tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-42798957090248433442011-04-21T20:13:59.691-04:00somiminoreply@blogger.comBlogger831100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4279895709024843344.post-41650233196381145692009-02-02T13:13:00.004-05:002009-02-02T13:15:17.907-05:00

Ok, I know this blog has been collecting dust, but I just found out about a giveaway over at http://makemineamojito.blogspot.com/ and I just couldn't resist. She's giving away BROWNIES. I'll do anything for BROWNIES. It's a Valentine's giveaway, so this is my second entry.Yay chocolate!

somiminoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4279895709024843344.post-52451802535608492912008-10-31T15:54:00.002-04:002008-10-31T15:56:56.928-04:00

Whoa, it's been awhile! I just wanted to pop in to post a blurb about a suicide prevention walk I am participating in at my campus this upcoming Sunday. Donations are accepted at any time, and always much appreciated, with love. If you can give anything at all, please click here. If you donate and I know your address, I'll make you something special as thanks :)Happy Halloween!

somiminoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4279895709024843344.post-15454642412422918172008-08-22T14:21:00.001-04:002008-08-22T14:22:50.151-04:00

First there was Google party. Now, chemical party.

somiminoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4279895709024843344.post-51204108683251571462008-08-21T22:03:00.005-04:002008-08-21T22:36:09.854-04:00

I just found two books that I need to own. Now. I am in love.Here is the first: What It Is, by Lynda Barry. It is a crazy, scrapbooky, kooky poetic collage of a memoir, and promises to be an adventure to read. Maybe I just regressed 15 years, but this is the book that will get me out of any funk I'm in.And numero dos is called The Principles of Uncertainty, by Maira Kalman. Honestly, I fell

somiminoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4279895709024843344.post-12566736755114489212008-08-17T15:35:00.002-04:002008-08-17T16:27:47.455-04:00

somiminoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4279895709024843344.post-34106283071819456482008-08-11T23:31:00.002-04:002008-08-11T23:34:03.281-04:00

Haircut success! A friend of one of my housemates is couchsurfing for a while, and she cut 4 inches off my hair. It's still ridiculously long, but much more manageable now.Yay!

somiminoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4279895709024843344.post-82771704380612175832008-08-07T16:54:00.002-04:002008-08-07T16:56:52.270-04:00

So, in order to save the environment, we need to take a lesson from sex.A great article on just how difficult it is for people to buy into anything geared towards "saving the environment," or any similarly long-term goal.And how that's just like sex. :)

somiminoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4279895709024843344.post-49633222483202516202008-07-31T13:19:00.004-04:002008-12-11T02:56:07.374-05:00

I dreamt last night that I flew into a teenage-rebellious rage and took scissors to my hair. Except I couldn't find a pair sharp enough to cut through my thick hair, and I opened drawer after drawer, testing out each pair I found and getting more incensed as each proved as effective as trying to gnaw my hair short. Finally, I find scissors that snip through hair cleanly and begin cutting away,

somiminoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4279895709024843344.post-59664988082490715492008-07-30T21:18:00.003-04:002008-07-30T21:29:50.596-04:00

Via my new favorite newsbyte site, Geeks are Sexy, is this article on people who've made their billions from their solar power technology companies. As more and more of popular media are actually starting to take alternative energy and fuel efficiency seriously, solar power is making a major comeback, and it's all very exciting. I'm actually hoping gas prices continue to rise, because I believe

somiminoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4279895709024843344.post-47442723325546652252008-07-26T01:19:00.007-04:002008-12-11T02:56:07.716-05:00

A very belated, non-blog-related update seems to be in order. I know it feels like I've abandoned ship here, but here's a last try at reviving it (besides the hours I spent prettifying it).So here's a peek at the room:Classy, I know. I love having a hardwood floor though. Makes sweeping up all the hair I shed from brushing that much easier.And here's the cutest resident of our apartment,

somiminoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4279895709024843344.post-90162534600128289012008-07-23T01:31:00.002-04:002008-07-23T01:39:20.791-04:00

Mmmm! That looks better. Still tweaking things, but I'm pretty happy with my new colors. Except for that tiny, thin, noticeable line between the masthead and wrapper. Why is it there???More little changes to come.Yay Photoshop!And kudos to the wonderful artists whose beautiful brushes I used for the masthead.

somiminoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4279895709024843344.post-78742410080222410852008-06-05T15:17:00.000-04:002008-06-05T15:19:08.160-04:00

I graduate college in 3 days.

somiminoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4279895709024843344.post-51424153768623742302008-05-21T15:59:00.002-04:002008-05-21T16:08:00.494-04:00

