Just finished reading "The Godfather". It was an engaging and interesting book about the mafiaso in the United States. Somehow after hearing that one of my project group mate was reading "A Hundred Years of Solitude" -- Gabriel Garcia Marquez, I felt the need to read again. I think it's a somewhat competitive streak in me. The same one that struck me in kintergarden when I got third and was eyeing the gifts the top boy got at the award ceremony. Well, partly that, and partly because I missed the feeling of getting lost in a book. Of breaking off the reading feeling I've been thrown into another world. Cliche as it sounds, I have often been totally absorbed into the characters and environ of the book I read. So hopefully, this marks my renewed love affair with my "snobbish" (as opposed to thrashy) books.
But before I pick my next book at the library, I'm gonna watch the legendary Godfather series. Incidentally, the same groupmate has a copy of it on DVD. Now to get my grubby hands on it :P
Monday, January 31, 2005
Friday, January 28, 2005
A Charmingly Rustic Book
First week of school has been good. All my courses bar one are interesting. Some of them I'd even call fun. In fact, the supply chain class was so fun, I actually considered taking it just to learn and not for credit. As Prof Orman from the Johnson school would say " What? Students who don't want credit? Just want to learn?" That's pretty much the academic version of pigs can fly. All that aside, I'm happy that my last semester here will be exciting.
Today, for the first time, I actually saw the bookstacks in Uris Library. Uris is the building with the trademark clocktower of Cornell. It is also really ancient and archaic. It was a veritable labyrinth to the level 8 stacks where I was hoping to find "The Godfather". I climbed up two flight of dark stairs, enter a small dinghy door that said access to level 7 stacks, zigzagged through the student lounge and the Tower Cafe, finally gingerly walked through a door which looked more like the backroom or kitchen of the cafe than a way to access the precious manuscripts that the library houses. I did however find a copy of the book I wanted. I was initially aghast at its condition -- the fabric on the cover was ripped and threadbare; the words on the spine were so faint I nearly missed the book. I was pleasantly surprised, however, that I really liked the rustic feel of the book when I flipped though the book. Though it has obviously gone through hunderds of pairs of hands, the pages felt soft and inviting the touch. So here it is now sitting in my bag, happily waiting to fill the dreamy scene of a good book and hot chocolate in bed.
Now this is a big thing for me. I'm usually very very very and 5 more very pedantic when it comes to books. The cover has to be pristine. No page can be dogeared. Hands has to be washed so that the side of the book doesn't get grey with use. I handwrapped all my book in clear plastic with a patience that surprises even me. So I was really surprised when this rustic little book charmed me off my feet. And I was reminded of my dreams years ago of owning a quaint little bookshop (which will probably make losses since it really can't compete in terms of selection and price)
Today, for the first time, I actually saw the bookstacks in Uris Library. Uris is the building with the trademark clocktower of Cornell. It is also really ancient and archaic. It was a veritable labyrinth to the level 8 stacks where I was hoping to find "The Godfather". I climbed up two flight of dark stairs, enter a small dinghy door that said access to level 7 stacks, zigzagged through the student lounge and the Tower Cafe, finally gingerly walked through a door which looked more like the backroom or kitchen of the cafe than a way to access the precious manuscripts that the library houses. I did however find a copy of the book I wanted. I was initially aghast at its condition -- the fabric on the cover was ripped and threadbare; the words on the spine were so faint I nearly missed the book. I was pleasantly surprised, however, that I really liked the rustic feel of the book when I flipped though the book. Though it has obviously gone through hunderds of pairs of hands, the pages felt soft and inviting the touch. So here it is now sitting in my bag, happily waiting to fill the dreamy scene of a good book and hot chocolate in bed.
Now this is a big thing for me. I'm usually very very very and 5 more very pedantic when it comes to books. The cover has to be pristine. No page can be dogeared. Hands has to be washed so that the side of the book doesn't get grey with use. I handwrapped all my book in clear plastic with a patience that surprises even me. So I was really surprised when this rustic little book charmed me off my feet. And I was reminded of my dreams years ago of owning a quaint little bookshop (which will probably make losses since it really can't compete in terms of selection and price)
Wednesday, January 26, 2005
Greener Grass, Rounder Moon
It has been snowing furiously for the past 1 and 1/2 weeks. There had been no snow all through December and I was even commenting on how nice and mild the winter had been. Then suddenly, one week before school started, the capricious Ithaca weather struck again. The snowing hasn't let up at all and thick marshmallows of it has accumulated on the cars, lampposts and outdoor structures. In other parts of northeastern US, some people have reportedly been snowed in (My mum frantically gave me a call just a moment ago to check on me coz they saw some video on TV) So even though the temperatures went as low as -20c, it's not quite THAT bad.
