicken katsu curry set n' a snake roll to split.   ugh! why do i such things?! way 2 much fud!!! what was i trying to prove?! i got so full.   i'm still so full. *sigh* i feel i ate 'nuff 4 a family.   we did bring home some leftover sushi.   katana.ya's a good, somewhat simple japanese restaurant.

*sigh* well, 2day was the day after the kamikaze plane terrorist attacks.   i have a sore throat.   we had a company mtg 2day.   we ate pizza n' cake.   i used my habanero hot sauce on my pizza.

'twas a tiring day.   it feels like winter now.   it's 2 cold.   [later, after taekwondo practice] i didn't have much time to write 2day, i guess.   shoot, it's actually 138a on 2001.09.13... frick, this ought to be a new entry. *sigh* neway, i was pretty bizzy n' unmotivated to write 2day.   my throat's been sore, but i think the main reason i didn't write still is that i was really bizzy w/ werk.   i've been writing all my journal entries n' most my e.mail on my handspring lately cos i still can't access the ocf unix server.   i think it's good tho'.   we need to save electricity.   our electricity was pretty expensive this month. *sigh*

so last nite, i tried to keep the demo team mtg short n' sweet.   the beautiful kaela kang felt sick, so roland drove her home, since he had to go home neway.   practice was good.   i got to spar after a long break from sparring.   after practice i got my cds n' dj lites back from jerome.   he's had them in his car since andy't bro's wedding, i guess.   then i drove raymond home.   after that, i tried to gas up my car @ the shell stn on the alameda, but 'twas closed.   *sigh* so i drove down solano.   i knew i'd c the 76 station 1st but worried it'd be closed.   the chevron stn'd be my backup, right?   isn't that stn still there?   neway, @ least the arco on marin'd be open, right?   well, lo n' behold, the 76 was open.   i filled up.   then i went home.

kaela was asleep.   i brought the dj stuff upstairs.   i was hungry.   kaela soon woke up.   wow, 'twas already simpsons time.   earlier @ the rsf, roland gave me a video game cdrom, i brought it upstairt to try, but i didn't get to try it yet.   i prepared a spinach salad n' frozen cpk pizza 4 dinner.   since that didn't fill us, i also microwaved some vegetarian mini corndogs. yum! i ate everything w/ lots'a afterdeath sauce.

i think i just boredju all w/ lotsa unnecessary details.   hey, u know i wrote this n' yesterday's entries on my handspring, right?   u can tell if i used a pc or my handspring by analysing my typo.   i figure i have many good reasons to use my handspring 4 writing journal entries n' emails.   these include:

• 1. i save electricity, n'
• 2. i can sit newhere.

well, i still haven't toldju 'bout the most interesting thing that happened to me yesterday!   ny times columnist pam o'connell contacted me 4 an article 'bout "asian.american panethnic solidarity."   well, we gotta all check it out when it's published!

btw, it's now 225a.   *sigh* yah, i should sleep... 'member the magazine details.   it's still 'round, isn't it?!   i dunno.   i don't hear 'bout it as much.   i hear more 'bout maxim.   all details, that the name of the uhm juhnghwa compilation cd that i burned from mp3, huh?   i 4got the name, so on the cd, i just wrote "uhm juhnghwa best" or sumpthin'...

a date which will live in infamy

2001.09.11: 2day terrorists attacked the u.s. by hijacking civilian airline jets n' crashing them into important u.s. buildings: the pentagon n' the world trade center twin towers.   it's really a bad day.   all the death, all the destruction, so unnecessary!

i was already having a bad morning when i heard the news from my mom.   i woke up late 4 werk from a nite of li'l sleep.   my right leg has shinsplints, my left foot's arch hurts from standing poorly @ the mall on sat, my throat felt sickly sore, n' my neck ached. *sigh* i felt miserable @ werk 2day.

well, i still can't login to the ocf unix server.   i need more snacks in my cubie.   can i call my cubicle that? "my cubie"?   so ken wants me to do the 911 @ cluck u chicken.   that't where u eat 9 of their spiciest spicy buffalo wings n' then getchur pic on the wall or sumpthin'.   these wings r supposedly much spicier than nething they got on their normal menu, n' their specialty is spicy wings. *sigh* well, sure; just tell me when!   ken proposes this weekend.   we'll c.

well, this morn, b4 i left 2 werk, i microwaved 2 hotdogs 4 breakfast.   i added grey poupon honey mustard; then i was gonna put a li'l afterdeath sauce, that american hot sauce that jerome got me from japan.   upes! i dumped a whole bunch on! uh-oh... but wait! i'm beno hwang! i eat stuff like that 4 breakfast!!!   "well, get to it then," i told myself.   w/ that n' a few swigs of o.j., i got down to bizness n' downed the 2 hot hotdogs!   i split the spilled hot sauce btwn the 2 hotdogs.   i ate them swiftly but w/ ample patience to avoid indigestion... as eating 2 quickly can give me a stomach ache.   well, i didn't want to be late 4 werk.   w/ a burning mouth n' a can of barq's rootbeer from the fridge, i went down to the car, got in, n' started the engine.

then i saw a mysterious, li'l tupperware sittin' in the cardboard box in which i contain my cds.   uh.oh! 'twas the beautiful kaela kang's pcr tubes of mice blood samples from last nite!   upes! well, they were still cold, floating in melted ice, aka water.   i shut off the car n' rushed the samples up to the fridge. phew!

last fri, kaela bought us tahoe cards.   snowboarding!   that n' gaining an hour @ the end of daylight savings time r the only good things 'bout summer ending.   *siqh* can u believe that?   it'll be fall soon! sweaters, jackets, shorter days, warmer meals, more studying (4 the students, that is)... *sigh* crazy, huh?

i didn't mention that my last entry was entirely written on my handspring.   i've been having probs telneting in to ocf's unix servers.   weird!   so i've been ftping my journal file back n' forth n' editing it on the beautiful kaela kang's 'puter, as in last time's case or my 'puter, in this case.   i can cut n' paste my handspring memo file into this html doc.   well, this werks, but i'd prefer to have more options, including telneting in as usual n' editing on their unix servers.   oh well... teknical difficulties!