What it is I am feeling lately. Graduation is looming ahead, yet I am on a completely different time schedule. My biological clock isn't set to class hours and terms and finals anymore (nor, I believe, was it ever meant to be). Instead I find myself pondering (that's such a wonderfully egotistical verb, to ponder) what it is I want to do. To really do. How I want to live.It's funny, because

somiminoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4279895709024843344.post-19194109011679703332008-05-14T20:15:00.003-04:002008-05-14T20:43:09.182-04:00

I wrote this in my sketchbook today:i'm trapped inside myself, and i can't find the way outIt pretty much sums up how I've been feeling for a long time now.I am also praying I didn't contract poison ivy from the week-long canoeing trip I have just recently returned from. I have alternately been tanned/burnt by the most glorious weather, and become borderline hypothermic from cold rain. It will

somiminoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4279895709024843344.post-45788251300171823622008-04-30T11:05:00.002-04:002008-04-30T11:14:45.071-04:00

(Further?) proof that not all things are synergistic:I was making my usual sandwich of rye bread, salame, turkey, and pickles. I munched on a slice of turkey as I was putting the sandwich together, and was struck by how good it was, and how I couldn't taste it at all in the sandwich, smothered as it was by the other ingredients. I had given that no thought when I was grocery shopping; just

somiminoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4279895709024843344.post-86787367905848767332008-04-06T10:22:00.003-04:002008-12-11T02:56:08.579-05:00

Dear Diary,It's been a busy busy week here, culminating in a wonderful packed weekend of events. I shall review each day and write of their merits, starting with Friday. Thus we begin..fridayI slept pretty late, till 11am, due having watched Daily Show clips till around 3 in the morning the night before, after chatting with Dawn and cartoonist Paul Hornschemeier (whose name I just copy/pasted

somiminoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4279895709024843344.post-41310576813713143262008-04-01T18:46:00.004-04:002008-04-01T18:59:16.882-04:00

On the list of All Things that Annoy Me, what must surely hold a position in the top three is lateness, either in myself or others. So, I sit here writing this on the floor of the hall outside a classroom, having waited 20 minutes now to collect some materials from a higher-upper. Why, exactly, he isn't here yet is unknown, but with each passing minute I am growing increasingly more

somiminoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4279895709024843344.post-88620825972053603142008-03-11T21:31:00.003-04:002008-03-11T21:41:16.977-04:00

Between bouts of studying for physiology and improving my vocabulary on FreeRice, I managed to complete, more or less, my animation final project. I put it on youtube for easy narcissistic access, and also because it just makes more sense for showing it to people without having to pull up the 100+ Mb file.Anyway. Here it is (music might be added later):Also, youtube's compression did something

somiminoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4279895709024843344.post-68889298674148395272008-03-03T23:34:00.007-05:002008-03-04T00:30:04.134-05:00

It is a beautiful night out. The air is still and warm, despite the still-thick layer of snow upon the ground. I walk outside, breathe in, breathe out. Fill my lungs with the wanderlust that permeates the air around me. I suddenly want to walk, and keep walking, wherever my legs take me. I start with the gas station, down at the end of the quaint single lit street of this quaint little town,

somiminoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4279895709024843344.post-55028512941850255182008-02-23T14:10:00.005-05:002008-12-11T02:56:09.931-05:00

What's this? Another post, so soon? Well, I just had to tell the world about my newest love affair. That's right, my current obsession, discovered at an organic farm potluck last night. Here it is:Those are the first 3 inches of what will be , to quote one of my friends, a sicknasty scarf. Knitting is fun, yo. Makes me fingers ache, though. Yeah early onset arthritis!Also, among the few

somiminoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4279895709024843344.post-80493363075178522732008-02-22T15:18:00.002-05:002008-02-22T15:32:32.119-05:00

Back in Taiwan, Mark has been slowly recounting the adventures of his first visit to New England (here, here, here, and here, and more to come, I'm sure). Meanwhile, I am slowly trying to get back into the pace of things in the aftermath of first Mark and then my best friend from home visiting, with their visits overlapping right in the middle of Winter Carnival. Considering that both of them,

somiminoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4279895709024843344.post-44825893102354416812008-02-14T00:38:00.005-05:002008-02-14T14:51:37.157-05:00

I just found out that my good pal Dawn had bookmarked an Annie Dillard essay on her del.icio.us links; an essay called "Living Like Weasels." Now, I have read Dillard here and there since high school, and she introduced to me a new landscape of writing, and a new way of reading. She infuses nature, personal diary, reflection, science, and religion into her writing in an inexplicably beautiful

somiminoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4279895709024843344.post-35487332809794366762008-02-05T09:48:00.000-05:002008-02-05T10:07:02.309-05:00

