luftpunk

baggage

2011-09-16T23:00:00.000+08:00

my suitcase is smaller than I would like it to be
the old house, somebody else lives there now
and my dog is not my dog anymore
I would be lying if I said I wouldn't have it any other way

the problem with the present is that it lasts for such a short time
but I suppose, in certain situations, that could be a blessing

sometimes you get to choose when to embark on a new adventure
and sometimes you don't
I'm not exactly ready to let go and leave everything behind
but I don't suppose anybody ever is
feelings come and go, memories fade
friendships fizzle
people change

but the ones that matter change us forever

the act of leaving

2011-09-15T18:13:00.000+08:00

you're totally right, every action was well rehearsed

just a fan

2011-09-14T18:49:00.000+08:00

now hiring / broadcasting

2011-09-13T00:12:00.000+08:00

Position: Girlfriend - Full Time
- Must be female
- Must not be a vampire
- Previous experience not required, on the job training provided
- English not necessary
- Salary: Kisses and hugs ~ 100/month plus benefits
- For interview please email your resume to fake.address@gmail.com

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Possession doesn't always have to be vomiting blood and thrashing wildly on the floor.
it can be a subtle, gradual process; wake up a little later, curse a little more, neglect your devotions, etc
When it comes to small things like that, we sometimes forget to fight back.

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I've got a lot to share, but I'm not very good at sharing

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It used to be art was a creative extension of an artist's soul, but nowadays people's greatest works of art are often their online profiles and personas - every post or reblog - each page and response handcrafted and carefully sculpted for the consideration of an anonymous yet vocal online collective of critics who survey and prospect the internet, looking for other creations to draw inspiration from or challenge their own

first worlds

2011-09-12T22:51:00.000+08:00

why people act like fools:
1. too nervous
2. too comfortable

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there's no such thing as a normal person

角度とレンズ

2011-09-11T00:53:00.000+08:00

you don't need foreign characters to tell a good story

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but I suppose if I lived in PJ, I'd probably be pining for Mont Kiara

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human nature is to be constantly drawn to other places

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the best stories are often right under our noses

dissociation constants

2011-09-10T03:01:00.000+08:00

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George Benson - down here on the ground

George Benson - beyond the sea

When I was younger, my dad used to play these songs all the time

steady growth

2011-09-09T23:59:00.000+08:00

life's not about what you own, but what you earn

image is everything

2011-09-08T02:34:00.000+08:00

tch. you and your sideburns

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interesting how when tragedy strikes, humans respond by building monuments

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things I will miss
1. comic books
2. guitar
3. itunes library
4. imac
5. the weather
6, malaysian food
7. my friends
8. the sidewalks
9. my dog
10. home

lacklustre and full of contempt

2011-09-07T23:52:00.000+08:00

sometimes you gotta leave behind the things that made you who you are, in order to become the person you're going to be

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I plan to sit down and listen to every motion city soundtrack song in my iTunes library one last time before I go to university

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life is short, we shouldn't care about comma splices

this week's theme

2011-09-06T20:30:00.001+08:00

for the poet to flourish, the scientist must die
but for the scientist to prosper, the poet just has to keep quiet

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tweets are too cryptic
posts, too explicit

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I'd rather die, the poet replied

schultzenfreude

2011-09-04T01:21:00.000+08:00

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It is apparent that Lucy goes to great lengths to humiliate and torment Charlie Brown.

But the question is: why? At first glance, one would assume Lucy to be a sadist - someone who derives pleasure from other people's pain and suffering. However, it seems that she reserves her contempt and cruelty for only Charlie Brown. (occasionally Linus, but that level of conflict is standard between siblings) Perhaps Lucy just hates Charlie Brown, but then again he has given her no reason to hate him, or not to such an extent at least.

Another way to look at it would be that Lucy is merely a shrewd entrepreneur. An enterprising psychiatrist would want their patients to keep coming back. And it's important to note that he does keep coming back. Given Charlie Brown's tenacity in the face of extreme failure, Lucy adapts her approach into what seems like a crushing blow to one's self-esteem, knowing that it will simply make a small dent in Charlie Brown's extraordinarily resilient fighting spirit- An ambitious sociopath exploiting a masochist, it would appear. Some people speculate that Lucy may simply treat Charlie Brown poorly as a way of expressing her affection for him. But this degree of harassment isn't remotely in the same league as the playground teasing that they suggest. More likely, Lucy is feeding off Charlie Brown's insecurities in more ways than one. After all, it's nice for a girl to feel needed every once in a while.

There is also a less cynical point of view- that Lucy is driven by an altruistic motive. Perhaps she thinks she's doing the right thing in trying to break Charlie Brown. Perhaps she is trying to cure Charlie Brown of his irrational optimism by baptising him in the depths of despair- a form of shock therapy to get him to admit defeat and see the folly and futility of his ways. A regular person would refuse to respond to Lucy's goading but Charlie Brown, despite his countless previous failures and episodes of humiliation, still chooses to attempt to kick the football- to put his trust in someone who has repeatedly and deliberately hurt him. This behaviour is certainly not characteristic of a well-adjusted individual. And yet this stubborn determination, this indomitable spirit, this 'blockheadedness' is what people admire the character for. Perhaps Lucy does love Charlie Brown, enough to want to rehabilitate him of his reckless idealism and naivety, even if it means taking on the role of a ruthless tormentor, and even if it causes him to hate her. Because true love doesn't ask for anything in return.

따뜻한 느낌

2011-09-03T11:57:00.000+08:00

Life is a series of little deaths out of which life always returns

Charles Feidelson, Jr.