so we've had a fun weekend.   on fri... well, ugh, the day was very hard, even tho i didn't werk.   *sigh* i had probs picking her up from tolman cos she was in some mtg 4 an hr longer than she expected n' didn't check her fon 4 missed calls.   *sigh* oh well... when i finally found her, she bought me lunch @ tacqueria cancun, n' i really liked my lunch.   now i notice that the decor is very reminiscent of cancun.   now i c.   i really like their xxhot salsa n' their avocado salsa... n' all their fruit salsas, i guess...   their cucumber salsa is also good cos it's surprisingly pretty hot.   well, i spent the rest of the fri cleaning up the apt a li'l, altho' it wasn't nuff, n' fixing up things on my 'puter, such as the handspring software.   also i dled mp3s.   is that not a good way to spend a fri?   yah, i wish i could'a been outside more or even have gone to the humane society or to the rsf to werkout... *sigh*

well, when kaela finally came home from werk @ 830p or so... after i picked her up, n' we came home n' packed, we left 4 milpitas, to david n' buster's.   ken n' i were s'pposed to have a thing w/ nelson there, a li'l get 2gether... but it didn't werk out cos nelson sed he had some ol' ucsd friends in town 4 the weekend, n' they wanted to hang in sf cos they had some wedding in sf to go to the next day.   neway, darlene, deanna, mikey, micah, karen, n' darlene's friend jay were already going to david n' buster's, so we joined them there.   kaela n' i got there just in time to sit down w/ them @ the table n' order fud.   we felt a li'l guilty cos we knew they had already been there 4 a while waiting 4 that table, so we sorta got it easy.   we ordered some fud then ken yamaguchi n' his date christine showed up.   after eating (i had a spicy chicken wrapper, not spicy, but ok in taste.   kaela had a shiitake shroom chipotle quesadilla.), we played games.   we saw ken n' christine playing some froggy game.   the couple next to them had explained to them how this game paid off big.   we saw how that couple had tons of tix.   well, after ken n' christine gave up trying 4 the jackpot (set @ 500 tix or more, min of 500), kaela n' i sat down to give that machine a try.   so it's a frogger style game.   u have a frog that jumps from lilypad to lilypad on a moving river, but u gotta reach the otherside b4 u fall over the waterfall.   u win tix 4 every successful jump, but if u reach the end u get 500 tix in addition to some small, extra progressive amt.   wow, i actually got the hang of the game, n' we won 6060 tix!!!!   the couple next to us had 60,000 tix when we 1st started talking to them, but they were aiming 4 86,000 to win a jukebox!   can u believe that?!   we left b4 they finished, but i bet they got it, altho' they prob'ly spent 'bout $200 to get to that pt, i bet; maybe a li'l less.   hi payoffs! but after a while, the fun cos sorta disappear, then u gotta take a break.   well, what did we buy w/ all those tix?!   we got a nice coffee grinder n' a huge stuffed pikachu.   ha ha.   we have some 860 tix left still.   well, ppl had fun.   kaela n' i were glad we were only driving home to san jo, to my mom's house, n' not all the way back to berkeley like the others.

well, sat... we woke up kind'a late n' snacked on random fud in the house.   then we finally got out of the house.   1st, we went to fry's to buy 2 128mb compact flash cards ($59 each) 4 kaela's elph.   then we went to valley fair.   kaela had a $15 coupon 4 express.   we spent a long time there looking 4 jeans.   i noticed that they let this young guy werk the fitting rooms.   right away, i thought, "frick! why doesn't nelson get a job like that?!?!   he's not werking right now, n' he really cms to want to get w/ a gurl or gurls so badly! why not?!?!?!"   i'm so surprised they let a guy werk a position like that @ a store like express.   maybe he's gay, i thought.   or what if he pretended to be gay just so he could get a position where he might get a chance to catch a glimpse of not fully dressed women... n' he had to keep up the act if he wanted to keep getting those opportunities. ha ha ha.   well, after kaela spent quite a while finding just what she wanted @ express, i went to kenneth cole n' got a shirt.   we tried to get home as soon as we could.   then we packed up.   my mom n' us, we took 2 cars n' drove to mandarin gourmet on santa teresa by blossom hill, by oakridge mall.   personally, since now we've got the cupertino 99 n' milpitas 99 malls 'round, i think there r many better chinese restaurants, but i haven't been to this style of chinese restaurant in a while, n' we didn't have much time @ all.   there r many diff kinds of chinese restaurants.   well, after dinner, kaela n' i rushed back to berkeley.   1st, she cut my hair really quickly.   she was fast, but she did a good job.   she does a much better job than she realises.   she thinks that since i'm always cleaning up the cut w/ the clippers myself afterwards, that i don't like the cut.   it's not that @ all! it's just she misses a few hairs here n' there, so since my eyes r better, i can c those stray hairs, n' i cut them off.   well, we hurriedly n' efficiently got ready 4 avaron.   kaela looked really hot! i like it.   we picked up roland.   originally, we were gonna pick up kaela's friend cynthia n' her friend, but cynthia's sprint fon didn't get her the voicemail in time.   man... ppl gotta stop using sprint pcs!   well, the 3 of us hurried off to sf after a coupl'a visits to banks.   there was an accident on the bridge n' that really delayed us.   we finally got there n' got decent parking.   wow... we've had good luck w/ parking lately!   i like it n' am very thankful, i say!   man, i had such a good time @ avaron!   k... like ken sorta teased me 4 going clubbing that nite, earlier.   he asked, 'how old r u?! why wouldju go clubbing? r u there to pick up on chicks?!'   i told him, no, i just go w/ friends 1nce in a while, n' it's a fun time... it's a li'l diff from when i was blatantly single n' me n' supermike went clubbing every weekend practically... then, it was diff!   we were more "night at the roxbury"ish. ha ha.   well... not that bad!   i never considered clubbing a real "pick up" activity.   u guys know i love clubbing musik n' to some extent hip hop musik!   i love djing, i love musik, i love dancing... it's why chals recommended i go to raves instead of clubs cos they're supposedly less of a "pick up scene" n' more 'bout the musik.   well, i like trance, but like... i think i still prefer clubbing tekno house musik... usually... i'm obviously not @ the club to pick up on gurls these days, but it's fun to go w/ kaela.   it's ok to go clubbing as a couple!   well... heh heh... @ 1 pt in the nite, kaela went to the bathroom, n' i walked w/ her there n' then waited.   she came out of the bathroom w/ karen, so i thought, "oh, maybe i didn't need to accompany her."   then as we walked back to our group, a waiter grabbed her by the wrist to drag her to a booking (korean matchmaking thing) n' i had to stop the waiter. ha ha ha. ("jamkkanman!!! nae yuhjachingu iya!")   he was really apologetic.   neway, didn't he realise he was dragging her to a table, while she was still holding my hand?!?!?! what would those guys have thought when we got to the table?!   ha ha ha! well, we had a nice, big group... n' jerome really hooked us up by having this kewl setup w/ kkambo: all the guys n' some of the gurls got a v.i.p. room, while a few of the gurls got to sit @ a "free" table outside since they were s'pposedly all single gurls available 4 booking.   this really lowered our co$ts!   u guys know that korean clubbing usually is pretty expen$ive, right?   who was there? well, i hope i don't 4get ne1 in listing us off: jerome, laura, laura's sis alice, alice's friend liz, jerome's cafe.berkeley.edu cowerker jeannie, her friends kathy n' jennifer, leo, nancy, peter park (bronx), sam lee, romy, pam, tiffany, young, karen wan, roland, kaela, n' me.   now, from bjunkyard.com, a bunch'f us know hyun, a.k.a dj krazy joe, 1 of the avaron djs.   he looks just like joe tseng.   well, if i didn't know hyun, i prob'ly wouldn't think he's korean on 1st glance, looks 2 much like joe tseng, ha ha. &nbap; it was kewl to meet him in person now tho'...   well, peter didn't meet ne gurls on the dancefloor this time unlike last time, but eh! honestly, i think some of the gurls that came w/ us prob'ly had some good opinions of him.   hey, he's a really good, nice guy, n' i'm sure the gurls think he's cute.   n' he's not boring! he's fun n' interesting.   so hey! give this guy a gurl n' give him a job! well, we had such a good time @ avaron, i think... then we went to j.town denny's, some of us.   man, we got some good pix from kaela's elph, n' some .avi footage!   i can't wait to show them to u!   heh heh... i always say that...   well, we had fun @ denny's cos our waiter javier was a bit of a goofball.   he was really nice 2; he was late w/ kaela's sprite, so he made it "on the house."   that's good service, i say.