I had an interesting conversation with a professor this morning at breakfast; about trusting your instincts, decision-making, and sticking to your guns. He even quoted a passage of Hamlet to me:This above all: to thine ownself be true,And it must follow, as the night the day,Thou canst not then be false to any man.I have been thinking about this a lot, not the specific passage, but the subject

somiminoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4279895709024843344.post-72350731705745691362008-01-23T20:58:00.000-05:002008-01-23T21:29:56.246-05:00

Found this interesting blog post (part two here) via reddit about a guy who's teaching his daughter how to write code to make her own computer game, using a program he's been designing called Greenfoot. Pretty great stuff, especially as the daughter is 9 (in part two, his 7-year-old becomes interested and involved as well). This kind of logical creativity is exactly what kids need to develop

somiminoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4279895709024843344.post-60970698605801232592008-01-21T18:43:00.001-05:002008-12-11T02:56:10.264-05:00

Newest addition to my "Sugar High" list: Sinfest. It is highly vulgar, slapstick, and sometimes crass. And it throws together God, the devil, Buddha, Jesus, and the Oriental Dragon alongside its human characters. Quite an interesting comic. The cartoonist, Tatsuya Ishida, used to be a comic book penciller.

somiminoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4279895709024843344.post-82504706060551165812008-01-12T20:04:00.000-05:002008-01-12T19:39:47.108-05:00

New Year's is only days behind me, and 2008 is already proving challenging and full of change. I've dropped my Studio Art major down to a minor, and am considering dropping my Digital Arts minor altogether. If I do that, I could feasibly graduate early with just a Biology major and Studio Art minor, bypassing the need to pay another term of expensive Ivy tuition. I guess the question now is

somiminoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4279895709024843344.post-85305147420051246002008-01-09T12:04:00.000-05:002008-12-11T02:56:11.295-05:00

Behold the Corona snowman! Found only in the sweetest of pubs in Taiwan, I suppose. This was at Saints & Sinners, during a Christmas dinner Mark and I had courtesy of my aunt. Thanks 大姨!! One of many animals pasted on the walls of the Taipei Zoo MRT. He just makes you want to say, "Hyuk!" for him.The only real hiking we got to do over break was to 象山 again. It was another grey, cloudy day,

somiminoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4279895709024843344.post-29884968804687824882007-12-31T04:45:00.000-05:002007-12-31T04:57:50.570-05:00

Despite my now-frequent visits to Taiwan, I have yet to do what is oft considered an initiation rite here, besides being a common leisure activity: sing at a KTV. But I did finally visit one last night, as part of fellow blogger Holly's birthday party. I still didn't sing (the only time I've publicly sang karaoke was during my biology study abroad program, during our last night on the Cayman

somiminoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4279895709024843344.post-2896509862153038832007-12-27T04:59:00.000-05:002007-12-27T05:14:24.969-05:00

I have been really enjoying my vacation here in Taiwan, though I have been keeping mostly quiet about it. This isn't so much out of a desire for secrecy as the fact that what I have been doing doesn't make for much exciting blogging. Mark and I have been tearing through Babylon 5, which is an amazing sci-fi series I'd never even heard of before he introduced it to me. And when he is at work I

somiminoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4279895709024843344.post-58886644916883457092007-12-20T18:10:00.000-05:002007-12-20T05:49:27.532-05:00

I've apparently been tagged to talk about my 7 top weirdest traits/facts by the Daily Bubble Tea's Todd. Hmm...I raised Madagascar hissing cockroaches when I was in 5th grade, a gift from my science teacher.I've lived with freshmen all 4 years of college, since I was in all-freshmen housing my first year, and I've been a freshman UGA (RA) the other 3 years.I have a constant inner dialogue going

somiminoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4279895709024843344.post-4339627681032679002007-12-10T18:29:00.000-05:002007-12-11T12:36:06.282-05:00

I found this video through dooce. It's a short film (10:58) about a girl and her dog. That's all I'll say, but beware: you might want to have tissues at hand...

somiminoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4279895709024843344.post-69272682755333329242007-12-09T08:38:00.000-05:002008-12-11T02:56:11.634-05:00

Final hurdle: 10 page paper by noon today. Have been working on it all night. Hands slightly jittery from the coffee.An accurate representation of my paper-writing process:And back to the grind once more.

somiminoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4279895709024843344.post-32727287054169460822007-12-08T17:36:00.000-05:002007-12-08T17:52:17.546-05:00