아파, 아빠

2011-08-30T02:26:00.000+08:00

I named my mat matt

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that awkward moment when a 16 year old girl discovers the pixies

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In korean there are two words for 'interesting'
the first means to be engaging or fun
the other means to be curious or peculiar

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My life sometimes feels like a movie, only I haven't received a script

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even a car stuck in reverse can go the right way

semi-sincere

2011-08-29T13:29:00.000+08:00

why are people so attracted to fires?

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I've learned to identify dead ends
now I just need to start avoiding them

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I don't know why she insists on talking to me through closed doors

rainbow connections

2011-08-29T13:25:00.000+08:00

A girl came to me looking for an ego boost but I preached her a sermon instead

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I don't think I'll be able to get a girlfriend easily. I have too many ideas and opinions

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It's amazing how humans can find so much meaning in seemingly meaningless things

wanderland

2011-08-29T12:49:00.002+08:00

won't you meet me halfway

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she sits in silence as he sips his tea, surrounded by books and dimly illuminated by the twilight seeping through thin college curtains

you drive me crazy

he puts his cup down and looks at her with sad eyebrows

only because I'm madly in love with you

she sighs inwardly

why must you always drink tea?
it calms me down

she looks down at her feet and then at the ceiling

I don't think I can do this anymore
hmm?
be with a crazy person
but I can't help being crazy

she glares at him with youthful impatience

couldn't you just not be?

he strokes his stubble and ponders awhile

I suppose I could try. But would it make you happy?

her eyes soften, she looks down at her toes

I don't know. Maybe. Probably
couldn't you just be happy without trying to change me?
perhaps
you could try
I suppose I could

he strokes his stubble thoughtfully and looks at the ceiling

perhaps you'd be happier if you were also crazy
but I don't want to be crazy
well, you must be at least a little crazy. you did choose me

she looks at him sideways and smiles

he smiles back before taking another sip

you're not really here anymore are you?*

even in the darkness, she knows that his eyes are fully glazed and that his tongue has only settled so that his thoughts may wander

no

where are you?

elsewhere

why don't you take me with you sometimes?

oh, you wouldn't like it here
besides,

he adds

there's no room

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Love is merely a madness, and, I tell you, deserves
as well a dark house and a whip as madmen do: and
the reason why they are not so punished and cured
is, that the lunacy is so ordinary that the whippers
are in love too.

-Rosalind, As You Like It

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I hate that song

*click for alternate ending

fool's errand / one liners

2011-08-22T23:19:00.000+08:00

사랑못하는사람

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it's happening ㅇ0ㅇ

cruel professor

2011-08-18T01:35:00.000+08:00

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these words don't belong here

stained strains / ワイパー

2011-08-17T04:19:00.000+08:00

the world is like a smoothie with all sorts of things blended in it. Our senses are like the straw and our mind is like the tongue, which sorts and sifts through the miscellaneous matter suspended in solution to see if anything offends, and if it does we can quickly spit it out before it gets digested.

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It's a shame that the best medicines are often bitter.

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Some people buy ideas like they buy clothes. They either try on a variety and see if it fits them comfortably or tailor their clothes to suit their style or for an important upcoming event. Some people deliberately buy clothes that aren't widely worn, while other people might buy all kinds of clothes, regardless of whether they clash or match and stuff them into their closet together. And then there are people whose parents insist on buying clothes for them because they know more about clothes than you do and you look like a hobo and don't worry you'll thank them later when you grow up and gain some common sense. People sometimes forget that what used to be fashionable then may not be fashionable now, and that what's fashionable now may not always be practical later.

lone pairs

2011-08-17T02:55:00.000+08:00

the world has gone mad

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electrons don't really care about being promoted, they just don't want to be alone*

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korean songs are usually to someone whereas japanese songs are usually about/for someone/something

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I don't know why I feel compelled to end every anecdote with a moral

*this is not scientifically accurate

black sheep and dark horses

2011-08-14T00:26:00.001+08:00

anarchy is easy, self policing is hard

enough rope / private affairs

2011-08-14T00:23:00.002+08:00

I think Christians perform best under pressure or persecution
the real danger is complacency

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explorers and performers

2011-08-11T01:49:00.002+08:00

poets and preachers, skeptics and believers, ghouls and ghost writers, lighters and fire-fighters, idols and entertainers, complainers and explainers, doers and snoozers, artists and their muses, boozers and schmoozers, bruises and bruisers, losers, excuses and elaborate ruses, slaves and their bosses, rebels and lost causes, video games, relationships and uncomfortable pauses, porn stars, rock stars, fast cars and big cigars, consumers, autotuners, baby boomers, adult tumours, crazy people and their doctors, famous surgeons, plastic knockers, falconers versus hawkers and a briefcase full of boxers, back-talkers and johnny walkers, new religions and old dockers, hairstyles, accessories and their assorted punk rockers

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results come out today

특이점이 온다

2011-08-10T01:28:00.000+08:00

what did the matrioshka brain tell the hitchiker?

nothing. it was destroyed by vogons.

응

2011-08-10T00:18:00.002+08:00

she's pretty clever
he's rather wise
together there's nothing they can't analyze

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there are some wounds that time can't heal
you just gradually get used to the pain

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I used to have a very indirect way of talking

I guess that hasn't really changed

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too busy on the mind
with clever lines

tough love

2011-08-08T02:18:00.005+08:00

it seems like life is designed for the sole purpose of teaching us that there are worse things than wanting what you can't have (and better things than getting what you want)

mixed feelings

2011-08-07T03:27:00.008+08:00

I think I'm really going to miss KL

scar city

2011-08-05T02:43:00.003+08:00

reposting cause it's relevant

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If there's one thing I hate more than people ranting about things they hate, it's hypocrites

other people's music

2011-08-03T03:09:00.000+08:00

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I tend to value discoveries more if they are mine
(and I tend to like sentences more if they rhyme)

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I didn't get to do what I wanted this summer, but what I did do was probably much better

おやすみ

2011-08-02T04:37:00.000+08:00

I don't really remember what it was like learning the guitar.
I remember it being hard to switch between chords quickly and my fingers didn't do what I wanted them to,
but then it gradually got easier and easier.
I don't remember learning how to speak either. One day I couldn't speak and then one day I could.
I wonder what other things we pick up without knowing.