well... *sigh* 2day's sun... it's already almost 300p, but kaela's still asleep.   what can we do 2day?   well, kaela's got hw to do.   me, i'm gonna try to rest as much as i can... psychologically.   cos i know i got demo team biz to organise, n' i wanna clear my mind n' focus on that.   hrm... i should try to get some exercise 2day 2, if i can... ooh! but my left foot's arch really hurts!   it's from standing 'round in the mall yesterday 2 much.   i guess i used bad posture or sumpthin... *sigh*

[later] i'm in the animal facility again w/ kaela.   she had some werk to do, so i tagged along.   hey, i wonder how man of u knew to check this entry again if u checked it earlier 2day.   u should know i tend to add to my enries like this.   hrm... there's something i always mean to write 'bout here, but i keep 4getting.   *sigh* sometimes i worry that i'm not smart enuf.   hrm, was i smarter b4?   dunno.   2day was s'pposed to be a relaxing day, it was.   i just worried it was 2 relaxing.   *sigh* as i always do on "relaxing" days like 2day, i worried i wat being 2 lazy n' lethargic. *sigh* last nite was fun, altho' yesterday's skedule was a bit hectic.   ha! 'member how i always used to ask if my life is 2 hectic or not hectic 'nuff? *sigh* well, i'm glad i rested 2day.   i observed the sabbath!   heh heh. i just thought 'bout how my mom sed her boss plays jazz on cruise ships.   i guess he doet that in his "spare" time.   that's like my djing, right?   what if i could convince hyun to held me get a dj gig @ avaron?   heh! would that be 2 much pressure?   shoot, it's right up my alley actually.   but man, if i had a regular dj gig, like a weekly gig, that'd be way 2 hectic, right?   already my 2nd career is taekwondo, right?   *sigh* but avaron style djing is just my thing.   they even use pioneer cd turntables, so i don't hafta deal w/ bozos that think u can only mix w/ vinyl!   all that lame-@$$ crap that djs only use technics 1200s!   "can u mix w/ cds?"   all that crap!

well, yesterday's journal entry was cut really short due to technical difficulties w/ the ocf unix server.   urgh! i'm pretty sleepy right now.   due to more technical difficulties w/ ocf, i'm actually writing this entry on my handspring.   yesterday, @ lunch, after eating a great mexican lunch @ a place in san rafael called la huasteca, i went to compusa to return that lame "pda starter kit."   i got all m $$$ back. kewl.   u know, right now compusa has free 8mb compact flash ram after rebate!   'course, they're out of stock! tsss...

[later] *sigh* so last nite, i went to cal taekwondu (sparring) team practice.   i felt a li'l out of shape.   c, master yoon is requiring all demo team members to go to sparring team practices.   yah, this semester'll be a li'l diff.   sam isn't gonna do demo team nemore, but i did just find out he'll compete in poomsae for this yr's collegiates in texas.   well, i sure hope to get into shape this semester.   it's neat cing anthony doe back @ taekwondo.   i like cing old friends come back.   i'd like paul lee to come back 2.   *sigh* i realise i'm heading 2wards the age that guys like ron salvador, rick vierra, n' jason dreiss-daffner were when i was in college... hrm... that'd be when i was like jerome's age now, huh?   hrm... in that case, i don't think i'm quite @ that age yet, am i?   well, i'm still gonna try... try to be good @ taekwondo, try to be in shape... well, back in1999, i went to sparring practice every nite, when i was on team...

the beautiful kaela kangdidn't go to practice cos she fell asleep.   after practice, i quickly left cos i thought she'd be eager to eat dinner.   i had to stop by touchless to buy gas.   i had a li'l credit card trouble there, n' the fillup took a while.   then i got home n' found kaela still asleep.   i was very surprised.   i waited 4 her to wake up.   i installed palm desktop 4.01 on my 'puter.   i hotsynced my handspring to my own 'puter 4 the 1st time.   then kaela woke up n' told me we needed eggs 4 hobak twigim, fried squash.   we went out.   1st, we went to the campus "animal facility" lab.   kaela wanted to show me the animals she werks w/.   we saw diff mice n' 1 kangaroo rat.   then we went to northside safeway.   i was so sleepy, but kaela cooked some very good hobak.   i stayed up 2late...

i brought some random korean fud odds n' ends 4 lunch 2day: rice, gochujang, hobak / egg, jangjorim w/ 1 quail egg, kimchi... some kimchi juice went down the wrong pipe as i overhurriedly ate.   it burned!

i really liked yesterday's mexican restaurant, rather authentic.   i think the cashier was pleasantly surprised that a nonmexican ordered horchata to drink.   u know, i have lotsa respect 4 mexican culture. ha, if i heard a nonasian guy say,"i have lots'a respect 4 asian culture," i'd find it a li'l patronising... haha, just my honest opinion.

so i never got to elaborate 'bout more of me n' phil's dialog 'bout asian "pop" culture... he sez it's dumb 4 asian kids to want all asians to listen to the same musik... no, i agree; it is dumb!   i c kids that listen to asian musik cos they wanna exploit asian culture as the "kewl" thing to do. yah, that's lame... u know, asian pop musik doesn't always imitate american pop musik.   some asian musik is way 2 cutesy 4 american tastes, n' it's that way on purpose... i guess that's an authentic asian style.   'bout pop musik in general: yah, often u have singers singing songs written by other ppl.   yah, that's not as kewl as the concept of a singer/songwriter, but it's bound to happen.   classical musicians per4m n' record other ppl's compositions all the time.