I've long been steadfastly against the use of any internetspeak in my online correspondences. I may have dropped an "lol" once or twice when I first started using instant messengers, but that has all fazed out. I think it's a travesty that so many people use internetspeak, and especially younger generations that are growing up on mySpace and AIM. I've already made it clear to my younger

somiminoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4279895709024843344.post-9014736499123106672007-12-06T09:47:00.000-05:002007-12-06T10:02:40.769-05:00

In the midst of family dramas and school finals, I browse sites like reddit and wonder what everything is coming to. There are political rants, ravings, polls, and smear campaigns all over the web, and yet it somehow feels so pointless. I ignore the latest Clinton/Obama verbal battle in favor of an animated gif of a cat being run over by an RC car. The now-old joke of Clinton bringing up

somiminoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4279895709024843344.post-67779712126893351142007-12-04T08:57:00.000-05:002007-12-04T09:02:52.810-05:00

Real? Fake? You decide.Absolutely ridiculous? Yes.Speaking of worlds, here's another YouTube video of the French "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire." The participant is stumped by the question, "Qu'est-ce qui gravite autour de la Terre?" or "What revolves around the Earth?" He turns to the audience for help. Insanity ensues.

somiminoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4279895709024843344.post-11287779613543096382007-11-25T19:28:00.001-05:002007-11-25T19:57:47.718-05:00

At around 1:30 this afternoon, I finally finished packing everything and was getting ready to make the drive back up to campus. Upon opening the door to my car, which was parked outside on the driveway, in the sun, I found at least two dozen ladybugs huddled around the doorframe. Opening the other 3 doors revealed similar results. Had I never noticed this before? I know ladybugs begin to

somiminoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4279895709024843344.post-40630877800344923942007-11-24T20:16:00.000-05:002007-11-25T01:47:29.131-05:00

I've found this website, Unconventional Ideas, that just about sums up the way I look at life, and at my own future in particular. My first thought at stumbling upon this site was, "That's not a very well designed site." And my second thought after reading a couple of the essays was, "This is just like that Paul Graham essay a friend sent me a few months ago!"The essays in the site are all very

somiminoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4279895709024843344.post-11987440238831678142007-10-21T10:45:00.000-04:002007-10-21T10:46:23.887-04:00

somiminoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4279895709024843344.post-35781397731753765222007-10-12T00:24:00.000-04:002007-10-12T00:25:53.014-04:00

somiminoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4279895709024843344.post-65587902846856924672007-09-30T21:34:00.000-04:002007-09-30T21:56:30.388-04:00

I can feel it happening. I am hurtling downward on the social, outgoing curve, crashing after a period of riding high on it. I am tired of seeing people, and I've been in my room all day, dreading having to confront all of my residents at our weekly floor meeting. I had a birthday to plan along with the meeting as well. People have been knocking on my door all day, needing everything from a

somiminoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4279895709024843344.post-20323305277400411912007-09-29T12:25:00.000-04:002007-09-29T12:32:40.281-04:00

Living in a dorm situated behind the infamously dubbed "Frat row," I knew there would be excessive noise on weekends. What I did not expect, however, was to hear, blasting from someone's speakers last night, Vivaldi's The Four Seasons. That one honestly surprised me, and I felt more amused than annoyed....At least, for the first 3 minutes.And now it is time to rally the spirited freshmen for

somiminoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4279895709024843344.post-73862654371802168962007-09-28T18:05:00.000-04:002007-09-28T20:03:32.659-04:00

This past Wednesday, the eight Democratic candidates came to my campus for their NH debate. It was a pretty exciting ordeal, and there was a lot of general hubbub with news reporters setting up their tents and cameras, and students parading around the Green with political propaganda. I wasn't really as excited as all these students, since I had other thoughts on my mind - namely, which classes

somiminoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4279895709024843344.post-48491559460393982362007-09-22T16:28:00.001-04:002007-09-22T16:31:04.402-04:00

somiminoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4279895709024843344.post-17497338413513288402007-09-14T10:21:00.000-04:002007-09-14T10:34:13.227-04:00

When I walked out of my dorm this frigid morning to get breakfast, I was startled by what seemed to be a moving bag of garbage. A nearby crow was similarly intrigued and was hopping around it, but flew off as I got closer. Inside the translucent bag, half filled with leftovers and cartons, was a full grown gray squirrel. It was dashing madly from corner to corner of the bag, obviously trying

somiminoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4279895709024843344.post-64549052804661066362007-09-10T20:15:00.000-04:002007-09-10T20:24:17.128-04:00

