my heart goes out to Japan

Everyone has been discussing the catastrophic tragedy in Japan, a devastating earthquake and lethal tsunami topped off with nuclear radiation exposure. The news is heartbreaking and highly emotional to read and watch. My prayers are with everyone in Japan. The world knows of your suffering and we are here for you.

I watched the latest Black Eyed Peas music video 'Just Can't Get Enough' today. It was shot a week before the events in Japan. I suppose a combination of factors contribute to my liking this song and mv immediately and I definitely think there's something for everyone in it. Personally, Fergie's voice on this track is very airy and feminine and it resonated with me. Exposed, she describes how she just can't get enough of her man and wants to jump inside his love.  She, like Tokyo or all of Japan, is vulnerable and addicted. She, like the city, is addicted to love.

The cinematography is also beautiful featuring a modern urban sprawl. Presenting the city night lights, a story of longing love and bittersweet attachment unravels. Check out these still shots from the music video and also watch it in its entirety here.

Another Year Older

I'm about to turn another year older. As usual, like all of my preceding years, this past year has been filled with ups and downs, but it's only worthwhile to remember the good. A year ago, I went to New York to see some of my dear friends and to reminisce about our carefree days as a quartet of girls living in the city. They were memorable days and nights filled with everything I love about the Big Apple: girl talk, afternoon tea parties, Tim Burton's exhibition at MoMa, strolls in Central Park, and braving the weather getting to Max Brenner's for chocolate fondue (gosh, remember that storm?)

Thank you Angela, Jen, Tomoko (in spirit) and Joanne for such a wonderful trip :) I miss you all.

After this amazing trip out East, I headed farther East to Shanghai where I set up house for nearly 6 months. I met driven and powerful individuals, made new friends, and got a taste of what long(er)-term life in China would be like.

I took a couple wonderful weekend getaways with some of the nicest people I've ever met. 

State-side once more, I came back and began the next chapter of my life: getting my ducks aligned.  In other words, figuring out the future career-wise. In between hitting the books, meditating, and job searching, I started this blog as a positive digital diary. Oh, and one more thing about this year...

I fell in love for the first time. And he's nice.

Happy March Everyone!

Hello there! Sorry for my absence during pretty much the entire month of February.
I will try to stay more consistent about updating this blog because I am inspired fairly often by events in my rather mundane life, but I lack the writer's urge of actually putting pen to paper, or in this case the blogger's urge of putting fingers to keyboard. But alas, I am back now.
As some of you may know, I have been spending copious amounts of time in public libraries in my neighborhood. When 3:30 rolls around in the afternoon, it means one thing: a flood of students will come into the library and "do their homework" until dinner time when they get picked up by their parents. I suppose it doesn't really matter to most people, but lots of people need a quiet atmosphere in order to study or conduct their work and they make their presence obviously known with their rowdiness.  I have strategically sat myself down at a round table among some middle school girls today in order to infiltrate their inner-workings and find out what life is all about for youth today.
Copycat chatterboxes
These girls are total chatterboxes. As they're doing their algebra (x-25=4) equations, I realize that they are not actually doing their homework at all! In reality, they are copying right off each other's page! Summer, on my left is directly copying off of Tasia's homework, which in turn was copied off of Daisy. In between giggles, the three of them are poking fun at Tasia's overweight cousin who eats only Activia yogurt in an effort to shed pounds. At their young age, they are already poking fun of chubby people with total disregard for who may overhear.
iPhone, iWhat?
Summer has an iPhone. When asked a simple math problem (90 divided by 5), she promptly whipped it out of her backpack, all her friends herded around in awe, all math questions clearly forgotten.
"Wow! Is that your iPhone?" they chirp.
"Yeah, I have an iPod Touch too, you know?" is her suave reply.
In my middle school days, I distinctly remember cell phones were banned. I had a thrice, pre-loved, hand-me-down black and white Nokia phone by the time I was in eighth grade (its "coolness" came with the interchangeable color face plates I had) for emergencies only. The extent of my use was playing snake on it and losing...frequently.
As I sit around these girls now, they have each had their turn ogling at Summer's iPhone, flipping through her pictures, and asking what app she likes best. Her response is limited; it's clear she doesn't use her phone much and knows little about its functionality. She just has it because it's the latest "toy" to own while toying around with her studies.