k, if i should listen to musik similar to musik i'd want to per4m, i need to define what kind of musik i'd want to play.   actually, i've already answered this in a bjunkyard thread.   actually, it's not that serious of a question, i.e. i'd wanna play what's fun to play!   that's how i c it, as a musician.   sure, i'd wanna be an expressive artist, but if it ain't fun, then why would i do it?   obviously, i don't want to be in an n'sync / sechkies kind of group nor a rap group... not really... but i still really like rap/hiphop as sumpthin' to listen to n' remix as a dj... u know, phil, as a musician, i don't necessarily want to listen to the kind of musik i'd play.   really!   4 example, i like playing classical musik more than i like listening to it.   really!   to some extent, jazz 2.   if i got to have a "dream" band, it'd be guitar-based.   i'd have 2 guitarits: rhythm n' lead.   that's typical.   what'd be a li'l atypilal is that i'd want 2 bass guitarists 2 sometimes, like the cure sometimes has.   6-string bass/baritone guitar!   drums could be replaced by computers / drum machine, i don't mind... maybe just some of the time.   as u c, i'd want variety!   i'd want a male n' a female singer, but the singers'd preferably also play instruments; n' tambourines don't count!   n' they'd only sing in korean, taiwanese, french, n' spanish!   ha ha ha!!!   ok, maybe i'm goin' a li'l overboard there, eh?   heh heh... don't 4get: i'm the guy who sez everybody should have a list of exactly what they want in a mate!

well, phil n' i have continued our conversation 'bout "pop" musik n' asian pop / "pop" musik.   while on this topik, lemme show u a y! news article that was on my my y! front page: "posh spice says she can really sing."   hahaha. didju read it? can u believe the audience actually threw fruits n' veggies?! wow...   neway, phil continues to say that asian pop musik (pop musik, in this case, meaning britney / n'sync stuff) is no less worse than american pop musik.   that's right.   n' it's really bad to a pt that i don't think phil even realises.   if u think the american pop musik industry is superficial n' image conscious, whoa, i think the asian pop musik industry is 10 times worse.   variety shows w/ groups lipsyncing n' dancing?! ooh, man... america hasn't cn so much of this kind'a stuff in decades! we haven't cn solid gold in a long time...

phil made some pts that i really agree w/.   asian.americans should be more concerned w/ supporting asian.american artists than imitating asian youths n' gawking over asian pop stars.   very true.   somewhere, prob'ly on bjunkyard, i sed this:

1 thing i'm starting to really resent is the "i'm more asian than u" philosophy that we're finding 2 often 'mongst asian.americans... perhaps we can called it the "more asian than thou" attitude... yah, it's detrimental to us as a community.

while driving up from socal yesterday, i thought of a title 4 this journal entry, but i can't remember it @ the moment.   my right wrist really hurts from using the computer 2 much...

[later] i still can't remember the title that i thought up.   oh well...   so how was ur weekend?   ours? well, we drove 'lot.   we drove down to socal on fri afternoon.   we left much later than we originally planned to cos i had so much trouble doing all the mp3 stuff, dling it all, converting it all to wav, n' burning it all.   grrr!   such a simple thing, but modem dialup isn't fast 'nuff.   *sigh* if only dsl were cheaper!   well, we left the apartment, like, @ 400p, i believe.   we had tons of traffic on 580e 'round pleasanton.   jerome, laura, n' alice came by much earlier to pick up some of my dj stuff, then they left way ahead of us.   the beautiful kaela kang drove 1st, then we switched after getting on the 5 4 a bit, @ the 1st rest stop.   then we stopped 'gain in santa nella 4 dinner @ andersen's pea soup.   i had a ham n' turkey sandwich on wheat.   hrm... even tho' i enjoyed it, i realised it was very simple, sumpthin' i could'a made @ home very easily, 4 very cheap.   oh well.   after dinner, i continued driving down the 5 the rest of the way.   i stayed awake ok.   kaela conversed w/ me 'bout life, 'specially our earlier lives / our previous relationships.   i don't think much 'bout when i was w/ vivian.   it all cms so long 'go.   i'm 26 now.   when that ended, i was 23.   hrm, that doesn't cm that long 'go.   well, i was barely 23.   when it started, i was only 'bout to turn 21.   now doesn't that cm like a long time 'go?   wait a sec... joon's a jr now, huh? hrm... i was just thinking who's that age now... i guess that'd be jerome.   that cms like such a "past" life.   neway... we cruised down to chino w/o ne1 falling asleep in the car.   on the way down, i reflected on all the times i drove down the 5.   most of those times were to go visit nelson @ ucsd.   neway, we got to kaela's family's house, but her parents were already asleep.   we were pretty tired, n' we pretty much went straight to sleep.

we were able to wake up "early" the next morning.   "early"'s relative.   i'm just used to waking up so late when we're in chino.   well, i knew i had stuff to do to prepare 4 andy's bro's wedding.   after eating n' contacting jerome n' andy, we went to brea mall.   i had a $15 structure coupon to use n' kaela had a crabtree & evelyn coupon to use.   also, i had to buy a microphone stand n' some musik 4 the wedding.   well, we bought the stuff, n' rushed to get out of there.   then we stopped by tower records cos i needed a recording by andre campra.   grr!!! i couldn't find it! apparently, it's out of print.   also, andy n' his bro had already left andy's bro's home in l.a. 4 the wedding site in alta loma (by rancho cucamonga, by ontario).   *sigh* i was really frustrated.   well, we rushed home to get changed 4 the wedding.

ok, so we changed n' left to go meet up w/ jerome n' laura @ the dj shop.   we got on hwy 60 n' exited on archibald, altho' the dj shop was on archibald off hwy 10 (or "the 10").   we took archibald north to get there, but then we realise that archibald was cut off cos of ontario airport.   well, i made a u.turn... a big, wide u.turn, n' i swerved off the road to make the turn.   aaaugh!   kaela's kia sportage (non 4x4) got stuck in the sand!   oh boy... if we weren't in 'nuff trouble already by running late, now we just made it 867 times worse!   i tried all sorts'f things to get the rear tires out of the sand.   b4 that day, i didn't realise that the sportage is rear wheel drive; i had assumed it was front wheel drive.   maybe that's why it feels diff.   kaela called up the kia 24hr roadside assistance but was put on hold.   then a very, very nice, christian young couple came by w/ their 4x4 truck n' offered to pull us out w/ their tow strap.   maybe anti.religious ppl'll say this was just an act of evangelical ministry n' scoff @ it, but so what?! they were very nice, very generous ppl.   they were obviously religious... not that they preached, but by their license plate holder n' some things they sed.   i really appreciated their help.   i told them we were late 4 a wedding, so they quickly sent us off on our way.   while we were stuck, andy did call, n' i told him how we were stuck.   then kaela called jerome n' told him how we were stuck n' asked him to bring the audio equipment over to the wedding.   then, haha, nelson called just to c what's up, but uh... it wasn't really a good time to chitchat.   i want to hang out w/ nelson, but he didn't realise we were down in socal 4 the wedding.   well... *sigh* we got out of the sand, n' we headed off to the wedding.   i was covered in dust!