I have just been whizzing through the internets at a higher than normal rate recently. Aided by the various links I get sent to me by friends, I've become addicted to websites like reddit.com, cracked.com, and scribd.com. And just now, I've found a webcomic I must add to my sidebar: Left-Handed Toons (by right handed people). Such a nifty idea, and it's got some funny strips.But this one,

somiminoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4279895709024843344.post-86068295743371975292007-09-07T16:31:00.000-04:002008-12-11T02:56:12.072-05:00

What a confusing day. Nothing has gone as planned. The events alone don't take much space to tell, whereas my thoughts throughout the day, while taking up much less actual processing time, are significantly longer in writing.So, first, here is what happened:My heart dropped into the pit of my stomach when I was dropped of at the mechanic's this morning and saw that my car still had no

somiminoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4279895709024843344.post-52069221297988348202007-09-05T19:06:00.002-04:002007-09-05T19:24:48.321-04:00

Just when I thought I wouldn't have anything Taiwan-related to write about...I should have known better. Let me back up. A few days before I departed La Isla Formosa, my aunts called informing me that my mother had requested some 中藥 - Chinese medicine - from them that I needed to bring home with me. They wanted to know if I had enough room in my luggage for it. And, to be perfectly frank, I

somiminoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4279895709024843344.post-40439722299241910582007-09-05T05:22:00.001-04:002007-09-05T06:20:33.340-04:00

Well, my Taiwanese adventure came to an end a few days ago. I'm back in the states and dealing with jetlag that has me dead tired by 6pm (EST) and awake by 4am.I'm not quite sure what will happen to this blog now. It was only meant to exist for recording the things I did in Taiwan. But now I have been thinking about going back there after graduation to keep improving my Chinese. So perhaps

somiminoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4279895709024843344.post-52304331342982119452007-08-27T05:34:00.000-04:002007-08-27T06:16:47.335-04:00

Things have been busy these past few days, but in a quiet way. I am crashing at a friend's (and fellow blogger's) apartment for my last week here in Taipei, as my old contract ended on Friday. In the process of packing, I discovered that I couldn't find my (new!) watercolor sketchbook, nor my watch. The loss of the sketchbook is like a punch to the stomach, and I will have to ask around to see

somiminoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4279895709024843344.post-11908968044766233842007-08-17T00:26:00.000-04:002007-08-17T00:44:21.771-04:00

O, horror, o agony...My poor computer is on the rocks. As I type (on my aunt's aging Inspiron), I am formatting my hard drive in preparation to reinstall Windows XP. But I think my computer's sudden failure yesterday (by the Blue Screen of Death + chkdsk) is hardware, not software, related. I might need to get my hard drive replaced.Lovely.So, I managed to retrieve those files I hold dearest

somiminoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4279895709024843344.post-39442500879637545882007-08-14T04:42:00.000-04:002008-12-11T02:56:14.400-05:00

Yesterday my Chinese teacher notified us that it was the first day of "Ghost Month": the 7th month of the lunar calendar, when all the ghosts are released into the world for the entire month. It's the time of year when locals warn against going near water (ghosts might drag you in), changing housing (your new house might be inhabited by ghosts), and going on trips (er...they might follow you?).

somiminoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4279895709024843344.post-5087977577386396672007-08-07T23:29:00.000-04:002008-12-11T02:56:17.557-05:00

Spent the weekend on the lovely eastern coast of Taiwan, namely, Hualien City. My cousin set it all up, and there were 10 of us altogether. For most of Saturday, though, I wasn't with them as I was the only one who wanted to tour Taroko Gorge. The others went white-water rafting. So I ended up taking this tour with a bunch of other students from 台大, also doing the MTC program there, as well as

somiminoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4279895709024843344.post-44595068625481670942007-08-02T09:41:00.000-04:002008-12-11T02:57:16.161-05:00

So, it's the eve before I go off on another trip, and I'm finally organizing this Thailand post. It's been at least two weeks, but better late than never, I suppose. But rather than try to recall everything that happened each day, I've organized pictures into general categories, for hopefully a more cohesive look at what was albeit a brief and narrow glimpse into Thailand and its culture.::

somiminoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4279895709024843344.post-41027851501897053042007-07-29T09:46:00.000-04:002008-12-11T02:57:16.469-05:00

It is a boring Sunday eve here chez moi, and I've just finished my ShiDa homework and dusted off the ole sketchbook. I'm such a homebody it's not funny. It really isn't.I was mildly disappointed that I didn't go to the Formoz Festival, despite it's ticket price and the fact that I know none of the artists on their web listing. I am so not in the culture loop. But we already knew that.And

somiminoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4279895709024843344.post-63378494060911068482007-07-27T06:35:00.000-04:002007-07-27T07:00:52.131-04:00