懐かしふるさと

2011-07-27T20:59:00.003+08:00

A city may shape a person, but cities also do reflect the dreams and desires of its collective inhabitants.

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Penang is a city under constant renovation. Tractors and cranes can be found idling by the side of the road, like giant metallic stray dogs that roam the city and sleep wherever they please. The sky near a beach is always prettier and wider than in the city. The many skyscrapers and tall buildings that define the KL skyline are absent in Penang. Even in the centre of the city, the tallest buildings can be seen huddling together in the distance, as if slightly self-conscious of their towering stature. And then there are the great trees that bear testament to the city's weathered heritage. These provide a protective canopy over the main roads and sidewalks. Mountains surround the port city and give the horizon interesting shapes. It's a very modest and mellow city, from the austere facade of government schools established under British rule to the night market that stretches for kilometers along the waterfront. Even on days that are overcast, the clouds can't overshadow the beauty of old billboards and decrepit shacks with paint peeling next to shiny new offices and 24 hour Kentucky Fried Chicken.

Penang is what I imagine KL to be like 18 years ago, but it seems to be in the process of catching up. Space is scarce so they're tearing down things to make way for newer and better. At the rate they're going, Penang 8 years from now may be unrecognizable to the city it is today. In the midst of falling apart and being rebuilt, I doubt it'll retain its current identity. It'll probably assume a new one- one that differs greatly from the city I've just described. Cases like these make me wonder whether the rate at which we are racing to the future may one day surpass our ability to appreciate the past.

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KL is an interesting specimen. She's a mixed kid and therefore has got good looks, but tries to hide her flaws under lots of expensive make up. She cares a lot about appearances, but that doesn't mean she's shallow. Though sometimes she tries too hard, once you've known her for a while you'll discover a more comfortable, natural side (and the things she doesn't show off are often the most fascinating). She's known for being flashy and going clubbing and doing all the stereotypical popular things, but she has a quieter side to her too. A generous and congenial city, it's unfortunate that she can't stop comparing herself to others. A little spoilt but with great potential; she's a little rough around the edges but treats her visitors well.

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back in primary school, we were made to write essays entitled 'hidupan dalam bandar berbanding dengan hidupan kampung'. I never imagined that 10 years down the line I'd still be writing the same essays

ㅇㅅㅇ

2011-07-27T17:50:00.000+08:00

I've wasted all my titles on twitter

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I've never dared to chase my dreams
but I court them briefly to see what could have been

potential energy

2011-07-26T04:42:00.002+08:00

Archimedes knew a thing or two about relationships
I wonder if that made him happy

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Scientists are always looking for something or another

sovereign bodies

2011-07-22T06:19:00.007+08:00

sleep beckons, but I refuse to go
I feel that it is important to occasionally deny the body its demands
(just so that it knows who's boss)

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hey, I like your blog

thanks, I like your nose

contacts / reliable notes

2011-07-21T19:06:00.002+08:00

I don't like it when websites tell me to wait

culture blending

2011-07-19T01:10:00.003+08:00

Yo the people know the truth, but the government denied,
tried to cover up, instead of using makeup they used lies,
now the people have the proof, there ain't nowhere left to hide
so I guess Naj and his crew gon' have to swallow up some pride

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rap only works if you say it in a certain way

shioyaki vs teriyaki

2011-07-18T01:48:00.005+08:00

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my images don't appreciate even if I save them
(how ungrateful)

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japanese curry

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Today I got paid to open beer bottles and inhale second-hand smoke for 6 consecutive hours.
The catering staff and event people were really nice but the guests were mostly 25 year olds pretending to be 18. They hired two girls to coerce the guests into filling out feedback forms and stuff. One of them possessed a personality similar to mine. I know because she left without saying goodbye.

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I'd hate to get paid to stand around acting friendly all day

powerful speakers

2011-07-17T06:07:00.001+08:00

dat bass

2011-07-17T06:01:00.002+08:00

When I was 12 I didn't wear glasses, but I had developed myopia, meaning that things far away looked blurry to me. But it never occurred to me that I needed glasses; I just thought it was a minor hindrance due to natural limitations of the human anatomy. I used to squint in order to read writing on the whiteboard, distinguish small objects and even recognize faces of people I passed in corridors and walkways. My brow was almost constantly furrowed because I would automatically stare really hard at anything further than 10 inches from my face. The upside is that the girls all thought I was intense and the bullies never bothered me.

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I think I've figured out what makes a good group. Or how to have a good time with a group. Or how to have a good group time. People tend to have this idea that the life of the party is the stand up comedian type guy who always has some quick witticism or observation, or can tell amazing stories and make people laugh with physical comedy. the person who can get attention and knows what to do with it, but really, in a group it can get a little tiring both for the performer as well as for the audience. In a group, interaction is key. People need to keep the ball rolling and make sure everyone gets a slice of the action, because it keeps them on their toes and alert not just passively absorbing information. The easiest form of this is acting like a DJ directing the spotlight onto different people and letting them do the work. An even better way is to take a page from the traditional japanese manzai act. See, most jokes have a set up and a punch line, and for the set up there has to be a straight man, but if everyone is trying to be funny, tossing out one liners everywhere, there's no room for innovation- no spontaneity or collaboration. Contrary to the nomenclature, the straight man, or tsukkomi, often gets the laughs and goes in for the kill when the funny man, or boke, says something worth ridiculing. Skilled comics can even take someone's name or the place they were born and rib them about it for ages. What some people have trouble understanding is that they're not being asked to perform at a Dane Cook concert- it's not a performance.

