Although I was an avid reader as a child, I was also captivated by a number of fantasy movies that amazed me for a long long time. I watched Dark Crystal earlier tonight as part of a Jim Henson retrospective at the Gene Siskel Film Center, and it brought back memories of how fascinated I used to be by some of these movies. Here's a short list of old favorites:
- Hobbit
- Time Bandits
- Labyrinth
- The Neverending Story
- Dot and the Kangaroo
I was there! Thanks to one of my friends who brought me as her guest, I attended Obama's rally at Grant Park in Chicago. We got there at around 9:15, just a short while before CNN declared Obama the winner. Even more shortly thereafter, the big screens broadcasted McCain's consolation speech. No way did any of us think it would be over that early! The event ran smoothly - no big crowds, minimal crush in the line to get in, very easy event overall, and I'm extremely glad I went!
So I almost can't believe that the Chicago International Film Festival is over halfway over, and I still haven't seen one film. Here are the movies I'm thinking of checking out this weekend:
I recently took the plunge and bought a used Blackberry Pearl to try out before I get shackled to one at the law firm. I'm loving it it so far, but I'm still undecided on whether to include the "Sent from my mobile device" message on all of the outgoing emails sent from the Blackberry. I understand that it is supposed to excuse any typos in my messages, but my emails have typos even if not sent from my mobile device. Anyways, I have it turned off for now.
I got back Saturday night from a Vegas trip with a few other early BUILDers. It was a short, but very fun trip. Here are a few of the things we did:
From November 8 through December 4, the Gene Siskel Film Center is pleased to present a major retrospective of the innovative film and puppetry work of the legendary Jim Henson (1936-1990), creator of the loveable Muppets and a host of other extraordinary characters that have for decades served as childhood icons and grown-up delights. Marvel at the scope and appeal of Henson’s work for its groundbreaking artistry, introduce a program or two to your favorite moppet, or simply indulge your nostalgia for those happy Muppet Show days.
On Friday, Lauren and I also made a trip to More, a new cupcake shop in the Gold Coast neighborhood. Unfortunately, I forgot to bring my camera, but here's what we had:
I loved Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist! It definitely topped Can't Hardly Wait as my favorite post-80's teen romance flick. I definitely like this batch of new teen/early college actors better than the 90's bunch of Freddy Prinze Jr. and Lindsey Lohan era movies. In other movie news, I grabbed the brochure for the Chicago International Film Festival and am looking forward to catching some festival movies at the AMC River East.
Wow, I can't remember the last time I was this physically beat. It's definitely a great feeling, although it makes for me moving around and walking much slower than usual. It all started with the Define & Refine class at Holmes Place. I took one of these last year and got my butt thoroughly kicked, but I thought I'd try it again. Once more, I was reduced to using lower weights than most of the seventy-year-old women in the class. My body is just not built for stamina.
It's been a few days since my last post, so here's what I've been up to:
Woo hoo! T.G.I.W.! This has been a pretty solid week:
I woke up this morning with some weird tightness in my upper thigh/butt. I have no clue how it happened, but it's definitely strained in some odd fashion. In addition to my ass pain, my back has also been hurting this whole semester due to carrying humongous law school books again. To alleviate my pain, I've been meaning to get a student massage, but it appears both student clinics in Chicago have raised their prices to nearly the cost of a non-student massage:
One of my dreams is to someday own my own arcade video machine. It always makes me think of Silver Spoons. I couldn't remember much of the show (until reading about it on Wikipedia), but I always did remember how awesome I thought they were for having real arcade games in their mansion. Maybe someday...
Last Friday, I went with some friends to Chicago's Home of Chicken and Waffles as a goodbye lunch for my good friend Nan who will be studying abroad in Spain this semester. The place was down in Bronzeville, which was a bit of a trip, but definitely worth it. I think all of us were surprised by how nice the interior was - nothing at all like the Roscoe's Chicken and Waffles I grew up with in Pasadena.