I have just realized something. Or, rather, something has just hit me, with such a staggering force that I feel a little like I've been punched. I have just realized that I miss sitting on grass, and rock, and tree branches, I miss the sounds of wind through thousands of leaves, trickling water, and hearing leaves and gravel crunch under my feet.For three months now I've lived and explored this

somiminoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4279895709024843344.post-5735770390498419112007-07-25T11:41:00.000-04:002008-12-11T02:57:17.925-05:00

I'm still working on a composite Thailand post that will be completed sometime, but that is taking a backburner in favor of my latest wandering adventures into the guts of Taipei. Today, I bring you a look at the burgeoning* graffiti culture here:Tunks Chek: a name I have come to recognize throughout the unguarded walls of Taipei. I first saw his signature along a building near, I think, the

somiminoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4279895709024843344.post-30234474836055756692007-07-20T14:32:00.001-04:002008-12-11T02:57:19.011-05:00

What better visualization of just how attention-deficient and convoluted my mind is than with a page from my sketchbook? Be afraid. Be very afraid:I really have no attention span whatsoever. Inspiration flashes and is gone if I'm not quick enough with the pen.Some closeups, and may I just say, holy fuck, Ouch. Just...ouch. This is a perfect representation of how I view piercings, and thus

somiminoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4279895709024843344.post-76557892897143634432007-07-19T04:46:00.000-04:002007-07-19T05:00:39.405-04:00

I'm back from Thailand, Land of Smiles.Miss me?Well, I am currently debating on whether or not to indulge by turning on the precious aircon as I catch up on emails and IMs, and go through my photos from the past 5 days. I will post more indepth on the trip once I've finished sorting those and uploaded them to picasa. But, suffice to say, it was your classic Chinese tour package (which, I guess,

somiminoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4279895709024843344.post-41732555817256527032007-07-12T14:22:00.000-04:002007-07-13T04:29:23.596-04:00

So, after my last post, in which I whine and whinge about how unfair life is for poor me, I feel that I must balance out the perspective a bit, as I so often fail to do. Because, to be fair, many of my relatives are purely wonderful, kind-hearted people. Many of them realize that I am different, have grown up in a different culture, and make the effort to understand me. And that is something I

somiminoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4279895709024843344.post-65553050325858613432007-07-11T07:56:00.000-04:002008-12-11T02:57:19.342-05:00

I guess I never wrote about the Hohaiyan Festival; and, in truth, there isn't much to write about. I went on a crowded train with no sitting room to Fulong beach, and was greeted with a scenario very much similar to when I visited Danshui: lots of little tourist shops and game shops and food vendors, bright neon lights and way too many people.The music itself was hit or miss. The band that was

somiminoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4279895709024843344.post-69813645267711629882007-07-08T13:04:00.000-04:002008-12-11T02:57:20.890-05:00

So, I am all tired and excited from spending the evening at the Hohaiyan Rock Festival, but that will have to wait. Because, as I came home (to my spanky new apartment), I was greeted by my new roommate!Isn't s/he pretty?The cycle is now complete. Sadly, this might be the only survivor, as this moth is the caterpillar that pupated last.From eyespots and stripesTo hard, protective shellsTo

somiminoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4279895709024843344.post-14714713468855275012007-07-04T08:17:00.001-04:002008-12-11T02:57:21.240-05:00

So, I've had this slight pressure on the back of my mind for a few days now to respond to meiguotaiwanren's blog post. There is something of a pact there, involving artwork and fighting lack of motivation. And I have been meaning both to draw/paint/[make] more art (I hate saying 'make' art, for some reason. I wish 'art' itself could be used as a verb. I arted yesterday. Hah...anyway,

somiminoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4279895709024843344.post-63166498873232148342007-07-03T22:19:00.000-04:002008-12-11T02:57:21.609-05:00

In searching for information on the Four Beast mountain (SiShou Shan-the alliteration mountain), I came across this fantastic site listing photos and IDs of insects at the SiShou park. Unfortunately it's all in Chinese, but just click on photo lists and select from the list menu on the left sidebar.GrasshoppersWalking sticksEarwigsCockroachesMantidsHemipteridsHomopterids (Leafhoppers, Aphids,

somiminoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4279895709024843344.post-38837221384140603252007-06-29T04:48:00.000-04:002008-12-11T02:57:23.094-05:00

Today I went on a little field trip with my Shi-Da class-as well as about 8 other classes and 5 teachers-to Yingge (鶯歌). It was a cool experience in a town famous for its ceramics, porcelain, and pottery industry. Our first stop was to the Yingge Ceramics Museum.The Heavenly Official Conferring FortuneSome more modern sculpture:I love these two pieces, oh so much:The Ceramics Studio:My, er,

somiminoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4279895709024843344.post-56593702285822487392007-06-27T11:02:00.000-04:002008-12-11T02:57:23.678-05:00