[It's more akin to an improvised lick or fill or line within a jazz solo, with all the background chitter chatter clattering noisily about, which helps create a certain atmosphere. If even just two people with good chemistry are working in tandem, the band is often able to bring the house down. Ok this extended metaphor has gone on for too long.]

See, people have different interests and it's difficult to cater to a diverse audience, so in a group something they all have in common is whom they're currently hanging with, so what better way to inject some humour than to remark upon each other in jest. Such comments give spotlight to both the boke and tsukkomi and prevents people in the group feeling alienated, so long as they hear the set up and understand the punch line at least. When it comes to humour, I believe less is more. The simplest and therefore most frequent source of humour comes from someone saying something silly and another person pointing it out and giving a pithy reply.

There is a condition for this technique to work, and that is: the put-downs should not be mean-spirited or cause a deleterious effect, that is- the punchline shouldn't diminish a person's self-esteem. This depends on how sensitive the boke is (actually, even people with thick skin are likely to catch on and lose patience if you take multiple vicious swings at them), how offensive the remark is and the way the tsukkomi says it. Delivery can often delineate banter and slander. If the boke is sensitive about his weight, no matter how clever the joke is, if there is indication that the boke will take offense or be insulted, the tsukkomi should refrain from telling it. Unless the boke is both considerate and a good actor, the atmosphere will be brought down and everyone, or at least the more discerning ones in the group, will be able to tell. Just one person in a bad mood can ruin an entire outing.

That being said, turnabout is fair play. People should switch roles constantly, and although some people may be naturally inclined towards one or the other, it should not stop someone who tends towards the tsukkomi from making dumb statements or observations in the event that someone in the right state of mind will be able to make something out of it. That's the thing though, forced is never funny. People shouldn't actively try to be a boke or tsukkomi, but just react naturally. The best humour is short, straightforward and immediate. (except the humour that comes of super-awkwardness. I guess that's an exception)

[It helps also if members in the group are able to gracefully let down someone whose joke has failed, instead of letting it trail off into an awkward silence and one or two forced guffaws. This way tsukkomi attempts are not discouraged, but bad attempts are still not condoned.]

If something strikes you as funny, it's likely that others will find it funny too. That's what I mean when I say that one shouldn't try to be funny all the time, only when the opportunity unmistakeably presents itself. It's not an active, finger on the trigger sort of thing, but a state of mind- a readiness to find the humour in things. But other players must also play by these rules in order for the plan to work. If they aren't being giving(adj) and keep trying to be funny, it leaves other people no room to jump in and may ruin someone else' golden opportunity, which leads to people feeling left out = bad time. That's the thing I've noticed, when it's an all guy outing, it's usually easy to have fun. There are no girls to impress and nobody's keeping score. But when there are girls around, everyone goes on the offense. It becomes like a competition, with each participant becoming someone else' competition. With both girls and guys trying to signal to each other how attractive they each are, it can be hard to have a natural conversation. Girls may get genuinely hurt by certain comments sometimes, but guys tend to look out for their egos, or their image. Having someone make fun of your accent when you're alone may be fine, but it may also make you appear silly in front of a prospective mate, so that's a definite no-no. And you know that the other guys are just waiting for each other to slip up, so you'd maybe say a little less or be more self conscious. Less boke, less opportunities, less humourous jokes, less fun. It's a win-win or lose-lose situation. I don't really know what that means because I just made it up.

The point is, it's good to be in a group where everyone can joke freely about, at and with each other- where it's not a one-way exchange in any direction. People are less likely to be offended by a put-down delivered by a person who himself was just ridiculed for forgetting what day it was. (That's all part of making people comfortable around you. Self depreciating humour can be useful in a group too, but employing it constantly can be kind of depressing. It can go the opposite direction, with people being too afraid of poking fun at you since you seem to already find so many faults with yourself.) Great groups can even be of mixed gender; it doesn't always have to be a disaster. The group dynamic really depends on each individual. All I'm saying is that give and take creates an atmosphere conducive to communication, because people can feel comfortable saying what's on their mind, whether it be incorrect, corny, lame or long-winded and pointless.

complex numbers

2011-07-16T04:00:00.002+08:00

Sometimes it seems like life is one big math problem, with manycomplicated, tedious parts you have to solve first to get to the final answer.Some clever people can skip steps, do it in their head and arrive at the answerquickly; but there's always a danger of misinterpreting the question or makingcareless mistakes, especiallyif there's a lot of working involved.

It can get pretty frustrating to spend hours and hours working ona problem, only to notice a mistake right at the beginning. Some people maybe tempted to just carry on, but the best course of action is to cross it outand start again from where the working went astray. Getting things wrong repeatedly canalso take a toll on one’s self-confidence, sometimes to the point where aperson starts loathing mathematics or him/herself. Your mindset can oftenaffect your chances of success. If you attempt a sum with a worried andscattered mind, you will be more likely to get it wrong; likewise, if you clearyour head and look at a confounding conundrum with a fresh perspective, it'smuch easier to see the right way to go about it.

I think agood approach is to step back and not get too involved in the process—to tackle each section equably andrationally without taking every wrong answer as a sign of personal failure.Instead, scrutinize, analyze and memorize it in order to avoid making the samemistake again; of course, being detached doesn't mean you can't be proud ofyourself after cracking a killer equation.

Some claimthat it would be easier to obtain the answer first and work backwards fromthere, but unfortunately there are a plethora of alleged answers; some that aresimilar to each other and others that are remarkably different. Despite thewide range of possible answers, some people still prefer to substitutedifferent answers into the equation to see which one completely satisfies thegiven inequalities.