Genius, a new iTunes add-on is awesome! After iTunes 8.0 was released, I thought it was just another standard update that followed an iPod announcement. However, once I read a little more about Genius I decided to give it a shot. It takes a while to install, as it have to sync with the iTunes store, but now that I've got it all set up, it's made some fantastic playlists for me! This is especially helpful as I've got a ton of music given to me by friends and family that I've never even listened to.
So, it's already week four of law school and I haven't been blogging as much as I would have liked. The main reason for the lack of posts is probably my desire to write good posts (rather than short blurbs) coupled with my procrastination and inability to spend more than ten minutes writing a post.
It's going to be a nice semester, what with my four-day weekends. I'm sure they'll get busier as the semester progresses, but this week I seriously had nothing to do. In fact, if I wasn't volunteering at CIM today, I'd have no clue what to do today since I've already done my share of errands, exploring the city and playing video games on Thursday and Friday.
Today marks the end of my last summer vacation and the first day of my last year of school ever. I know, that was probably a horribly written sentence, but I'm sad and depressed from having to go back to school again.
I'm back from a week-long stint in Portugal - about four days in Lisbon and three in Albufeira. I've got one day left of summer vacation tomorrow before I start class on Tuesday! Yikes! Anyways, I hope to post pictures soon.
After finishing up work on Friday, Lauren and I departed on a redeye flight for a long weekend in upstate NY. I didn't know what to expect from upstate NY, but thankfully it ended up being surprisingly fun.
:( Today was the last day of my summer position at Cooley. I had an incredible time, and was extremely sad to say bye to everyone. I was planning on leaving right after lunch, but ended up staying until almost 3:00PM to say my farewells (although I did get totally lost on the second floor - there were parts where I seriously had no idea where I was).
And it's been a busy one. Monday night was dinner at Delfina (warning - loud website. why!?). Last night, we had dinner at my old manager's home in Russian Hill. I picked up Pauline's Pizza, which made it onto Michael Bauer's top six pizza places in the Bay Area. Tonight I'm planning on meeting up with classmates at Zeitgeist, and tomorrow my sister is having us over for dinner at her house. Finally, on Friday, Lauren and I take the red-eye flight to Syracuse for a wedding in upstate New York.
Have I mentioned how awesome my coworkers are at Cooley? They are really awesome, especially in my quad.
Before I forget, here is the recap for this past weekend:
Friday 8/8:
- Last day of work for all of the other summer associates. I'll miss everyone a lot, but hopefully I'll see everyone next year when I return (hopefully to Cooley but at least to the Bay Area)!
- Went to two house parties - one in Palo Alto and one in SF. Upon stepping on a scale at one of them, I learned I've gained 20 lbs. in the last few months!
Saturday 8/9:
- Went for a short run outside. I think I've been having back pains when I run as a result of the added weight and my knee (which I may have reinjured last week at office Olympics).
- Lunch at Barracuda Japanese Restaraunt for a birthday party. All you can drink Sunny Delight mimosas for $6 and some decent rolls.
- Dinner at Bushi Tei. We met up with Jason, Misty, my sister and Gerald. Gerald was visiting from NY and was the celebrity guest of the evening at our table (but not at the restaraunt, as Mr. Hanes of Hanes was also there). Dinner was fabulous and it was great to catch up with J and Misty, who are expecting soon!
- Drinks at Mauna Loa. We were pretty wiped out after a four hour dinner, so I couldn't stay out too late.
Sunday 8/10:
- Lunch at Beretta. It was a family event where we had lunch with Winnie, Jennifer, Emily and baby Matthew (who gets more and more adorable).
- After lunch we visited the Designs Within Reach warehouse sale at Fort Mason. I score an Eclipse Lamp for $20 and a Primary Pouf (a really beat up one) for $10.
- Dropped by the Ferry Plaza building. I picked up some gifts and we also snacked on Acme bread and cheese from Cowgirl Creamery - the cave-aged Gruyere may have been the best Gruyere I've ever had.
- Watched Definitely Maybe. Not too bad, but very predictable.
- Ordered Thai delivery from a place in the Mission. It wasn't Osha, but it was still pretty tasty.
