Monthly Archives for July 2010

making the effort

I have always been a procrastinator. It’s always been one of my biggest failings. I manage to get everything done and I’m generally rather punctual. It’s the process of actually working that usually gets me. Once I get into something, then I can work steadily and just knock it out. It’s that getting started part that gets me.

Normally what I end up doing is writing little promises to myself. For some reason, if I see it written out clearly in red cursive, I tend to be a little more diligent. It’s more of a psychological thing, seeing it written out makes it more unavoidable. Anyway, let this be my promise. Every single darned day I will review my Chinese lessons and I will do all the homework. And I am hereby limiting myself to two hours maximum on tudou.

100730

updates

  • I’ll jump on the bandwagon and say that I do not like LeBron James. Miami was a smart move, the ESPN event was not.
  • No more architecture interning! Over two weeks I only ever spoke to five people and never saw the boss. And they barely looked at the precedents I spent DAYS researching. Not worth the trouble.
  • Went to the theater and watched “Toy Story 3.” Saw it in 3D, but also in Chinese. Er … entertaining, but dialogue would’ve been nice.
  • Even nice restaurants use Ikea glasses. And play Sarah Brightman. I’m also slightly disappointed in myself that I recognized the Sarah Brightman.
  • My Chinese class starts on Monday.
  • Tudou.com is AMAZING. It’s basically the Chinese version of YouTube, but it also has full television programs and films.
  • Tortillas are not to be found in this city. I don’t know if I can survive.

100710 publr

Building with the spire is the Shanghai Exhibition Centre, formerly known as the Sino-Soviet Friendship Building.

[NOTE: This post originally appeared on a now-deleted blog and is reposted here for my own sake.]

say can you see

O! say can you see by the dawn’s early light,
What so proudly we hailed at the twilight’s last gleaming,
Whose broad stripes and bright stars through the perilous fight,
O’er the ramparts we watched, were so gallantly streaming.
And the rockets’ red glare, the bombs bursting in air,
Gave proof through the night that our flag was still there;
O! say does that star-spangled banner yet wave
O’er the land of the free and the home of the brave.

I totally just sang that out loud … to myself. Happy Independence Day! Unfortunately no one here cares, so no cookout or any such indulgence. Instead I must content myself with going to my aunt’s for dinner. Sad. Oh well. Now if I could just find tortillas I think my spirits will be raised. I can manage eggs, bacon, and potatoes. All I need are the tortillas and I can have breakfast tacos. Goodness gracious I miss Tex-Mex.

Work still sucks but I think now that I’m thinking it’ll probably be for just one more week, I’m thinking it’s going to be a bit more bearable. I think what I hate most about it is that I sit at a computer the entire time. I miss working with kids. At least all their kicking and screaming kept things interesting. Also, I might make some friends. Yay for meeting people from online forums! And hopefully not getting killed!

[NOTE: This post originally appeared on a now-deleted blog and is reposted here for my own sake.]