Another wordof advice—don’tbe afraid to ask for help if you get stuck. Sometimes, the problem may seem toodifficult or complex to complete. When all previous attempts have led to deadends, it's tempting to conclude that the question is impossible to solve, butit’s worth remembering that you’re not alone, and that other people are alwaysthere to lend a helping hand. Some people may feel disappointed that they areunable to solve it by themselves, but they have most likely overestimatedthemselves or underestimated the problem. Having been brought up in a cultureof excessive examinations and a world where scarcity abounds, it’s easy to forgetthat a question is not always a competition.

‘Well, inthat case,’ you may say, ‘why can’t someone solve this question for me?’

As much as Iwould like to give you a step-by-step demonstration on how to conquer eachquandary, I'm afraid that I’m nowhere close to having it all figured out. Infact, it may be the case that nobody is completely sure of the exact answer.Given that the syllabus content is seemingly infinite, the amount of knowledgerequired to solve this question likely surpasses the human capacity toassimilate information. Truthfully, the majority of us are mostly relying ontrial and error to get by, but every new fact or figure unlocks new lines ofinquiry, which brings us ever closer to the elusive answer.

Given howdifficult this all sounds, it may seem more convenient to just disregard theproblem and doodle on the side of the page instead. The thought has certainlycrossed my mind before, but I’ve been blessed with many teachers who, althoughit wasn't on the syllabus, have taught me a very valuable lesson—one that’s proved useful in everyexam, exercise and endeavor—if you're dealing with a problem,giving up is never the answer.

compositions are easy

2011-07-14T02:36:00.001+08:00

conversations are hard

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Essays are like songs are like movies are like children are like spouses in that, if you truly love them, you'll want them to be the best they can be, and thus keep trying to enhance, refine and ultimately perfect them. Unfortunately, unlike essays and songs and movies, children and spouses have a mind of their own and may find your constant desire to improve them annoying.

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If you truly love someone, you wouldn't force them to change
If you truly love someone back, they wouldn't have to

(so choose carefully)

face value / odd jobs

2011-07-13T23:33:00.002+08:00

conversations used to be easy

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One can fall in love with a voice or a lyric or a book or an idea, but it's very hard to fall in love with a person.

rediscovery week

2011-07-13T23:33:00.001+08:00

I used to wonder whether all adventures had to end
but I no longer fear the answer
for it has occurred to me that the conclusion of one
always leads to the start of another

girls and their bodies

2011-07-13T00:49:00.000+08:00

make believe

2011-07-10T02:39:00.001+08:00

simple things can be magical too

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everyone has to start somewhere, I suppose

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In My Arms - Jon Foreman

Love Isn't Made - Jon Foreman

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there is a time and place for everything

cast-a-nets

2011-07-10T01:39:00.001+08:00

How to distinguish between korean beauties

2011-07-10T01:31:00.001+08:00

lady

woman

girl

Kim Heechul

kerouacesque

2011-07-10T00:55:00.004+08:00

kids are so arty nowadays

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thanks to the internet, we're all listening to the same songs

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I fantasize about frequenting ramen stalls and convenience stores late at night

quantum states

2011-07-07T01:31:00.002+08:00

I watched Rabbit Hole.

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Things to do over the holidays:
create a comic book
learn to read katakana and hiragana
learn to drive

bad request

2011-07-06T03:11:00.000+08:00

what is love

(please leave answers in the comments section. danke)

good night

2011-07-01T23:18:00.002+08:00

The end of a matter is better than its beginning, and patience is better than pride.

ＧＥＯＲＧＥはＳＨＯＣＫ！！

2011-07-01T04:56:00.002+08:00

overproduced and too composed

obligatory

2011-07-01T04:50:00.002+08:00

Lately I've been looking for someone to hold
but when I make contact they claim I'm too cold

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to behold, to be held, to be beholden

gifts

2011-07-01T04:50:00.001+08:00

while many girls are pretty, very few are truly attractive

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カレーや彼

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I think I may be a workaholic

privileged punks

2011-06-24T22:58:00.000+08:00

All the great discoveries have already been made, but unfortunately are not widely understood.

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It seems unfair that our grandfathers had to live through a war to get to where they are. Our ancestors went through poverty, segregation, slavery, and strife we can't begin to imagine, and suddenly we ended up in such a convenient age where all we've ever had to sacrifice is sleep.

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Professions I would have seriously considered if the pay were better:
detective
florist assistant person (but not large fancy outlets, small family business type)
memorial park office clark

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my coworkers say I need to smile more

superfan / read-tard

2011-06-18T04:46:00.000+08:00

the gloves are off

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most writers edit their lives

my own antagonist

2011-06-18T03:32:00.004+08:00

I only think straight when I argue

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I don't want to be understood. I want to be right

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fill in the blanks is always a rorschach test. people are often surprised at what they come up with. I guess the opposite would be taking things out of context, and yet both achieve a similar effect

君がいるなら

2011-06-14T23:34:00.003+08:00

（笑）

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from one uniform into the next

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my throat is raw

my spit is red

I feel great

キラキラ

2011-06-14T00:54:00.001+08:00

this is sometimes true

prep time / retconned

2011-06-05T17:24:00.007+08:00

Most people fall in love with a feeling

and some just feel like falling in love

Kevin Conroy

2011-06-04T05:32:00.002+08:00

I'm a big fan of the Bruce x Diana pairing, in case you couldn't tell

platformers / deadpan

2011-06-02T23:23:00.004+08:00

I tend to repeat myself (myself)

tongues

2011-05-31T00:21:00.006+08:00

think before you speak, she said

but not too much

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for better or for worse, we get to choose who rules our world(s)

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what doing bio past papers has taught me:

1. you sometimes have to say more than you think is necessary

2. how to identify trends (I can be a fashion guru now)

3. I don't know as much as I thought I did

attempting sleep / hippies with guitars

2011-05-29T23:42:00.004+08:00

I want to think my own thoughts (too)

control freak

2011-05-29T00:30:00.004+08:00

it's so hard to be original these days

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I don't think vampires hate mirrors any more than blind people do

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does anyone else find it ironic that a country notorious for lap-dances is homonymous for thigh-land?