I can't believe I've barely been posting to my blog this entire summer. I had such high expectations, as all I planned to do (and all I did do) was eat, explore and have fun. I'll try my best to catch up, but no promises as I just haven't been good about posting ever since I left NY.
My MacBook is back in the shop for the same problem as last time. Before it was having problems going to sleep, but now it's completely wacky and turns on and off on its own accord :( I've got lots of pictures to upload, but I guess now it's got to wait the 7-10 days the service should take (if they can ever fix it).
Tonight I go to Gary Danko!
I must say that I had an incredible long weekend. Here's how it went:
Last night I met with my sister and her friend to have dinner at Burma Superstar. Reviews on the internet had mentioned long waits, but also gave rave reviews to the Burmese cuisine, so I was pretty excited about my first visit to the restaurant.
Upon arriving, we scored an awesome parking spot right in front of Burma Superstar, which seemed fortuitous given the typically terrible parking situation in the Richmond. After being told we had a 45 minute wait, we were happy to kill time walking around the neighborhood. We stopped by the florist / fish shop on Clement, which is easily the craziest fish store I've ever been to. Then we browsed the bookshelves at the two Green Apple Bookstores.
Upon returning to Burma Superstar after about 40 minutes, we were told we still had another 30 minutes to go! Being the patient selves that we are, instead of complaining we went down the street to Quickly, and devoured a bag of perfectly fried popcorn chicken (way way waaaay better than what you'd get at Popeye's or KFC). Finally, we returned to Burma Superstar and looked miserable while crowding their doorway until they finally sat us.
After the tremendous buildup, it made it very difficult for the food to live up to the wait. I really can't remember the last time I waited an hour and a half at a restaurant to get seated. My favorites by far were the Vegetarian Samosa Soup and the Rainbow Salad, although my sister and her friend liked the Mango Beef and the Pea Shoots the best. Sadly, I didn't have my camera with me (and who knows when I'll be back again to chance the wait).
Due to a work event last night, I was unfortunately (or maybe fortunately) unable to catch Game 6 of the NBA championship series. Although the Lakers lost, I'm happy about the season we had. At the start of the season, I did not expect to see us challenging for the NBA title, and even after we acquired Pau Gasol, it was a pleasure to see the team gel and make it to the top of the Western Conference. Now I just hope that there won't be any residual fallout next season due to the embarrassing blowout last night.
Wow. It's barely been 24 hours back in San Francisco, and I've already accomplished so much.
I can't believe this time tomorrow I'll be on a plane headed to SF!
In an attempt to study, I walked over to my neighborhood library. I figured if I didn't have my computer, then I'd be forced to study. Instead, I took a 15-minute power nap (head down on the table, heads down, thumbs up style). Waking up refreshed, I am now hogging the sole public computer in the library to update my blog (my lethargy was probably caused by Chinese breakfast from Yung Ho).
After I fly back to Chicago tomorrow, I've got two more finals left - Operations and Money Market and the Fed, bith tough courses to study for. I have an IEOR background, so it's hard for me to feel the need to study for Operations, and I've discovered that my interest in repos, the treasury bill market, bond operations and the like is insufficient to motivate me to study.
In the meantime, here's what my mind is wandering off to:
- Trying not to think about the Lakers (at least I'll be spared from watching Game 3 as it's during my flight on Tuesday). Either we'll have come back, or we'll have given up the series.
- What to do my first weekend back in SF. I'll definitely be at the North Beach Festival, as well as going out Saturday night to celebrate my return (please feel free to suggest venues).
- Leona Lewis reminds me of classic Whitney Houston.
Yesterday I said goodbye to my grandmother on my mom's side (Wai Po, as my sisters and I called her). Thank you to everyone who has offered their condolences and warm thoughts throughout this difficult time.
So tonight I attended the last Kellogg lecture of the school year. I've finished two final assignments, and have two more exams to go next week. Tomorrow (or today) in the morning I need to wake up at 4:30AM to catch a 7:01AM flight out to San Francisco for my firm's orientation. Then, I return to Chicago on Tuesday, take exams on Wednesday and Thursday, and promptly fly right back to SF on Friday.