we got there late to set up, but almost right on time 4 the actual event... but uh... that's not good cos we should've been set up...   well, we did it, we set up.   then i realised that even tho' they knew i didn't have the andre campra recording, i also didn't have ne suitable replacement... no classical musik w/ me.   *sigh* it was never really clear to me that i was djing a wedding, not just a wedding reception.   i kept hearing that they already eloped n' r married, but this was just a formality, n' i kept thinking of it as just a reception.   i also assumed, they'd have some other musik 4 the actual ceremony...   i had never djed an actual ceremony, u know?   well, this 1 was in andy's family's friend's big house's backyard.   it was really nice, beautiful.   4 the procession, i agreed w/ andy's bro to play luis armstrong's "what a wonderful world."   n' 4 the recessional, i played... uh... i think it was "when i fall in love," yah... uh... natalie king cole version.   that was laura's suggestion, n' it werked out.   well, laura n' jerome went off to buy a copy of green day's "time of your life," cos i didn't get it, thinking that jerome had the mp3.   he went off to do that.   andy hung out w/ kaela n' me.   we got to eat.   mmmm... it was very good chinese fud, mostly seafud.   i heard the catering company was actually korean.   well, it was really good.   well, i played musik, did my thing.   it was very diff from most wedding receptions i dj.   there was a strong focus on playing particular songs; i didn't really hafta mix much.   it's really not the kind of djing i usually, do but eh! sometimes that happens @ weddings.   c, andy's bro had a website up 4 the wedding, n' he had a script that let guests request songs on the page.   ppl really wanted to hear their requests.   well, i'm glad i found audiogalaxy thanks to jerome.   *sigh* well, jerome helped me out a lot w/ dling mp3s.   well, the reception ended w/ our playing "time of your life."   if i had remembered it was a semi.slow song, i would've lowered the tempo, but i didn't realise that.   during the 2nd to last song, i slow danced w/ kaela.   i cued up "time of your life" n' let jerome start it up.   well, that was the wedding reception!

we started to clean up n' played some mellow musik as the guests either got ready to leave or just hung 'round talking.   then we realised that kaela was missing her car key!!!!! man! we had the stuck.in.the.sand prob, now this?!   oh man... we searched all over the ground 4 the key.   finally, kaela found it out in the street by her car.   apparently, her keychain broke, n' the key fell off.   thank goodness 'twas a nicer neighbourhood!   phew...   neway, we packed up n' got ready to go, but we couldn't leave now cos the catering truck was blocking the driveway.   we hung out n' talked to andy's family.   andy's mom n' "aunt" gave us lotsa leftovers.   well, jerome n' laura put andy in their car, kaela n' i got in kaela's car, n' we drove to andy's hotel room, so andy could change, so we could go out.   andy stayed @ the ontario airport sheraton.   it felt so late, but it wasn't!   we went to rowland heights, which i kept mistakingly calling "diamond bar."   (ooh! i just remembered the title... here we go! hope u like it.)   we got boba drinks @ life plaza, the kwiyuhoonguht (cute thing) store.   kaela bought a mashimaro cd rack n' a coupl'a pens.   then we went to the arcade upstairs.   so many kids r so good @ ddr n' drum mania.   ha! kaela n' i played this game called "type or die."   ppl know i'm a pretty fast typer, so i gave it a shot. can u believe that name tho?!   ha ha, the whole concept is a bit nerdy, but hey! if i'm no good @ ddr, then 'least i'm good @ sumpthin', right?   i wanted games that provided more physical exercise, but i didn't wanna embarass myself on ddr.   well, jerome sed he was 30 mins from home, so i drove andy back to his hotel.   apparently, jerome's glendale home is much closer than we realised in the past. the next nite we found a shortcut!   when we got home, jay had come home from orange county.

sun: we woke up late.   it was hot; we were lazy; very lazy.   we ate n' lounged.   kaela's mom kept talkin' 'bout weddings.   when 530p rolled 'round, we went swimming, the whole family.   it was fun.   we actually had a coupl'a races.   kaela's a much faster swimmer than i am...   i wish i could swim more often.   well, we washed up, then kaela's parents took us to dinner china buffet in fullerton.   we ate plenty.   they have a mongolian bbq there, but only kaela's dad tried it.   the rest of us felt discouraged from going to the mongolian bbq cos we felt obligated to tip the chef, while we didn't really hafta eat mongolian bbq.   kaela's dad explained, well, u can just say thank u n' duck out really quick.   true... but neway, there were lotsa other things to eat, n' we ate plenty.   kaela n' i were s'pposed to visit jay's new rental house in laguna hills, but we ran out of time.   we went home to get the kia, n' went out to hang w/ kaela's hi skool friend linda n' her bf dave.     dave's roommates gave us directions to pasadena from chino.   wow, he hooked us up w/ a very good shortcut!   now, we know how to take the 71 to the 210 to pasadena n' beyond!   wow!   we got to pasadena in 0.5 the time!   we called linda, n' she told us to look 4 a bar to hang out @.   well, we didn't really find 1, so she told us to meet outside the cheesecake factory.   then we went to this pub.   it was a real irish pub.   dave n' i went down from our mezzanine table to buy the ladies cocktails, but the bartender quickly chewed him out, "this is an irish pub, we only sell beer n' wine."   dave was a li'l confused, so i sorta whispered to dave, "uh, i guess they don't have a liquor license, so they only have beer n' wine."   we went back upstairs to get revised orders from our ladies.   well, we had a fun time.   linda n' kaela got caught up.   wow, 1 of their hs friends recently eloped, some1 who sed she "didn't believe in marriage."   after the bar, linda n' dave still hadn't eaten dinner, so we sed we'd find newhere that was open late.   i thought 'bout what was close n' in our direction, n' i thought 'bout things i saw in san gabriel valley when i was w/ supermike, chals, n' sandy; such as norm's somewhere 'round rosemead n' temple city... well, didn't we also c that norm's when we were w/ johnny? johnny's also from temple city, like sandy.   well, since i wasn't totally sure of where i'd be leading them, we agreed to go 2wards dave's place to a denny's by his place.   well, dave n' linda ate, but kaela n' i, still full from the buffet, just had soda.   then we went back home.

well, mon: we woke up, ate w/ kaela's dad @ home, n' then we pretty much got ready to leave n' left.   we were eager to get on the road n' use our new favourite "shortcut."   it was great... until we hit traffic on the 5.   grrr! traffic was so bad!   it took us 8 hrs to get back to berkeley... 'course we stopped to eat 2ice n' use the bathroom a few times...   we ate dinner @ carl's jr. (cj's) in kettleman city; then we got mcflurries @ some other truckstop.   the trip was pretty fuel inefficient.   altho' i fueled up somewhere b4 valencia n' castaic, i had to refuel in livermore in some really "redneck" area.   some teenage kid on a bmx bike asked me to buy a cigar 4 him from the store, but i told him no.   u know, a long time 'go when i was in etcheverry 4 30 hrs straight doing 2 mech engineering projects, i had to go w/ my lab partner to rite aid to get some supplies.   some kid there asked me to buy him a cigar n' gave me $$$. i was so tired n' muddleheaded, i just went ahead n' did it 4 him.   but since then i realised, hey... that's not good! 1) i shouldn't promote tobacco use, 'specially by minors, n' 2) what if that was some sort of police sting operation? i could've gotten in trouble 4 buying a kid tobacco, right?   so i told this kid, "nah, sorry."   well... we finally made it back to berkeley.   jerome told me ppl were going out bowling, but we were 2 tired.   raymond was s'pposed to come over, but he sed it was 2 late.   on our way home, we dropped off some fud to jeanna.