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esoteric adjectives are cool and all, but one should avoid using them profligately, for they can make a sentence quite execrable

I bet you think this post is about you

2011-05-27T17:08:00.015+08:00

I don’t just wear my heart on my sleeve.

I take pictures of it and print it on t-shirts.

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she's got a unique way of looking at things, and a lovely way of expressing it

it's a pity she only looks at herself

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so unfamiliar with the concept of rejection

you sought comfort in various strangers' shallow affection

allowed them access into your good graces

if only to support yourself with their embraces

you loved hearing the nice things that they said

some sincere, some just to get you in bed

but none of them knew they'd be so quickly discarded

I guess they didn't count on you being so cold hearted

and then you went home and wrote of your exploits

painted yourself the victim and your victims as white knights

you're a real piece of work, I'll give you that

to inspire poetry in someone you've never met

although it's probably not in the tone that you're used to

at least now you've got one more written about you

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this girl also wrote a post about how narcissistic she is. I suppose she loves herself enough to overlook her flaws. even the ones she shouldn't.

her poetry is actually really good, but when she likens herself to the sun, I really can't help but be put off.

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how stupid is it, I can't talk about it

I gotta sing about it and make a record of my heart

how stupid is it, won't you take a minute

just come up to me and say hello to my heart

how stupid is it, for all I know you want me too

and maybe you just don't know what to do

or maybe you're scared to say

I'm fallin' for you

Stats / Investments

2011-05-25T17:52:00.005+08:00

Why are pleasant surprises so rare? Or rather, why are unpleasant surprises so comparatively abundant? Life isn't like a monopoly game, with an approximately equal distribution of advantageous and disadvantageous chance cards. It seems that the odds are stacked unevenly. To be dealt 10 unlucky cards in a row is more than enough to bankrupt a person. So why is it that whenever you want something good, you have to work for it and strive for it, but misfortune loves to come over uninvited ever so frequently?

Maybe the reason one never finds 50$ bills lying on the ground is that if you aren't making an effort to find them, then someone else who is, will.

whereas nobody goes looking for a plague

tones and dialects

2011-05-23T20:46:00.000+08:00

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deciding between languages is like deciding between colours

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I had a dream within a dream about exams where phones ring and i forget to bring my pencil box

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you know how childhood heroes never stand quite as tall once you grow up

but my dad still looks like a giant to me

strawberry blonde

2011-05-22T15:53:00.003+08:00

Let Me Be With You - Round Table feat. Nino

Rainbow - Round Table feat. Nino

type A / animal farm / glass ceiling

2011-05-21T00:29:00.018+08:00

We refer to our ages based on when we were born, as if time is a ladder with rungs or as if our divisions are like notches etched into the side of a tree. But a year is simply a revolution around the sun- an abstract, invented unit of repetition born out of our innate fascination with patterns. What's more important than time itself is what it's used for- what happens within those parameters. I always thought that processes and changes of great significance had to take place over a number of years, since one year is so incredibly short compared to the average 80 year lifespan. But then I realized, 80 revolutions isn't a lot.

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My ex-girlfriend was into old cameras. When I asked her why, she said that she liked cute and outdated things that not many other people were interested in.

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Exams are a method of measuring a person's level of intelligence based on fixed criteria. Assuming that intelligence will always be normally distributed, with a few exceptionally clever people and few exceptionally dumb people and a large percentage of exceptionally average people, isn't it possible that the whole distribution moves up a few notches on the intelligence scale, with the 10th percentile dumb people still being relatively as dumb in comparison to the 90th percentile smart people, but still smarter than a 10th percentile dumb person from 10 years ago? This, I believe, is why more people are scoring As nowadays, and A*s are having to be introduced. However, A*s are only a temporary solution, because if this trend continues, then people will keep getting smarter (or become increasingly able to memorize more and more facts). Thus, the proper solution is to make the syllabus and/or exams harder, which I guess they are doing by introducing new topics gradually and making up weird questions for our bio papers. But it's only a matter of time before the teachers and students adapt their strategies and techniques and expectations, and our species has always been adept at overcoming well-defined obstacles, so the whole thing just seems like an exercise in futility. Soon, a day will come when hawker stall owners will hold three degrees and road-sweepers will be able to solve trigonometric equations by finding it's harmonic form.

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I used to think that age didn't matter.

After all, how far apart can two people possibly grow in the space of one year?

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We may have hit a huge technological boom sometime in 1992, but what's really interesting is how strong the correlation is between the rate at which new technologies appear and the immediate effect of these technological advances to the average household. The mass production and subsequent consumption of innovative applications. (I try to fill my sentences with as many words ending with '-tion' as possible). It's not just that the technological industry has picked up the pace and hit its stride, but also changes in the industry affect us more strongly now. That's not to say that the industry is slacking, however. The electronics and mass communications industry is efficient to an extent that doesn't seem humanly possible. I've never seen a better example of full employment. Take, for instance, the computer. It was invented in 1940-something, where it was used exclusively by the government and then made its way into offices, and then people's households. Once they got there, computers improved dramatically. From the Windows 98, which I had the pleasure of using before it became rapidly obsolete, to the Windows XP and now the iMac- each reincarnation more powerful and streamlined than the last.