Last night the 2009 Jive Turkeys capped off our first year at Kellogg with the first annual Turkey Roast. As I told many people, I am really feeling much more nostalgic at the end of this year, then I was at the end of my first year of law school. Maybe because at law school we never had to perform a choreographed thriller dance in turkey gear. Or is it dizzy bat and CIM Olympics that tug at my heart? Or, maybe the fact that being in a section named Jive Turkeys is so much cooler than being in "Section 4" at the law school.
So I've already broken my latest resolution - to eat one piece of fresh fruit a day. However, I will try my best to uphold it until I move to San Francisco, where I will vow to stay true at least until the end of summer.
Yes, this is my last weekend in Chicago before I leave for the summer. I think I've done a pretty good job of making the post of it though:
Friday started off great, with Korean BBQ at Hae Woon Dae, and then a party at Vida Lounge thrown by the Latin American and Hispanic Management Association (LAHIMA).
Here are a few pictures from my brief trip to California:
After arriving in San Francisco yesterday afternoon to meet my family, my parents and my younger sister made new travel plans and spent the evening driving down to Pasadena. My grandmother is going through the final stages of cancer, so we decided to spend the rest of the weekend closer to her.
What should I do? Work out or go watch The Singing Revolution?
In addition to a few Kellogg events, next weekend I plan on going to the beach and checking out the Do-Division Street Fest & Sidewalk Sale. I went last year, and scored some cool stuff.
Last night I finally made a trip out to Smoque BBQ. Aziz and I are trying to make the most of these last few weeks in Chicago, and made last minute plans for some good local eats. The layout and seating arrangements were interesting, given the class on queuing we both had earlier the day (one line people - it's just more fair!).
I had assumed most people, if not everyone, would know who George Takei is. How wrong I was. Anyways, I went to see him speak at an undergrad Northwestern event, and he was really awesome. I wonder how Jerry Springer did as the law school's commencement speaker.
The NYT has an article about blogging, Exposed, that I found really interesting.
This past weekend, I ended up rewatching Season Three of The Office. It only reconfirmed by belief that Karen (Rashida Jones) is way way hotter than Pam (Jenna Fischer).
I can't help but start with a shake-a-fist update - my U-Pass ran out last week! The U-Pass is an unlimited CTA pass good for use on the El and Chicago city buses. I use mine frequently, and was surprised when it was coming up invalid this weekend. Turns out the pass expired on May 16, even though Kellogg doesn't end until June 13! Totally a bummer, but after some cost-benefit analysis, I'm gonna bite the bullet and order a Chicago Card.
I'm sure everyone has heard about the California Supreme Court's overturning of the state's ban on same-sex marriages, but there was another ban that got repealed yesterday as well (although much much much less important).
Lolcat - has anyone else heard of this? My flickr greeting today was in lolcat, so I looked it up and it's actually pretty funny. I may be inspired to create some Lolcat images myself someday.
I can't believe my second year of school is almost over! This year has been fantastic. Every time I look back, I can't help but think about how fortunate I've been to have all of these opportunities. I consider myself a lucky, lucky man.
As a huge fan of the SFIAAFF, I encourage everyone in Chicago to attend our local equivalent, the Chicago Asian American Showcase at the Gene Siskel Film Center.
Here's what I plan on watching:
PING PONG PLAYA
PRETTY TO THINK SO
WEST 32ND
THE KILLING OF A CHINESE COOKIE
One topic of conversation during our trip to India was "what will be your first meal upon returning to the States?" After two weeks of no beef or salad, there was no question that a nice, juicy burger was on the horizon for me. Although I was craving Kuma's Corner, I decided to stay local and try the burger at Rosebud Steakhouse, widely known as one of the best in Chicago. At $12.95 for a 12 oz. burger with bleu cheese, it did not disappoint.
I know it's been ages since I last posted, but I promise (once again) to be better next quarter. I still have one more paper to complete, and then I'm off to O'Hare tomorrow afternoon!