2day... back to werk after labour day.   @ lunch, i bought a chicken burrito from puentez tacqueria, or whatever it's called...   it was so not spicy altho' i asked 4 "hot" salsa.   *sigh* disappointed.   i went to compusa cos i wanted to buy screen covers 4 my handspring.   i saw this "pda universal starter kit" 4 just a li'l more that had 6 covers, screen cleaners, n' a leather case.   i also bought some "free after rebate" cdrs.   when i got back to my office, i realise the starter kit really sucks cos only 1 of the 6 screencovers fits the handspring visor edge, n' even that 1 was a li'l 2 big.   also, the leather case blocks off access to the power switch.   now, i wanna return that stoopid starter kit, but i need the receipt 4 my cdr rebate.   2morrow, i'll c what i can do... the screen covers were cheaper @ the frickin' sam goody in brea mall! believe it or not...

2nite's the taekwondo promotional ceremony.   i'll be late to the black belt mtg or miss the mtg, but i gotta go applaud 4 owen's gettin' his 2dan.   anthony doe called me n' sed he'll try to show up.   i hope he does.   i hope he doesn't mind me mentioning his saying he'll come... but i do hope he comes.

sun was nelson's b.day.   happy b.day, nelson!

[later] bjunkyard's been down ever since we got back.   i'm scared it's really gone, but i dunno.   i got a "403 forbidden" msg.   uh... bronx didn't ban me, did he? or does this have sumpthin' to do w/ excite@home's recent probs?

man, i'm really starting to think djing weddings is so much stress.   djing friends' party parties n' making mix cds is my real joy.   well, maybe i'm just stressing.   c, i always worry so much 'bout weddings cos i know they're so important.   i worry that my patrons'll stress 'bout musik selection.   *sigh* i should just relax n' have fun, but i'm stressed.   i know i'm stressing 2 much.   i just dunno if ppl r gonna have these songs ready 4 me. *sigh* there's so many songs that i don't normally play, lots'a 80s rock, 70s rock, altrock...

i'm @ werk right now, but as soon as i get off, (i get off early 2day) we gotta jam down to socal... well, we don't hafta jam down... but i gotta hurry to get everything ready up here to go down...   the mp3 situation is what's really #!!@$ed up.   i dled a whole bunch'a mp3s 4 this wedding via audiogalaxy onto the beautiful kaela kang's 'puter, but i can't get them off her 'puter onto mine to burn!   the zip drive won't werk on her 'puter, n' i dunno why.   it really frustrated me last nite.   grrr! so in the end, guess what my only solution was! to redownload everything on my 'puter via audiogalaxy! what a crappy solution, but that's all i could do! i'm so frustrated! *sigh* when i get home, i still gotta covert all the mp3 to wave n' then burn them to cd! frick frick frick!!!! *sigh* c? talk 'bout stress...

well, kaela was such a sweetheart n' cooked me dinner last nite while i was bizzy stressin' 'bout all this.   she cooked ggongchi jjigae; yum yum.   i liked it.   i hate nites where i feel so sluggish... last nite, i felt so sluggish.   these days, @ nite, i usually feel so sluggish.   i was @ werk till way 2 late last nite.   then i came home, ate dinner, n' stressed 'bout the dj gig. *sigh* werkin' late makes me feel like a stressed out, old werking stiff! i hate it.   there's nuthin' good 'bout werking late.   *sigh* as always, sometimes i wish i could just goof off all day instead of werking 4 a living...   pah! i shouldn't think like that...

i dunno whether to drive my car or kaela's kia down to socal.   she originally sed we could take her car this time n' then take my car down during the winter holidays.   *sigh* still, i'm starting to think we should take my car... i dunno.

[later] so lately my wrist has been hurting quite a bit. it's like carpal.tunnel syndrome. it's my mousing wrist; it hurts from using the mouse 2much. [a li'l later] just 4 fun, lemme share sumpthin' i had to post on the y! caltaekwondopartycrew page:

sterling sent out some e.mail saying there's a stadium clean up on "saturday, august 31." k, there 2 probs w/ that statement: _2day_ is august 31, n' it's fri. also, wouldn't the futbol game be on sat not fri?! we'd be cleaning up while the spectators r watching the game?! "can i take that wrapper 4 u, sir?" "r u done w/ that drink, ma'am?" "sirs, couldju please not throw those peanut shells @ me even tho' i'm from cal, n' u'r from the opposing team? thank u!"

neway, we'll be in socal djing andy's bro's wedding, so no clean up 4 us. has the cal futbol season really already started?!

man, not much time now b4 we leave to socal. grrr! i gotta get home n' burn those songs to cd!!!! *sigh* i'm a bit stressed still.   1nce the wedding's over, i'll enjoy the 3day weekend. *sigh* it'll be fun, right?   don'tchu hate how stress just piles on?   when u stress 'bout 1 thing, u start to stress 'bout all sorts'f stuff u weren't stressin' 'bout b4.   k, maybe it's just me, n' maybe it's very unhealthy n' bad.   i'll try not to be like this. [later] i always thought dsl was an unecesssary luxury reserved 4 those who r online constantly.   i always thought i don't need it since i'm not online @ home that much; but now after this big mp3 dl fiasco, i c how ppl need dsl.   still, i won't get dsl just yet, nope!

weird, phil sent me an e.mail n' wrote 'bout what i thought got deleted in my yesterday's journal entry, "ruff! ruff!"   i thought i had written a bit 'bout alternasian / generasian x versus all the youngsters listenin' to "kpop" n' jpop, such as those kids i find on bjunkyard.   hrm... but then i thought that bit didn't get saved.   what's going on?   maybe i misplaced it n' accidentally tacked it onto the wrong day's entry?!   well, while i search 4 that, lemme share w/ u phil's comment:

I'd contest the claim that most young asians are into asian pop. Obviously it's something you'd like to believe. But I think the things we want to believe are exactly the claims we want to be skeptical about. It's like when only 10% of whites think blacks are treated unfairly at work. Well, obviously the other 90% would like to think what they think is actually true. Don't you think? Puts their mind at ease, and plus who doesn't wish that other people think the way they do?

didju read phil's comment?   well, while u were reading it, i found the passage that i accidentally tacked onto mon's journal entry, "back 2 werk," instead of yesterday's entry... imagine this passage @ the end of yesterday's entry:

[later] so in my office i was listenin' to mp3s on my soundsgood.   i have some recent english mp3s like "i'll fly w/ u," "ride w/ me," n' "back dat @$$ up."   i have lotsa korean mp3s on there now, n' i guess i have 1 "chinese" mp3, boa singing in mandarin.   whatever; musik's musik.   so... i was thinkin' how lately i guess i'm frustrated cos bjunkyard forums haven't been so focused on asian societal issues like i wish they would.   in the past, i used to visit sites like goldsea.com that'd focus entirely on asian society, asian.am politics, gettin' by as an asian in a mostly white environment, etc.   in that kind of website, there's lotsa politics, n' then there's lotsa trash talkin' 2, especially in intraracial forums... i got so sick of ppl of diff asian ethnicities baggin' on each other.   that was @ goldsea.com.   i like bjunkyard.com cos most of the ppl there r into asian entertainment n' asian pop culture...   c, that differs from what i c on many other asian 4ums, where u got lotsa these alternasians or generasian x-ers.   those ppl r mostly into alternative musik... like in the movie yellow.   i think more asians in my age group fall into this category... well, many my age n' more from the older generations.   younger kids, most r into asian pop culture.   i was just thinkin' how i've also visited this site iistix.com.   i think i find more writings from these alternasian types there.   yah... like these kinds of ppl'd find like asian pop culture 2 "fobby," i s'ppose... but that's just a prejudgemental guess n' a stereotype.   yah, in reality, i guess i know that some of these ppl r into korean gayo etc.   oh, so i just found out iistix.com also has forums. hrm... wow.   ha, they use the same program as bjunkyard. ha ha.   neway, i don't need more places to waste my time online! ha ha.

so that's what phil was replying to.   phil! didn'tchu notice this passage was oddly place? wasn't that so uncohesive? uh.. "uncohesive"? "incohesive"? r either of those 2 real wurds?!   in ne case... yah, i concede; phil, u'r right.   it's funny how i jumped to the conclusion that most young asian ppl listen to asian pop musik.   actually, 1st lemme clarify to phil sumpthin'... what i really was saying was that asians younger than us, those in hs n' college right now, listen to asian pop.   however, i realise my statement still isn't true... if i made that bold statement... did i? lemme check... oh! heh heh... yah, i did... i sed, "younger kids, most r into asian pop culture."   u know, ever since 1993, my freshman yr of college, i really hated the term "my bad," but if i didn't hate the term, i guess i'd be saying it now.   ha ha.   yah, true, phil... it's not that most asian kids listen to asian pop, but i really believe that more do now then back in our generation.   4 a while, i think there's been a big, unspoken debate 'bout what defines asian.am pop culture, or rather which pop culture defines asian.am culture.   u get what i'm sayin'? like is the asian thing to do to listen to mod rock? is it to listen to urban hip hop n' rap? is it to listen to asian pop?   back in my days, most asian.ams considered asian pop way 2 "fobby."   these days, there r definitely those that still think that.   lemme go on to quote phil some more:

Why is it desirable for ppl to like music made by singers of their own race? And this music, who's writing it anyway? To what extent does it even reflect one's cultural roots?

good pts, phil.   isn't it all such bs?!   well, phil... i did give u a copy of the ol' benomix3.   i'm sure u noticed that most of the songs r korean, some r chinese, n' then the rest is american/english.   i reason i like putting korean/asian musik on my benomix albums is that i let my asian n' nonasian friends know more 'bout asian pop culture n' that asians r capable of making decent musik... ha... "decent" depending on ur tastes, of course. what is "decent" asian musik?   is it musik that accurately emulates american/european styles? or is it asian musik that better expresses or captures asian culture?   well, i often hear asian musik that follows the guidelines of american/european musik, n' i hear asian musik that sounds really cartoony, musik that sounds like it belongs in some kids' anime show.   4 example, the fin.k.l. song "nae namja chingooeigei," or (to a slightly lesser extent) the fin.k.l. song that appears on benomix3 "jajonshim."   honestly, i prefer the asian musik that sounds more like american/european musik, the hip hop or the trance/tekno stuff.   these days, i don't so much like the cartoony stuff such as some of the early s.e.s. or fin.k.l. stuff.   it just cms a li'l "wimpy."   however, does that make me a sellout?   hey, kids... ponder that!

well, let's get back to phil's real pt: isn't my listening to asian pop musik instead of "american" / european "pop" musik (or rock or punk or hip hop or whatever!) a bit ethnocentric if not racist?   well, i dunno... phil's always kept me in check, somehow gettin' me to cogitate over if i'm 2 ethnocentric or what.   well, u know i've spent time thinkin' 'bout it, n' it was 1 of my motivations 4 vacationing in mexico, u know? to get away from my asiacentricism.   i try to find the right balance.   i don't think my asiacentricism in itself is wrong; i care 'bout my culture n' ethnic community.   i don't want to c it mistreated in america n' want it to find its equal ground.   i'm not an asian supremacist; i don't hafta c asians come down on all the other ppls of the world, but i do believe that society n' media has been unfairly treating asians in this country, abusing them.   phil gives the example of how 90% of whites in that poll don't believe blacks r treated unfairly @ werk.   well, i dunno how small the percentage is of ppl who r w/ me that asians r mistreated, but i'm still on this side.   it concerns me.   some might think it consumes me.   yah, i'm passionate 'bout it, but i try to keep myself in check.   i know i submerge myself in lotsa asian influences, but i still need to go to werk in a multiracial environment.   i'm not that unintegrated.

so why do asians like me feel we need to listen to asian musik?   k... there's no need, perhaps a desire or 'least an interest.   well, lemme frankly answer this.   the simpleton's answer would be, "cos i like it," or sumpthin' dumb like that.   still, we must 'least start our discussion there: yes, i like it.   do we really need ne more of an answer than that?   don't we all just listen to what we like?   that is how we choose musik, right?   heh... not always; oftentimes ppl choose musik cos they're familiar w/ it.   if u constantly here some song on the radio, u'll get familiar w/ it, n' u might buy the cd or 'least dl the mp3 n' listen to it more.   'course those who "keep it real" just ain't down w/ that system.   what 'bout underground musik that gets no airplay?   hey... well, in that sense, asian musik is rather underground in america, ain't it?   well, now we've determined that many young asians might be listenin' to asian pop cos it's more "alternative" than ne alternative we can find in american musik.   back in my days, the mainstream listened to top 40, but there were mods listenin' to mod rock, right? they defined their subculture n' had a special musik 4 it.   so i don't doubt that some young asians listen to asian musik purely cos they wanna fit in to a subculture that isn't the norm; they wanna be diff!   *sigh* well, u know i can't approve of that reason...   u can't just exploit a nation's culture to be kewl! i've discussed this b4... so what happens 1nce korean culture is no longer the hip thing?   as i sed, in my environment, it cmed like in the 80s n' early 90s, japanese culture was the hot asian culture, n' it cms to me that youngsters think now korean culture's the hot asian culture... just take a look on bjunkyard @ how many kids of whatever ethnicity wanna talk 'bout korean musik, n' korean celebs... 'specially the female celebs... it's neat, but i also think it's sick.   so what happens 1nce the hype dies, huh?   so all these kids'll ditch 1 culture 4 'nother; culture hop.   well... 4 now, let's not get into intraracial relations 2 much... let's discuss asian kids n' asian pop culture as panethnic units.   i've gotten way offtrack!   so do i listen to asian musik to feel i have a sense of identity in a community outside the mainstream?   hrm... i'd like to say no, but perhaps it's somewhere on the bottom of my list.   u know i'm a musician, so i try not to let those kinds of things affect my musical opinions.   i listen to musik cos i find it it musikally interesting, right?   well, what's interesting 'bout asian "pop" musik?   i think 1 thing that's interesting 'bout it is that it's similar to american/european "pop" musik, but it incorporates asian influences.   n' i like hearing how diff artists bring in those asian influences.   let's talk a listen to 1 of my fav groups dj doc.   notice how they have hip hop beats similar to american hip hop?   yet they sometimes incorporate old korean folkmusik n' do it in a way that isn't tacky, hokey, or lame.   good.   i like.   it's like asian fusion cuisine, much the same concept.   similarly, sometimes it werks, sometimes it doesn't.