What started out as a system to help the government crack enemy codes has resulted in a device that helps the average joe keep track of his expenses, keep in touch with his loved ones and entertain himself while waiting at the train station. Back in my grandfather's time, they would never have dreamed of sending letters halfway across the world instantaneously, and what's more, virtually for free! People back then were happy with less, because they didn't know how much more there could be. I remember floppy disks too. They had only just made their way into the market before being muscled out by the shinier and more capacious optical discs.

Great leaps and bounds have been made, industries have been revolutionized, all thanks to consumerism. People praise the microchip, but its production was merely the catalyst that allowed computers to make their way into people's homes. Now that computers were affordable and could fit into a single room, there was demand, and thus money to be made. Soon all sorts of firms got on the bandwagon and spent tonnes on R&D, which have led to all these great inventions and developments over the years. Of course all of each advance in the field paved the way and made it easier to make better, cheaper, faster things as well as find ways to make things better, cheaper and faster.

With so much possible nowadays, all it takes is an idea for a product, and the scientists and engineers will somehow realize it. It's important to note that CEOs of huge companies who have profits as a priority are directing the funds, so if it won't sell it probably won't be made, which is unfortunate because there are probably a number of important things that could make the world a better place even though people wouldn't buy it.

If the companies would put as much effort and time into developing some sort of earthquake forecasting system, I'm sure they could come up with something better than what we have now. But instead we are mired in the fields of entertainment and convenience, drawn in by the promise of a handsome yield and crippled by its weight. I guess it's the classic macroeconomic dilemma- Free market vs Command economy.

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One more year till the first quarter

training wheels

2011-05-19T16:07:00.003+08:00

love is like riding a bike,

you'll inevitably get a few bruises but you'll never forget how

what am I saying

psychopathology

2011-05-17T18:50:00.005+08:00

Only parents who've never been through chinese school worry about their kids being in chinese school.

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I hope somebody finds my stories interesting

I wonder if I'll ever meet that person

probably not

丸を探して

2011-05-12T00:29:00.005+08:00

http://www.notesfromadrowning.com/

http://cowbirdsinlove.com/971

http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Last_words

dream of falling

2011-05-11T14:58:00.012+08:00

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you know, meeting the girl of your dreams can actually be really stressful, especially if you've already got a girlfriend

or if she's from a different dimension.

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everyone looks wonderful in winter

开心

2011-05-08T08:12:00.000+08:00

오늘 제가 어마를 위해서 아침식사를 준비했어요

I'm gonna build a mountain

2011-05-04T21:45:00.007+08:00

If only there were some sort of make-up for a person's personality

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I forgot how much I liked editing articles

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Using The Netherlands as a euphemism for the crotch would be a lot more funny if it weren't already a region associated with genitals.

The irony sort of compensates though

Nagasaki

2011-04-27T00:44:00.002+08:00

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what do you get when two guard cells set aside their differences and reconcile?

stomatal closure

funyuns

2011-04-22T16:54:00.003+08:00

I hereby declare it Saturday.

mixed media

2011-04-20T21:08:00.009+08:00

did you hear about the guy whose wife is a taser?

yeah, he always wanted to marry a stunner.

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delusional dictators and misguided scientists

hollywood movies are made of these

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RuBP?

no, but I sure feel like it

fyeahinsightfulthings

2011-04-18T22:51:00.004+08:00

盆火

2011-04-17T13:17:00.012+08:00

I miss celebrating 中秋节

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humans tend to pine for things beyond their reach

but often settle for less

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I should probably stop approaching relationships like they're zero-sum games, but stochastic systems are too difficult to model.

Quarantino / Hard Landing

2011-04-15T23:11:00.004+08:00

or perhaps they're a species so self-absorbed that they never bother to look up

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the words have returned

I think I scared them away

or perhaps they found out about my infatuation and subsequent affair with korean

Colonies / Palladium Stadium

2011-04-15T18:21:00.005+08:00

Do you ever wonder if bacteria have names for us, like the planets? That during their fleeting existence and despite their diminutive consciousness, they regard us as celestial bodies in their microcosm- as something awe inspiring and yet incomprehensible, and give us pretty names based on their own mythology of microscopic legends and ancestors and local heroes- if they wonder at the unpredictability and diversity of these enigmatic titans, and inevitably cross the threshold of the familiar and venture into the vast unknown with intent to learn our secrets and ultimately assimilate our organic matter to sustain themselves, and when we try to wipe them out they call it a natural disaster.

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an hour is an eternity if you only live for a day

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Rubi-con n.

When someone is tricked into making an unwise and irreversible deal or decision

beats me

2011-04-13T22:57:00.004+08:00

what if we are the aliens?

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what if we are the aliens

April fools

2011-04-13T16:25:00.003+08:00

wonderfull

2011-04-02T20:34:00.003+08:00

word of the day: trifectionaries

runner up: quixotic

the weekend workload

2011-03-31T00:16:00.004+08:00

Imagine if farts smelled good

That's the world I want to live in

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I think youtube is the greatest invention since whales

Denethor has lost his mind

2011-03-25T19:21:00.003+08:00

these remind me of this

小津

2011-03-24T21:14:00.002+08:00

a piano-strawberry sort of controversy

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every corner of the coast is still clear

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I remember when I made happiness my enemy

she smiled and said 'I'll be here if you need me'

I shaved my head and turned away proudly

donned a white coat and then stormed off loudly

half a year went by and she came back around

plainly announcing that she happened to be in town
she stood an appropriate distance and showed polite concern
made no reference whatsoever to the bridge that I had burned
I couldn't bear to look at her as we stood up to shake hands

I wanted to embrace her but we were both strangers by then

Goodnight Moon

2011-03-23T21:48:00.004+08:00

Believe it or not, blood type can influence someone's personality. Most of you who like surfing the Internet might have known about this information, but it is still essential for you to know about this fact.