As I was walking home, I was thinking that despite how much I hated the weather now, I'll probably miss it when I'm not here. Or rather especially since I am not here! As the saying goes, the grass is greener on the other side. So in my memories, there will be no slushy walks to school that makes my legs of my pants stiff with caked salt; I do not fall down on the sidewalk; my hands never felt frostbitten; my legs won't itch from the extreme dryness; my butt won't ache from walking in the snow day after day.
As I was walking home, I was thinking that despite how much I hated the weather now, I'll probably miss it when I'm not here. Or rather especially since I am not here! As the saying goes, the grass is greener on the other side. So in my memories, there will be no slushy walks to school that makes my legs of my pants stiff with caked salt; I do not fall down on the sidewalk; my hands never felt frostbitten; my legs won't itch from the extreme dryness; my butt won't ache from walking in the snow day after day.
Thursday, January 20, 2005
A Non-unique Me
I've been meaning to post something for a while but ended up doing other things instead. :
Phoenix Trip (Jan 12-Jan 13)
It's been a week since I went for my site visit in Phoenix. Most of the trip was spent at the airport and on the flight. Somehow, the low-fare, no-frill, no meals flights are kinda depressing especially when the flights are more than 3 hrs. It's somewhat sad that natioanl airlines in the US have become nothing more than glorified budget airlines.
Had to get up at 4am, had a 1 hr car ride to Syracuse, endure 7 hrs of the whole budget airline travelling experience, and then went straight to the workshop and finally got to the hotel at 4pm. Was pretty much pooped by then so didn't really get to explore the city of Phoenix. We had a nice dinner at Sam's, a Mexican restaurant that serves some really good salsa and tacos. The weather was also significantly better -- around 17c which is just like air-conditioning.
The worst part of the whole trip was probably the flight back when we were stuck at Atlanta for about 3 hours due to a heavy storm. The whole waiting was filled with a redolent mix of stale food, human sweat and jumpy eagerness to get on the next plane home. Despite their eagerness, I realized that people here actually wait for their rows to be called before entering the gate, quite unlike us Asians who have a tendency to cluster around the gate area, or even start a queue to enter the gate. On the other hand, American airlines also board from the front which is highly annoying since we have to wait for the inconsiderate slow pokes to put their luggage in the overhead.
Project (Jan 14 - the end of semester)
We've been working on our project dilligently. Things are going slow at the moment and for a while, I felt like we were in a slump. Today though, we are actually gonna start coding in Visual Basic for Applications (VBA). Well, by start coding, I mean two of the group of three (One of them would be yours truly) will try to learn to code in VBA while the last person will start coding.
The Remainder
I've never felt confident about coding in any form. It's not really that I can't do it but my brain keeps telling me that I can't do it. I think I have a horrible brain. It tells me about all the things I can't do instead of telling me what I can or should be able to. It has that irritating nay-sayer personality which makes me a little low in self-esteeem. These years have been spent battling that thing called my brain. I proved that I can indeed swim, ice-skate, write Standard Query Language (SQL) queries and cook more than one dish despite what the horrible pessimist in me has been saying.
Sometimes I wonder if other people feel the same way I do and fight the same battles. I would like to think that it is uniquely me, that I am special, valiant, a martyr and all that jazz. And I remember how upset I was in secondary school (high school) when I first realized that there are people who are similar to me. Well, I can only conjecture that they are the same, but somehow, I've lost the arrogance to think that what I feel and think is above what others might be able to feel.
Phoenix Trip (Jan 12-Jan 13)
It's been a week since I went for my site visit in Phoenix. Most of the trip was spent at the airport and on the flight. Somehow, the low-fare, no-frill, no meals flights are kinda depressing especially when the flights are more than 3 hrs. It's somewhat sad that natioanl airlines in the US have become nothing more than glorified budget airlines.
Had to get up at 4am, had a 1 hr car ride to Syracuse, endure 7 hrs of the whole budget airline travelling experience, and then went straight to the workshop and finally got to the hotel at 4pm. Was pretty much pooped by then so didn't really get to explore the city of Phoenix. We had a nice dinner at Sam's, a Mexican restaurant that serves some really good salsa and tacos. The weather was also significantly better -- around 17c which is just like air-conditioning.
The worst part of the whole trip was probably the flight back when we were stuck at Atlanta for about 3 hours due to a heavy storm. The whole waiting was filled with a redolent mix of stale food, human sweat and jumpy eagerness to get on the next plane home. Despite their eagerness, I realized that people here actually wait for their rows to be called before entering the gate, quite unlike us Asians who have a tendency to cluster around the gate area, or even start a queue to enter the gate. On the other hand, American airlines also board from the front which is highly annoying since we have to wait for the inconsiderate slow pokes to put their luggage in the overhead.
Project (Jan 14 - the end of semester)
We've been working on our project dilligently. Things are going slow at the moment and for a while, I felt like we were in a slump. Today though, we are actually gonna start coding in Visual Basic for Applications (VBA). Well, by start coding, I mean two of the group of three (One of them would be yours truly) will try to learn to code in VBA while the last person will start coding.