Those of a more squeamish nature would be better off stopping.Right.Here.---I have a lovely progression of pupation currently going on with my three caterpillars. And, really, how often can you say that? It seems that the feeding frenzy that demolished my aunt's potted flowers was in preparation for their transition into these:This one was still polishing off leaf after leaf after the other two

somiminoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4279895709024843344.post-51306509378463994482007-06-24T10:49:00.000-04:002008-12-11T02:57:23.705-05:00

My new pet project:When I awoke at the horrifyingly late hour of 11am today and limped woozily down for breakfast/brunch/lunch, my aunt informed me that she had found these large caterpillars in the rooftop garden that she keeps. I was fascinated and promised to go up and take a look, but while I was upstairs, she ended up bringing the two she'd found inside in a plastic egg carton case...haha.

somiminoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4279895709024843344.post-81681476805971397462007-06-22T03:25:00.000-04:002007-06-22T03:54:00.364-04:00

I'm currently sitting in a Starbucks across from the Taipei Railway Station, trying to make the most of the NT100 "WiFly" card I purchased to access the internet. Apparently it will only work for 24 hours?I also got to experience what must annoy and frustrate many a foreigner trying to establish themselves as Chinese speakers. I asked for a roast chicken sandwich in Chinese, and then a Mocha

somiminoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4279895709024843344.post-69202710623031166812007-06-20T05:59:00.002-04:002008-12-11T02:57:24.055-05:00

What, exactly, is it that foreigners blow, I wonder.Heehee!Sigh, I know, I'm completely awful. But I pass this on my way to class every day, and it's always just begging me to take a picture of it. Literally. Begging.I actually wish there was more interesting graffiti to photograph. Maybe I'm just not looking in the right places...

somiminoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4279895709024843344.post-65046344039044603202007-06-16T23:29:00.000-04:002008-12-11T02:57:26.188-05:00

By a most fortuitous coincidence, I got to traverse the beginning of the Elephant Mountain trail (象山) with an uncle of mine. I had stayed overnight at another aunt's house after eating out with a good chunk of my very extensive family, to celebrate the arrival of some more relatives coming back from America. In the morning, my uncle invited me to go hiking with him and his buddies, something he

somiminoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4279895709024843344.post-90581020473516325902007-06-11T11:02:00.000-04:002008-12-11T02:57:27.059-05:00

Another busy start to the week, and also the first day it hasn't rained in awhile. It didn't rain Sunday while I was in Tainan though, either. Speaking of which, Tainan was a very interesting trip. Experienced the luxury of THSR (and the ample legroom was indeed luxurious), arrived in ChiaYi in an hour and a half, and got into the car with my Dad, aunt, and grandmother, just in time for lunch. We

somiminoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4279895709024843344.post-90720922555466369342007-06-09T02:13:00.000-04:002008-12-11T02:57:27.338-05:00

None the wiser?Here's to hoping I'll survive my 21st year.With lots of good food, presents, and company, I felt that last night was pretty great. I even made it through my homework for class afterwards. All in all, a nice, quiet success. Though, there was a near-encounter with some guy who insisted he could teach me how to pee standing up, like a guy. Ah, as curious as I was, caution took

somiminoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4279895709024843344.post-49687120986395108342007-06-05T10:26:00.000-04:002008-12-11T02:57:27.582-05:00

Goddamned, cursed mosquitoes from hell.I thought I'd witnessed the worst of bloodsucking insect hell while abroad in Costa Rica. But these Taiwanese mosquitoes are feasting, and feisty. My reaction to them is an all-time high, and they are now officially right under chiggers (ok, and those Goddamned sand flies) as the most painful and annoying insects I have ever experienced. (note: I hear

somiminoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4279895709024843344.post-81313888466361139382007-06-04T07:12:00.000-04:002008-12-11T02:57:27.876-05:00

The garbage truck jingle is quickly becoming a daily source of temporary insanity.Inspired from blog-hopping to identify the flora I've photographed thus far, I've come to the conclusion that trying to identify plants is incredibly hard when you don't understand half the terminology in the keys and have to look them up. One at a time. Even Wikipedia couldn't help me differentiate between

somiminoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4279895709024843344.post-31891437442526493222007-06-03T02:41:00.000-04:002008-12-11T02:57:30.308-05:00