People with blood type AB have sensitive and soft feeling. They have profound interests with other people's feelings and always face other people with care and beware. However, they also tough with themselves and people close to them. Thus, they lean to have two personalities.
They are usually grudge people and think something too deep. Fortunately, they have a lot of friends, but they also need time to be lonely to think their own problems.
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looks pretty decent

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I remember when we thought professional wrestling was real-

when we believed in every fight

but the disappointment that followed taught me a valuable lesson

never trust a man in tights

mega moon dreams

2011-03-20T16:53:00.007+08:00

I dreamt that a good friend had returned from the UK but he hadn't gotten any sleep for 4 days so he slept in the common room and graduation and prom were both happening at the same time, then I tried to make a new friend in the elevator but I kept stuttering and he didn't like my jokes.

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an overproduced song is a pretty girl who is tired of looking at herself all the time.

a good song is like ramen; you can't keep it in the pot for too long

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they've seen more moons, but we've seen bigger ones

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When I was 16 I entered a techno phase; It lasted about one week.

Inarticulate Youth

2011-03-18T01:52:00.006+08:00

American Manners/Enough Rope

2011-03-17T18:48:00.002+08:00

people used to tell their kids that if they studied hard, they would be happy. nowadays, kids are told 'you have to find what you want'.

sometimes i wonder if we're really better off now compared to before

it seems the hardest part of living is deciding what to live for

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When I was 14 I learnt how to spin a pen. To this day, I'm still extremely proud of that fact

the revision has begun

2011-03-06T19:35:00.001+08:00

7 days to study for 8 papers

trial and error

2011-03-05T20:43:00.006+08:00

I already regret choosing Medicine

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sky in her eyes

ocean in her ears

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ㅁㅡㅁ

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And the further they grew apart

the more alike they became

HNNNG

2011-03-05T00:16:00.006+08:00

seriously though, why isn't this a movie already?

自分の歌

2011-03-04T18:38:00.008+08:00

Dream High, being the first korean dorama I've ever followed, left a pretty 약한 impression on me.

Firstly, the script was only so-so, with a few cool lines and funny scenes here and there that saved it from being unwatchable. However, I suppose it's unreasonable to expect an epic and life changing plot given that they had to fit the whole storyline into 16 episodes. For this reason also, character development felt rushed.

Generally, the acting fluctuated between being stilted and unnecessarily exaggerated, but that's probably due to the fact that the 'actors' haven't had much acting experience and are normally half dead during shooting after their packed schedules, which probably also prevented them from getting together for readings and rehearsals.

Lastly, it felt like the director (who, in Korea, I believe, also does the camera director's job) was an amateur, or even absent. There were some potentially great scenes, but by making various filmmaking faux pas, their effectiveness was pretty much compromised. For example, the camera would often go in close to capture every twitch and nuance of a facial expression, regardless of what the character is saying/doing. (Though it may have been edited that way in order to hide the actor/actress' lack of appropriate body language) Moreover, the way the camera only focussed on whoever was talking at any particular time made scenes feel more like interviews than anything else. But most of all, I just wish they hadn't edited each scene in an attempt to milk each teary-eyed shot for all its worth. Awkward shots like filling the entire screen with some guy's angsty face just make it very difficult to concentrate on the story and the characters. The locations, props and lighting weren't that great either, but I suppose the budget is to blame for that.

As I mentioned, the acting was pretty terrible, but if a seasoned director was at the helm, he/she could have suggested ways to make a scene feel more organic and give the actors tips on how to deliver certain crucial lines. Even though that sounds like micromanagement, I think that sort of advice would have certainly helped their acting and allowed the actors/actresses to improve faster, given their relative inexperience. I don't know, maybe I just set my standards too high, but I personally felt that there was no vision and no direction behind the series. My guess is that they got a PD who's used to filming concerts and live stages, but a complete novice at filming doramas.

Don't get me wrong though, I'm not saying I hated it. The soundtrack was pretty good and the insert songs complemented the scenes well. Also, IU's performance was commendable- the best out of her idol peers- and it was fun seeing various celebrities make cameo appearances.

Plus, Suzy Bae is really cute.

frankenstein

2011-03-01T00:42:00.006+08:00

I'll probably stick to words from now on

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I don't remember much about being 17

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Coconut hair seems to suit me

Louvre or leave her

2011-02-19T20:38:00.002+08:00

Honestly, if we had our way, we'd like God to do everything for us. And sometimes we question why he doesn't, if he truly loves us so much. But if God carries us all the time, we'll never learn to walk. God wants us to walk for ourselves. It would be poor parenting to actively prevent one's child from developing skills essential for their future- to stunt their maturity and inhibit the discovery of their full potential. In other words, God can't walk for us, because at the end of the road, it's how much muscle you've developed that counts.

So God watches us make baby steps, correcting us when we need it. But God doesn't throw us into the deep end to see if we sink or swim. He's always behind us, ready to catch us, or pick us up when we fall (because falling is necessary to remind us that we aren't strong enough to walk alone).

Therefore, a mature Christian should no longer pray, 'Lord, please carry me through this tough time', but 'Lord, please watch over me and help me along when I need it. I trust that you will not lead me through something more difficult than I can deal with.' God has promised that when the road becomes too steep, He will lend us His strength, supporting, but not pushing, us from behind, making us able to walk in His way. So we need to stop constantly looking behind to make sure God doesn't abandon us. To know God means not having to say 'Lord, you'll bring me through this right?' every time a scary looking pit looms ahead. What it means is being able to trust and know that He's got your back. This trust is partly formed when we were held tightly and intimately against His chest, while we were still too weak to walk, and partly from looking back at all of the dangers and troubles we've traversed safely thanks to God's guiding hand.

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When God and distractions come knocking on the door,

the tragedy is that we answer whichever is harder to ignore.