The Remainder
I've never felt confident about coding in any form. It's not really that I can't do it but my brain keeps telling me that I can't do it. I think I have a horrible brain. It tells me about all the things I can't do instead of telling me what I can or should be able to. It has that irritating nay-sayer personality which makes me a little low in self-esteeem. These years have been spent battling that thing called my brain. I proved that I can indeed swim, ice-skate, write Standard Query Language (SQL) queries and cook more than one dish despite what the horrible pessimist in me has been saying.
Sometimes I wonder if other people feel the same way I do and fight the same battles. I would like to think that it is uniquely me, that I am special, valiant, a martyr and all that jazz. And I remember how upset I was in secondary school (high school) when I first realized that there are people who are similar to me. Well, I can only conjecture that they are the same, but somehow, I've lost the arrogance to think that what I feel and think is above what others might be able to feel.
Monday, January 10, 2005
A Kind Winter
It has been an uncharacteristically mild winter so far. The snow didn't really stay until about a week ago. The first year I was here was also a mild winter and it was all wintery white since mid-December. This winter is good for our car though. Having already paid $350 for maintenance work on the transmission, we were reluctant to face the hassle (and $$ pain) of getting snow tires.
Mom has been worried about us driving in winter but we don't plan to drive when it's snowing anyway. The experience one/two years ago was plenty freaky enough. It wasn't even like there was an accident but our car was trying to get into the parking lot near out house and it skidded so badly. The car slid into a pile of snow and we desperately tried to dig it out with our gloved hands. Really considered getting a shovel after that but we still don't own one as of now. In the end, a bunch of guys saw us and got out of their house and pushed the car out. Quite a memory it was.
The new parking spot we have now is a lot better than the one we had then. At least the driveway is moderately clean and the incline is not as steep so we don't usually have a hard time getting in. No more using the bike lock to smash the slippery ice along the driveway which made our tires spin wildly, trying to find something to bite into.
Anyway, I'll be going for a site visit on Wednesday. Won't be back till Thursday night. Yeah it's technically a business trip. Been starting on the project today. Will need to read more of those yucky scientific journals later.
Mom has been worried about us driving in winter but we don't plan to drive when it's snowing anyway. The experience one/two years ago was plenty freaky enough. It wasn't even like there was an accident but our car was trying to get into the parking lot near out house and it skidded so badly. The car slid into a pile of snow and we desperately tried to dig it out with our gloved hands. Really considered getting a shovel after that but we still don't own one as of now. In the end, a bunch of guys saw us and got out of their house and pushed the car out. Quite a memory it was.
The new parking spot we have now is a lot better than the one we had then. At least the driveway is moderately clean and the incline is not as steep so we don't usually have a hard time getting in. No more using the bike lock to smash the slippery ice along the driveway which made our tires spin wildly, trying to find something to bite into.
Anyway, I'll be going for a site visit on Wednesday. Won't be back till Thursday night. Yeah it's technically a business trip. Been starting on the project today. Will need to read more of those yucky scientific journals later.
Friday, January 07, 2005
Ticking Me Off
One of the things people can do to really tick me off is to first accuse me of something I didn't do and when they realize their mistake, contrive of some other way to make what I did seem wrong. A simple "I'm sorry. I made a mistake." would have earned you some respect.
Somehow, that is usually true of the figures of authority I've known -- not that I've known many. They assume that admitting to making a mistake is akin to admitting to a weakness. They are too self-centred to notice the damage they do when they knowingly gloss over their mistakes or worse still, try to exonerate themselves by placing the blame on an innocent party. Trying to make yourself look pristine and infallible does not get you anywhere when everyone knows that you are fallible and just as human as the next. I can't muster any shred of respect for a person who cares more about their face than about doing right, even if they are a genius at what they do.
Somehow, that is usually true of the figures of authority I've known -- not that I've known many. They assume that admitting to making a mistake is akin to admitting to a weakness. They are too self-centred to notice the damage they do when they knowingly gloss over their mistakes or worse still, try to exonerate themselves by placing the blame on an innocent party. Trying to make yourself look pristine and infallible does not get you anywhere when everyone knows that you are fallible and just as human as the next. I can't muster any shred of respect for a person who cares more about their face than about doing right, even if they are a genius at what they do.
Thursday, January 06, 2005
A Sister in Law is me!
My sis is finally getting married. :) It's not that I've beening waiting to get rid of her, but she and William have been together long enough -- at least 6 years -- and she's definitely not getting any younger. Plus, I've always expected her to marry before I do.
The date of matrimony has been set to November 5th. I can imagine that she will soon have to get busy furnishing her new home and planning for the wedding. The first wedding in our house! It's definitely exciting.
The date of matrimony has been set to November 5th. I can imagine that she will soon have to get busy furnishing her new home and planning for the wedding. The first wedding in our house! It's definitely exciting.
Saturday, January 01, 2005
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