桶後林道That's where we went yesterday. Up into the depths of a winding mountain road. Ah, sounds so romantic. I have to say, traditional "mountain food" (山菜) is some of the most delicious food I've ever had. There was not a single dish I didn't enjoy, except for the spicy ones, since I'm too sensitive to spice.But that was only the start. After eating that scrumptious lunch, we started our journey

somiminoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4279895709024843344.post-81438292629882014612007-06-02T11:37:00.000-04:002007-06-03T06:00:35.980-04:00

I refuse to strike the classic picture peace signI don't feel the need to deprecate friends or family upon seeing themI don't feel the need to deprecate myself (well...I try not to)I don't care about my preserving my "face"Though, reading through some of the other Taiwan-related blogs, I can understand the possible reasons for the way Taiwanese people act the way they do. Sometimes.I'd write

somiminoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4279895709024843344.post-67359648681406308572007-06-01T04:23:00.000-04:002007-06-01T05:53:39.623-04:00

In going from one culture to another, one of the most apparent differences one encounters is the code of etiquette. Any kind of etiquette will change from area to area, but especially table manners. And silly, ignorant me, it never dawned on me why, growing up, my friends were so shocked at the way I ate.Ironically, it was not until I had picked up and leafed through the introduction to Lonely

somiminoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4279895709024843344.post-85858215673540296792007-05-31T08:16:00.000-04:002008-12-11T02:57:31.053-05:00

One day at a time...Yesterday I went to NTNU to (finally) (hopefully) get things squared away with my scholarship papers. Yay money. Then, because I didn't want to have just gone all the way on the metro to NTNU for that one errand, I decided to walk around a bit. I saw signs pointing the way to the Chiang Kai-Shek Memorial Hall (國立中正紀念堂) (since renamed the National Taiwan Democracy Memorial

somiminoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4279895709024843344.post-77260096586299677282007-05-29T04:22:00.000-04:002007-05-31T07:46:49.573-04:00

I realized very quickly, after arriving in Taiwan (and particularly Taipei), that I would be learning much more than the Mandarin classes I would be taking at NTNU. When I came for family reunions the summers I turned 12 and 13, it was all about adventure and sightseeing and eating and tours and traveling and experiencing the enormous entity that is my mother's family.This time, I am returning as

somiminoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4279895709024843344.post-55424476285288770702007-05-25T20:36:00.001-04:002008-12-11T02:57:32.190-05:00

Scooters. Lots and lots and lots (and lots) of scooters.Driving: not quite a free-for-all.Guys carrying purses. I mean, most guys. As in, the majority.Toilets: oh boy. There are three kinds of toilets in Taiwan, as if in strange parallel to three different generations.First, you've got your "old school" squat toilets, still common in many rest stops, older restaurants and stores, and older

somiminoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4279895709024843344.post-49808330024348192522007-05-22T10:52:00.000-04:002008-12-11T02:57:32.673-05:00

I am living in a place where the exotic is commonplace. Things that are only dreamed of, and cherished, in the temperate Northeast bloom with an almost weed-like capability here. The Tropic of Cancer crosses straight through Taiwan, making for a lush, humid environment. Perfect for a great diversity of plants, the most vibrant and visible of which are, of course, the flowering kind.Since I

somiminoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4279895709024843344.post-11562700656762257002007-05-20T10:04:00.000-04:002008-12-11T02:57:33.566-05:00

(05.16)Ready...Set....(05.19)Snack!Mochi (麻糬): Chinese glutinous rice cake---(05.15)SoupBeef noodle soup (牛肉麵)-camera set to the wrong date---(05.19)EntréeCrab (eh) and sticky rice (yum!)---(05.18)DessertStrawberry mousse---FiniPhew...

somiminoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4279895709024843344.post-90802198375199888172007-05-19T15:01:00.000-04:002007-06-22T08:15:06.560-04:00

It's been an eventful week and a day. I've been to Tainan, been to a mountain, been to many aunts' houses, been on the metro, been in stores, been to a hot spring, been in restaurants galore, been fed as if America has starved me since birth.I've also been welcomed by the island's personal escort of mosquitoes, accompanying me everywhere I go. I've been itchy since I stepped off the plane.

somiminoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4279895709024843344.post-66146637476325335592007-05-18T05:58:00.000-04:002007-06-22T08:13:31.906-04:00

Here I cutteth the ribbon to my travelog. Yay, it's official!A brief summary:Today is my 8th day in Taiwan, land of my ancestors and more recent relatives. I am living with a family consisting of an aunt, uncle, and two cousins, their daughters. I currently sleep on a sofa-turned-mattress on the floor of a transformed office room. Rather comfy, to be sure. We are just a short walk from the

somiminoreply@blogger.com1