now, phil... maybe u noticed that i started putting "pop" in quotes.   u know why? cos in ur e.mail u started talkin' 'bout "pop musik" as britney spears n' n'sync, etc...   yah, some of the asian musik i listen to is of that nature... but i prefer musik that isn't.   the "pop" musik i listen to is hip hop, rock, altrock, punk rock, tekno/trance, house, ska, power ballad, r&b, soul, femrock...   it's all sorts'a things! when i say "pop," i just wanna differentiate modern asian musik from asian folkmusik... i don't listen to the early asian "pop" musik, the stuff that parents listen to... n' there's also a need to distinguish that.   often, in reference to korean "pop" musik, i prefer to use the korean term "gayo."   altho' many kids say "kpop," i avoid the term.   i like "gayo" better.   i heard 1 justification 4 this b4, but it wasn't a justification i liked.   this korean guy sed he hated the term "kpop" cos it comes from the previously in use term "jpop," used to refer to japanese "pop" musik.   this guy, an obvious "i hate japanese 4 oppressing my ppl" kind of korean, sed korean gayo sounds nuthin' like japanese jpop.   ahem... well, sometimes it does... 4 example, s.e.s.! shoot, they heavily market their musik in korea, japan, n' taiwan.   s.e.s. sings in korean n' japanese.   n' u got boa who sings in korean, japanese, n' chinese.   some jpop is korean gayo...   maybe it's not the most popular jpop, but it's there.   neway, i don't approve of such philosophies aimed @ causing asian disunity.   u know i'm an asian panethnicist.   neway!!! the reason i say "gayo" instead of "kpop" is to avoid the exact prob that has come up w/ phil's e.mail... "kpop" has the wurd "pop" in it... so it makes ppl like phil think "kpop" is only "pop" musik... "pop," as in top 40 mainstream, bubblegum pop.   n' so... i say "gayo"... @ the risk that ppl'll say "gay musik?! u listen to gay musik?!?!?! well, i guess, psb (pet shop boys) n' erasure ain't bad..."

i think many asian.am kids n' even asians in asia r ditching asian "pop" musik n' r taking on trance/tekno as the musik that identifies their community.   to many, trance is the "asian" thing to listen to, not hip hop, not altrock, not asian "pop."   maybe to them, hip hop is 2 wannabe, altrock is 2 old skool, n' asian "pop" is 2 fobby or tacky.   u know, this is a good discussion... n' i'm glad phil's participating in it.   u know, i read in the paper 'bout how most hip hop cds r bought by white kids, not black kids.   in a way, it's a misconception that hip hop is a black kids' thing.   the per4mers, w/ the occasional exception such as eminem, r black, but the audience is more nonblack than u'd think. @ bjunkyard, we've discussed the question of if asian musik'll ever break into american mainstream.   there's always the language barrier... but hey! latin artists get airplay.   hey! i really respect the latino/chicano culture, n' well... u know, we just went to mexico n' all... [after a short distraction] uh... to the topik of asians n' tekno musik, i saw that in mexico, they listen to the tekno group 666, which has been somewhat popular in korean altho' they're a mexican group.

[slightly later] so toki on bjunkyard shared a really kewl link: "alllooksame? test your asian aptitude".   it's an online test where u guess if ppl r chinese japanese or korean.   i got a 6 out of 12.   ha... this is very related to my ever.favourite topik of asian.am / asian panethnicity.   *sigh* how many times do i hafta talk 'bout how in taiwan, i saw taiwanese ppl that looked korean or japanese, in hk chinese ppl that looked korean or japanese, n' in korea koreans that looked chinese, japanese, vietnames, thai, pinoy, or whatever! ppl try to distinguish physical traits that define each of these ethnicities, n' they exist... but these generalisations truly don't always werk.

[later] late nite, i cooked chicken cacciatore @ home 4 the beautiful kaela kang.   i tried to make it fancier/better than i did in the past.   she sez i don't cook the things i tell her i used to cook long time 'go.   lots of that is cos those dishes r often unhealthy, stuff like creamy, creamy clam chowder, beef stew, beef curry, etc.   these days, i've been more into cooking asian fud.   well, 4 lunch 2day, i'm eating some of the leftovers.   i broght the afterdeath sauce w/ me to werk n' am using it.   after dinner last nite, i felt so tired, sleepy, n' lethargic.   we watched an episode of voyager.   when special unit 2 came on, i really wanted to get out, so i went to return the video @ blockbuster.   yah, we didn't return in the mood for love till yesterday nite.   actually, i think that was ok... wasn't it? or no? i might've been 1 day late... i don't get 5.day rentals!   then i came home n' dled mp3s 4 andy's bro's wedding.   i really need to get lots'a mp3s 4 this gig.   i'm using audiogalaxy from kaela's 'puter.   i worry 'bout xfering files to my 'puter 4 the burner cos the zip drive hasn't been werking on kaela's 'puter lately.   2nite, i might hafta uninstall all the new hardware n' then try 'gain... *sigh*

[later] i finally titled 2day's journal entry!   ha ha, it had no title till now.   do u know the allusion?   material issue's "international pop overthrow."   do u know material issue?   ha, prob'ly not. a american (but somehow britishesque) altrock/grunge group from the early 1990s.   their 1st big hit was "valerie loves me."   i saw them play live @ san josé state back when i was in hs... sr yr? i think.   "international pop overthrow" was the name of their album n' the title track on it.   ah, the memories... the song "valerie loves me" is 'bout a simple teenboy crush on an older, hip, stylin' woman n' how now he's of age, but she's s'pposedly past her prime... that kind of thing.   wow, i just learned on that website that the leader singer passed 'way in 1996.   well, he n' his band did affect my young days, my youth.

c, this is the kind of musik fahad defines as pop! musik like this, musik like blur, musik like the smiths, i guess... british "pop."   erasure had an album called pop.   all that... that musik sounds nuthin' like britney spears or n'sync or bsb... nope! but some ppl call that pop musik. well, i'll let fahad n' phil battle it out.   they're both in law skool neway...

[much, much later] i stayed @ werk pretty late 2nite. it's 741p, n' i'm finally gonna leave. *sigh*

*sigh* it was a ruff morn, this morn.   the beautiful kaela kang woke up late 4 class, so i had to drive her to skool.   i dropped her of